From Chainsaw Man to Fire Punch: The Anticipation for the Animated Adaptation

Notably, the manga Chainsaw Man was adapted into an animated series that premiered in October 2022 and gained significant attention across various platforms. In contrast to this trend, a movement has been gaining traction among fans who closely follow the works of author Tatsuki Fujimoto, with the aim of raising awareness for his first published manga – Fire Punch.

Fire Punch is a dark fantasy manga that was serialized on Shonen Jump Plus for about two years, starting in 2016. It marked the beginning of what would later be known as the “Fujimoto Vision,” drawing significant attention as it was published in several key issues. Unfortunately, as the series neared its conclusion, some readers expressed that the storyline had “lost its way.” Thus, Fire Punch became a polarizing work within the manga community, garnering more intense reactions than Chainsaw Man despite not achieving the same level of mainstream recognition.

Currently, prior to the fame of the animated adaptation of Chainsaw Man, discussions such as: “I don’t understand why more people are watching Chainsaw Man than Fire Punch?” “The story of Fire Punch is much better,” “I want everyone to know that Fire Punch deserves to be seen hundreds of times over what you have watched so far,” “If Chainsaw Man can be popular, I also want Fire Punch to become an anime” are emerging across various online platforms in Japan. All of these individuals hope that Fire Punch will be adapted into an anime.

However, it is important to note that Chainsaw Man was produced with an entire studio’s investment from MAPPA. Therefore, if Fire Punch is to be adapted, it would require the company to accept a significant budget allocation.

Interestingly, in an interview conducted by IGN France in August 2022, MAPPA expressed their desire “to adapt all of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s works into anime.”

Thus, it is not impossible that a project adapting Fire Punch could be initiated. However, this work, while loved by many, is also disliked by a portion of its fanbase due to certain elements within the story that are not well-received or are hard to understand.

Furthermore, even though Chainsaw Man is a successful anime, it is rare to think that every new project that Tatsuki Fujimoto writes will have the same impact. There is a potential for adaptation, but success is not guaranteed, especially for works like Sayonara, Eri or Look Back that have gained considerable acclaim.