While Chainsaw Man was arguably the most popular new anime of 2022, fans are a bit worried as its renewal has yet to be officially announced. So, is Chainsaw Man canceled?
It is not particularly out of the ordinary that Season 2 of Chainsaw Man hasn't been announced yet.
However, the show's overall reception and DVD sales might fuel rumors of its possible cancellation. Here's what we know so far.
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Why Could Chainsaw Man Be Canceled?
There are a number of reasons some fans think that Chainsaw Man is getting canceled.
However, it should be noted that any show this popular is bound to have some harsh critics, and the issues we detail below are not necessarily sufficient grounds for a show to be canceled:
Domestic Reception
With a score of over 8.5/10 on MyAnimeList and IMDb and some raving reviews, Chainsaw Man is far from poorly received. However, a relatively small but vocal minority, particularly in Japan, isn't pleased with the direction the anime is taking.
After the anime adaptation's premiere, a manga fan started a petition to remake Chainsaw Man with a different director.
The petition counts over 3,000 signatures, though this is admittedly not a huge number, given that in MyAnimeList alone, over a million users have the anime on their watch list.
The complaints of those who advocate a remake are related to directing choices, the removal of scenes and characters such as the Muscle Devil, and the choice to opt for a more realistic, cleaner art look that some consider too pretty for a story such as Chainsaw Man.
There has also been some dissatisfaction with Chainsaw Man's voice actors, as some fans believe that their performance doesn't reflect the true spirit of the story.
Low DVD Sales
Another concern about the future of the anime is that the Chainsaw Man DVD struggles to sell.
While Chainsaw Man is popular worldwide, several sources have shared anime Blu-ray sales figures showing that Chainsaw Man underperformed in terms of sales in comparison to other home releases.
This means there's a low interest in Chainsaw Man's Blu-ray edition in Japan.
DVD sales are often an indication of a show's popularity and profitability, so they can be interpreted as insights on whether an anime should be renewed.
But of course, this isn't the only sign. It should be noted that fewer people buy physical copies of their favorite shows these days because it is much easier and cheaper to watch everything on streaming services.
If Chainsaw Man underperforms in comparison to other titles, it is definitely an understandable concern. However, its impact remains to be seen.
So, Is Chainsaw Man Getting Canceled?
There are currently no official plans to cancel Chainsaw Man. And although studio MAPPA hasn't announced Season 2 yet, we strongly believe that they have planned ahead for additional content.
This is because the first season ends with a sneak peek involving Reze, a new character from the Bomb Girl arc.
To this day, this remains one of the most iconic arcs of the ongoing Chainsaw Man manga.
Reze doesn't feature at any time before that arc, and it wouldn't make sense to give her a last-minute preview if there were no plans to move forward with the story.
In fact, some fans suspect that, since the Bomb Girl arc doesn't have a huge impact on later arcs, it might even be released separately as a movie before Chainsaw Man Season 2's release date.
Although the above is not confirmed, nor are any plans to cancel the anime.
Such a popular show will almost always receive some vocal negative comments, but these don't necessarily reflect its true quality or potential.
It is believed that a major announcement might be released at some point during the upcoming Chainsaw Man Anime Exhibition on February 24, 2023.
Whether or not this turns out to be the case, we will update this space when news about Chainsaw Man's renewal status becomes available.
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