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INTEREST: MAPPA CEO Reflects on Financial Performance of Chainsaw Man


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SpookyDollhouse



Joined: 29 Apr 2015
Posts: 31
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 9:04 am Reply with quote
Despite this sounding positive overall I'm praying the not-so-positive bit about physical sales doesn't affect their adaptation of the rest of the series. They actually get it, and it'd be a shame if others took creative control or it moves to another studio altogether.
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Sheenoobuu



Joined: 17 Sep 2019
Posts: 80
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 9:09 am Reply with quote
As someone who watched the only the anime for Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsawman, I would say JJK was better purely due to its later 12 episodes, and from what I've heard CSM drastically changes from now on as well. Both were solid at showing off their core characters into the first 12 episodes, and JJK was great at showing an even wider cast and better animation in its later 12 episodes so that's why it impressed people enough to buy more BDs. I know CSM is going to introduce more characters, and already had solid animation so there's no reason why it won't do better in its next season, but you have to strike while the iron is hot. If we have to wait another 1.5+years got another season, I'm certain JJK will still beat it out in sales due to people being more invested in a show with more fights, more backstory, and more hype imo.

The weird thing is that at the moment I feel like the two shows have VERY similar vibes yet based on what I've heard from CSM manga readers, it seems like CSM should be much more unhinged and violent. Assuming JJK season 2 has 24 episodes again. And CSM has 12 episodes next season, maybe they should consider having at least a little more funding for CSM to get 24 episode season. Also imo those multiple ED songs were soooo not worth it. They were good, but I think only maybe, maybe, 1 or 2 came close to JJK's 2 EDs. I think they made a quantity over quality issue with CSMs EDs
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SaberRider



Joined: 20 Apr 2023
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 10:15 am Reply with quote
I'm sorry, but I blame the director the most for this. Nobody wanted CSM to be more "cinematic" or more "realistic". We wanted anime, not an animated Hollywood movie, which is what I think the director was trying for. And because of that he dulled all the life of the show. The colors were muted, the reactions of Denji and Power were toned way down, making them less energetic and more... well... boring. I hope that guy never touches an anime again.
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gsilver



Joined: 04 Nov 2007
Posts: 618
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 10:31 am Reply with quote
Calling it a "complete success" then following it up with what sounds like some significant negatives is a little worrying. I really hope that the same team gets to animate the rest of it, as what they did was fantastic, no matter what the trolls, like the guy directly above me say. Never direct anything again, you say? LOL. It's one thing to dislike something, and another to bring out that kind of hyperbole.

I can at least partially agree that it would have been better with some Jojo-like art deco colors in places, as that would fit the tone of the Chainsaw Man manga covers. But what we got, especially those ending credits sequences, was fantastic.
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4379
Location: New York
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 10:35 am Reply with quote
It sounds like it was financially successful, but there are enough issues to make them want to pivot rather than stop. I see Season 2 being more unhinged to line it up with the manga. Still, it doesn’t sound like it was enough of an issue to stop.
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SpookyDollhouse



Joined: 29 Apr 2015
Posts: 31
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 10:51 am Reply with quote
SaberRider wrote:
I'm sorry, but I blame the director the most for this. Nobody wanted CSM to be more "cinematic" or more "realistic". We wanted anime, not an animated Hollywood movie, which is what I think the director was trying for. And because of that he dulled all the life of the show. The colors were muted, the reactions of Denji and Power were toned way down, making them less energetic and more... well... boring. I hope that guy never touches an anime again.


I wake every day blessed I'm not this miserable and silly
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DamianSalazar



Joined: 25 Jul 2017
Posts: 722
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 10:54 am Reply with quote
SaberRider wrote:
I'm sorry, but I blame the director the most for this. Nobody wanted CSM to be more "cinematic" or more "realistic". We wanted anime, not an animated Hollywood movie, which is what I think the director was trying for. And because of that he dulled all the life of the show. The colors were muted, the reactions of Denji and Power were toned way down, making them less energetic and more... well... boring. I hope that guy never touches an anime again.


Oh, boohoo, how dare the director take a bold approach with Chainsaw Man's anime. I for one liked how "cinematic" it looked. I hope he gets more work inside and outside of MAPPA.
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TheSleepyMonkey



Joined: 11 Jul 2022
Posts: 900
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 10:58 am Reply with quote
SaberRider wrote:
I'm sorry, but I blame the director the most for this. Nobody wanted CSM to be more "cinematic" or more "realistic". We wanted anime, not an animated Hollywood movie, which is what I think the director was trying for. And because of that he dulled all the life of the show. The colors were muted, the reactions of Denji and Power were toned way down, making them less energetic and more... well... boring. I hope that guy never touches an anime again.

