Tatsuki Fujimoto is the author of one of the most beloved dark shonen of today, Chainsaw man He came to steal our hearts – or rather, to devour them – and although the author’s openness to general themes can be seen from miles away, he has wonderful one-shots that allow us to further explore his vision of the absurdity of life. On this occasion, we present one of his titles that will make us think about Pride Month now that June is ending.

In his one-shot compilations titled Before Chainsaw Man, Tatsuki Fujimoto proposes different types of characters, from mermaids to aliens; In each of his stories he strives to show us the different forms of love, pain and “normality”. However, to talk about the month, I would like to focus on a wonderful story that is about a boy trapped in a girl’s body – or maybe vice versa and it would be something like: a boy freed in a girl’s body, in HIS definitive corporeality –, more details below.

Tatsuki Fujimoto, Before the Chainsaw Man 22-26: Illness “When I woke up, I became a girl”

The idea that usually appears in the mangaka's works is the freshness of love and the absurdity of existence. Tatsuki Fujimoto always opts for romance, and in fact, a very particular one, which is as cheesy as it is sometimes disturbing, and can also be erotic in a particular way and play a lot with the idea and limits of the fear of falling in love. and the liberation of sexuality, it also seeks to clarify the details that these processes go through.

One of the ideas he pursues with his work in general is that ultimately We are here and love is the revolution: loving with devotion is openness to difference and authenticity.

One of his most interesting one-shots is Disease “When I woke up, I had become a girl” who follows a child with his partner. Both are young students and love each other very much. The boy is quite fragile while the girl has a stronger personality, the two get closer, grow and lend each other the strength that the other lacks, even so, they form a young and committed couple.

One day the boy wakes up in a woman's body and doesn't know what happened or what he will do from that moment on. The first thing he does is tell Rie, his partner, that there is no cure for his case and that he is sorry because they have just started dating. Everything gets confusing and doubts arise, making their relationship unstable.

After that they go to classes normally, that's when The companions of Toshihide, the protagonist, begin to rape him, they want to abuse him because “he is not a woman, but he has the body of one”so they consider that it will not cause any problems.

Toshihide has always been a passive young man, and faced with such a tense situation, the boy is speechless, however, Akira comes to his rescue, he is Rie's brother, he takes him away from the classmates who harass him and sends him straight home.

Now in a safe environment, Rie and Toshihide talk about how they will face the new situation and although Toshihide reiterates the love he feels for Rie, he also tells her that her brother seemed really amazing when she saved him and confesses that he is confused, perhaps this generated something like a crush.

After hearing this, The girl tells him that they should take the next step in their relationship, they are both tense and in the midst of sadness and despair, they begin to take off their clothes. Akira arrives at that exact moment and witnesses the scene, reacts and it seems that the new version of Toshihide is not indifferent to him.

Rie, dismayed, tells him that Toshihide likes her now, please ask her out, and disappears. Toshihide is still in shock from her state and everything that happened, so he stands there, then Akira demands that he make a decision, he says that if it's a girl she should stay crying there on the couch and if it's a man he should go after Rie.

I don't think he says it in a specific way, but rather to urge you to decide what kind of affinity you have, if you should let your sister go, do so, but if you still love her for who she is, you should clear things up then. Toshihide doesn't doubt his love and runs after Rie.

At that moment he remembers a moment of admiration for Rie and that is that, in the same way that Akira did, she saved him from one – perhaps multiple – situations of abuse. Upon reaching Rie he tells her that he loves her and that Akira is simply the kind of man he would like to be, adding that, Despite all his ways of “being a woman” he is still a boy and wants to be with her.

Rie nods and understands what he explains, so after that she decides to move on, together they return home with a greater commitment than in the beginning, and a sweet “Love finds a way” closes the chapter.

Love Finds a Way: About Love

What did Tatsuki Fujimoto, author of Chainsaw man, suggests in its multiple deliveries is that love is the most absurd and also the simplest, When it's true love, I think it's important to always remember that.

At the end of the day, Things flow and agreements are reached when the parties involved care, when they don't, things stagnate and start to feel heavy, painful and unsustainable.

Obviously, all this has a more complex structure, but it also comes down to the idea that “love finds its way to be”, because there are many excuses when the will is fragile, and there is nothing worse than an insecure romantic.

In Before Chainsaw Man 22-26: Illness “When I woke up, I had become a girl” A complex story full of intricate details is shown in a simple way. However, there could be no better illustration for the message: Love is love and true love always finds its way.

The absurdity of life and the simplicity of love are some things that we should apply in our daily lives, said the author of Chainsaw man gives us stories full of charisma and philosophy. Tatsuki Fujimoto is our Pollock otaku and is without a doubt one of the great authors of the decade!

In addition to all this, based on the work of Tatsuki Fujimoto, let us remember that the film Look back will be released on June 28, 2024, while the film that adapts a new story arc Chainsaw man will premiere in 2024.