Note: The following review of Kagurabachi chapter 63 will contain spoilers. I suggest you read the chapter on MangaPlus or Viz before proceeding any further!!
It is a well known fact that author Takeru Hokazono is a huge Naruto fan. So, I can only assume how excited he might have been to put on his ninja hat for this chapter.
A fancy bike appearing from a scroll and a classic shuriken throw with a twist. Not only were these tidbits executed well, they had amazing paneling to go with.
On top of that, we even get an iconic Akira bike slide?? This chapter was definitely a great one.
Sasuga Hokazono sama!!
A chase to remember:
Picking up where the previous chapter left off, we see that Iori Samura was successfully retrieved from her classroom, initiating a high-octane chase through the streets of Kyoto.
Taking Iori away served as the perfect bait to lure the Hishaku duo away from the school. This way, Iori wouldn’t have to worry about what would happen to her friends. However, it also put a target on her back.
But then, I was surprised at how well the Masumi (mainly) had planned this out.
The Hishaku are a group of elite sorcerers, and no member of theirs is to be taken lightly—since they are as volatile as they come.
Hiruhiko demonstrated this in the past. Kuguri, whose name was revealed in this chapter, became the latest to do so.
So, when the latter set his sights on Iori, Sumi’s evasive bike riding and Ro running interference with his grenade-rigged shuriken only did so much to stop his advance.
By the way, the names of all Masumi members were also revealed in this chapter, so hopefully they won’t be cannon fodder anytime soon!
Coming back to the chase, Kuguri showed that he had no hesitation in putting innocent bystanders at risk in order to get his hands on Iori.
In his own words, slicing people up was his way of conversing. That statement is very blunt. What we can understand from it thought is that he is cut from the same cloth as Sojo. A bit crazy in the head and showing no hesitation in indiscriminately slicing his way forward.
However, the Masumi had anticipated this and came up with a perfect plan to counter it. And this plan involved just one person—Chihiro.
After all, he is the main attraction, and the Masumi are there just for support. Covert ninjas, you know.
Just as Kuguri’s sword was about to reach Iori, Sumi pulled off a perfect Akira slide. But that wasn’t all. Chihiro, once again, made one of the coldest entrances to put a stop to Kuguri’s advance.
KAGURABACHI © 2023 by Takeru Hokazono/SHUEISHA Inc.
Hokazono has never disappointed when it comes to the choreography or the paneling of the action sequences in Kagurabachi. I can confidently say that he once again delivered some of the best panels in chapter 63—truly exhilarating ones that will make you jump out of your seat.
The way Chihiro jumped over Sumi’s bike to block off Kuguri was great. But that’s not all, the panel where Ro is about to throw his shuriken too was well drawn!
Now, while the action choreography and the paneling stole the show, we definitely cannot miss how well the Masumi complemented Chihiro in this chapter. We are on our way to getting some great character development for him.
Reducing Chihiro’s Burden:
As I mentioned before, the Masumi are the perfect support squad—in every sense. Not only did they complement Chihiro in the fight, but they also helped reduce the burden and stress he had been feeling lately.
Ever since Hiruhiko’s introduction, we have seen some interesting character dynamics between him and our cold, revenge-seeking Chihiro.
Every villain in this series has served one common function so far—changing the way Chihiro perceives everything around him.
While he has enough questions floating around regarding his father, the enchanted blades, and their purpose, Hiruhiko might be the first one who ever made him look within.
What kind of person had Chihiro turned into? Was he any different from the people he was hunting down?
While Chihiro understands that he is a killer and that hell awaits him, he draws the line at killing innocent civilians. However, not everyone might view him like that, and the recent couple of chapters have established that.
Thanks to the civilians in this series not being useless NPCs (yes, that’s a jab at Sakamoto Days), we know that Chihiro is seen as an indiscriminate killer, no different from the Hishaku.
Coupled with everything he had gone through, especially with Samura’s ‘betrayal’, it only increased the burden on our emo teenager.
However, in the latest chapter, we see that the Masumi are well aware of Chihiro’s complexities and have made sure to share some of that burden with him.
While the whole tie-up with the ninja squad began with the goal of beating some sense into Samura, for now, it has beaten some sense into Chihiro. He can’t keep doing everything alone, unless an early grave is what he is seeking. I mean, how many times has our protagonist woken up in a hospital bed?
If Chihiro were alone in this fight, he would have been spent trying to save the innocents in Kuguri’s line of fire. With the stakes being pretty high, it is possible that he could have lost sight of his main goal here.
However, with the Masumi handling the grunt work, he was free to fulfill the mission at hand—saving Iori.
Kagurabachi chapter 63 ends with Chihiro acknowledging that he is indeed getting back on his feet thanks to his new teammates! Slowly but surely, he is building a team of trusted allies around him and learning to share his burden with them.
As things progress, I am curious to see what kind of path this will lead him down. Revenge is certainly on the menu, but what else will it bring?