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Chainsaw Man
Japanese manga series by Tatsuki Fujimoto From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Chainsaw Man (Japanese: チェンソーマン, Hepburn: Chensō Man) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Its first arc was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2018 to December 2020; its second arc began serialization in Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ app and website in July 2022. Its chapters have been collected in 22 tankōbon volumes as of September 2025.
Chainsaw Man follows the story of Denji, an impoverished teenager who makes a contract that fuses his body with that of Pochita, the dog-like Chainsaw Devil, granting him the ability to transform parts of his body into chainsaws. Denji eventually joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters, a government agency focused on combating Devils whenever they become a threat to Japan. The second arc of the story focuses on Asa Mitaka, a high school student who enters into a contract with Yoru, the War Devil, who forces her to hunt down Chainsaw Man in order to reclaim what he had stolen from her.
In North America, the manga is licensed in English by Viz Media, for both print and digital release, and it is also published by Shueisha on the Manga Plus online platform. An anime television series adaptation produced by MAPPA was broadcast from October to December 2022. An anime film, titled Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, is set to premiere in September 2025.
By December 2024, the manga had over 30 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 2021, it won the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category and won the Harvey Awards in the Best Manga category from 2021 to 2023. Chainsaw Man has been overall well-received by critics, who have praised its storytelling, characters, dark humor, and have particularly highlighted its violent scenes within the context of the story.
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Synopsis
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Setting
The series is set in the 1990s, in an alternate timeline where the Soviet Union still exists. Devils (悪魔, Akuma) are born from human fears. Devil Hunters (デビルハンター, Debiru Hantā) specialize in hunting them and often make contracts with them in exchange for power. A Devil possessing a human body (usually deceased) is known as a Fiend, while certain individuals can become hybrids via merging with Devils. Devils possess the ability to reincarnate; when Devils die on Earth, they reincarnate in Hell, and vice versa. However, when a Devil is eaten by the Chainsaw Devil, the fear associated with it is erased from human memory; the Holocaust, AIDS, and nuclear weapons were collectively forgotten.
Plot
Part 1: Public Safety Arc
Denji is a teenager trapped in poverty, working off his deceased father's debt to the yakuza by working as a Devil Hunter, aided by Pochita, his canine companion and the Chainsaw Devil. Denji is betrayed by the yakuza, who kill him for a contract with the Zombie Devil. Pochita makes a contract with Denji, merging with him as a Devil-human hybrid, under the condition that Denji live out his modest dreams of living a basic life such as having bread with jam, or falling in love with a woman and being intimate with one. By pulling on a cord in his chest, Denji then becomes Chainsaw Man and massacres the yakuza.
In the aftermath, Denji joins a team of governmental Devil Hunters, the Public Safety Division, led by Makima, who assigns him to kill the Gun Devil. After being paired with a more experienced Devil Hunter named Aki Hayakawa, Denji begins training with his partner, Power the Blood Fiend, under the veteran Devil Hunter Kishibe. Together, they fight several enemies who seek Denji's power, including the yakuza, other Devils, and assassins sent by various countries.
Makima is later revealed to be the Control Devil, who is ultimately seeking to control Pochita, as he has the power to erase concepts from existence by consuming their Devils. The Gun Devil—whose body had secretly been divided among several countries as a superweapon—is sent by the United States to kill Makima, but she defeats it, forcing it to enter Aki's body as the Gun Fiend, whom Denji kills in self-defense. Makima later kills Power in front of Denji, rendering him catatonic and forcing Pochita to take over his body.
Kishibe organizes a raid to rescue Denji alongside cowardly Public Safety operative Kobeni Higashiyama. With their help and the last of Power's blood, Denji kills Makima. Some time later, Kishibe places the reborn Control Devil—a little girl named Nayuta—in Denji's care. In a dream, Pochita thanks Denji for showing him his dreams, and encourages him to live his life to the fullest. Denji begins attending high school while also fighting Devils as a vigilante.
