Tatsuki Fujimoto has ascended to one of the most recognizable names in Japanese media, at the age of just 33 years old. It’s in part a testament to his subversion of expectations in the pursuit of ultimately-human stories, even at their most perverse, violent, or heart-wrenching. Chainsaw Man is one of the biggest series in the world, in part because it’s slightly-pathetic protagonist and the depravity it at-times reveled in is contrasted by not only strong shonen action and drama but an emotional core that used all of these ideas to dive deeper into the human soul in ways few have emulated. It takes a lot of practice to reach that point, however.
Like many other mangaka, his journey to the summit was built step by step, as he found his identity through the creation of one-shot experimental stories backed by support from experienced editors. The success he later earned has allowed these stories to reach wider circulation via compiled anthologies. They were fittingly named after the age at which he published his works, showcasing how much talent he had from even a young age - 17-21, and 22-26. Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 is a series doing something even rarer: bringing these stories into the world of anime as a new streaming series.
The series is partially funded and set to release exclusively through Amazon Prime on November 8th alongside Avex Pictures, a fact notable as the streamer also assisted with production of the movie adaptation of a longer single-volume one-shot also by Fujimoto, Look Back. That anime surpassed all expectations, with audiences resonating with its ode to creativity (more relevant than ever in an era of generative AI) and its celebration of the people and purpose of artistic pursuit. It elevated the film to major box office success and awards, surpassing expectations for such a small release. Today, it’s Look Back and Chainsaw Man, which currently continues to entertain audiences in theaters with its new Reze Arc adaptation, that the director is most known for globally.
Which, it turns out, is Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26’s biggest strength and detriment. This is not just a series of short stories - it’s a series about Tatsuki Fujimoto. It’s there in the title, and if you’re watching this series it's likely you know who the man behind their creation. The comparison to Fujimoto's other work is inevitable. and that will inevitably impact how you engage with each story.
The good thing to note is that most of these stories are great! Each short has been given to a different studio and creative team to adapt in their own style while adhering to the original creation, allowing the series to, like the originals, be a showcase for the future generation of animators as well as creatives already at the top of their game. Terasawa Katsuaki directs perhaps the best short in the collection, Woke-Up-As-A-Girl Syndrome, but his prior credits only include one prior role as a director alongside animation responsibilities on other works. Similar levels of expertise can be noted for most of those in leading roles, even if more experienced names make up supporting staff. It makes the series a great incubator opportunity for talents to prove themselves in a project with assurances of support and a baying audience, but without the pressure of a full series or movie where there’s nowhere else to hide.
This short is produced at WIT Studio, taking place in the year 2000 as a crybaby young boy wakes up one morning to see they’ve become a girl, with no way to shift back. This causes natural commotion at school, but also for their relationship with their girlfriend, requiring them to find the assurance in themselves to be more assertive if they want to embrace this new reality without losing their love. It’s often more comedic in tone, but no slouch in replicating the 2000s tone from its references to Y2K cultural moments like Tamagochi to the prominence of Morning Musume’s disco hit “Ren’ai Revolution 21”. That being said, it's also unapologetically genuine in its message of honesty and self-expression, progressive and respectful in its questions of gender, and a visual treat in its detail and bold color choices.
Honestly, there’s praise that can be shared for most of these stories, and with each being roughly 15-20 minutes in length none overstay their welcome. The family themes of the grim yet hopeful Nayuta of the Prophecy, the impressive action and worldbuilding of A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard, the affirmations of life in Shikaku, then there’s Mermaid Rhapsody’s contemplation of grief complimented by the best use of music in the anthology with a story enjoying the greatest benefit from the jump from the page to animation. Sisters, the final story, is also an impressive and mature tale.
Even the lesser shorts here are decent, or at least don’t waste your time. Love is Blind is genuinely hilarious, though feels the least necessary because its more static visuals make it feel more like a motion comic doing as little as possible to evolve the story for the medium, stellar voice acting doing most of the heavy lifting. You can see the throughline in Fujimoto’s comedic touch to what you would see from him later in his career.
It’s that comparison that inevitably, unfortunately, hangs over every episode. With Sisters, you can see the dynamic between these siblings forming the blueprint of the friendship that forms the core of Look Back. You can see aspects of what would become Chainsaw Man in A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard and others. But that’s what you notice mostly while watching these. Because of the framing of the series in the context of its creator it’s impossible to judge these still-enjoyable stories on their own merits like has been possible with what came before.
These feel like blueprints for things he would improve upon in later works in most cases, and the inevitable comparisons you can’t help but make leave these shorts feeling lesser than they are as a result. Only a few are truly able to stand on their own terms, and even then their fate as a part of this anthology prevents them earning that kind of stature.
Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 is consistently entertaining, even if one or two stories within this anthology could do with further refinement or an expansion upon their initial context to justify their jump to a new medium. Yet even at its weakest, this is still something to celebrate. A coming together of industry talent and studios to celebrate a creator whose stories are redefining the image of anime and manga on a global scale, while similarly helping creators in need of support and nurturing, is great to see in an industry often pushed to its limits.
Fans and newcomers to the creators will have something to enjoy here. Though I feel it’s those few who watch the series without prior knowledge (and thus the expectations) of the man behind the original stories who will come away most satisfied by Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 when the final credits roll.