For one, assuming as if this cinematic feel is the only thing Nakayama can do and that every other adaptation he did would have this same feel, even though that's flanderizing it and he only did this because he thought it would be the best for CSM specifically, considering it's rooted grounds in western inspiration. Look no further than all of the other episodes he directed/storyboarded for other series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Shield Hero, Fate/Grand Order, etc. And I don't know how the hell you can hear either Kikunosuke Toya or specially Ai Fairouz' performances and somehow claim they were "toned down".

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StarDango



Joined: 22 Sep 2021
Posts: 92
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 11:09 am Reply with quote
It’s moments like these that make me wash we had more information from Japanese fans. We in America can only speculate or assume about why the Blu-Ray sales were unsatisfactory. But that’s all they are at the end of the day- speculations and assumptions. The numbers weren’t based on American sales or international, they were based on sales in Japan.

There’s always been differences in how some anime/manga and merch are received by Japanese fans vs the rest of the world. There were series that were unpopular in Japan and only continued because of foreign fans (eg, Watamote.) And there’s also series super popular in Japan that didn’t take off anywhere else. This has been the reality of anime/manga production for years.

So in response to CSM, I’ve seen American fans make accusations like “it’s cause Japan doesn’t appreciate GOOD anime” or “the director ruined the adaptation. It’s HIS fault.” But how much of this is based on truth? Again, the sales were based on Japan-only numbers. What do Japanese fans think? Why didn’t they buy the Blu-Rays? Only that side of the fandom can answer those questions.

I’m sure that once the BlurRays of CSM come out in other countries, maybe the numbers will be more satisfactory.

That also means that once it comes out in America, those who are really concerned for CSM Season 2 should buy the BluRay/DVD to show MAPPA how much foreign fans care.
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Whodaheckcares



Joined: 19 Dec 2013
Posts: 14
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 11:57 am Reply with quote
@TheSleepyMonkey

Thank you! Only a cinephile would want his manga to be presented like a movie. And guess who won’t stop talking about the effects movies have on individuals in his stories??
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Dnautics



Joined: 03 Aug 2022
Posts: 79
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 11:59 am Reply with quote
Chainsaw man was a failure financially because I didn't like it!
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SpookyDollhouse



Joined: 29 Apr 2015
Posts: 31
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 12:05 pm Reply with quote
I'm still baffled there's people thrown-off by the presentation. The manga is filled with blatantly suggestive examples of drawn cinematography and the passage of time on a screen. I feel like the naysayers just looked at the pictures and blasted through it without noticing any of this, it's so obvious. Look no further than the chapter where Asa and her friend have a conversation, and it's the same panel repeated across a spread of two pages followed by a two page spread of the two just sitting there in silence. It's a long-take on paper. And that's not the only example! The fact the guys at Mappa understood this and essentially threw it on the screen as charted like storyboards is awesome.

If you want an anime that doesn't invoke anything cinematic like its source material there's plenty to choose from. And that's not a knock on any of those.
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Gem-Bug



Joined: 10 Nov 2018
Posts: 1213
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 12:33 pm Reply with quote
SaberRider wrote:
I'm sorry, but I blame the director the most for this. Nobody wanted CSM to be more "cinematic" or more "realistic". We wanted anime, not an animated Hollywood movie, which is what I think the director was trying for. And because of that he dulled all the life of the show. The colors were muted, the reactions of Denji and Power were toned way down, making them less energetic and more... well... boring. I hope that guy never touches an anime again.


The colors were muted from....what, the black & white manga...? You know manga and anime are different mediums, right?
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Ajc228



Joined: 29 Dec 2015
Posts: 265
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 12:42 pm Reply with quote
The director, Ryu Nakayama, decided to go for a more somber tone. Part of my issue with this choice is that the balancing of tones was part of what I loved about the manga. The pacing in the anime is oddly languid. I didn’t get a sense of urgency or the propulsive nature of the manga. Everything is flattened and kinda dull. The director is very talented but I didn’t love this adaptation and it seems that many fans in Japan weren’t particularly thrilled with it either. Plenty of people streamed it and Mappa’s CEO said it was a financial success but it’s rather telling that the hardcore fans who usually show up to buy the blurays didn’t materialize.

Last edited by Ajc228 on Thu May 18, 2023 12:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 11362
PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 12:45 pm Reply with quote
Well, straight from the man himself.
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