Is Chainsaw Man season 1 over? Episode count explained

With the airing of the 12th and final episode of the Chainsaw Man anime’s first cour several weeks ago, fans are clamoring for any and all information they can get on the series’ return. Although season one is still ongoing, it appears that fans will have to wait several months before the second season begins.

Thankfully, the series’ first cour covered enough material that fans will be able to dive right into the Bomb Girl arc upon the Chainsaw Man anime series’ return. Fans are curious as to how many chapters were covered in the first season and how many remain that the anime will realistically adapt when it returns, whether in television or film format.

Follow along as this article fully breaks down whether or not Chainsaw Man season 1 has ended, as well as what’s been covered so far, what remains, and more.

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Chainsaw Man anime’s first cour just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come when the series returns

The first court of the Chainsaw Man anime’s first season spanned 12 episodes, adapting roughly 38 chapters of material in that time frame. This means that each episode adapted just under three chapters on average. Additionally, while some manga material was cut from the anime, this is likely equally replenished by the anime-only scenes added by MAPPA Studios.

These 12 episodes adapted all but the final issue of the Katana man arc, which the second cour is likely to start with. This will then immediately parlay into the Bomb Girl arc, followed by the International Assassins arc. However, given the established adaptation pace, it’s currently unclear whether or not the second cour will adapt anything beyond the lattermost arc.

The Chainsaw Man manga sees the International Assassins arc end at chapter 70, which is roughly 32 chapters from where the series’ anime currently is. With a similar adaptation pace, the full arc and those before it could easily be covered in a 12-episode span, even with anime-original scenes being added.

This would leave the Gun Devil and Control Devil arcs to be animated, totaling about 27 chapters. While some fans feel the Bomb Girl arc is likely to be turned into a film, with the two former most arcs being adapted by the coming second cour, the reverse seems more likely. This is especially true given that the anime has already hinted at adapting the Bomb Girl arc.

One of the key reasons why Chainsaw Man’s Bomb Girl arc wouldn’t make sense for an anime film is how action-heavy it is. The Bomb Girl arc, more than any other that follows it, eschews dialogue in favor of the series' trademark over-the-top, ultraviolent, and insane action.

Similarly, the Gun Devil and Control Devil arcs are heavily dialogue-driven, making them ideal candidates for film adaptation. Combined with their having the lowest total chapter count of the aforementioned arc combinations, it almost solidifies that the best route to take, if a movie were to be made, would be to turn the final two arcs into a movie.

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In summation

Thus, fans will likely see the second cour of Chainsaw Man’s first season consist of the Bomb Girl and International Assassins arcs. The first season will likely end on the latter, and either an anime film or a 12-episode second season will be made to cover the Gun Devil and Control Devil story arcs.

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Be sure to keep up with all Chainsaw Man anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.