Kagurabachi: Chihiro creates a Batman parallel in a way nobody expected

Since its debut on Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, Takeru Hokazono's Kagurabachi manga has continued to enthrall fans. A large reason behind its immense success is the portrayal of the protagonist, Chihiro Rokuhira. The taciturn boy, fueled by the desire for revenge, has bloodied his hands on more than one occasion.

Interestingly, Takeru's representation of Chihiro has fans comparing him to Batman. From his presence in the shadows to his use of Kuro similar to the famous "Bat signal," there are plenty of instances where fans have found striking parallels between the Dark Knight and Chihiro Rokuhira.

As a result, several fans have also taken it to X (formerly Twitter) to ask questions such as, "Is Chihiro Rokuhira's character in Kagurabachi inspired by Batman?" There's a good chance that this is the case, and it's mainly due to the author's love for the DC superhero.

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Kagurabachi: Exploring the parallels between Chihiro Rokuhira and Batman

From the outset in Kagurabachi manga, Chihiro Rokuhira treads on a blood-soaked path of revenge to find his father's killers and retrieve the six stolen Enchanted Blades. For this purpose, he wields the seventh Enchanted Blade his father secretly forged.

Interestingly, Chihiro's representation in Kagurabachi has a striking resemblance to a popular DC superhero, Batman. Several fans of the series have noticed that Chihiro, like Bruce Wayne or Batman, tends to hide behind the shadows before pouncing on his opponents.

Chihiro Rokuhira, as seen in chapter 12 (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

In chapter 12, for example, while on a mission to rescue Char from Genichi Sojo's secret hideout, Chihiro Rokuhira emerges from the shadows before sending a black goldfish (kuro) to eradicate his opponents.

Moreover, in chapter 19, Chihiro also assumes the role of a Dark Knight when he obliterates several Yakuza mobs using a school of small black goldfish (Kuro: Shred). Even in this chapter, the dark-haired protagonist announces his arrival from the shadows, much like Gotham City's Dark Knight.

Chihiro emerges from the darkness in Kagurabachi chapter 19 (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

Furthermore, the chapter is also called Knight of Darkness, which solidifies the Chihiro x Batman comparison. Other than the protagonist's fascination with darkness or shadows, there's another aspect that lends credibility to this comparison.

Chihiro Rokuhira's signature move, Kuro, which takes the form of a black goldfish has become a symbol of his arrival, much like the Bat distress signal. This is clearly evident in chapter 19 when a Yakuza member panicks after seeing a black goldfish outside the window.

Chihiro's Kuro, as seen in Kagurabachi (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

However, this "calling card" aspect in Kagurabachi acts as an inverse of the Bat signal because the latter is used by others to call Gotham's Knight. Whereas, Chihiro Rokuhira demonstrates it to announce his presence.

Nevertheless, the "goldfish" has become the signature symbol for Rokuhira, much like the Bat for Batman.

Chihiro, as seen in the darkness in chapter 12 (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

So, was Takeru Hokazono influenced by Batman while characterizing Chihiro Rokuhira? There's a possibility of this being true, especially if one reads the author's comments on Viz's Mangaka Musings posted on November 5, 2023:

"When I walk around at night while listening to the soundtrack of The Batman, I become Batman."

Takeru-san's comments following the release of Kagurabachi chapter 8 thus reveal his fascination for the DC comic superhero, Batman. Besides this comment, the author also liked a Batman-related post on X (formerly Twitter) on October 10, 2022, which further proves his love for the Dark Knight.

As such, there's a possibility that he incorporated some of the elements from the DC superhero into Chihiro Rokuhira's character.

Moreover, in an interview with the Kagurabachi's editor (Takuro Imamura), on the occasion of MangaPlus' 5th anniversary celebration, it was revealed that Takeru Hokazono is a huge fan of Western movies, especially Tarantino films and "John Wick."

As a result, Chihiro's character also reflects certain elements from John Wick and Kill Bill (one of the highly-rated Tarantino films) other than Batman's. Nonetheless, it's undeniable that fans have observed a strong resemblance between Chihiro and Batman and the author's comments show why this comparison isn't far-fetched.

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