Part 2: School Arc
Asa Mitaka, a socially withdrawn high school student, forms a contract with the War Devil Yoru after she is killed by a classmate who made a contract with the Justice Devil. Now a Fiend with Yoru inhabiting her body, Asa seeks to break their pact and regain control, while Yoru secretly plans to use their bond to revive the Nuclear Weapons Devil. Meanwhile, Denji balances his life as a student and Chainsaw Man while caring for Nayuta, the reincarnated Control Devil. His attempts to reveal his identity are thwarted by government operative Hirofumi Yoshida, who arranges a meeting between Asa and Denji—one she dismisses. Tensions rise when a Chainsaw Man impostor murders Asa's friend Yuko.
The apparent Famine Devil, Fami, manipulates events to alter the prophecy of Nostradamus and delay the Death Devil's arrival. After Denji and Nayuta survive an attack by the Falling Devil, they are captured by Yoshida's organization. Meanwhile, the Chainsaw Man Church, secretly controlled by Fami, promotes their own impostor. Barem Bridge, a Church member, reveals their contract with the Fire Devil, allowing followers to transform into Chainsaw zombies and incite global chaos—strengthening both Yoru and Chainsaw Man for the coming battle.
After Barem destroys Denji's home and kills his pets, Nayuta seemingly sacrifices herself. Enraged, Denji is imprisoned and harvested for parts before being rescued by Asa, Yoru, and Fami. When Barem presents what appears to be Nayuta's severed head, an enraged Denji allows Pochita to take over his body again. Public Safety attempts to exploit Pochita's power by having him devour the Aging Devil to erase old age, but Denji traps the Aging Devil in its own domain. Yoshida offers an ultimatum: become Yoru's weapon against Death in exchange for execution. Denji refuses, cutting ties with the organization.
Empowered by humanity's growing fear of war, Yoru offers Denji a new deal—defeat the Death Devil and earn Asa's affection or fail and be transformed. Asa warns that Yoru's shifting motives may hasten the prophecy. The pair embrace chaos, rampaging through Tokyo's zombie apocalypse. Meanwhile, a timid high school student is confronted by the impostor Chainsaw Man and reveals herself as the real Fami. She is quickly subdued by the fake Fami, actually the Death Devil, who forces her and the impostor Chainsaw Man (later revealed as the Fire Devil) to join the Falling Devil in unleashing an "abyss of terror" upon humanity, fulfilling the prophecy. Yoru and Denji soon arrive, clashing with Fami, the Fire Devil, and the Falling Devil. Yoru defeats the Falling Devil after America reinvents the nuclear bomb and uses it on the Soviet Union, empowering her. Denji, after being left for dead, is saved by the Death Devil, who reveals her name as Li'l D.
Li'l D reveals that Yoru intends to cause an infinite World War II by having Pochita eat the former, causing death to cease to exist, and plans to recruit Denji to her side.
