It won’t be wrong to say that Chainsaw Man is the most popular manga series yet to be released in the anime format. On MyAnimeList Fall 2022 list, the anime series already has 500,000 members, with Mob Psycho on the second spot with 260,000 members. The only difference is that Mob already has an established anime fan base.
In December of 2018, the first-ever chapter of chainsaw man was published by the author, Tatsuki Fujimoto, and it created an unprecedented impact in the world of Shonen manga that was only filled with the same old recycled stories.
Most manga series get boosts in sales and rise to the heights of popularity because of anime, but Chainsaw Man is different. The manga series is already as popular as Jujutsu Kaisen, Black Clover, and My Hero Academia. Chainsaw man is a unique phenomenon, and here is what made the series so famous.
Plot Is Compelling
Chainsaw Man is a world of devils, not in the conventional sense, but supernatural creatures born in hell, who can make deals with humans giving them their powers in exchange for a sacrifice. Â Each devil is different and has its own set of unique abilities.
The plot follows Denji, a homeless and poor teenager who makes a deal with the chainsaw devil, making him the chainsaw man. From there on, we follow him as he meets different characters and encounters enemies.
Unlike most Shonen chainsaw man doesn’t unnecessarily elongate its plot. From the first chapter, we get right into the action. The plot progresses with lightning speed, but somehow it doesn’t feel rushed at all. Everything that happens has a reason and contributes seamlessly to the end goal.
What makes Chainsaw Man stand out?
There are many things that separate chainsaw man from the rest of its competitors. From its art style filled with gruesome and brutal imagery to the mature themes explored through its layered writing.
Art Style Is Different: Fujimoto Tatsuki’s art style has always been a point of conversation in the world of manga. He chooses not to fully enhance the drawing giving it a grim and rough feel. It feels out of order, just like most of his characters, giving it a fine touch of realism.
The characters look like they are experiencing actual human emotion, and not just some characters in a made-up world. With gore and disturbing imagery, the mangaka manages to create a strong impact on the reader’s mind.
Side Characters Stand Out: Every character in the world of CSM feels like a real character. They have their own ambitions, and their own reasons to keep on going and are not just pawns for the development of the main character.
Chainsaw man might just have the best array of side characters, none of them feel like a burden, and they contribute to the story in their own unique way. Not to mention it has one of the best villains of all time.
No Character Is Safe: Anime and manga fans are accustomed to the fact that no matter what, their favourite will survive. Even if the character is almost dead, fans know that the mangaka is going to let him live.
However, Chainsaw Man doesn’t give its character “plot armor”, which means that anyone can die at any moment, no matter how popular they are in the community. This feeling that your favorite character could die any moment, keeps the readers at the edge at all time.
Main Character Is Different Than Other Shonen MCs: Now, if we talk about the themes of chainsaw man, then it beats almost every other Shonen manga easily. Denji doesn’t have dreams of becoming Hokage or pirate king; he just wants to have a normal life.
A life where he could eat what he wants, have people to connect and not have any fear of dying any second. Doesn’t seem like the main character of a Shonen now, does it? But that’s precisely what makes him superior. There is an excellent aspect of relatability for the reader. The themes of connection, relationships, power, and control are explored thoroughly.
Also Read: Chainsaw Man to have 12 ending songs for 12 episodes
Makima Factor: Makima is one of the antagonist of the story, who manipulates Denji to do her bedding, and in return, she promises to have a romantic relationship with him.
Makima has a unique bossy personality which is not common in the shonen genre of anime and manga. On top of that, Tatsuki Fujimoto made sure to draw her as attractive as possible. Thanks to that, she became quite popular, not only in the fandom but in the manga community as well.
Makima and Denji relationship is just like as of a master and dog. She often refers to Denji as her dog, and he doesn’t seem to mind. Makima fans often react to any social media post about her by typing “woof, woof”, and many readers who don’t get the reference are forced to know about it and majority of them end up reading Chainsaw Man.
Also Read: Makima Fans Are concerned about her design in the anime
Studio Factor: Mappa Studio rose to popularity after their spectacular animation of Jujutsu Kaisen, and also because of taking over Attack on Titan’s final season animation.
The announcement that Mappa will be animating Chainsaw Man also brought a lot of new fans as many of the anime watchers got curious about the upcoming series that Mappa studio is animating. The first episode of the Chainsaw Man anime will be released on Oct 10 on Crunchyroll.
Manga sales: Because of its high praise and popularity, chainsaw man manga has succeeded exceptionally in sales. The manga has sold over 13 million copies as of June 2022., with no denying that it will rise even further. In 2021 it was the 7th highest sold manga. Its popularity has been increasing recently because of the anime announcement and the high regard from critics and fans alike.
