MAPPA's adaptation of Chainsaw Man has made one fan in Japan unhappy enough that they have started a petition to remake it.
As reported by Anime Senpai, one passionate Chainsaw Man fan has expressed displeasure over the recent anime adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man. In 700 words, they cited several reasons for the call, including an unfaithful interpretation of the manga by the current director, poor animation quality and forgettable music. They also criticized the performance from main character Denji's voice actor, Kikunosuke Toya. As a result, they started a petition on Change.org, calling for a remake with a new director. The petition has gathered over 1,600 signatures at time of writing.
A slice-of-life series is currently ranking higher than Chainsaw Man on MyAnimeList, and the Blu-ray and DVD sales are reportedly not performing as well as other series, despite great anticipation for Chainsaw Man before its release. According to Anime Senpai's translation, the fan felt that director Ryū Nakayama's vision for the anime was significantly different from that of the manga, resulting in the adaptation losing the charm that made the manga so successful. Other fans opined that Studio Trigger (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners) would have been a better choice than MAPPA.
Tatsuki Fujimoto's Reaction to the Chainsaw Man Anime
On Oct. 18, 2022, Shihei Lin, Chainsaw Man's editor, tweeted to say that Fujimoto had seen the pitch, story structures, script and storyboards, and has continued to be in close contact with the animation team at MAPPA. In an interview at Jump Festa 2022, prior to the premiere of the anime adaptation and after the release of the PV, Fujimoto said he was looking forward to the anime. "Chainsaw Man looks like it's taken from a video, but it's a very expressive work that could only be done in a manga," he said. "If it were to be animated as it is, it would have an uncomfortable feel, and some parts would be tacky, so I would like the anime to show a new direction with the feeling that the original work can be ignored."
In addition, Fujimoto said that he wanted the production team to have freedom in the adaptation. "I am an amateur in the field of animation and visual effects, so I hope that the people who know what they are doing will do it in a way that allows them to give 100% of themselves," he said. "I'm thinking that it's better not to say anything as if I absolutely want you to do this."
Fujimoto's critically acclaimed manga series follows a young man named Denji who has the ability to turn into a powerful being known as the Chainsaw Man. Chainsaw Man's final episode airs on Crunchyroll on Dec. 27.
Source: Anime Senpai, Sekainootomodachi