Tatsuki Fujimoto's hit manga "Chainsaw Man" has officially dropped its first theatrical anime, "Chainsaw Man – The Reze Arc," in Japan and Taiwan, and it's absolutely crushing it at the box office, sparking a whole new wave of hype for the franchise.
As of yesterday (October 15), "Chainsaw Man – The Reze Arc" has already raked in a staggering 5.7 billion yen in Japan, holding the top spot for four consecutive weeks! It's also seeing massive success with staggered releases in Taiwan, South Korea, and other regions. Japanese netizens have been quick to unearth old social media posts from the production team, where their initial, rather modest, estimate of "we'd be thrilled with 3 billion yen" has become a hot topic of discussion.
This Instagram post from Shinsaku Uezuma, who was in charge of the film's animation, popped up during its opening week in Japan. He recalled:
"I remember the final moments before delivery—it was 4 AM, and I was chatting with two core production staff members, smoking, and the mood was pretty grim."
"Apparently, merch sales weren't great, and we thought we'd be lucky if it hit 3 billion yen domestically." He added, "So we just prayed for around 7 billion yen overseas..." At the time, all he could say was, "Yeah... I hope it pulls through."
But then, after the TV anime compilation was released, everything flipped! Since MAPPA was the sole investor this time, stellar box office numbers mean some seriously sweet profits. Uezuma, who only played a small part, said he was just an observer, but he really wanted them to succeed and see those guys smiling happily.
The initial "Chainsaw Man" TV anime didn't quite hit the mark with critics, leading to a roughly two-and-a-half-year gap between its broadcast and the movie's release. While the film was always planned, the TV series' reception left many wondering if this popular franchise could truly turn its fortunes around.
Even though the series leans heavily into action and traditionally attracts a male-dominated core fanbase, there's been a noticeable surge in female viewers on social media this time around. It seems the franchise's charm has successfully cast a wider net!
Beyond the buzz around the plot itself, the theme songs have been a massive assist. Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" and Hikaru Utada's collaboration "JANE DOE" both ignited huge discussions, with official YouTube interview videos racking up over a million views, drawing in even more non-fans.
What's more, to hook new viewers, the official team cleverly edited the entire first season of the TV anime into a roughly 3.5-hour "Chainsaw Man Compilation." They also dropped a 10-minute highlight reel, making it super easy for newcomers to grasp the story and dive into the movie without any prior homework.
Nowadays, the audience is seeing a growing number of casual viewers who "only watch the movie, not the anime or manga." The production team has smartly leaned into this trend, crafting an accessible viewing experience and marketing strategy. Whether it can smash past the 10 billion yen mark isn't just about the film's quality, but also about sustained buzz and audience expansion. "Chainsaw Man – The Reze Arc" is absolutely nailing it with a perfect trifecta of "film × music × promotion," keeping the conversation alive and pulling in tons of fresh faces.
Given its current momentum, "Chainsaw Man – The Reze Arc" isn't just poised to become Japan's fourth film this year to hit over 10 billion yen at the box office; it could very well kickstart a new "golden age of theatrical releases" for the "Jump" franchise. Now, we just have to wait and see how far that word-of-mouth magic can take it!
via： 東洋經濟