At this point in the animanga universe, most people are familiar with Tatsuki Fujimoto, who has now become a household name in the publishing industry with the serialization of the Chainsaw Man manga. However, before Chainsaw Man, Fujimoto worked his way through establishing his name with Fire Punch, which is still an underrated series that demands attention much like Chainsaw Man.
As it happens, Tatsuki Fujimoto is not just interested in creating full length manga. Aside from the aforementioned two manga, Fujimoto is known for his one-shots, and he has written quite a lot of them. The recent one of them being Goodbye, Eri and Just Listen to the Song, which came out last year. Suffice to say, Fujimoto’s oeuvre contains something for everybody, whether it be a short read, an average length complete work, or an ongoing manga to keep oneself on their toes.
Chainsaw Man mangaka, Tatsuki Fujimoto, has written full-length manga as well as one-shots
Serialized manga works
Fire Punch – Fujimoto’s first serialized manga that was published by Shueisha on its website, Shonen Jump+ from April 2016 to January 2018. The manga chapters were all collected in eight tankōbon volumes.
The series follows Agni, a boy who has the gift of regeneration, in a dystopian tundra land that is ruled by the Ice Witch. After his villages succumbs to Doma’s inextinguishable flames that also kills his sister Luna, Agni sets out on a journey to avenge her death. But on the way, he gets tangled in an adventure that is full of religious intents and superb fights. Although the manga has some questionable themes, it delivers the impact of human survivalistic instincts and revenge in full force.
Chainsaw Man – Starting the first half of the manga’s serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from 2018, the second part of Chainsaw Man continues its publication on Shonen Jump+. As of April 2023, the chapters have been collected in fourteen tankōbon volumes.
Following protagonist Denji, who later becomes the Chainsaw Devil or the titular Chainsaw Man by making a contract with Pochita, the first part of the manga sees him working for the Public Safety Devil Hunters. The first part is rife with fantastic art and incredible battles, which eventually culminates into a string of plot twists. The second instalment sees War Devil Yoru making a contract with Asa Mitaka to claim all the devils that were stolen from her by Chainsaw Man.
Fujimoto’s one-shots
Tatsuki Fujimoto has written several one-shots over the years, some of which even remain unpublished. These include his 2013 one-shots named Seigi no Mikata (Sense of Justice) and Kami Hikouki (Paper Planes). This was followed by his 2021 anthology called Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man, or Tatsuki Fujimoto’ Short Stories, whose one-shots between the years 2011 and 2018 were compiled into two volumes. These include:
- Niwa ni wa Niwa Niwatori ga ita (There Were Two Chickens in the Garden)
- Sasaki-kun ga Juudan Tometa (Sasaki Has Stopped the Bullet)
- Koi wa Moumoku (Love is Blind)
- Shikaku
- Ningyo Rhapsody (Siren Rhapsody)
- Yogen no Nayuta (Nayuta of the Prophecy)
- Me ga Sametara Onnanoko ni Natteita Yamai (When I Woke Up I Had Become a Girl” Disease)
- Imōto no Ane (Little Sister’s Elder Sister)
Aside from that, Fujimoto also published three more one-shots in recent years. The first of them being Look Back (2021), which follows a bittersweet tale of manga artist Ayumu Fujino and her complex relationship with Kyomoto that ultimately meets in tragedy.
Published by Shonen Jump+, the second work is titled Goodbye, Eri (2022) and received considerable traction. The story sees Yuta Ito as he makes a film of the journey of his terminally ill mother. After his mother dies and his film is criticized by his peers, he receives support in the form of Eri, with whom he grows close. The manga then introduces a plot twist, which ends with an ambiguous ending.
The third and the most recent one-shot by Fujimoto is called Just Listen to the Song, aka Listen to Me Normally, (2022). The manga was illustrated by Oto Toda and published in Shonen Jump+. The series has philosophical undertones as it makes the readers ruminate about questions related to art and life. Just like Goodby, Eri, this one-shot also has an open-ended conclusion.
