The Story of Tetsuya Takeuchi, Initially a Key Animator for NARUTO, Now Directing the Anime KAGURABACHI

Kapanlagi.com - The director of the anime KAGURABACHI, Tetsuya Takeuchi, recently shared his story after the project was officially announced. Through the official X account of the anime, he confessed that he feels a lot of pressure, especially since fan expectations have been high from the start, coupled with a release schedule planned for April 2027.

In his statement, Takeuchi also reminisced about his long career in the anime industry. He previously worked as a key animator on NARUTO when he was still early in his career, and he never expected to one day be trusted to direct an anime based on a popular Shonen Jump manga.

Despite feeling pressured, he strives to present an adaptation that stays true to the original version. With a focus on iconic elements such as katanas, cool characters, and intense drama, Takeuchi hopes this anime can be enjoyed by both longtime fans and new viewers. Here are more details about his project.

1. From NARUTO to KAGURABACHI

From NARUTO animator to KAGURABACHI director (credit: X/@KAGURABACHI Anime Official)

Tetsuya Takeuchi's journey in the anime industry can be considered quite long and interesting. He started his career as a key animator on NARUTO, which is already known as one of the major anime with a complex production.

During that time, he was still learning a lot about the animation process, from the details of movement to how to build scenes that feel alive. This experience became an important foundation that ultimately shaped his working style to this day.

Interestingly, Takeuchi himself admits that he never imagined he could reach this point. From initially just working on animation, he is now entrusted to lead a major project as a director, which is clearly a significant career leap.

2. The Big Hype Behind KAGURABACHI

KAGURABACHI has become one of the new mangas that has immediately captured attention (credit: IMDB)

KAGURABACHI is an adaptation of the manga by Takeru Hokazono that began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2023. Although it is still relatively new, this manga has quickly attracted attention and gained a large fanbase.

One of its main attractions lies in the action-packed story concept featuring katanas, combined with cool character designs and intense conflicts. These elements are also what Takeuchi considers the main identity of KAGURABACHI.

As its popularity continues to rise, expectations for its anime adaptation are also high. This has added pressure to the production team, especially the director, since the announcement was made.

3. Production Details & Release Schedule

The anime KAGURABACHI is scheduled to air in April 2027 with a solid production team (credit: Youtube/SHOCHIKU anime Channel)

The anime adaptation of KAGURABACHI is produced by Cypic, previously known as CygamesPictures. This project also involves Shochiku and CyberAgent as part of its production committee.

As of now, only one voice actor has been announced, Taihi Kimura, who will voice the main character Chihiro Rokuhira. Other characters have yet to be announced, so there are likely many surprises ahead.

The anime is scheduled to air in April 2027, and since its announcement, it has already attracted a lot of attention. With a solid production team and the hype from the manga, KAGURABACHI has the potential to become one of the most anticipated anime in the future.

(kpl/afd)