Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man 17-21 Out Now
Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man 22-26 Out April 18, 2023
Collected in two volumes from Viz, this series of shorts from Chainsaw Man creator/writer/artist Tatsuki Fujimoto gives a peek into the formative, early works of this enigmatic man. Starting with a short manga made when he was 17 and finishing with more polished work from his mid-20’s, these volumes offer fans of the mangaka a delightful acquaintance with some of the ideas and characters he would play with in the beginning that would eventually get fleshed even further out in his big works Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man (which I have conveniently reviewed if you click this convenient link).
Previously I reviewed Tista, which was a glimpse at an early work by Spy x Family’s author and served a similar purpose for the completionist or historically minded manga fan. The Tatsuki Fujimoto volumes, though, provide a little more entertainment value.
The first thing you’ll notice when cracking open the first volume is how clean and impressive the art is. At 17 Fujimoto was producing comics that would put many veteran mangaka to shame. The first short story focuses on aliens taking over the world, eating people, and adapting human customs. The only two surviving humans have disguised themselves as chickens in the school yard because farm animals aren’t a part of an alien's diet. Until a weird alien who eats chickens starts going to the school, forcing the humans to escape.
It's a very stupid idea with bad dialogue and some unclear character design and paneling choices that shows an artist in the infant stages catapulting into the big leagues. Despite the aliens being sometimes too indistinct and confusing to tell who is who, you can see an attention to detail and a real joy in crafting this art. It wasn’t meant to be published, it’s a guy fiddling around and producing something that, in all honesty, could have been published.
This story is followed by a better drawn yet more confusing one about a boy in love with his teacher who literally stops a bullet for her. It reads more like a fever dream than anything else. But the next short, Love is Blind, is Fujimoto's published debut earning him some accolade…and for good reason.
In this story a class president is about to graduate and walks another member of the student council home in order to confess his love to her. His confession is thwarted over-and-over by a series of increasingly silly events. It’s a quick, funny, and pretty great tale that is one of the best in these collections.
Another best, and perhaps the most interesting for fans of Chainsaw Man, is the short Nayuta that is the most obvious prototype work for Chainsaw. In this a young girl reviled by the world for being a powerful witch is protected by her normal older brother as she gets into trouble with killing animals and abusing her powers.
Nayuta plays a big part in Chainsaw Man and seeing her prototype here is the highlight of the duo of volumes. One splash page containing disembodied hands descending from the heavens is definitely a moment you’d expect from Fujimoto’s most famous series.
Of note in the collection too is a tender story concerning mermaids. A young boy whose mother was one of these oceanic cryptids goes to play a piano under the sea to recall the matriarch his family has lost. His piano playing catches the ear of a mermaid his age who he falls in love with. This despite the fact that much like sharks, mermaids eat humans when there is blood in the water. While there is a kind of harem quality to what could have been a very cute romance; the story is fantastic, the small amount of characterization works, and it comes across as Fujimoto’s most relatable and sweet story.
Other stories contained within these two collections include a assassin falling for a vampire (funny but middling), a weird story about a man waking up as a girl and using the occasion to grow as a man (this one is full of very cringey dialogue concerning sexual situations and came across more a budget exploitation film from the 70's than a reflection on gender roles or whatever the moral was trying to be), and sister artists using each other as nude models (another pointless story with good art, albeit crass).
Overall the two volumes comprising Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man are a mixed bag. Only three of the stories are good or worth reading. The second volume is the most noteworthy for fans of Fujimoto’s popular works, the first a curiosity more so than a must read.
Bonus Review:
Tombs
By: Junji Ito
Release: March 28, 2023
Another short story collection from manga horror maestro Junji Ito (who I have detailed extensively here), Tombs offers up some typical faire for those who have ingested his English releases. The titular story is typically bizarre: a town where a gravestone is erected wherever a person dies harbors dark secrets that drive outsiders to the brink of Hell. With his usual flair for creepy atmosphere, realistic character design, and extremely detailed horror imagery, Ito crafts a nerve-wracking adventure with a delightful sense of macabre humor. Further stories explore the usual themes of his work. A John Carpenter-esque tale has a woman's tongue turning into a snail, her disembodied head slowly turning into its shell. Body horror a la Cronenberg comes in a tale where a tunnel is changing the body composition of those traversing and exploring it. And another showcases a usual theme of Ito's work, the pursuit of beauty, as humans are turned into gorgeous statues. Ito's art, as always, is the highlight, and while some of the stories are more comical than scary, this collection is mainly hits, but definitely contains no misses.
Publisher provided volumes for review
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Sean Newgent has been with KGUN9 since January of 2020 and is Good Morning Tucson's executive producer. He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He is a critic and cultural commentator. Share your story ideas and important issues with Sean by emailing sean.newgent@kgun9.com.
