Oricon's recent sales report revealed that Volume 18 of the popular “Chainsaw Man” manga managed to sell 71,197 copies in its first week in Japan.covering the period from July 29 to August 4. This result became a trend, not because of its success, but because it pales visibly in comparison to previous releases in the same series.

Although some defenders of manga They 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 reached much higher values in the same period.. The situation has sparked intense debate among Japanese netizens, who speculate that “Chainsaw Man” May Be in Inevitable Declinenot necessarily in its narrative, as the story entered a climactic point in the recent arc, but in its artistic quality, which was criticized for being “rough and poorly crafted” 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 massive 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 fanbase. However, recent criticism of the artistic direction and the perception of a deterioration in narrative quality have created uncertainty about the future of the series.

Next, The evolution of initial sales of the latest volumes of the manga is shown.with data collection days 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».
• «Fans are trying to cover it up by saying the art 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 looks like it's going to get interesting, but it's always the same, and that's tiring.».
• «After the fight against Public Security, there will certainly be another boring part in between».
• «I didn't even read a second of it.».
• «The fate of a shitty manga that keeps being 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 equaled the number of chapters of the first part».
• «I don't know if the first part was too dense or if the second part is too superficial and empty.».
• «Hey? What are you talking about? From the first chapter there were only expectations».
• «What are they going to do with the anime? Are they going to cancel it? I'm interested to see how this goes, so they should come to fruition.».
• «From the beginning, I didn'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 drop in sales and growing criticism of the work are leading many to wonder whether Will “Chainsaw Man” be able to maintain its relevance in the competitive world of manga?or if this could be the beginning of its end.

Source: Yaraon!