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Chainsaw Man hit bookstore shelves in 2018 and immediately caught the attention of readers around the world. The violence, bloodshed, and subversions of shonen tropes captivated readers, and in 2021, the series became the 7th best-selling manga series that year. As of June 2022, the series sold over 13-million copies worldwide, and that number is expected to rise once the anime adaptation begins. Despite the first part of the story reaching its conclusion, Chainsaw Man's popularity and reception amongst audiences has made it an instant classic.
After concluding his first serialized manga series, Fire Punch, in January 2018, Tatsuki Fujimoto was back at work to deliver another exhilarating series for his audience. Much like Fire Punch, Chainsaw Man presents itself as a dark fantasy packed with violent action and dark comedy. Fans of the series were quick to discover that what laid dormant beyond the continuous action was a bittersweet narrative, where the true pulse of its power took the spotlight. Chainsaw Man won the Best Shōnen Manga award at the 66th Shogakukan Manga Awards and the 27th at Manga Barcelona, as well as Best Manga at the Harvey Awards in 2021.
The Plot of Chainsaw Man
The story of Chainsaw Man follows a young man named Denji who is tasked with paying off his father's debt to the yakuza by working as a Devil Hunter. Those with the title of Devil Hunter seek out, hunt, and exterminate devils that wreak havoc on Earth. Denji is soon betrayed by his yakuza employers, and in order to save his life, his companion Pochita merges with Denji, becoming his heart and turning him into the eponymous Chainsaw Man.
Denji soon becomes wrapped up with Makima, a high-ranking public service Devil Hunter, taking on dangerous jobs to wipe out Devils that threaten the safety of Japan. He quickly becomes acquainted with fellow Devil Hunters, and even Devils themselves, changing his once very simple life forever. In time, Denji begins to discover that all is not quite what it seems.
Chainsaw Man has thus far been collected into eleven volumes, completing the "Public Safety Arc". Part 2 of the series, simply titled "School Arc" began serializing in July 2022. While little is known about how much the anime will adapt, Chainsaw Man is expected to be divided into two cours, with an estimated twenty-four episodes. This gives studio MAPPA ample opportunity to cover the first 52 chapters, leading to the conclusion of the Bomb Devil Arc Fans of Chainsaw Man are in for a treat with MAPPA producing the anime release, following their phenomenal work on beloved series such as Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Trailer
From June to December 2021, MAPPA released two teaser trailers lasting one minute, showing quick glimpses of the blood-soaked mayhem that awaits its viewers. Since the second teaser released in December last year, the anticipation for any news reached new levels of excitement and impatience. On August 5, 2022, fans were treated to a full Chainsaw Man trailer, giving an in-depth look into several fan-favorite characters. The audience is introduced to a tortured and melancholy Denji, the always adorable Pochita, Power, Makima, and Aki Hayakawa.
The trailer featured key moments from the manga, including scenes from the Bat Devil arc, and dialogue alluding to the Gun Devil.
Chainsaw Man Season 1 Release Date
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While Chainsaw Man won't be a part of the summer line-up, its official release date is confirmed for October 11, 2022. This premiere date places the series in good company with a fall line-up that includes Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Arc and Part 2 of the revered Spy X Family series.
Like other MAPPA projects, Chainsaw Man will be available on the Crunchyroll streaming service, which will simulcast episodes every week. While fans will still need to wait a while longer to know exactly when the highly-anticipated series airs, the trailer should serve the audience well that the series is on its way and will make its debut later this year.