Kagurabachi, the popular manga-turned-anime series, is set to be simulcast on Crunchyroll next year.
According to Variety, the simulcast will cover most of the globe, with Japan, Mainland China, North Korea, and South Korea excluded from the deal. It was also revealed that Katsuyuki Konishi, best known for voicing Tengen Uzui in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Kamina in Gurren Lagann, is joining the production, stepping into the role of Togo Shiba.
Alongside the streaming announcement, a new character visual and dedicated trailer dropped, which you can view below.
The previously confirmed cast includes Taihi Kimura as protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira and Tomokazu Seki as Kunishige Rokuhira.
Behind the camera, director Tetsuya Takeuchi brings a wealth of experience from his time working on animation for Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, battle scene storyboards on Heavenly Delusion, and his directorial debut on From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!
Character design will be handled by Keigo Sasaki, whose past work spans Blue Exorcist and The Seven Deadly Sins. Animation studio CyPic, also known as Cygames Pictures, is producing, with the production committee led by Shochiku and CyberAgent.
The series will adapt Takeru Hokazono's manga, which began running in Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2023 and has since surpassed four million copies in circulation. It took first place in the Next Manga Awards 2024 print category and earned nominations for both the 70th Shogakukan Manga Awards and the 49th Kodansha Manga Awards.
Takeuchi spoke about the adaptation in a livestream in April, saying: "When you think of Kagurabachi, you think of katana! And more katana! Plus cool characters and intense drama! I’ll work hard to capture all those elements and aim to make a show that both long-time fans of the manga and first-time viewers alike can enjoy."
The story centers on Chihiro Rokuhira, a boy training to become a swordsmith whose life is shattered when a sorcerer organization called the Hishaku attacks, stealing six powerful Enchanted Blades and killing his father. Armed with Enten, a seventh blade his father left behind, Chihiro sets out on a path of revenge.
