Just when you thought anticipation for the theatrical debut of MAPPA’s Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc and a film compilation of its first season was at its maximum, the Tatsuki Fujimoto train continues to show no signs of slowing down. Soon, more of the acclaimed manga creator’s early short stories will join the likes of his emotional gut-punch of a film, Look Back, in a new anime anthology series coming to Prime Video this November.
Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, produced by Flagship Line, will adapt eight of Fujimoto’s one-shot manga from before he made his mark in the manga industry with Fire Punch, Chainsaw Man, and Look Back. Those stories are A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard, Sasaki Stopped a Bullet, Love Is Blind, Shikaku, Mermaid Rhapsody, Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome, Nayuto of the Prophecy, and Sisters.
All of the aforementioned stories were written when Fujimoto was 17 to 26 years old—hence the name—and were released in two manga collections from Viz Media called Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man 17-21 and Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man 22-26, respectively, in 2021. Likewise, the anime series will serve as an anthology, with studios P.A. Works, Zexcs, Lapin Track, Studio Kafka, 100studio, and Studio Graph77 contributing to each episode. Here’s a brief official synopsis about the eight anime stories from Fujumoto 17-26‘s official website:
“A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard which depicts the bond between two survivors in a world where humanity has been wiped out; Sasaki Stopped A Bullet, an explosion of adolescent impulses; Love Is Blind, a sci-fi romanctic comedy about romantic feelings running wild on a cosmic scale; Shikaku, a story of the runaway love of a screwed-up assassin girl; Mermaid Rhapsody, a love story between a boy and a mermaid played on an underwater piano; The Disease of Waking Up As A Girl, a story of transcending gender boundaries to find one’s true self; Nayuta of the Prophecy, a tale of the rebirth of a brother and sister burdened with a cruel fate; and Sisters, a story of the jealousy, conflict, and growth of two sisters who devote themselves to art.”
On the anime’s official website, Fujimoto released a statement about the news of his short stories being adapted into an anime: “I was worried about whether it was really okay to adapt a work created during [my] student days into an anime, and whether it would end up being a work that relied too much on someone else’s inspiration. However, although I haven’t seen it yet, I believe that it has turned out to be a well-made work because it was made by talented directors.”
＼＼ ✨アニメ化決定✨／／
『藤本タツキ17-26』
#藤本タツキ が17歳から26歳の間に描いた短編8作品が待望のアニメ化！2025年11月8日(土)Prime Videoで世界独占配信決定！
🔗公式サイト
https://t.co/sNWJP3yyrE#藤本タツキ17_26 pic.twitter.com/oWZVqDf0EI
— 藤本タツキ 17-26【アニメ公式】 (@17_26anime_PR) September 2, 2025
Some of Fujimoto’s short stories, like Sisters, were a kind of prototype for the tale he wove with Look Back. At the same time, on break after Chainsaw Man Part 1 with Look Back, the creator wound up recycling the name and character design of Nayuta in Chainsaw Man Part 2 as Denji’s surrogate little sister. So, in addition to giving fans an inside look at the kind of stories Fujimoto was cooking up before he was a household name in manga circles, the anime series might also give fans some insight into what other creative decisions he might circle back to in the ongoing manga. Hopefully, should the anime prove successful, fans can expect anime adaptations of Fujimoto’s other works, like Goodbye, Eri, and Just Listen to the Song.
Variety reports the series arrives on Prime Video worldwide on November 7. Today’s announcement, coupled with the forthcoming release of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, hitting theaters in Japan on September 19, then internationally on September 24, before hitting the U.S. on October 29, all but assures that anime fans are eating well this year.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Read the full article here
