A definitive handbook for all Chainsaw Man fans, exploring the details of the original manga series and the anime adaptation.
Everything that anime fans and manga readers need to know about Chainsaw Man, including the plot, trailers, where to read, how to watch, season 2 predictions, and voice cast breakdowns.
What is Chainsaw Man all about?
Chainsaw Man is a dark-fantasy action-comedy story that follows Denji, a young man who is trapped in extreme poverty and forced to work the dangerous job of a Devil Hunter in order to pay off his deceased father’s debts to the Yakuza, an organized crime syndicate.
One day, Denji is betrayed by the Yakuza and left for dead in an abandoned factory, only for him to form a contract with a devil named Pochita, who merges with Denji, allowing him to transform into a powerful chainsaw-wielding demon.
As Denji becomes a member of the Public Safety Devil Hunter organization, a group tasked with hunting down other kinds of these monsters, he encounters various devil creatures and embarks on dangerous missions to protect civilians caught in their destructive path. Along the way, he befriends other Devil Hunters, including fellow main characters Power and Aki, and becomes driven by the idea of living a normal, fulfilling life; however, he also finds himself caught in a web of politics, power struggles, and personal vendettas.
The story takes several dramatic and rip-roaring twists, with Denji facing intense battles against powerful devils and dealing with (quite literal, backstabbing) betrayal from those he trusted. As the series progresses, the true nature of devils and their relationship with humans is explored, revealing deeper secrets about the world they inhabit.
Without revealing too much in terms of spoilers for new fans, Chainsaw Man delves into themes of identity, friendship, and the complexities of morality. The series is best known for its unnerving and gritty tone, unexpected plot developments, dark humor, and intense action sequences; making it a gripping and emotionally charged story that you should certainly not skip over.
Is the Chainsaw Man anime based on a manga?
Yes, the Chainsaw Man anime series from Studio MAPPA is an adaptation of an original manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Japanese author Tatsuki Fujimoto.
The original Chainsaw Man manga series debuted in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in December 2018 and is still releasing new content every few weeks.
At the time of writing, 135 manga chapters have been published across 14 collected volumes with volume 15 set to release for domestic audiences in Japan on August 4, 2023.
The Chainsaw Man series has become one of the most popular manga series in the world over the past few years, and is one of the highest-selling series of 2023 so far:
- December 2018 – Manga makes its debut
- August 2020 – Three million copies sold
- December 2020 – Five million copies sold
- January 2021 – Nine million copies sold
- June 2021 – 11 million copies sold
- December 2021 – 12 million copies sold
- June 2022 – 13 million copies sold
- September 2022 – 16 million copies sold
- October 2022 – Anime series makes its debut
- November 2022 – 20 million copies sold
- May 2023 – 24 million copies sold
The good news for fans of the franchise looking to read the original manga in English, 11 volumes from the series have already been translated and published by Viz Media.
Physical copies can be found via outlets including Amazon, Waterstones, and Bookshop; digital versions are also available through Viz, Google Play, Amazon Kindle, and Apple iBooks.
Catching up with Chainsaw Man content week-to-week has also never been easier, with both Viz Media and Manga Plus offering access for free to the latest three chapters on their respective platforms – a subscription of $2.99 a month is required to read the full series online.
Chainsaw Man: Where to watch the anime
The Chainsaw Man anime series premiered on October 12, 2022, and ran for 12 episodes until the season 1 finale on December 28, 2022.
Fans can watch season 1 of the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation around the world via Crunchyroll, with access also available on Hulu in the United States, and Netflix in select Asian territories.
Crunchyroll offers a 14-day free trial of their premium services with several subscription packages available that will grant access to the Chainsaw Man stream:
- Fan: £4.99/$7.99 a month, access limited to one device and no offline mode
- Mega-Fan: £5.99/$9.99 a month, access on four devices with offline mode
- Mega-Fan: £59.99 a year/$14.99 a month, access on four devices with offline mode
Fans can also purchase the entire season 1 bundle via the Microsoft store, or the collected DVD volumes online.
Is there a trailer for Chainsaw Man?
