Chainsaw Man Director Ryu Nakayama Joins New Studio at CCO

Ryu Nakayama is the visionary who helped bring Chainsaw Man season one to life. After working in the industry as an animator, MAPPA Studios gave Nakayama his first directorial gig with Chainsaw Man, and the rest was history. The show stands as one of the studio’s biggest to date, and of course, there is now a movie on the horizon. And thanks to a new report from Japan, we know Nakayama has found a new gig outside of MAPPA Studios thanks to Studio Mayflower.

The update was posted this week as Studio Mayflower CEO Taisei Tateno confirmed the company has brought on Nakayama. The director of Chainsaw Man has joined the studio as its chief creative officer which is nothing short of impressive. Tateno says Nakayama was brought in to Studio Mayflower to expand IP creation using the latest technology in animation. So as you can imagine, the director is plenty busy these days.

For those unfamiliar with Nakayama outside of Chainsaw Man, you should know his career has depth. The artist began work in anime with Tantei Opera Milky Holmes in 2010, and Nakayama went on to do key animation for a number of top-tier series. From Black Clover to Fate/Grand Order and Jujutsu Kaisen, Nakayama knows what it takes to make an anime look good, so Studio Mayflower has quite the ally on hand now.

As for Nakayama’s future with Chainsaw Man, well – that is unclear. It seems unlikely the director will have time to dedicate himself to Studio Mayflower while also consulting with MAPPA Studios. While season one of Chainsaw Man earned rave reviews, some of its animation choices earned mixed reviews in Japan. As such, many speculated Nakayama would exit the anime as Chainsaw Man is working on its first movie. Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc is now in development, but following its announcement in 2023, no updates have been given on the adaptation.

If you have not seen Chainsaw Man, no sweat. You find the anime easily as it is streaming on Crunchyroll. So for more info on Chainsaw Man, you can read its official synopsis below:

“Denji’s a poor young man who’ll do anything for money, even hunting down devils with his pet devil Pochita. He’s a simple man with simple dreams, drowning under a mountain of debt. But his sad life gets turned upside down one day when he’s betrayed by someone he trusts. Now with the power of a devil inside him, Denji’s become a whole new man-Chainsaw Man!”

What do you think about the director’s new gig at Studio Mayflower? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!