Often cited (rightly) as the best Japanese animation series of the end of 2022, chain saw man doesn’t just make people happy. The proof with this petition, launched recently, asking for the pure and simple cancellation of the series stamped MAPPA.
A new petition
Since October 2022, Japanese animation fans discover each week with pleasure the episodes of the first season of chain saw manadaptation by the MAPPA studio from the eponymous manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of Fire Punch. From its first episode, fans were impressed with the visual quality of the series, and the adaptability of the source material. If overall, the series has been very well received since its inception, episode 8 was a real turning point for fans, chain saw man entering a new dimension.
The latest episodes have generated truly exceptional enthusiasm on social networks. But while the twelfth and final episode of this first season will be released on Tuesday, December 27, on learns that a petition from disgruntled fans has just collected 1600 signatures. Created by a “devoted fan” of the original manga, the petition is titled “Please remake the anime chain saw man with a new director” (in French, “Please redo the anime chain saw man with a new director“). Three main criticisms are made of the MAPPA series : the visual quality of the animation, the vision that the director Ryū Nakayama has of the work which would not respect that of Tatsuki Fujimoto, and the interpretation of the seiyu of Denji, Kikunosuke Toya.
Rather surprising criticisms: besides the fact that, as we said, the visual quality of the anime has often been praised, we remember that the mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto was very involved in the creation of the anime, according to the words of his editorwho confided last October that the creator of chain saw man “has seen all of the pitch materials from [l’anime]script structure, scripts, and even storyboards“and that he was all the time”in direct contact with the MAPPA studio team“. As our colleagues fromAnimeLandthis involvement of the mangaka in the creation of the anime adaptation was well above average.
Of course, there is little chance that this petition will influence the slightest decision of the MAPPA studio, which has relied heavily on chain saw man. However, it testifies to a growing phenomenon, and to a new relationship of fans to works of fiction, the latter seeking to have as much power as possible in the creative process. We remember the petition calling for a new end to The attack of the Titans by Hajime Isayama.
As said above, season 1 of chain saw man will end next Tuesday. Next, MAPPA will unveil season 2 of Vinland Saga next January 10, before launching Hell’s Paradisein April 2023, and season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen in July 2023.