Chainsaw Man Creator’s Short Stories Finally Get An Anthology Anime

On September 2, 2025, it was announced that Tatsuki Fujimoto’s eight short stories will be made into an anthology anime of eight episodes produced by numerous studios:

• ZEXCS (Akane Banashi)
• Lapin Track (You and I Are Polar Opposites)
• GRAPH77
• 100 Studio
• Studio Kafka (Ancient Magus Bride)
• P. A. WORKS (Angel Beats)

This format is similar to the ongoing Star Wars: Visions anthology as a collaboration between multiple studios, bringing unique interpretations to Fujimoto’s works akin to the 12 ending songs of Chainsaw Man Season 1.

The anthology will be released to Amazon Prime on November 8th.

Episode List

Episode 1: A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard

Story: Two survivors bond in a post-apocalyptic world.

Cast:

Kenshō Ono as Yūto

Shion Sakurai as Ami

Kazuki Ura as Yōhei

Kimiko Saitō as Megumi Kaneda

Mitsuo Iwata as Masatoshi Endō

Staff:

Director and Screenplay: Seishirō Nagaya (Backflip!! series director, Chainsaw Man episode 10 key animator)

Character Designer: Moaang (Garden of Remembrance film)

Animation Production: ZEXCS

Episode 2: Sasaki Stopped a Bullet

Story: A story that explores the intense emotions of adolescence.

Cast:

Toshiki Kumagai as Sasaki

Chika Anzai as Chieko Kawaguchi

Yoichi Okano as Kuwano

Staff:

Director: Nobukage Kimura (I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level)

Screenplay: Teruko Utsumi (Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Chikyū Symphony film)

Character Designer: Naho Kozono (Onna no Sono no Hoshi)

Animation Production: Lapin Track

Episode 3: Love is Blind

Story: Love in a cosmic scale.

Cast:

Shun Horie as Ibuki

Shion Wakayama as Yuri Kōnosu

Toshiyuki Morikawa as Hayasaka-sensei

Takahiro Yamamoto as Robber

Junichi Suwabe as Alien

Mamiko Noto as Alien Bride

Staff:

Director: Nobuyuki Takeuchi (Fireworks, Should We See it from the Side or the Bottom? film)

Screenplay: Teruko Utsumi (Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Chikyū Symphony film)

Character Designer: Tomoko Mori (Ushio & Tora, two seasons)

Animation Production: Lapin Track

Episode 4: Shikaku

Story: The twisted love of an assassin girl.

Cast:

Kana Hanazawa as Shikaku

Tomokazu Sugita as Yugeru

Staff:

Director and Screenplay: Naoya Ando (Paradox Live The Animation)

Character Designer: MYOUN (Bocchi the Rock! key animator, two episodes)

Animation Production: GRAPH77

Episode 5: Mermaid Rhapsody

Story: A touching romance between a boy and a mermaid centered around an underwater piano.

Cast:

Chiaki Kikuta as Toshihide
Eri Yukimura as Shiju

Staff:

Director: Tetsuaki Watanabe (BLUELOCK)

Screenplay: Tatsuo Kobayashi

Character Designer: Nozomi Shimazaki

Animation Production: 100Studio

Episode 6: Woke Up as a Girl Syndrome

Story: True love beyond gender norms

Cast:

Yuki Sakakihara as Toshihide

Maki Kawase as Rie

Seiichirō Yamashita as Akira

Staff:

Director and Screenplay: Kazuaki Terasawa (The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2)

Character Designer: Kōhei Tokuoka (The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity)

Animation Production: Studio Kafka

Episode 7: Nayuta of the Prophecy

Story: The journey of two siblings bound by a harsh destiny.

Cast:

Hitomi Sasaki as Nayuta

Yōhei Matsuoka as Kenji

Staff:

Director and Screenplay: Tetsuaki Watanabe (BLUELOCK)

Character Designer: Hisashi Higashijima (Mashle: Magic and Muscles)

Animation Production: 100Studio

Episode 8: Sisters

Story: The story and rivalry between two artistically inclined sisters.

Cast:

Runa Nakashima as Akiko Ebara

Tomo Nakai as Kyōko Ebara

Tomohiko Imai as Teacher

Staff:

Director: Osamu Honma

Screenplay: Yōko Yonaiyama (COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing)

Character Designer: Haruka Sagawa (Call of the Night)

Animation Production: P.A.WORKS

Fujimoto’s Comment

On the release of the anthology series, Fujimoto has this to say:

“Having my works from my student years being adapted into anime made me anxious, wondering if this was really okay, and if these works might have relied too heavily on others’ inspiration. However, although I haven’t seen them yet, I believe that through the work of talented directors, they have become proper, well-crafted pieces.”

About Fujimoto’s Short Stories

Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man consists of eight earliest one-shot stories written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto before starting his second manga series Chainsaw Man (2018-present).

His first was Fire Punch (2016-2018).

Published by Shueisha on October 4, 2021, the first volume, titled “17–21”, includes: “There Were Two Chickens in the Garden” (2011), “Sasaki Has Stopped the Bullet” (2013),  “Love is Blind” (2013), and Shikaku (2014).

Released on November 4, 2021, the second volume, “22–26”, includes: “Siren Rhapsody” (2014), “”When I Woke Up I Had Become a Girl” Disease” (2017), “Nayuta of the Prophecy” (2015),and “Little Sister’s Elder Sister” (2018).

Of note, Nayuta and Kenji’s bond is clearly the inspiration for the Control Devil reincarnation, Nayuta, who is raised as an adopted sister by Chainsaw Man protagonist, Denji.

Source: Twitter

The early Oneshots of Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw Man, Lookback, Goodbye Eri) are getting ANIME ADAPTATIONS by many different Anime Studios:

Release: Nov 8, 2025 (Amazon Prime)

Below is an Episode List with Studio and Director:

Ep 1:
Title: “A Couple Clucking Chickens Were… pic.twitter.com/aRr8jyXWTy

— Manga Mogura RE (Anime & Manga News) (@MangaMoguraRE) September 2, 2025

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