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Production
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Despite the series' violent content and dark humor, Tatsuki Fujimoto always intended to serialize in Weekly Shōnen Jump. However, he believed his work would be overlooked if he created a conventional "Jump-like manga", so he consciously preserved his individual style while adopting the magazine's typical narrative structure and character archetypes. Following the series' success, Fujimoto chose to publish the second part of Chainsaw Man on Shōnen Jump+ to explore a completely different direction. He noted minimal differences in the editorial processes between the two publications, stating that while a few depictions were adjusted at the rough draft stage, he was granted full creative freedom regarding the story's logic.[5]
Fujimoto drew inspiration from various sources. Although his schedule during the serialization was demanding, he actively consumed new media and incorporated elements from them into his work.[5] On Twitter, he cited the final battle in the 2016 film Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu as a direct influence for the climax of the series' first part.[6] He also described the series as a "wicked FLCL" and a "pop Abara."[7] While Fujimoto had planned certain story elements from the outset, others were developed during serialization. He intentionally left various concepts vague and open-ended to facilitate the narrative expansion in the second part.[5]
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Media
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Manga
Chainsaw Man is written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series' first part, "Public Safety Arc" (公安編, Kōan-hen), ran in Shueisha's shōnen manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 3, 2018,[8][9] to December 14, 2020;[10][11] following the series' conclusion in Weekly Shōnen Jump, a second part was announced to start on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ online magazine.[12] On December 19, 2020, it was announced that the second part, "School Arc" (学校編, Gakkō-hen), would feature Denji going to school.[13][14] The second part began serialization on July 13, 2022.[15][16] Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on March 4, 2019.[17] As of September 4, 2025, 22 volumes have been released.[18]
In North America, Viz Media published the series' first two chapters on their Weekly Shonen Jump digital magazine for its "Jump Start" initiative.[1][19] The series was then published on the Shonen Jump digital platform after the cancellation of Weekly Shonen Jump.[19] Shueisha also simulpublished the series in English on the app and website Manga Plus starting in January 2019.[20] In February 2020, Viz Media announced the digital and print release of the manga.[21] Viz Media posted an official trailer for the manga, featuring a high-octane opera vocals as its soundtrack.[22] The first volume was released on October 6, 2020.[23] As of May 6, 2025, 18 volumes have been released.[24]
Anime
A 12-episode anime television series adaptation produced by MAPPA was broadcast on TV Tokyo and other networks from October 12 to December 28, 2022.[25][26][27][a]
Film
An anime film, titled Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (劇場版 チェンソーマン レゼ篇, Gekijō-ban Chensō Man Reze-hen), is set to premiere in Japan on September 19, 2025.[29][30]
Novel
A novel, titled Chainsaw Man: Buddy Stories (チェンソーマン バディ・ストーリーズ, Chensō Man Badi Sutōrīzu), written by Sakaku Hishikawa, with illustrations by Tatsuki Fujimoto,[31] was published on November 4, 2021.[32][33] It tells three stories focused on a theme of "buddies" about Power and Denji, Kishibe and Quanxi during their partner era, and Himeno and Aki around the time they first met.[34]
Viz Media licensed the novel and released it on July 25, 2023.[35][36]
Stage play
On December 29, 2022, it was announced that the series would receive a stage play adaptation, directed and written by Fumiya Matsuzaki, music composed by Shunsuke Wada and choreographed by Hidali. Titled Chainsaw Man The Stage, it ran in Tokyo from September 16 to October 1 at The Galaxy Theatre, and in Kyoto from October 6–9, 2023, at the Kyoto Theater. The cast includes Naotake Tsuchiya as Denji, Mizuki Umetsu as Aki Hayakawa, Mahiru Coda as Power, Minami Tsukui as Himeno, Haruki Iwata as Kobeni Higashiyama, and Aya Hirano as Makima.[37][38]
Other media
An exhibition, "Chainsaw Man Manga Exhibition", ran at the Space Hachikai gallery area of Tower Records, Shibuya, from June 12 to July 4, 2021.[39]
Good Smile Company launched Nendoroid figures based on characters from the series in October 2021, including Denji, Pochita and Power.[40][41] Denji made a cameo in the superhero manga series My Hero Academia in chapter 259, as part of the hero raid in the Paranormal War Liberation arc.[42]
