Oricon's recent sales report revealed that Volume
18 of the popular manga “ Chainsaw
Man ” managed to sell 71,197 copies in its first week in Japan ,
covering the period from July 29 to August 4. This result has become a trend,
not because of its success, but because it pales noticeably in comparison to
previous releases in the same series.
Although some manga defenders argue that
this drop in sales is due to the fact that the collection period only covers
three days, others point out that previous volumes achieved much higher figures
in the same period . The situation has sparked intense debate among
Japanese netizens, who speculate that “Chainsaw Man” could be in
inevitable decline , not necessarily in its narrative, as the story
has entered a climatic point in the recent arc, but in its quality. artistic,
which has been criticized for being “rough and poorly worked” compared to the
beginning of the series.
The “Chainsaw Man” franchise has been a phenomenon
in the manga industry since its debut in 2018, gaining enormous popularity for
its dark and unique story, as well as its charismatic characters. The series,
created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, was adapted into an anime in October-2022, further
expanding its fan base. However, recent criticism about the artistic
direction and the perception of a deterioration in narrative quality have
generated uncertainty about the future of the series.
Below is the evolution of the initial sales
of the latest volumes of the manga , with the days of data collection
in parentheses:
- Volume
10: 305,545 copies (7 days) / 43,649 copies
per day.
- Volume
11: 328,151 copies (4 days) / 82,038 copies
per day.
- Volume
12: 233,928 copies (6 days) / 38,988 copies
per day.
- Volume
13: 285,118 copies (5 days) / 57,024 copies
per day.
- Volume
14: 260,183 copies (6 days) / 43,364 copies
per day.
- Volume
15: 148,931 copies (3 days) / 49,644 copies
per day.
- Volume
16: 181,051 copies (7 days) / 25,864 copies
per day.
- Volume
17: 140,000 copies (4 days) / 35,000 copies
per day.
- Volume
18: 71,197 copies (3 days) / 23,732 copies
per day.
Regarding the reception of Volume 18, online
comments reflect growing dissatisfaction among readers:
- « So
now they're saying that Jujutsu Kaisen sales have dropped dramatically? ».
- « Compared
to the previous volume, sales have been reduced by half, what a laugh .»
- " The
fans are trying to cover it up by saying that the drawing has gotten
worse, but the story is even worse ."
- « The
first part was well closed, the second part is unnecessary .»
- " It's
normal that people aren't interested in a Chainsaw Man without Aki, Power,
or Makima ."
- " Chainsaw
Man seems like it's going to get interesting, but it always stays the
same, and that's tiring ."
- « After
the fight against Public Security, there will surely be another boring
part in between .»
- " I
haven't even read a second of this ."
- « The
fate of a shitty manga that continues to be written out of inertia, just
to squeeze the fans .»
- " Just
because Naruto sold well, doesn't mean Samurai 8 will too ."
- " The
fact that the second part of Chainsaw Man has equaled the number of
chapters to the first part ."
- " I
don't know if the first part was too dense or if the second is too
superficial and empty ."
- « Huh?
What are you talking about? From the first chapter there were only
expectations .
- « What
are they going to do with the anime? Will they cancel it? I am interested
to know how it continues, so they should come to fruition .
- « From
the beginning, I don't think it was suitable for an anime adaptation .»
- " Someone
close to the protagonist is killed, a strong character is quickly
eliminated, Chainsaw Man shows unimaginable madness, and yet, this is the
result, even using all the exciting elements of the first part ."
- « Being
forced to draw a manga and wanting to draw it are different things .»
This decline in sales and growing criticism of the
work are leading many to wonder if “Chainsaw Man” will manage to
maintain its relevance in the competitive world of manga , or if this
could be the beginning of its end.
Source: Yaraon!
