First 'Chainsaw Man' Teaser Revs Up
Iconic manga anthology Shonen Jump has over the years been the home to many of the biggest Japanese comics in history. Series including Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Bleach and Death Note graced its pages before being adapted into some of the biggest anime franchises in the world. Getting a series in the publication is a dream for any manga artist as although the competition is fierce, the potential rewards are enormous. Many of the newest hits also started life in Jump- shows such as My Hero Academia, Black Clover, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba and The Promised Neverland.
Not every series will connect with the audience, and Jump's history is littered with series that were unceremoniously cancelled. Still, it's worth keeping an eye on the line-up to see where the next big hit could come from. The next series to spring forth from Shonen Jump and into animation is Chainsaw Man.
Tatsuki Jujimoto's Chainsaw Man ran in the magazine between December 2018 and December 2020. Although the original run finished last year, a second part has been announced. The series was released in 11 collected volumes and as of this month has over 11 million copies in circulation. Viz Media publishes the series in English, both in digital and print.
The acclaimed anime studio MAPPA is adapting the series into a series. During a special presentation to celebrate MAPPA's 10th year in operation they unveiled the first preview.
Jujimoto's manga is set in a time where humanity is plagued by demons. The main character is Denji, a young demon hunter who is betrayed by a client and ends up becoming part demon himself. If you're wondering where the chainsaw comes in.... guess how Denj dispatched the devils?
The anime industry has been changing and moving away from the way shows like One Piece are produced. Rather than year-round production, they are now producing more traditional seasons, with fewer episodes, allowing for much higher quality. That's why series such as My Hero Academia, Attack On Titan and Demon Slayer look so much better than the classic Shoen Jump shows.
With MAPPA at the helm, we can expect some beautiful looking animation- and if the trailer is anything to go on, that's just what we'll be getting. The trailer is only short but is full of atmosphere, stark imagery and a liberal dose of bloody violence. The manga already has something of a cult following among manga readers for its outrageous set-pieces and dark humour. Is Chainsaw Man set to be the next big crossover hit?
The series is being directed by Ryu Nakayama and written by Hiroshi Seko. Music is from Kensuke Ushio who has experience in this sort of thing, having been responsible for the score of Devilman Crybaby. No release date has been announced yet.
