Chainsaw Man’s transition from manga to anime has made it one of the best additions to the genre in 2022 and now, over in Japan, Tatsuki Fujimoto's shonen masterpiece ia making the jump to the theater stage in 2023.
The first part of Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man manga, the “Public Safety arc” (Kōan-hen), was published by Weekly Shōnen Jump back in 2018; whereas the second part titled the “Academy Saga” (Gakkō Hen) came out this year, but it wasn’t until the anime premiered on Crunchyroll that his work became massively popular. Chainsaw Man the anime has proven to be a more than solid adaptation, with its first 12-episode season consistently drawing in more fans thanks to its excellent presentation and viral opening theme song.
With all that in mind, it’s no surprise then that Chainsaw Man is getting the stage play treatment as was revealed by its own website CHAINSAW MAN THE STAGE (via Anime News Network), which is scheduled to premiere in Japan in September 2023, in the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto, with shows expected to last at least until October. The story will not adapt the anime, but rather the original manga with playwriting and duties being handled by Fumiya Matsuzaki, who in the past has worked on a Japanese stage version of Romeo and Juliet titled Meisaku Ibun Romeo to Juliet ~ Tybalt Sono Koi no Giseisha.
Even if the concept of putting together a play based on manga or anime seems a bit odd at first, some might be surprised to hear that these shows are actually quite popular and successful in Japan, stage plays of popular titles such as Death Note, Naruto, Bleach Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, Haikyuu!! or even Pokemon doing quite well in several Japanese cities. So far, no casting announcements of any kind have been made.
It’s certainly interesting to imagine how Matsuzaki will adapt Chainsaw Man’s gore or Denji’s immature humor, but with a large cast of devil hunters and mysterious characters like Makima, this play sure has a lot of potential to put in quite a show. The first season of the Chainsaw Man anime ended this week, and it’s safe to say newcomers are quite intrigued about where the show will go next.
Chainsaw Man's intro sequence alone is a homage to filmmaking, and Kenshi Yonezu's "Kick Back" is the perfect anime opening for this frantic story that's quickly building a reputation as a must-watch.
Chainsaw Man is available on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Anime News Network; chainsawman-stage.jp