Chainsaw Man Director Sparks Season 2 Speculation

Despite its success, there are been little word on Chainsaw Man since season one closed shop. These days, MAPPA Studios is busy fielding Jujutsu Kaisen season two and some of its troubling behind-the-scenes drama. As more eyes turn to MAPPA, the expectation for a Chainsaw Man season two update gets higher. And now, the first director behind Chainsaw Man has sent the fandom into a tizzy with their social media return.

The whole thing went live on X (Twitter) courtesy of Ryu Nakayama. If you did not know, the director was in charge of Chainsaw Man season one, and he oversaw much of its unique art style. While the animation was praised overseas, it met some pushback in Japan by fans which sparked rumors of Nakayama's exit from Chainsaw Man. So when he returned to social media, fans were intrigued to see the director post about his interest in better his work environment.

パワハラモラハラと無縁で無駄なストレスの無い、金銭的にも時間的にも安定したより良い労働環境を構築するというのが今年1年のミッションで、まだ小規模だけど少しずつ形にしていっているところ　まだ1年目なので地味に地道に地固めしっかりしていく　もうちょっとしたら公開できるはず

— 中山竜/Ryu Nakayama (@r_nkym_) November 24, 2023

"This year's mission is to build a better working environment that is free from power harassment, moral harassment, and unnecessary stress, and is stable both financially and in terms of time," Nakayaama shared. "We are still in the early stages, but we are gradually making progress. Since it's only been one year, we're going to keep working hard and steadily. We should be able to release the information to the public in a little while."

Looking at this statement, there is a lot of unpack, and Chainsaw Man fans have put in the work. The latter part of the message references a year's passage, and it has been about a year since MAPPA closed Chainsaw Man season one. Plus, the director mentions his inability to discuss his current work here, and MAPPA Studios has been famously quiet about Chainsaw Man season two. Plus, the statement does nod to difficult work conditions. In the past month, numerous artists on Jujutsu Kaisen season two have stood up against MAPPA by outing the anime's horrific production schedule. So of course, this message from Nakayama could be a direct address separating Chainsaw Man from Jujutsu Kaisen.

However, there are some fans who believe Nakayama has exited Chainsaw Man entirely, and his social media comeback may have spilled the tea. Fans were quick to note the artist changed his profile picture online from Chainsaw Man to something else. Given the backlash Nakayama received from a loud minority, Chainsaw Man could understandably go a different direction with season two. But for now, there is no telling what might happen. Despite this new message from Nakayama, the show's future is still murky, so here's to hoping 2024 will bring better news for the show!

What do you think about this latest Chainsaw Man debacle? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!