Hokazono is stepping up as the next Akutami, and Kagurabachi's latest massacre proves it

Kagurabachi started to gain popularity because of the memes, but it has managed to obtain a lot more staying power because of author Takeru Hokazono's writing style. The recently published chapter 48 had a lot of action, and also caused a lot of shock since the Kokugoku Steam Squad was massacred, drawing comparison to Jujutsu Kaisen and its author, Gege Akutami.

Now that Jujutsu Kaisen is close to ending, with only three chapters left to publish in the manga, many think Kagurabachi is going to take its place as Weekly Shonen Jump's current hit series. Considering that Akutami's series is close to ending and My Hero Academia has ended, Hokazono is in prime position to take their spot at the top, and moments like this massacre certainly help in that regard.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and the people quoted and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

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Recent Kagurabachi slaughter draws comparison to Jujutsu Kaisen author Gege Akutami

The recent chapters of the manga had a team made out of special fighters known as the Kokugoku Steam Squad, who were poised to be major players in the coming chapters, but it ended up as a bloodbath for them. Chapter 47, the one that came before the latest, had ended with the notion they might have one, although it was revealed they were slaughtered.

This series started as a bit of a meme with the first couple of chapters, but it has now become one with a strong fanbase because of author Takeru Hokazono's writing and drawing skills. The recent events of chapter 48 have also drawn some comparisons to the work done by Jujutsu Kaisen author Gege Akutami, as aforementioned.

Akutami has made a habit in his writing to kill off a lot of characters without much mercy, and also subvert a lot of people's expectations. In that regard, the use of Kokugoku Steam Squad by Hokazono does bear some resemblance, to the point most readers online thought they were going to make it out alive in this chapter.

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Reactions online

The other parts of the chapter were quite interesting as well, with the main focus being Chihiro Rokuhira's encounter with Yoji Uruha after so many years. It is one of the most hyped moments in Kagurabachi thus far, because Uruha shared a past with Chihiro's father, which was the main point of their conversation in chapter 48.

It also served to reveal some extra lore about the Enchanted Blades and their current state at the moment, which is one of Chihiro's goals now that his father is dead. All of this, coupled with the annihilation of the Kokugoku Steam Squad, has been a major source of interest for the fandom as the chapters have gone by.

"I miss bandana man already," someone said.

"Hokazono is being influenced by Gege's essence, he shows you a moment of hope and then the next second he mercilessly snatches it away from you," another person said.

"Kagurabachi 2/2 when it comes to killing cool squads. Takeru Hokazono why must u do this?" someone else said.

There is no denying that this series has managed to get a hold of people and might be poised to get the spot left by Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia.

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