Few other anime series have ever built the sort of hype and anticipation that surroundedChainsaw Manin the months leading up to its premiere. It’s rare that a series creates such noise years before its anime adaptation is even announced, but the original manga by Tatsuki Fujimotobecame a sensation during the final stretch of its masterfully crafted Part One. Word spread by mouth and on social media, and even fans who had never before picked up manga rushed to the series to see what the hype was all about.
Only three months afterChainsaw Man’s manga returned for Part Two, the anime adaptation by director Ryu Nakayama and Studio MAPPA premiered,and instantly stirred controversy. Reception was largely positive, though there was a large and loud portion of the anime community who didn’t hesitate to voice their criticisms. Nearly three years later, its follow-up film,Chainsaw Man: The Movie - Reze Arcis only months away. However, there’s no indication a second season is anywhere on the horizon—which raises an important question: is MAPPA dropping the ball?
Chainsaw Man Finally Makes Its Return This Year
The Reze Arc Film Is Set to Land in US Theaters in October
Following the completion ofChainsaw Man’s first season, which teased the arc to come in its follow-up,news regarding the series went relatively quiet. It wasn’t until an entire year later, in December 2023, that fans were given their first look at theReze Arcmovie in a short teaser trailer. Not much was revealed about the film, though director Ryu Nakayama announced that he had since left MAPPA to start his own animation studio, andChainsaw Manwould be left in other hands.
At Jump Festa 2025, another,more in-depth trailer was released, and it was announced that Tatsuya Yoshihara would be taking over as director. Yoshihara previously worked as a director onBlack Clover, and lent his talents as an animator on series likeFrieren,Jujutsu Kaisen, and several episodes ofChainsaw Man.
From the trailer alone, it’s clearthe series will be adopting a new visual stylemore reminiscent of its source material, and the production value appears to be sky-high. Fans have already begun embracing the changes, as much of the criticism surroundingChainsaw Man’s first season had to do with its visual style and CGI action sequences. In only three months, the trailer has surpassed the 10 million view mark,showcasing a lasting demand for the anime. However, nearly three years on from Season One’s finale, it seems as though its built-in hype is fading.
Is MAPPA Dropping the Ball With Chainsaw Man?
The Studio Continues Taking On Countless Projects Each Year
Studio MAPPA is somewhat infamousfor its less than stellar work conditions.Jujutsu Kaisen’s second season led to heavy backlash from animators and staff who worked on the series, and the entire ordeal became very public on social media platforms. No one wants MAPPA employees to be overworked for the sake of receiving more anime, especially in an industry where expectations have only risen over the better part of the last decade. At the same time, it’s fair to believe thatthe studio is taking far too long to adapt one of its top titles.
It isn’t that theChainsaw Manstaff aren’t working quickly enough, either. Rather, MAPPA has taken on andcontinues to take on numerous projects with each passing anime season. The studio has had to direct resources to series likeChainsaw Man,Jujutsu Kaisen,Vinland Saga,Attack on Titan,Ranma 1/2, and several more all within the past two years,while debuting countless new shows, likeLazarusandZenshu, just this year.
While different staff members obviously take on different projects, it’s difficult for a studio to direct their focus and resources on any one given title at a time when so many are in production at once. MAPPA may be one of the biggest names in the industry, but money is finite, and more often than not, there isn’t enough to go around.This can cause production on a series to slow to a crawl, and givenChainsaw Man’s need for a new director and intensified pressure to succeed following a controversial first outing, it was never going to be a quick turnaround.
Fans Shouldn’t Hold Their Breath For Chainsaw Man’s Second Season
Nearly Three Years After Its Premiere, There Are No Signs of a Second Season
WhenChainsaw Man’s anime was announced, the manga had reached 97 chapters in its completed first part. In such a case, an adaptation wouldn’t want to rush things and catch up to its source material too soon. At that point, a slower production wouldn’t have been such a bad thing. However, in the nearly three years since its premiere,Tatsuki Fujimoto’sChainsaw Manhas now reached the 200-chapter mark, and aside from the upcomingReze Arcfilm, its anime has shown no signs of returning.
Some fans have held out hope thatan announcement for Season Twomight coincide with the movie’s release,but that’s where MAPPA’s hefty backlog comes into play.Jujutsu Kaisenis far and away the studio’s current most profitable title, and its second season ended in December 2023. There is practically no chance thatChainsaw Manreturns to TV beforeJujutsu Kaisendoes, and as of right now, there is no official release date for the series' return. It’s been heavily speculated that Season Three will debut in 2026, but it’s all simply speculation.
Chainsaw Manfinally returns with its first big-screen outing later this year, and fans have expressed their excitement about being able to see Denji and company animated once more. Unfortunately, a future second season may befurther off in the future than anyone would like it to be. Nevertheless, theReze Arcmovie is set to adapt one of the series' fan-favorite arcs, and every piece of promotional material released thus far suggests that fans are in forquite a treat this upcoming October.
Chainsaw Man
Cast
Chainsaw Man follows Denji, a young man burdened by debt, who teams up with his pet devil Pochita to fight devils under the yakuza’s control. Released in 2022, the series portrays Denji’s struggle to achieve his dream of living a simple, peaceful life.
