by Kari Lane
Kagurabachi, a new original action packed anime is coming your way in April 2027! We spoke with the lead voice actor, Taihi Kimura (Chihiro Rokuhira) and producer Koichi Yasuda about what it means for them to be at Anime Expo, adapting the manga, what they hope from fans and more!
This interview was conducted with an interrupter and has been edited for clarity.
KARI LANE: Welcome to Anime Expo! What does it mean for you to be here at AX with Kagurabachi? And what have been your first impressions of fans at Anime Expo?
TAIHI KIMURA: So this is actually not only my first time at Anime Expo, but my first time overseas. And just feeling the fans’ energy and how they welcomed me on stage very warmly was very special to me.
LANE: Welcome, welcome!
KOICHI YASUDA: So last year was my first time at Anime Expo. This is my 2nd year, and I feel that the fans and everybody is so fired up and passionate, and they’re very open to expressing that, like they don’t hide it, they’re just out there, which is a sight to see.
LANE: You have a panel later today, what do you hope fans take away from the panel?
KIMURA: Most importantly I want them to have fun, but I also want to build up that energy towards the title’s release as well.
YASUDA: The video that we have in store for the panel is actually part of the prologue. So I really want the audience to get a feel of that special Kagurabachi world setting.
LANE: Sugoi! (To Kimura) Tell us a little about your character. How did you find the voice for him? Plus how are you alike and how are you different from your character?
KIMURA: I would say Chihiro is a very complex individual, multifaceted, and he is on a mission to maintain his father’s legacy but also take part in revenge, because of the enchanted swords that were destroyed. Me, myself, I’m very outgoing and I talk a lot, but when I played Chihiro I tried to kind of hold back that energy since he does have a lot of pent up emotions that are different to my personality.
LANE: (To Yasuda) From adapting the manga to the anime, what was the biggest challenge and how did you overcome that?
YASUDA: It is still in production, so I’m sure there’s more to come but it’s very rare that an original work is so popular and pronounced amongst fans before the media mix. In order to live up to that there’s a lot of promotion that has to happen in build up to the release. So I’m working closely with Cyber Agent and Shochiku to make sure we get all the full slots and the lineup ready, for the proper marketing that it deserves.
LANE: Besides your panel, what are you most looking forward to doing or seeing at Anime Expo?
KIMURA: I want to see all the cosplayers! I’m looking forward to that.
YASUDA: Kagurabachi is featured in the Cyber Agent booth this time around, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that turns out and all the elements incorporated with putting out a, a booth or your title and a booth.
LANE: Give yourself plenty of time. There are so many crowds out there. It’s very exciting! I look forward to you seeing your booth, but like I said, give yourself time. Have fun and good luck getting through the crowds. (laughs)
KIMURA and YASUDA: Ah ok. (both laugh)
LANE: Anything else you would like to share?
KIMURA: I get a lot of messages from fans on my social media, regarding Kagurabachi, and how much they love the work and the project, how excited they are. I just want to say thank you for that.
YASUDA: So the release is next April (2027). We’re working very hard on our end on the production and to make sure everything is up to par. We hope that fans stay excited for the big reveal.
LANE: Arigato gozaimasu and congratulations! Thank you!
KIMURA and YASUDA: Thank you! Arigato gozaimasu.
Kagurabachi is coming to Crunchyroll April 2027!
Check out the official teaser trailer:
