Chainsaw Man (TV series)
| Company type | Anime television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | October 12, 2022 |
| Founder | MAPPA |
| Headquarters | Japan |
Area served | International (via TV Tokyo, Crunchyroll, Medialink) |
Key people | Ryū Nakayama (director), Hiroshi Seko (scriptwriter), Makoto Nakazono (chief episode director), Tatsuya Yoshihara (action director), Kazutaka Sugiyama (character designer), Kiyotaka Oshiyama (demon designer), Kensuke Ushio (music composer) |
| Products | Anime television series adaptation of Chainsaw Man manga |
| Owner | MAPPA |
| Website | www |
is a Japanese anime television production developed by MAPPA, adapted from the manga series created by Tatsuki Fujimoto.[1] The series is helmed by director Ryū Nakayama, with scripts penned by Hiroshi Seko. Makoto Nakazono served as chief episode director, Tatsuya Yoshihara oversaw action direction, Kazutaka Sugiyama designed the characters, and Kiyotaka Oshiyama crafted the demon designs. The musical score was composed by Kensuke Ushio.[2][3] Notably, MAPPA financed the entire project independently, departing from the conventional production committee approach.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 12 through December 28, 2022, the series was streamed internationally outside Asia via CrunchyrollCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name, while distribution rights for Southeast Asia were acquired by Medialink.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
A follow-up film titled Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is slated for release by Toho on September 19, 2025.[4]
Synopsis
Denji, a young man linked to Pochita—a chainsaw demon—makes a living by hunting demons and selling their remains to settle his inherited debts. Following a deadly act of betrayal, Pochita revives Denji as "Chainsaw Man," transforming him into a hybrid of human and demon.
Production and release
In December 2020, studio MAPPA announced the anime adaptation of the manga. The project was first showcased at Jump Festa '21 in December 2020 with a theatrical preview. The initial trailer was unveiled during the "MAPPA Stage 2021" event in June 2021. The full series aired on TV Tokyo and affiliated stations from October 12 to December 28, 2022.
Tatsuki Fujimoto, the original creator, expressed confidence in the production team and commended MAPPA’s participation, citing their prior work on Dorohedoro and Jujutsu Kaisen. Editor Shihei Lin revealed that Fujimoto maintained close involvement throughout all phases, reviewing pitch materials, scripts, and storyboards. MAPPA producer Makoto Kimura highlighted Fujimoto’s contributions in casting decisions, planning processes, and musical direction to faithfully capture the manga’s essence—including its graphic violence. The project was proposed to Shueisha by MAPPA.
Music
The soundtrack for the series was composed by Kensuke Ushio. Three separate soundtrack Extended Plays (EPs) were released: the first covering episodes 1–3 on October 26, 2022; the second spanning episodes 4–7 on November 23; and the third encompassing episodes 8–12 on December 28. The full original soundtrack album titled Chainsaw Man Original Soundtrack Complete Edition - chainsaw edge fragments - became available on January 23, 2023. The opening song is "Kick Back" performed by Kenshi Yonezu, while each episode features an exclusive ending theme.
The twelve ending themes are:
- "Chainsaw Blood" by Vaundy
- by Ano
- by Kanaria
- "Deep Down" by Aimer
- "Dogland" by People 1
- by Eve
- "First Death" by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure
- by Maximum the Hormone (also used as an insert song)
- by Syudou
- by Tooboe
- by Queen Bee
- by Zutomayo
Critical response
According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series boasts a 97% approval rating derived from 89 critiques, with an average score of 8 out of 10. The general consensus describes Chainsaw Man as an action-packed anime distinguished by its dynamic animation and sharp wit. Mónica Marie Zorrilla from Inverse identified Chainsaw Man as the premier demon-fighting anime of 2022, emphasizing Denji's more straightforward motivations compared to conventional Shōnen heroes. Rafael Motamayor of IGN lauded the series for its visual storytelling, character interplay, and its unique fusion of workplace humor, horror elements, and action. Both IGN and Polygon praised the intense action scenes and sudden shifts in tone, with Polygon additionally highlighting the inclusion of twelve distinct ending sequences.