A browser game commemorating the release of the manga's fifteenth volume was released for free on August 4, 2023.[43] From September 6 to November 4, 2024, Universal Studios Japan hosted the "Chainsaw Man × Hollywood Dream – The Ride (Kick Back)" attraction based on the series, as part of the Halloween Horror Night event. Other attraction was the reverse-facing roller coaster called "Hollywood Dream – The Ride (Backdrop)".[44]
A crossover collaboration with the mobile video game BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!, ran from December 15–25, 2024. The collaboration included five characters from the game in the style of five respective Chainsaw Man characters, two covers of the anime theme songs "Chainsaw Blood" and "Fighting Song", login gifts, and more. The crossover also included a limited-time "Chainsaw Ampl'if'ier" event, which lasted until December 23.[45]
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Reception
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Popularity
Chainsaw Man ranked fourth on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2020 for male readers,[46] and topped the 2021 list.[47][48][49] On Freestyle magazine's The Best Manga 2020 Kono Manga wo Yome! list, the series ranked twelfth,[50] and sixteenth along with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, on the 2021 list.[51] It ranked second, behind Spy × Family, on "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2020" by the Honya Club online bookstore.[52] In 2020, Chainsaw Man ranked tenth in the "Most Wanted Anime Adaptation" poll conducted by AnimeJapan.[53] The series ranked 45th on the 2020 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine;[54] it ranked 43rd on the 2021 list.[55] On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, Chainsaw Man ranked 58th.[56] The series placed twelfth on the annual Twitter Japan's Trend Awards in 2021, based on the social network's top trending topics of the year.[57]
Sales
By August 2020, the manga had over 3 million copies in circulation;[58][7] it had over 4.2 million copies in circulation by October 2020;[59] over 5 million copies in circulation by December 2020;[60][47] over 6.4 million copies in circulation by January 2021;[61] over 9.3 million copies in circulation by March 2021;[62] over 11 million copies in circulation by June 2021;[63][64] over 12 million copies in circulation by December 2021;[65] over 13 million copies in circulation by June 2022;[66] over 15 million copies in circulation by August 2022;[67] over 16 million copies in circulation by September 2022;[68] over 18 million copies in circulation by October 2022;[69][70] over 20 million copies in circulation by November 2022;[71] over 23 million copies in circulation by January 2023;[72] over 24 million copies in circulation by May 2023;[73] over 26 million copies in circulation by August 2023;[74] over 27 million copies in circulation by May 2024;[75] over 28 million copies in circulation by August 2024;[76] over 29 million copies in circulation by November 2024;[77] and over 30 million copies in circulation by December 2024.[78]
Chainsaw Man was the fifth best-selling manga series in the first half of 2021 (period between November 2020 and May 2021), with over 4 million copies sold.[79] In 2021, it was the seventh best-selling manga with over 5 million copies sold.[80] It was the second best-selling manga series in the first half of 2023 (period between November 2022 and May 2023), with over 4.4 million copies sold,[81] while volumes 12–14 were among the best-selling manga volumes from the same period.[82] Volumes 13 and 14 were among the best-selling manga volumes of 2023.[83] Volume 14 was Shueisha's sixth highest first print run manga volume of 2023–2024 (period from April 2023 to March 2024), with 800,000 copies printed;[84] volume 17 had an initial print run of 500,000 copies, making it the publisher's eighth highest first print run manga volume of 2024–2025 (period from April 2024 to March 2025).[85]
In North America, the volumes of Chainsaw Man were ranked on Circana (formerly NPD) BookScan's monthly top 20 adult graphic novels list since October 2020.[86] They were also ranked on The New York Times' Graphic Books and Manga bestseller monthly list since April 2021.[87] According to ICv2, Chainsaw Man was the tenth best-selling manga franchise for Q4 2021 (September–December) in the United States, and it was also the third "most efficient manga franchise" for retailer bookshelves, based on the website's calculations of which manga franchises had the highest sales per volume.[88] According to NPD BookScan, the first three volumes of Chainsaw Man were ranked among the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes in 2021;[89] it was the best-selling manga series in 2022, with eight volumes featured on the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes;[90] four volumes were among the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes in 2023.[91] The first volume sold 18,000 copies in the United States in 2020, and the eight volumes collectively sold 623,000 copies in 2021.[92]
