Chainsaw Man will reportedly receive an animated film and a second season.
Despite fans' disgruntlement regarding Studio MAPPA's radio silence about Chainsaw Man's status, the dark fantasy manga may have two major projects in the works. According to Shonen Jump News (@/WSJ_manga), a Weibo account has leaked information that Chainsaw Man will receive a new anime season and movie adaptation. MAPPA has not yet confirmed a second season nor an animated film as of this article's publication.
The first season of Chainsaw Man, adapting Tatsuki Fujimoto's popular manga series, premiered in October 2022 with 12 episodes, the finale of which teased a fan-favorite character. Directed by RyÅ« Nakayama, the adaptation took a more cinematic approach to the narrative -- a style that divided the fandom. While many fans appreciated Nakayama's vision, just as many fans took issue with it and launched a petition, calling for a remake with a different director. Despite the manga having over 24 million copies in circulation with only 14 tankÅnon volumes and racking up numerous awards, including the Harvey Award for Best Manga, MAPPA's CEO said the Chainsaw Man anime did not have the same "impact" as the anime adaptation of another popular series Jujutsu Kaisen.
MAPPA's Dissatisfaction With Chainsaw Man
"Financially, it was a complete success," Manabu Otsuka said. "However, I'm still not satisfied with whether it has the same impact as Jujutsu Kaisen, which I worked on most recently." The CEO cited low DVD/Blu-ray sales as one of the reasons why he felt the anime fell short of expectations, but has stated his intent to "explore how to approach the target audience who will pay money for the work of CSM."
Chainsaw Man debuted with the first arc, titled "Public Safety" arc, in Weekly ShÅnen Jump from December 2018 to December 2020. The manga took a hiatus before beginning its second arc, titled "School" arc, in ShÅnen jump+ in July 2022. Part 1 revolves around Denji, an impoverished 16-year-old who gains the ability to turn into the mighty Chainsaw Man. Upon meeting Makima, Denji decides to join the Public Safety Devil Hunters and meets Aki Hayakawa, another Devil Hunter with his eyes set on revenge, and Power, a Blood Fiend who appears to care very little about people who aren't her or her beloved cat. The first season boasted a staggering 12 artists to perform 12 different ending songs.
The first season of Chainsaw Man is available to watch on Crunchyroll. Currently in Part 2, the manga is available to read on Shonen Jump and Viz Media, with Chapter 134 set to release on June 27.
Source: Twitter