The official trailer for the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation premiered on the Crunchyroll Collection YouTube channel on May 16, 2022:
There is also a trailer for the original manga series, which was shared to the Viz Media YouTube channel in September 2020:
Chainsaw Man: Season 2 renewal status
As of July 2023, the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation has not yet been publicly renewed for season 2 by Studio MAPPA; an iconic Japanese production studio which previously worked on Attack on Titan, Dorohedoro, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dororo, and Vinland Saga.
That being said, it should only be a matter of time before Denji’s sequel season is confirmed to be in production. Modern anime renewals typically rely on two main factors, the availability of source material from an original light novel or manga series, and the popularity of the show itself – Chainsaw Man has both in abundance.
The season 1 episode 12 finale ended by adapting up until chapter 38 of the original manga series and with 135 chapters having been published so far, there is plenty of source material available for a second, third, and potentially fourth season of the anime.
The series should also prove popular enough to merit a renewal from Studio MAPPA, ending with scores of 8.57/10 on MyAnimeList, 8.5/10 on IMDB, 85% on Anilist, and 4.3/5 on Anime Planet.
Considering that the anime adaptation also saw enormous increases in manga sales after its premiere, the franchise will be in an extremely lucrative position once season 2 is officially confirmed – but when could it release?
What date could Chainsaw Man season 2 release?
Season 1 of the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation was publicly announced to be in production in December 2020, with the series making its global debut in October 2022.
Based on this roughly 20-month production cycle, fans can expect season 2 of the Chainsaw Man anime to premiere in either July 2024 on the Summer slate or October 2024 on the Fall slate.
Here, it is important to remember that Studio MAPPA is one of the busiest production companies working in the modern Japanese anime industry. At the time of writing, MAPPA are already working on Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 4 (Fall 2023), Alice to Therese (September 2023), and Bucchigiri (January 2024).
This current schedule lines up with predictions of Chainsaw Man returning in either the Summer or Fall of next year; however, more information is expected to be shared over the next few months as part of various conventions and Expo events in Japan – so keep an eye out for more news soon!
Chainsaw Man: Japanese and English voice cast
The main voice cast for the Chainsaw Man anime includes Kikunosuke Toya as Denji (Akira Kiyose from UniteUp), Fairouz Ai as Power (Jolyne from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean), Shogo Sakata as Aki Hayakawa (Gladio from Pokémon Evolutions), and Tomori Kusunoki as Makima (Misha from The Misfit of Demon King Academy)
In the English dub of the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation, the main cast includes Ryan Colt Levi as Denji (Watson from Moriarty the Patriot), Sarah Wiedenheft as Power (Takagi from Teasing Master Takagi-san), Reagan Murdock as Aki (Shion from Hell’s Paradise), and Suzie Yeung as Makima (Vladilena in 86).
- Kikunosuke Toya/Ryan Colt Levi as Denji
- Fairouz Ali/Sarah Wiedenheft as Power
- Shogo Sakata/Reagan Murdock as Aki Hayakawa
- Tomori Kusunoki/Suzie Yeung as Makima
- Shiori Izawa/Linsay Seidel as Pochita
- Kenjiro Tsuda/Jason Douglas as Kishibe
- Mariya Ise/Katelyn Barr as Himeno
- Karin Takahashi/Bryn Apprill as Kobeni Higashiyama
- Daiki Hamano/Jason Marnocha as Samurai Sword (Katana Man)
- Maaya Uchida/Casey Mongillo as Angel Devil
- Natsuki Hanae/Derick Snow as Shark Fiend
- Saori Goto/Julie Shields as Spider Devil
- Taku Yashiro/Jarrod Greene as Hirokazu Arai
- Y? Taichi/Emi Lo as Akane Sawatari
- Y?ya Uchida/Josh Bangle as Violence Fiend
Chainsaw Man season 1 is currently available to watch via Crunchyroll.
This article will be kept up to date with all of the latest news regarding Chainsaw Man’s ongoing manga and anime adaptation, with a particular focus on season 2 of MAPPA’s hit series – keep checking back in for all your Chainsaw Man questions!
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