Critical reception
Chainsaw Man has been overall well-received by critics. James Beckett of Anime News Network awarded the first volume a B+, praising its eccentric blend of humor, violence, and emotional depth. He highlighted its compelling world-building and character development, noting that the series distinguished itself through its unapologetically chaotic yet earnest execution.[93] Nicholas Dupree, also writing for Anime News Network, described the series as a bizarre yet unforgettable experience, unmatched in its unpredictability.[94] Hannah Collins of Comic Book Resources lauded the series for balancing supernatural action with poignant character moments, calling it a potential future classic.[95] Julia Lee of Polygon commended its graphic action and darkly comedic narrative, citing it as one of Weekly Shōnen Jump's standout new titles.[96] Sheena McNeil of Sequential Tart awarded the first volume a 9/10, drawing comparisons to works like Army of Darkness, Devilman, and Dorohedoro while praising its distinct appeal.[97]
Anna Neatrour of Manga Report highlighted Denji's damaged yet compelling characterization and the series' effective mix of gore and humor.[98] Danica Davidson of Otaku USA noted its bizarre yet heartfelt execution, acknowledging its commercial success in Japan.[99] Katherine Dacey of The Manga Critic expressed mixed feelings, acknowledging its polarizing yet undeniably unique appeal.[100] Ian Wolf of Anime UK News rated the first volume 6/10, praising its action sequences but critiquing its lack of depth in writing.[101]
Fujimoto's artwork garnered particular praise. Collins commended his thick, expressive linework for enhancing the series' gritty atmosphere.[95] Dupree lauded the increasingly surreal and unsettling devil designs as the story progressed.[94] Beckett acknowledged the initially generic character designs but praised the dynamic clarity during action sequences.[93] McNeil noted that while human character designs were unremarkable, the devils and gore were visually striking.[97] Dacey found some devil designs uninspired but noted others elicited strong reactions.[100] Wolf considered the art the manga's strongest aspect, particularly in its action scenes.[101]
Themes
Critics noted that Chainsaw Man employed graphic violence and gore in ways that enhanced its narrative. Dupree highlighted its irreverent tone and visceral action as distinguishing features.[94] Collins observed that the gore contributed to the series' unfiltered and raw atmosphere.[95] McNeil described the violence as absurd yet balanced by underlying humanity.[97] Davidson acknowledged its gruesome nature but found it thematically appropriate.[99] Lee noted that the extreme gore set it apart from conventional shōnen manga, fitting its dark premise.[96] Dacey characterized it as a battle manga that pushed boundaries with excessive violence.[100] Beckett acknowledged that while the series reveled in bloodshed and crude humor, it risked alienating some readers.[93]
Adi Tantimedh of Bleeding Cool described the characters as socially marginalized individuals, interpreting the narrative as a critique of societal dehumanization.[102] Collins noted the series' premise is "loosely" comparable to Jujutsu Kaisen, but argued Denji subverts the shōnen protagonist mold, with his "life on the fringes of society" resembling a "Dickensian parable about the plight of the working class."[95] Dacey found Denji a more flawed and realistic teenage protagonist, but struggled to connect with him.[100] Lee noted that while Denji's simplistic motivations could be repetitive, the introduction of complex side characters like Power and Makima elevated the narrative.[96]
Tantimedh praised the series' deadpan comedic timing, stating that its slapstick elements prevented it from becoming overly grim.[102] Beckett likened its tone to a fusion of raunchy comedy, Hellboy, and The Evil Dead.[93] Dupree highlighted its crass, nihilistic humor as a deliberate contrast to more "bleedingly sincere and family-friendly" titles like One Piece and My Hero Academia.[94] Neatrour appreciated its offbeat and juvenile comedy.[98] Wolf found the humor simplistic but fitting the series' absurdity.[101]
Dacey noted moments of genuine pathos, particularly in Denji's bond with Pochita and his fraught relationship with Makima.[100] Davidson similarly emphasized the emotional core of Denji and Pochita's connection.[99] Dupree argued that beneath its nihilistic exterior, the series conveyed a cynical yet heartfelt struggle for meaning.[94] Reiichi Narima of Real Sound interpreted the finale as a tragic love story, praising its seinen-like maturity within a shōnen framework.[103]
Awards and nominations
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Notes
References
Further reading
External links
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