The Kagurabachi anime is making its global debut this week: the first 20 minutes of Episode 1 are being screened at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles today, Thursday 3 July — a full nine months before the series premieres on television in April 2027.
Episode 1 World Premiere at Anime Expo 2026
The world premiere screening takes place at JW Marriott Diamond from 4:45 to 6:05 PM PDT on 3 July (7:45–9:05 AM SGT on 4 July). Alongside the screening, a special panel features Taihi Kimura (voice of protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira), Takuro Imamura (Editor of the Kagurabachi manga at Weekly Shonen Jump), and Koichi Yasuda (Producer of the Kagurabachi anime). For those who can’t make it to LA, the world tour continues — Paris, Germany, and New York are next in line before the series begins its regular broadcast.
Chihiro Rokuhira: A Swordsmith’s Son on a Path of Revenge
Kagurabachi follows Chihiro Rokuhira, the son of a legendary swordsmith who sets out on a blood-soaked quest for vengeance after tragedy strikes his family. Armed with one of his father’s famed Enchanted Blades — a sentient weapon that manifests as a black goldfish when dormant — Chihiro navigates a world of sorcerers, criminal syndicates, and supernatural threats. The manga was created by Takeru Hokazono and has run in Weekly Shonen Jump since September 2023, selling over 4 million copies and winning the Next Manga Award 2024. The anime announcement trailer crossed 6 million views in under 24 hours — a number that signals just how long this fandom has been waiting.
The Studio and Creative Team
Animation is handled by Studio Cypic — the recently rebranded Cygames Pictures — with Tetsuya Takeuchi as director. Takeuchi is known to long-time anime fans as the person behind the legendary Rock Lee vs Gaara fight episode in Naruto, so expectations for the action choreography here are sky-high. Character design is by Keigo Sasaki (Blue Exorcist, The Seven Deadly Sins). The confirmed cast includes Tomokazu Seki as Chihiro’s father Kunishige Rokuhira and Katsuyuki Konishi as Togo Shiba.
Kagurabachi Anime World Tour Schedule
The Anime World Tour Part 1 hits four major conventions before the full series rolls out:
- Anime Expo, Los Angeles — 3 July 2026 (world premiere, first 20 min of Ep. 1)
- Japan Expo, Paris — 9 July 2026 (3:30–4:30 PM, Yuzu Stage)
- AnimagiC, Mannheim — 1 August 2026 (10:30–11:00 AM, Monorheinhalle)
- Anime NYC, New York — 22 August 2026 (Main Stage)
A Japan-exclusive tour finale is also confirmed, where the complete first episode will be screened ahead of the broadcast — the only way to watch it in full before April 2027.
Streaming on Crunchyroll — What Singapore Fans Need to Know
Crunchyroll is the confirmed global streaming home for Kagurabachi, covering worldwide territories including Singapore when the series premieres in April 2027. There’s no Singapore-specific event or early screening date announced yet — for now, catching up on the source manga on Shonen Jump is the way to go while the wait ticks down. Browse more anime news on GameTrader for everything else landing on Crunchyroll this season.