Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン Chensōman?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series is divided into two parts, the Public Safety Saga and the Academy Saga. The Public Safety Saga, which contains 97 chapters, follows Denji as the main protagonist. The ongoing Academy Saga introduces a new main protagonist, Asa Mitaka.
Serialization of the Public Safety Saga began on December 3, 2018 and concluded on December 14, 2020. An anime adaptation by studio MAPPA adapted the first part of the series up to the Katana Man arc in its first season.
The Academy Saga began serialization on July 13, 2022. The series alternates between a weekly and biweekly schedule.
Profile
Chainsaw Man was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2018 until 2020, when it then transferred to Shonen Jump+ online magazine, where the current story continues. The series is currently collected in 18 Tankōbon volumes.
The series has over 28 million copies in print, and the seventh best-selling manga in 2021 with over 5 million copies sold. It is also licensed in English France, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Thailand, Poland, Germany, Argentina, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, and in Vietnam.
The series' anime adaptation began airing in October 2022 and finished airing its first 12-episode season in December of the same year. Two PVs and two visuals were released for it.
Other media for this series include a novel titled Chainsaw Man: Buddy Stories that was released in November 2021 written by Sakaku Hishikawa, with illustrations by Tatsuki Fujimoto.
Plot
Part 1 - Public Safety Saga
When his father died, Denji was stuck with a huge debt and no way to pay it back. Thanks to a Devil dog he saved named Pochita, he's able to survive through odd jobs and killing Devils for the Yakuza. Pochita's chainsaw powers come in handy against these powerful demons. When the Yakuza betrays him and he's killed by the Zombie Devil, Pochita sacrifices himself to save his former master. Denji is then reborn as a Devil-Human hybrid known as Chainsaw Man.
After his transformation, he's quickly recruited by Makima to join the Public Safety Devil Hunters under threat of extermination now that he's technically a Devil. Now that he's living comfortably for the first time in his life, Denji struggles to determine his dreams and form meaningful relationships while killing Devils and working alongside other eccentric Devil Hunters.
Part 2 - Academy Saga
Following the death of her mother, Fourth East highschooler Asa Mitaka isolates herself from society, fearing that she would never lead a stable normal life. Her life changes forever when one day, a student in contract with the Justice Devil kills her, Yoru the War Devil arrives, saving her. Now Asa has been reborn as the War Devil's vessel while sharing her abilities as a Fiend Host.
Upon her awakening, she's forcefully pulled into Yoru's quest of vengeance to the Chainsaw Man while having aimed to reclaim the Nuclear Weapons Devil from him. Aiming to separate from Yoru as quickly as possible, Asa goes on a quest to locate and investigate the Chainsaw Man and mysteries around her school while meeting new friends and foes alike.
Meanwhile, sometime after leaving the Public Safety, Denji has now started to go to high school, while he also continues to exterminate devils. He still wishes to get a girlfriend and often tries to "accidentally" expose his identity as the Chainsaw Man.
History
Main article: Story Arcs
Chapters
Part 1: Public Safety Saga
Chainsaw Man Part 1 consists of 97 chapters, compiled into eleven volumes of the Jump Comics trade paperbacks.
| # | Release date | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 4, 2019 October 6, 2020 (English) |
Dog & Chainsaw |
 | ||
| 2 | May 2, 2019 December 1, 2020 (English) |
Chainsaw vs. Bat |
 | ||
| 3 | August 2, 2019 February 2, 2021 (English) |
Kill Denji |
 | ||
| 4 | October 4, 2019 April 6, 2021 (English) |
The Gun is Mightier |
 | ||
| 5 | January 4, 2020 June 1, 2021 (English) |
Minor |
 | ||
| 6 | March 4, 2020 August 3, 2021 (English) |
Boom Boom Boom |
 | ||
| 7 | June 4, 2020 October 5, 2021 (English) |
In a Dream |
 | ||
| 8 | August 9, 2020 December 7, 2021 (English) |
Super Mess |
 | ||
| 9 | November 4, 2020 February 1, 2022 (English) |
Bath |
 | ||
| 10 | January 4, 2021 April 5, 2022 (English) |
A Dog's Feeling |
 | ||
| 11 | March 4, 2021 June 7, 2022 (English) |
Go Get 'Em, Chainsaw Man |
 | ||
Part 2: Academy Saga
Chainsaw Man Part 2 continues from the twelfth volume.
| # | Release date | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | October 4, 2022 October 3, 2023 (English) |
Bird & War |
 | ||
| 13 | January 4, 2023 December 5, 2023 (English) |
Spoiler |
 | ||
| 14 | April 4, 2023 February 6, 2024 (English) |
I Wanna See Penguins! |
 | ||
| 15 | August 4, 2023 May 7, 2024 (English) |
Hors D'oeuvre |
 | ||
| 16 | December 4, 2023 September 3, 2024 (English) |
Ordinary Happiness |
 | ||
| 17 | April 4, 2024 January 7, 2025 (English) |
Guns, Nails, Katana |
 | ||
| 18 | August 2, 2024 TBA (English) |
All Pets |
| ||
| 19 | December 4, 2024 TBA (English) |
Everyday Scenery |
| ||
Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
- Chapter 165: Everyday Scenery
- Chapter 166: Rain, Brothel, Removal
- Chapter 167: Super Smooch
- Chapter 168: Kiss, Love, Sperm
- Chapter 169: Hands and Adaptation
- Chapter 170: How to Eat Sushi
- Chapter 171: Special Division 5
- Chapter 172: Bzzz! Boom! Chomp!
- Chapter 173: Hard of Hearing
- Chapter 174: Ayyy, Aging
- Chapter 175: Both Hands
- Chapter 176: Two Children
- Chapter 177: Trigger Finger
- Chapter 178: Gun Goddess
- Chapter 179: Vamvagah
Gallery
WSJ Covers
- Covers that feature characters together with other heroes of the magazine.
Logo
Trailers