Accolades
rowspan=3 align=center;2025 rowspan=2 align=center;Music Awards Japan Top Japanese Song in Europe rowspan=2;"Kick Back" " by Kenshi Yonezu" Nominee rowspan=2;text-align:center; Top Japanese Song in North America Nominee align=center;20th AnimaniA Awards Best TV Series: Disc Chainsaw Man Nominee style=text-align:center;| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Billboard Japan Music Awards | Hot Animation | "Kick Back" by Kenshi Yonezu | 9th place | |
| Reiwa Anisong Awards | Best Work Award | Nominee | |||
| Best Anime Song Award | Winner | ||||
| Lyrics Award | "Chu, Tayōsei" by Ano | Nominee | |||
| Composition Award | "Kick Back" by Kenshi Yonezu | Nominee | |||
| Arrangement Award | "Kick Back" by Kenshi Yonezu and Daiki Tsuneta | Nominee | |||
| 2023 | Annecy International Animation Film Festival | Best TV Films Production | Chainsaw Man – Episode 1: "Dog & Chainsaw" | Nominee | |
| Japan Expo Awards | Daruma for Best Anime | Chainsaw Man | Nominee | ||
| Daruma for Best Director | Nominee | ||||
| Daruma for Best Action Anime | Nominee | ||||
| Daruma for Best Original Soundtrack | Nominee | ||||
| Daruma for Best Opening | "Kick Back" by Kenshi Yonezu | Winner | |||
| Daruma for Best Ending | "Hawatari Nioku Centi" by Maximum the Hormone | Nominee | |||
| 45th Anime Grand Prix | Best Theme Song | "Kick Back" by Kenshi Yonezu | 5th place (tie) | ||
| 13th Newtype Anime Awards | Best Character (Male) | Aki Hayakawa | 6th place (tie) | ||
| Best Mascot Character | Pochita | 5th place (tie) | |||
| 29th Manga Barcelona Awards | Best Anime Series Premiere | Chainsaw Man | Nominee | ||
| Billboard Japan Music Awards | Hot 100 | "Kick Back" by Kenshi Yonezu | 4th place (tie) | ||
| Most Streaming Songs | 4th place (tie) | ||||
| Most Downloaded Songs | 8th place (tie) | ||||
| Hot Animation | 2nd place (tie) | ||||
| Top User Generated Songs | 12th place (tie) | ||||
| 2024 | 51st Saturn Awards | Best Animated Television Series or Special | Chainsaw Man | Nominee | |
| 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards | Anime of the Year | Nominee | |||
| Best Main Character | Denji | Nominee | |||
| Best Supporting Character | Power | Nominee | |||
| "Must Protect At All Costs" Character | Pochita | Nominee | |||
| Best Animation | Chainsaw Man | Nominee | |||
| Best Director | Ryu Nakayama | Nominee | |||
| Best Action | rowspan=2;Chainsaw Man | Nominee | |||
| Best New Series | Winner | ||||
| Best Character Design | Kazutaka Sugiyama | Nominee | |||
| Best Cinematography | Teppei Ito | Nominee | |||
| Best Art Direction | Yusuke Takeda | Nominee | |||
| Best Score | Kensuke Ushio | Nominee | |||
| Best Opening Sequence | "Kick Back" " by Kenshi Yonezu" | Nominee | |||
| Best Ending Sequence | "Hawatari Nioku Centi" " by Maximum the Hormone" | Nominee | |||
| Best Anime Song | "Kick Back" " by Kenshi Yonezu" | Nominee | |||
| Best VA Performance (Japanese) | Kikunosuke Toya " as Denji" | Nominee | |||
| Best VA Performance (English) | Ryan Colt Levy " as Denji" | Winner | |||
| Best VA Performance (Latin American Spanish) | Emilio Trevino " as Denji" | Winner | |||
| Best VA Performance (French) | Zina Khakhoulia " as Power" | Nominee | |||
| Best VA Performance (German) | Franziska Trunte " as Power" | Winner | |||
| Best VA Performance (Portuguese) | Luisa Viotti " as Makima" | Nominee | |||
| rowspan=2;Best VA Performance (Castilian Spanish) | Joel Gomez Jimenez " as Denji" | Winner | |||
| Maria Luisa Marciel " as Power" | Nominee | ||||
| rowspan=2;Best VA Performance (Italian) | Benedetta Ponticelli " as Makima" | Nominee | |||
| Mosè Singh " as Denji" | Winner |
External links
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- Chainsaw Man
- Action anime and manga
- Action comedy television series
- Action horror television series
- Anime composed by Kensuke Ushio
- Anime series based on manga
- Crunchyroll anime
- Crunchyroll Anime Award winners
- Dark comedy anime and manga
- Dark fantasy anime and manga
- Horror comedy television series
- Demons in anime and manga
- Japanese animated television series
- MAPPA
- Medialink
- Television series about demons
- Television series set in 1997
- TV Tokyo original programming