The Early Work Of Chainsaw Man’s Creator Just Got An Anime, And It’s Amazing

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Tatsuki Fujimoto is famous for Chainsaw Man, but he began his career earlier. He first gained attention in 2016 with the popular series Fire Punch, and even before that, he published many short stories with Shueisha since he was 17. These early works slowly built his reputation as a promising creator.

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s early short stories have been compiled into a two-part collection called Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man. Recently, it was announced these stories would be adapted into an animated anthology series, Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, which is now available on Amazon Prime. As expected from the creator of Chainsaw Man, the series is fantastic.

Chainsaw Man’s Creator Was Always One Of The Weirdest Writers In Anime

Tatsuki Fujimoto is known for his uniquely strange and dreamlike storytelling. His stories often start with bizarre ideas and feature characters with wildly eccentric personalities. Even in realistic scenes, he’ll throw in unexpected and quirky lines of dialogue.

The unique, often bizarre style of Chainsaw Man isn’t new – as seen in Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, it’s been a part of Fujimoto’s work for a while. With the exception of Mermaid Rhapsody, which was a more realistic story, all of his short works share this same playful absurdity, and it’s just as enjoyable to read as his more recent manga.

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s earlier one-shot manga, specifically from ages 17 to 26, might actually be more unusual than his current work. Because one-shots need to immediately capture a reader’s interest within just a few pages, these stories really push Fujimoto’s already strange style, with raw and unexpected takes on love and the supernatural – elements that surprisingly work well when adapted into animation.

I’ve been following Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work for a while now, and like with Chainsaw Man and Fire Punch, it’s so much more than just wild and strange. He always manages to weave a really touching story about everyday people into all the craziness. Honestly, his older work, the Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 collection, has some of his strongest storytelling when it comes to those bittersweet, complicated, and often heartbreaking relationships – it really gets to you!

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Early Work Destroys Chainsaw Man’s Visuals

One of the best things about Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 is how visually stunning each short is. Even though the shorts cover a lot of different genres, they all share beautifully smooth animation and imaginative visuals that really emphasize the humor and strangeness of the stories, making them consistently enjoyable to watch.

The animation in this collection really stands out, especially when you compare it to Chainsaw Man. Most of the shorts are more imaginative than the first season of the series, and the animation quality is as good as—or even better than—the visuals in Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc, which was a stunning film.

The concept is immediately apparent, much like in the short film A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard. That short was the most dynamic in the collection, featuring animation as impressive as the Chainsaw Man movie, making both it and the whole anthology visually captivating.

Is Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 A Shoe-In For Anime Of The Year?

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s collection of shorts, spanning pages 17-26, quickly gained popularity due to the author’s previous work on Chainsaw Man. It didn’t disappoint, delivering compelling stories focused on well-developed characters and consistently stunning artwork, with A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard being a standout example.

The simultaneous release of Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 and Chainsaw Man: The Movie — Reze Arc boosted the perception of 17-26‘s quality. The movie’s success has significantly increased Fujimoto’s overall popularity, creating even more excitement for 17-26 and enhancing its reception.

With its fantastic writing and animation, Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 is a standout short anime. Building on the success of Chainsaw Man, it’s a strong candidate for anime of the year, and it’s hard to imagine many stories being a better choice overall.

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2025-11-12 01:10