Few anime were as highly anticipated as Chainsaw Man. The boundary-pushing action manga has been praised worldwide, but how much of the source material will the Chainsaw Man anime eventually cover?
Chainsaw Man Season 1 only had twelve episodes. However, given how much investment MAPPA has made in the series and the popularity of Chainsaw Man’s source material, it would be very surprising if there weren’t also more seasons in future.
So, we're looking at how the rest of the manga might play out in the adaptation in future.
Note that there are minor spoilers from the Chainsaw Man manga in this article.
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What Will the Chainsaw Man Anime Cover?
The Chainsaw Man anime is a faithful adaptation of the award-winning manga. Therefore, the story will follow the same direction regarding events and arcs as seen in the source material.
However, it has been noted that Chainsaw Man’s manga has a very erratic pace, which is one of the series’ charms. MAPPA, the studio behind the adaptation, has introduced some new scenes to ensure the manga translates into anime effectively.
There are also some examples of changes from the Chainsaw Man manga in the anime. However, overall, it's unlikely there will be many notable edits to the storyline.
Which Chapters are Animated in Chainsaw Man Season 1?
As was largely expected, Chainsaw Man adapted the first 38 chapters of the manga, concluding the Katana Man arc.
To be specific, the anime adapts up to near the end of chapter 38, ending before a scene that ties into the following chapter.
This pacing is notably quicker when compared to other shounen counterparts:
Series | Episodes | Chapters | Average Chapters per Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
Attack on Titan Season 1 | 25 | 34 | 1.4 |
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 | 24 | 63 | 2.6 |
Spy x Family Part 1 | 12 | 17 | 1.4 |
Chainsaw Man | 12 | 38 | 3.2 |
So, why was Chainsaw Man adapted so comparatively fast?
Remember that Chainsaw Man is often regarded as a more erratic series than its contemporaries, such as Jujutsu Kaisen. When it comes to the anime, some of that off-the-wall nature was smoothed out, allowing the anime to progress faster.
Progressing at this pace also allowed the season to stop at an opportune place. The Katana Man arc is the first truly seismic moment in Chainsaw Man, where characters are both defined and lost.
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How Much of Chainsaw Man Will the Anime Cover in Season 2?
There has been no news so far regarding Chainsaw Man Season 2. However, based on the first season and the Chainsaw Man manga, there might be some differences compared to season 1.
If the second season had similar pacing to the first, another 12-episode release would leave the series right in the middle of the Gun Devil arc, arguably the most important moment in the series (so far).
A 13-episode second season may be enough to cover the Gun Devil arc, but that would leave around 20 chapters of Part 1 unadapted.
So, with nothing announced, here are a few different scenarios that could happen in Chainsaw Man Season 2:
- A slightly slower season that adapts the Reze and International Assassins arcs, with the rest of Part 1 appearing in a third season.
- A regularly-paced season that adapts the above plus the Gun Devil arc, leaving Part 1's finale for a special release (potentially a movie).
- An even faster adaptation that adapts the rest of Part 1 in the second season.
The third option is highly unlikely given how fast the adaptation is already and the more chaotic nature of future arcs.
The second option has potential, as Chainsaw Man would have the appeal for a money-spinning theatrical release. However, it's rare for action anime to have an important arc reserved for the big screen – Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was a prequel, while the recently-announced Spy x Family movie is an original story.
Therefore, the first option is much more likely right now. The upcoming arcs both deliver enough moments to be great experiences in their own right, while this option also saves the big finale for a blockbuster third season.
Having Part 1 spread over three separate seasons (as opposed to a 24-episode season two) also provides a bit more time for the manga to create enough source material for Part 2's adaptation, assuming this will be part of MAPPA's long-term plan.
Of course, when anything more concrete is revealed, such as an episode count, we will update this page.
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