Chainsaw Man's Creator Isn't Just Great, He's One of the Decade's Most Important Mangaka, but Not for the Reason Fans Think

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Chainsaw Man is Tatsuki Fujimoto's most famous ongoing work, although with other acclaimed projects before and since then, including Fire Punch, Goodbye, Eri, and Look Back (recently adapted into a successful anime movie) he's amassed an adoring following. However, Fujimoto's work has not only shaped the readers' perception of his idiosyncratic style over the years, but also the careers of many other mangaka. The Chainsaw Man creator had incredible assistants behind him, including Tatsuya Endo, Oto Tōda, Yuji Kaku, Yukinobu Tatsu, and Tohru Kuramori.

Chainsaw Man has become a global phenomenon, selling over 28 million copies. Fujimoto's many assistants have also gone on to create stories and attain impressive presences in the manga scene, with massive hit anime to many of their credit. While this is not an unusual phenomenon, the impressive number of assistants to Tatsuki Fujimoto who have gone on to create other successful manga is fascinating to explore.

Tatsuki Fujimoto's recent wave of famous assistants, each producing a gorgeous series with distinctive visual flair and thoughtful writing, is not especially new in the manga world, but the quantity and quality, in this case, are incredible. There are previous instances of this, including Hiroyuki Takei and Eichiro Oda working under Nobuhiro Watsuki, creator of Rurouni Kenshin. Artists in the field like Takeshi Obata (Hikaru no Go, Death Note) have mentored future creators, including Yusuke Murata (Eyeshield 21, One-Punch Man), Kentaro Yabuki (Black Cat), and Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kentaro Miura's assistant and best friend, Kouji Mori, famously continued Berserk after Miura's passing.

In the midst of a showdown between two of its strongest characters, Chainsaw Man takes the time to reveal the differences between its main characters.

In the case of the Chainsaw Man creator, Fujimoto's most famous assistants most often worked on his Fire Punch manga, which is unsurprising given the immense detail in its paneling and composition. Oto Tōda, who also worked on To Strip the Flesh alongside Spy x Family creator Tatsuya Endo and Hell's Paradise creator Yuji Kaku, contributed to the beloved series. Dandadan's creator, Yukinobu Tatsu, worked on Fire Punch but also worked as an assistant for Chainsaw Man as well as under Yuji Kaku for Hell's Paradise, while Toru Kuramori, assistant for Goodbye, Eri, released a new series this year called Centuria.

Oto Tōda also illustrated Tatsuki Fujimoto's one-shot manga, Just Listen to the Song, in 2022.

That places no fewer than five associated talents recommended by Tatsuki Fujimoto, each showing his influence in varying ways, from his fascinating cinematic style to his immense focus on environments and posing. What's impressive is that each of these series has thrived on the Jump+ imprints under Shueisha, with Hell's Paradise being once cited as the most popular work on Shonen Jump+ during its run and Spy x Family outselling even Chainsaw Man. But it's equally fascinating to speculate on just how much of Fujimoto's style appears in the work of his former assistants.

While each of the works is too numerous to summarize in a few paragraphs accurately, the manga of Tatsuki Fujimoto's former assistants makes one point: they deserve to be recognized wholly independently from Fujimoto. However, each shares varying levels of influence. Tatsuya Endo's research for Spy x Family and attention to detail reflect that found in Fujimoto's work; Yuji Kaku shares a similar design philosophy in his monster creations, and Yukinobu Tatsu's iconoclastic Dandadan strongly resembles Chainsaw Man's wild and bold storytelling.

Other noteworthy works show shades of Fujimoto while telling their own stories in the process. Oto Tōda's To Strip the Flesh explores protagonist Chiaki Ogawa's journey as a trans character seizing bodily autonomy and agency, while Fire Punch famously incorporates Togata, a trans supporting character. Toru Kuramori's Centuria is perhaps the most interesting emerging example, with the art style incorporating more of an almost seinen-typical cosmic horror vibe, with new chapters every week. It's no stretch to say that these creators don't live in Tatsuki Fujimoto's shadow.

Chainsaw Man may be an especially hot topic with the upcoming Reze Arc movie, but Tatsuki Fujimoto has been on a streak, with Look Back having also recently launched in cinemas. Much of Fujimoto's work benefited immensely from these creative contributions, and the potential of each of these mangaka is nothing short of breathtaking. With long-running series like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen ending, any of these stories, each with wildly varying tones and themes, are reasonable for Chainsaw Man fans seeking a truly phenomenal read.

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Chainsaw Man is an adaptation of the popular manga written by Tatsuki Fujimoto, airing on Crunchyroll in the west. Denji, a young man working tirelessly for the Yakuza to pay off the debt, his late father saddled him with hunts devils with the assistance of his little friend Pochita, also known as the Chainsaw Devil. When the Yakuza kill him to gain a contract with another devil, Pochita saves Denji, and the two forge a contract, allowing Denji to gain revenge against the Yakuza. Now sought after by an agency known as the Public Safety Division, Denji joins a team led by the mysterious Makima. Denji now relentlessly hunts Devils in service of his newfound crush, Makima, slowly reaching their ultimate goal of facing the ultimate Devil.

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