Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga series, Chainsaw Man, recently saw its first theatrical anime adaptation, "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc," hit cinemas in Japan. The film has been a box office hit, reigniting buzz around the popular franchise.
Beyond the plot, a conversation shared by a Japanese X (formerly Twitter) user and his wife after watching the movie unexpectedly ignited a viral debate: "Is the author actually female?" The discussion primarily stems from the author's incredibly high-resolution portrayal of female characters, leading many to feel as if the descriptions were drawn from a woman's own lived experience.
The post that sparked the whole thing detailed the user's discussion with his wife after seeing "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc." He mentioned how much he enjoyed the film, saying, "Even though the world and events are exaggerated, the depiction of adolescent male emotions feels incredibly real." To his surprise, his wife suddenly interjected, "Is the author of this manga male?" The question completely caught him off guard.
He then asked his wife, "The story is consistently told from a male perspective, so why would you think there are female elements?"
His wife's response was eye-opening: "Because the female characters who are so adept at leveraging male desires and have a lot of 'experience points' are portrayed with such realism. It's almost as if the author has genuinely experienced these things or is like that herself, whether it's Makima or Reze." Hearing that, he admitted he was equally taken aback. "So that's it!" he thought.
Once the tweet went public, it immediately resonated with countless netizens. Many even confessed that they initially assumed Tatsuki Fujimoto was female themselves: "I always thought she was a girl ✋," one user wrote. Another added, "I only recently found out he wasn't female." A particularly insightful comment read, "When I watched 'Look Back,' I completely felt it had a female sensibility; the emotional depth was just too strong." Another chimed in, "Reze's character is truly high-resolution; it feels like a real person's experience, perfectly suited for the big screen."
Numerous comments highlighted how realistic and three-dimensional the female characters in Chainsaw Man are, standing in stark contrast to the typical "fan service" heroines often found in shonen manga. Some argued that this intricate psychological portrayal, combined with the lyrical style seen in works like "Look Back," subconsciously leads readers to believe the stories are penned by a woman.
One netizen offered an interesting perspective: "While we all know Tatsuki Fujimoto is male, if you went into his works with absolutely no background knowledge and just imagined the author's mind based purely on the stories, it would actually be even more fascinating."
Of course, when you look at Denji's actions, it's pretty clear the writing comes from a male perspective. But conversely, Reze and Makima truly feel like characters crafted from a female viewpoint—both formidable and capable of manipulating men with ease. This striking contrast highlights Fujimoto's masterful ability to depict psychological nuances from diverse perspectives, a truly impressive feat.
While it's widely known that Tatsuki Fujimoto is a male manga artist, approaching his works with a completely blank slate might indeed lead to the same conclusions as these Japanese netizens. Perhaps this unique blend of perspectives is precisely why "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc" has managed to captivate both male and female fans, drawing them all to the cinema.
via： togetter