Is Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read
Quick Answer
If you're curious what Naruto's creator made next and want to judge it for yourself, it's a quick read with flashes of real ambition, even though it's widely known for ending abruptly before it found its footing.
Quick Verdict
“There's a genuinely interesting sci-fi samurai concept buried in here, but the series got cancelled before it had the chance to prove it.”
Best for: Curious Naruto fans who want to see what Masashi Kishimoto tried next, and readers who enjoy sci-fi samurai concepts even in unfinished form.
Not for: Readers who want a complete, satisfying story arc instead of a famously truncated one.
- Type
- Manga
- Genres
- Sci-Fi, Action
- Status
- Completed
- This review
- Minor Spoilers
- Author
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Artist
- Akira Okubo
- Publisher
- Shueisha
- Platform
- VIZ Media / MANGA Plus (digital & print)
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga (shōnen), 43 chapters, 5 volumes |
| Run | 2019–2020 · completed |
| Community score | AniList 5.3 |
| Where to read | VIZ Media / MANGA Plus (digital & print) — official |
Overview
Hachimaru is a frail boy who can only survive thanks to a life-support pod built by his scientist father, but he dreams of becoming a samurai despite his illness. When a talking cat named Daruma shows up wielding a blade, Hachimaru gets pulled into a sci-fi world where traditional swordsmanship collides with advanced technology, and his dream suddenly feels within reach.
What it does well
Samurai 8 deserves credit for trying something different from Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto template. The premise — a sickly protagonist whose body is literally kept functioning by technology, chasing a samurai ideal in a sci-fi setting — is a genuinely interesting hook, and Akira Okubo's art gives the action real visual energy, blending mecha-adjacent design with sword combat in a way that feels distinct from typical shonen action. The early chapters, with Hachimaru's underdog determination and the oddball charm of a talking samurai cat as his guide, have real momentum.
Where it falls short
The series is, unfortunately, best known for what happened to it rather than what it accomplished: weak reader reception in Weekly Shonen Jump led to an early cancellation, and the manga's final volumes show it clearly scrambling to wrap up storylines rather than building toward a planned conclusion. Ideas that could have had real room to develop — the sci-fi samurai world, the mechanics of Hachimaru's life-support technology, the broader setting — get compressed or cut off instead. Pacing suffers accordingly, especially in the final volumes, where plot threads resolve abruptly rather than earning their payoffs.
Verdict
Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru is a short, visually interesting experiment from Naruto's creator that never got the chance to fully prove its concept. It's worth a quick read out of curiosity about what Kishimoto tried next, but go in knowing you're reading a truncated story rather than a complete one.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- The core concept — a sickly boy kept alive by technology, chasing a samurai dream in a sci-fi setting — is a genuinely interesting hook that's different from typical shonen premises.
- Akira Okubo's art brings real energy to the action and the sci-fi samurai aesthetic, blending mecha-adjacent design with traditional swordsmanship.
- As a short, five-volume read, it's an easy way to see Kishimoto's post-Naruto creative instincts without a huge time investment.
- The talking samurai cat and Hachimaru's underdog arc have genuine charm in the early chapters before the pacing problems set in.
Weaknesses
- The series is best known for being cancelled early due to poor reader reception, and that truncation is obvious — plot threads and worldbuilding get rushed or cut off rather than developed.
- Pacing issues are significant, especially in the back half, as the story visibly scrambles to wrap up rather than build toward a planned ending.
- Several ideas that could have been compelling with more room — the life-support pod, the broader sci-fi samurai world — never get the space to pay off.
Similar Titles
Kishimoto's previous, far more successful series, useful context for seeing his storytelling instincts at a different stage.
Another shorter, visually distinctive sci-fi action series that stays tightly controlled rather than overstaying its welcome.
Shares the sci-fi-meets-traditional-combat aesthetic, executed with more room to develop its ideas.
Where to Read Officially
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIZ Media / MANGA Plus (digital & print) | Digital chapters (MANGA Plus) | Print & digital volumes (VIZ) | Free + Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru finished?
Yes, though not by design — it ran from 2019 to 2020 and was ended early at 5 volumes due to poor reader reception, rather than reaching a planned conclusion.
How long is Samurai 8?
It's a short read at 5 volumes and 43 chapters, making it an easy, low-commitment way to check it out.
Why did Samurai 8 end so early?
The series was cancelled ahead of schedule after weak reception in Weekly Shonen Jump, a well-documented case of an early end rather than a planned short series.
Is there an anime adaptation?
No, there's no anime adaptation of Samurai 8 — the manga is the only version of this story.
