Chainsaw Man Season 2: What To Expect And Why It’s Controversial
There’s no anime quite like Chainsaw Man, a strange mixture of workplace comedy, bloody action, and horror that, as with most modern anime, is gorgeous in motion. And Chainsaw Man Season 2 looks like it will bring more of the same.
The strange story follows Denji, an unlucky young man that ends up bonding with Pochita, a devil in the form of a dog, in order to save his life. Pochita happened to be the Chainsaw Devil, the embodiment of humanity’s fear of chainsaws, providing Denji with the power to join the Public Safety Devil Hunters.
Making the setting stranger, major world events, from the detonation of the atomic bomb to the AIDs virus, are only remembered by powerful demons following the Chainsaw Demon; consuming the lesser demons associated with the historical events.
Yet, what makes Chainsaw Man truly stand out, is Denji’s motivation. He doesn’t want to be the world’s greatest hero or even save the world, as all he wants is food and a girlfriend.
Controversy Delaying Chainsaw Man Season 2?
Chainsaw Man Season 1 was a hit when it was released in October 2022, leaving fans excited over what’s coming next. Season 2 is, according to Anime Geek, currently in production, even if it has yet to be officially announced. While that would normally be good news for fans, there are reports of turmoil behind the scenes at MAPPA.
Ryu Nakamaka, the director for Season 1, is rumored to have been ousted from the production, though this has yet to be confirmed (via Sportskeeda). Though Nakamaka is an accomplished director who also worked on Naruto and Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man Season 1 wasn’t as popular in Japan as it was internationally.
Chainsaw Man Wasn’t A Hit In Japan
Japanese fans accused the series of straying too far from the manga, citing the tonal whiplash from moments of horror and dark emotion to sophomoric humor. MAPPA made a point to mention that the anime fell below their expectations and, in particular, was a disappointment compared to Jujutsu Kaisen. The studio has called out DVD/Blu-Ray sales coming in below expectations.
These feelings reached a boiling point when a disgruntled fan started a petition to replace Nakamaka as the director, asking for all of Chainsaw Man Season 1 to be remade under new leadership. Fans in Japan think that the series was too “Western,” which sounds like it might be nitpicking on the one hand, but then again, it is more popular internationally, so there is something to it.
Chainsaw Man Season 2 Arcs
Chainsaw Man Season 2 will likely start with the Bomb Girl Arc, a classic tale of boy meets girl, putting Denji into an improbable love triangle between Makima and the newcomer, Reze. There’s far more to it than that, of course, including the introduction of the Typhoon Devil, and we can only hope for a faithful adaptation of the bloody fight scene that might set a new standard for gore in anime.
The Bomb Girl Arc only takes 12 volumes of the manga, leaving time for, even with another 12-episode season, the adaptation of another arc, in this case, the International Assassins Arc. Newly famous after the events involving the Bomb Devil, Denji is being actively hunted by the world’s most notorious killers, including the creepy Santa Claus, with help from the Doll Devil.
Chainsaw Man: The Movie Is Also Reportedly In Production
Shonen Jump News broke the story on X (formerly Twitter), that alongside Chainsaw Man Season 2, MAPPA is working on a movie.
With no light novels to pull from, if Chainsaw Man: The Movie ends up happening, it could be an original story. As with My Hero Academia, which made feature films out of original anime stories written by manga creator Kohei Horikoshi, hopefully, Tatsuki Fujimoto will remain involved with the film.
Could either the Bomb Girl Arc or the International Assassins Arc be adapted into a movie instead of the standard four to five anime episodes? Of the two, it’s the Bomb Girl Arc that we think could make a fantastic movie, similar to how Demon Slayer turned The Mugen Train Arc into a standalone feature film.
Where To Watch Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man Season 1 is currently available on Crunchyroll and also on Hulu, and for now, that’s all there is for the series. Season 2 will likely also be available on both of the services, with both dubs and subs. As for the rumored movie, it may follow in the path of My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer by hitting theaters, but it might also go straight to streaming.
With only 12 episodes in Season 1, covering over 30 chapters of the manga, Chainsaw Man is one of the easiest series to watch right now.
Pochita’s Chainsaw Man Season 2 Role?
Pochita sacrificed his life to save Denji at the end of the first episode and created Chainsaw Man in the process, but will the adorable Chainsaw Devil reappear during Season 2? As a Devil himself, Pochita can never truly die, and right now, he exists as Denji’s heart.
That means the Devil that Devils fear the most won’t manifest as himself for quite a while, if at all, though he may reappear again in flashbacks. Typically, a defeated Devil goes to Hell and will eventually be able to manifest again. Will that, one day, be possible for Pochita?
