First published in 2018, Chainsaw Man has developed a huge following in Japan and abroad thanks to gore-filled action and quirky characters.
Is Chainsaw Man’s Manga Finished or Ongoing?
The Chainsaw Man manga is currently ongoing. Part 1 concluded after 97 chapters in December 2020, with Part 2 starting in July 2022. There have been over 100 chapters released. For some fans, Chainsaw Man felt finished at the end of Part 1, and the second part is more like a sequel, with a new protagonist and setting. The first part is certainly enough of a completed story and will be what the Chainsaw Man anime focuses on covering for a long while to come. However, the second part was planned from the very end of the first, and Tatsuki Fujimoto revealed in an interview with BFMTV (in French) in March that he had the story planned in advance. Taking that into account, we can conclude that Chainsaw Man, as far as the author is concerned, is very much still ongoing.
Is Chainsaw Man’s Manga Over?
No, Chainsaw Man is very much not over yet. Part 2 has shown that there is still more to come from the story. In the aforementioned interview with BFMTV, Fujimoto mentions the stress of producing a weekly series such as Chainsaw Man, and how that makes him want to work on one-shots. After Chainsaw Man Part 1 concluded, Fujimoto produced two successful one-shots: Look Back, reportedly inspired by the Kyoto Animation arson attack in 2019; and the more recent Goodbye, Eri. There was also some new Chainsaw Man content between Part 1 and Part 2. A full-colour version of the manga was released in Japan, while Fujimoto also provided art for a light novel spin-off – Chainsaw Man: Buddy Stories. While we don’t know for sure, perhaps Fujimoto always had the next part of the manga in his mind. However, as a successful mangaka exploring his craft, he felt it important to step away and rediscover his inspiration through different stories. Now, refreshed after successful one-shots, Fujimoto is ready to put his ideas onto paper. We can’t wait to see what happens next!
