One of the most heralded mangas in recent memory is finally coming to the small screen. Tatsuki Fujimoto’s clever take on the shonen genre, chainsaw man, has captivated millions of readers around the world since its debut in Weekly Shonen Jump in December 2018 and is now set to receive the highly anticipated anime adaptation. Produced by the famous studio MAPPA (Yuri on Ice, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season), the show will premiere on October 12, 2022 and can be seen outside of Asia via Crunchyroll.
chainsaw man burst onto the scene thanks to its colorful cast, excellent character design and stunningly gory visuals, garnering several award nominations and becoming a huge hit almost immediately. The series follows Denji, a young man burdened by crippling debts to the yakuza he inherited from his late father. Killed by the mobsters shortly after meeting Pochita, a devil (a creature created out of human fear), Denji melds with the canine creature, gains the ability to turn parts of his body into chainsaws, and becomes a government demon hunter. It’s the first major success of Fujimoto’s fledgling career, and the talented manga artist will no doubt hope to take the series in bold and interesting directions over time.
Chainsaw Man: The Plot
The events of the story are set in an alternate universe where the Soviet Union has never been dissolved and take place in Japan in 1997. As mentioned above, Denji lives in abject poverty because of his father’s debts – the bill is so high that the hapless young man finds himself doing odd jobs, killing devils, and even selling several of his body parts in an attempt to escape his brutal circumstances. His only companion is the adorable Pochita, a canine devil with a chainsaw in his head, who teams up with the young man after saving his life.
One fateful day, Denji is summoned by the old yakuza, who gives him his orders. He has heard that there is a devil that must be killed and is taken to an abandoned building, where he is literally stabbed in the back. Dead, dismembered and unceremoniously thrown into a dumpster, Denji is miraculously brought back to life when Pochita fuses with him. Chainsaw man, a devil-human hybrid, is born.
Denji regains consciousness and uses his newfound powers to slaughter the yakuza and kill the old man, who, it turns out, is actually the zombie devil in disguise. While in the midst of the carnage, Denji is discovered by a group of public safety devil hunters, members of a government organization dedicated to… you get the idea. He is captivated by the beautiful but sadistic Makima, who takes him up into the ranks of the devil hunters and decides to keep him as her ‘pet’; so start Denji’s adventures.
Chainsaw Man: The Cast
As with any anime released in the west, fans are split between those who like dubs and those who prefer subs. Happy, chainsaw man has an excellent cast for both the English and Japanese language versions. The first of the two plays Ryan Colt Levy (Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind) as Denji, with Suzie Yeung (Final Fantasy VII Remake, Genshin Impact, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean) Playing Makima. The cast, as announced so far, will be completed by Sarah Wiedenheft (A certain scientific Railgun S, Fire Force, The Devil is a part-timer!) as Power and Reagan Murdock (Live A Live, Dragon Ball Super, One Piece) as Aki.
The Japanese cast is just as talented, led by relative newcomer Kikunosuke Toya (Tokyo 24th Ward) as Denji. Shiori Izawa (Durarara!!, Sword Art Online, Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun) portrays Pochita, while Tomori Kusunoki (Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Yu-Gi-Oh! sevens), Shogo Sakata (My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission, Shaman King (2021), Dr. Stone: Stone Wars) and Fairouz Ai (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?, Kandagawa Jet Girls) complete the main cast by playing Makima, Aki, and Power respectively.
Also with is Mariya Ise (Hunter x Hunter (2011), The Promised Neverland, Made in Abyss) as Himeno, Karin Takahashi (Ace of Diamonds, Ongaku Shojo, Between the sky and the sea) as Kobeni, Taku Yashiro (Fairy Tail, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma) as Hirokazu and Kenjiro Tsuda (Yu-Gi-Oh!, Jujutsu Kaisen, The Way of the Houseman) as Kishibe.
Publication date
chainsaw man will be available on Crunchyroll very soon, and the show will premiere in Japan on October 12 at midnight. The first season will have 12 episodes, with the interesting distinction of having a different closing theme for each new episode. Make sure to attend the premiere of one of 2022’s most anticipated anime!