Shueisha Steps In After Repeated Absences
The announcement came via the official Kagurabachi X account on June 17, with Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump editorial department explaining that Hokazono had wanted to keep drawing. "After extensive discussions, we decided to have him take a set period of rest in order to deliver the work in a stable manner going forward," the editorial team wrote.
The decision follows a difficult stretch for the series. Kagurabachi was absent from issue #25 (May 18) and again from issue #28 (June 8). The May absence was attributed to "author's sudden illness." The June 17 announcement did not cite a specific reason for the extended break, but the pattern suggests Shueisha is acting preemptively rather than waiting for another health-related disruption.
Serialization is expected to resume in August, though no specific issue number has been confirmed.
A Four-Million-Copy Hit With Global Reach
Kagurabachi follows Chihiro Rokuhira, a quiet teenager whose swordsmith father was murdered for the powerful cursed blades he created. Armed with the seventh and final sword, Chihiro cuts his way through the criminal underworld to recover the stolen weapons and avenge his father. It has run in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2023.
The manga hit 4 million copies in circulation as of May 1, 2026, and has become one of Jump's flagship action titles. It won first place at the Next Manga Award 2024, and its international readership surged after launching simultaneously on Shueisha's MANGA Plus platform, where it reached #1 in global views within its first week.
The overseas response to the hiatus underscored that reach. International fans flooded the official X post with quote-tweets wishing Hokazono a full recovery.
Looking Ahead
The hiatus does not appear to affect the Kagurabachi TV anime, which is on track for an April 2027 premiere. Studio Cypic (formerly CygamesPictures, now part of the CyberAgent group) is handling animation production, with Tetsuya Takeuchi directing and Keigo Sasaki on character design. Taihi Kimura voices protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira.
Before the broadcast, a Kagurabachi World Tour kicks off this summer with preview screenings of the anime's first 20 minutes at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Japan Expo in Paris, AnimagiC in Mannheim, and Anime NYC.
On the manga side, Viz Media publishes the English volumes, and chapters are available to read on both the Shonen Jump app and MANGA Plus. The hiatus means new chapters will be on hold a bit longer, but serialization resumes in August.