Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン, Chensō Man) is a Japanese anime television series produced by MAPPA, based on the manga series Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series was directed by Ryū Nakayama, with series composition and scripts by Hiroshi Seko. Makoto Nakazono and Tatsuya Yoshihara respectively served as chief episode director and action director, with character designs by Kazutaka Sugiyama and demon designs by Kiyotaka Oshiyama. The series' music was composed by Kensuke Ushio. Unlike typical anime in which a production committee consisting of multiple companies is formed to regulate production, the series was solely produced by its animation studio, MAPPA.
The series aired on TV Tokyo and its TXN affiliates from October 12 to December 28, 2022. Crunchyroll licensed the series for worldwide streaming outside of East Asia. Medialink obtained the licensing for Southeast Asia. A sequel film, titled Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, was released by Toho in Japan on September 19, 2025. An anime adaptation of the manga's "Assassins" arc has been announced.
Contents
Synopsis
Denji, a young man who shares his life with Pochita, a chainsaw devil, is forced to survive by killing devils and selling their parts to pay off the debt he inherited after his father's death. His existence has been a succession of hardships until a fatal betrayal leads to his death. In an unexpected turn, Pochita makes a pact with him, allowing him to be resurrected as "Chainsaw Man", a hybrid entity with the heart of a demon.
Production and release
In December 2020, it was announced that the manga would be adapted into an anime by the studio MAPPA. The theatrical presentation at Jump Festa '21, as part of the online theatrical presentations of Jump Studio, took place from December 19–20, 2020.
The first trailer for the anime was presented during the "MAPPA Stage 2021" – 10th Anniversary event, held on June 27, 2021. The series was broadcast on TV Tokyo and its TXN affiliates from October 12 to December 28, 2022, with several non-affiliate networks following weeks later.
Regarding the adaptation of the series, Fujimoto stated that he talked to the people handling it and was comfortable leaving things to them. When the anime adaptation was officially announced, Fujimoto commented, "Chainsaw Man is like a copycat of Dorohedoro and Jujutsu Kaisen, and the studio of Dorohedoro and Jujutsu Kaisen will produce its anime!? I have nothing to say! Please do it!" According to the manga's editor, Shihei Lin, Fujimoto is heavily involved in the production of the anime series, stating, "Fujimoto-san has seen all the Chainsaw Man's pitch documents, story structure, scripts, and even the storyboards. He has continued to be in close contact with MAPPA's anime team." MAPPA producer, Makoto Kimura, also commented that Fujimoto involvement extended to the casting, planning, and music, because the staff wanted the anime to capture as much of the manga's original vision as possible, including the violence and gore. MAPPA approached Shueisha with the pitch to adapt the manga into an anime.
Film
At the Jump Festa '24 event in December 2023, an anime film entitled 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), was announced. Most staff and cast reprised their roles, while Tatsuya Yoshihara replaced Ryū Nakayama as director on the film. The film is a direct sequel to the television series, and covers the events of the "Reze" arc from the manga. It was distributed by Toho and premiered in Japan on September 19, 2025.
Sequel
At the Jump Festa '26 event in December 2025, an anime sequel, Chainsaw Man – Assassins Arc (チェンソーマン 刺客篇, Chensō Man: Shikaku-hen), was announced. Its release format was not revealed. On June 19, 2026, It was revealed that the series staff and Tatsuya Yoshihara, the film's director, will return to reprise their roles in the anime.
Music
The music of the series was composed by Kensuke Ushio. The first soundtrack EP (for episodes 1–3), was released on October 26, 2022; the second EP (for episodes 4–7) was released on November 23; and the third EP (for episodes 8–12) was released on December 28. The original soundtrack album, Chainsaw Man Original Soundtrack Complete Edition: Chainsaw Edge Fragments, was released on January 23, 2023. The opening theme song is "Kick Back", performed by Kenshi Yonezu, while each episode features a different ending theme song.
Video game
A smartphone game was announced at the "MAPPA 15th Anniversary Lineup Reveal" livestream event on June 19, 2026. The game will feature an opening animated sequence by MAPPA with a song by Maximum the Hormone titled "All the Mince!!! All the Mince!!".
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 97% based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Distinguished by its rip-roaring animation and serrated sense of humor, Chainsaw Man is an action anime with teeth." Mónica Marie Zorrilla of Inverse described Chainsaw Man as the standout of "demon-fighting anime" in 2022. She also praised Denji's contrast to other Shōnen protagonists in his simpler motivations for "girls and food". Rafael Motamayor of IGN praised Chainsaw Man's cinematography, character dynamics and approach to its emotional moments. He also described it as a successful mix of "workplace comedy, horror, and action series", in contrast to most shōnen. IGN and Polygon praised the action scenes and its sudden tonal shifts from emotional scenes to "juvenile, 2000s sex comedy humor", while Polygon also praised its twelve different ending scenes.