Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Early Masterpieces Adapted into Anime: Eight Short Stories from Ages 17-26, Titled Fujimoto’s Formative Years, Set for Global Premiere on Amazon Prime, November 8, 2025.
This ambitious project animates the complete collections of Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21 and Before Chainsaw Man: 22-26, showcasing the visionary one-shots crafted by the creator of Chainsaw Man and Look Back.
Anime titles and staff are below:
A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard
- Director/Screenplay: Seishiro Nagaya
- Character Design: Moaang
- Studio: ZEXCS
- Voice Cast: Kensho Ono, Shion Sakurai, Kazuki Ura, Kimiko Saito, Mitsuo Iwata
Sasaki Stopped a Bullet
- Director: Nobukage Kimura
- Screenplay: Teruko Utsumi
- Character Design: Naho Kozono
- Studio: Lapin Track
- Voice Cast: Toshiki Kumagai, Chika Anzai, Yoichi Okano
Love is Blind
- Director: Nobuyuki Takeuchi
- Screenplay: Teruko Utsumi
- Character Design: Tomoko Mori
- Studio: Lapin Track
- Voice Cast: Shun Horie, Shion Wakayama, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Takahiro Yamamoto, Junichi Suwabe, Mamiko Noto
Shikaku
- Director/Screenplay: Naoya Ando
- Character Design: MYOUN
- Studio: GRAPH77
- Voice Cast: Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita
Mermaid Rhapsody
- Director: Tetsuaki Watanabe
- Screenplay: Tatsuo Kobayashi
- Character Design: Nozomi Shimazaki
- Studio: 100studio
- Voice Cast: Chiaki Kikuta, Eri Yukimura
Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome
- Director/Screenplay: Kazuaki Terasawa
- Character Design: Kohei Tokuoka
- Studio: Studio Kafka
- Voice Cast: Yuki Sakakihara, Maki Kawase, Seiichiro Yamashita
Nayuta of the Prophecy
- Director/Screenplay: Tetsuaki Watanabe
- Character Design: Hisashi Higashijima
- Studio: 100studio
- Voice Cast: Hitomi Sasaki, Yohei Matsuoka
Sisters
- Director: Osamu Honma
- Screenplay: Yoko Yonaiyama
- Character Design: Haruka Sagawa
- Studio: P.A.WORKS
- Voice Cast: Runa Nakashima, Tomo Nakai, Tomohiko Imai
Overseen by FLAGSHIP LINE, this anthology unites a stellar lineup of animation studios—ZEXCS, Lapin Track, GRAPH77, 100studio, Studio Kafka, and P.A. WORKS—to bring Tatsuki Fujimoto’s early stories to life. Each short film, helmed by a unique director, offers a fresh and varied take on the visionary one-shots from the mind behind Chainsaw Man.
VIZ MEDIA portrays the series as following:
“Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17–21: Alien invasions, high school romances, and even bloody vampire action—all this and more awaits in four compelling short stories that reveal the starting point of Tatsuki Fujimoto, the twisted mastermind behind Chainsaw Man.
Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22–26: Killer mermaids, gender swapping, and a devilish little sister with the power to end the world—four more unforgettable short stories that reveal the starting point of Tatsuki Fujimoto, the twisted mastermind behind Chainsaw Man.“
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc movie is listed for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
The Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc anime film will get an IMAX release in Japanese theaters on September 19 at 61 locations nationwide.
ABEMA is set to broadcast a unique special on September 5 at 8:00 PM JST. Hosted by the charismatic comedian Kendo Kobayashi, the program will feature an exciting lineup, including Kikunosuke Toya, the voice behind Denji, alongside comedians Crystal Noda and Shogo, freelance announcer Neki Matsuzawa, and Vivian Murakawa from the idol group CANDY TUNE. Viewers will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at MAPPA’s animation studio, hear insights from musician Kenshi Yonezu, and catch the latest news about the film.
Immediately after the special, ABEMA will unveil an exclusive digest version of the Chainsaw Man TV anime on the same day. This specially re-edited compilation condenses the 12-episode series into one dynamic feature, while also introducing a brand-new animated short, Chainsaw Biyori (Chainsaw Days), adapted from the manga’s extra chapters. The digest edition will become available on other streaming platforms starting September 12.
Crunchyroll revealed plans to stream a two-part compilation film, Chainsaw Man – The Collection: Parts 1 & 2, globally in September, excluding Asia. These films will highlight pivotal scenes from the Chainsaw Man TV anime and feature Chainsaw Days (Chainsaw Biyori), a fresh animated adaptation of the manga’s bonus chapters.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc anime film will be released on September 19, 2025.
Chainsaw Man is a Japanese manga crafted by Tatsuki Fujimoto, both written and illustrated by him. The initial arc ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from December 2018 to December 2020, while the second arc kicked off in July 2022 on Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ digital platform. As of July 2025, the series has been compiled into 21 tankōbon volumes.
The narrative of Chainsaw Man centers on Denji, a young man struggling with poverty who forms a pact that merges his body with Pochita, a canine-like Chainsaw Devil, giving him the power to turn parts of his body into chainsaws. Denji later becomes a member of the Public Safety Devil Hunters, a government organization tasked with confronting Devils that pose a danger to Japan. In the second arc, the focus shifts to Asa Mitaka, a high schooler who forms a contract with Yoru, the War Devil, compelling her to pursue Chainsaw Man to retrieve what he took from her.
In North America, Viz Media holds the English license for the manga, releasing it in both physical and digital formats, while Shueisha also makes it available on the Manga Plus online platform. An anime adaptation, produced by MAPPA, aired from October to December 2022.
