Half a year after Chainsaw Man wrapped with chapter 232, Tatsuki Fujimoto has said more about how he drew those final chapters. In a conversation with Kōhei Kadowaki, director of the film We Are Aliens, he explained that 19 pages a week left him no time to plot, so he chose to “trust the characters.” If you have ever wondered about the Chainsaw Man ending, this is the most useful piece of the puzzle from the author himself.
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who | Tatsuki Fujimoto, creator of Chainsaw Man, Fire Punch and Look Back |
| Where | A conversation with director Kōhei Kadowaki on film label Nothing New’s YouTube channel |
| Occasion | The animated film We Are Aliens, in Japanese theaters since September 25, 2026 |
| Final chapter | Chapter 232, Shonen Jump+, March 25, 2026 (Japan time) |
| Main point | 19 pages in 7 days left no time to plot; straight to storyboards, characters lead the way |
| Part 3 | Not announced |
This article does not spoil the events of chapter 232. It is safe to read even if you have not finished Part 2.
“When you draw 19 pages in 7 days, there is no time to write a plot”
For Fujimoto, the biggest difference between one-shots and serialization is time. For a one-shot he writes a plot first and then the name, the rough storyboard. During weekly serialization he skips that step and goes straight to the name.
He described being so hounded by deadlines that the only option is to trust the characters and “grab whatever is nearest.” He did not frame it as a complaint. He said he personally enjoys things slipping out of his control, and that if you cannot enjoy that feeling, you cannot survive serialization.
One-shots are different. Fujimoto said they give him room to reflect and “converse” with the story, digging into his own past and turning it into a story. Look Back and Goodbye, Eri, his two most acclaimed one-shots, carry exactly that personal quality.
The Chainsaw Man ending: accident or intent?
Part 2 stopped fairly suddenly. A note at the end of chapter 231, released on March 10, 2026, announced that the next chapter would be the last. Chapter 232 arrived on March 25 (Japan time) with 34 pages, closer to an epilogue than a final battle, while many threads were left open.
Reading Fujimoto’s new comments, it is tempting to blame the ending on serialization fatigue. But something he told Da Vinci magazine earlier suggests it is not that simple. He said The Big Lebowski left him thinking “what even was that?”: nothing was resolved, yet the protagonist still grew and the story still moved, and he loved that sublime absurdity. He said he wanted Chainsaw Man to leave readers with the same aftertaste.
Put the two together and the picture gets clearer: Fujimoto never planned to hand readers a neat ending that tied up everything. The weekly pace let the story follow its characters, and the open ending was something he wanted, not just an accident.
“The moment I finish drawing, I’m so glad I drew it”
Anyone hoping for Part 3 probably should not bet on it. Talking with Kadowaki, Fujimoto said the moment he finishes drawing, he feels “I’m so glad I drew this.” That sounds like someone who has closed a chapter, not someone saving the next one.
Shueisha has not announced a Part 3. The anime, on the other hand, keeps going: MAPPA has started work on Chainsaw Man season 2, adapting the Assassins arc, so anime fans still have years to follow.
We Are Aliens, the film that brought Fujimoto to the table
We Are Aliens (Wareware wa Uchūjin) is the first feature-length animated film from Nothing New, written and directed by Kōhei Kadowaki. It follows a group of boys through friendship and childhood wounds, premiered at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes in Cannes in May 2026, and opened in Japanese theaters on September 25.
Fujimoto has said many times that he loves the film. In the conversation, Kadowaki asked him for advice on building characters, since he spent more than three years on the film and put many of his own experiences into the boys. That question led to the comments above.
OtaHub’s take
Fujimoto’s words do not “decode” chapter 232, and he probably does not want anyone to decode it. What they do show is two people inside one author: the one-shot Fujimoto who digs into memories to write Look Back, and the serialized Fujimoto who races deadlines and lets Denji and Asa go where they want. Chainsaw Man is at its best exactly when that loss of control produces chapters nobody saw coming.
If the ending still feels unsatisfying, try rereading Part 2 the way you would watch The Big Lebowski: stop waiting for everything to be explained and watch how Denji and Asa change. OtaHub’s Chainsaw Man review, from Denji to Asa looks back at the whole journey. For the other side of Fujimoto, Look Back is still the best way in.
FAQ about the Chainsaw Man ending
What chapter does Chainsaw Man end on?
Part 2 ends with chapter 232, published on Shonen Jump+ on March 25, 2026 (Japan time). A note at the end of chapter 231, released on March 10, announced it would be the last. Chapter 232 runs 34 pages and plays more like an epilogue than a final battle.
What did Fujimoto say about the Chainsaw Man ending?
He did not comment on specific plot points. Fujimoto said weekly serialization meant drawing 19 pages in 7 days, so there was no time to write a plot first; he went straight to storyboards and let the characters lead. He added that he enjoys things slipping out of his control.
Will there be a Chainsaw Man Part 3?
Nothing has been announced. In the new conversation Fujimoto only said that the moment he finishes drawing, he feels “I’m so glad I drew this.” The anime continues: MAPPA is producing season 2, adapting the Assassins arc.
What is We Are Aliens?
We Are Aliens (Wareware wa Uchūjin) is an animated film written and directed by Kōhei Kadowaki and produced by Nothing New. It premiered at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes in Cannes in May 2026 and opened in Japanese theaters on September 25, 2026. Fujimoto has said many times that he loves it.
What does The Big Lebowski have to do with Chainsaw Man?
In an earlier interview with Da Vinci magazine, Fujimoto said The Big Lebowski left him thinking “what even was that?” because nothing was resolved, yet the protagonist still changed. He said he wanted Chainsaw Man to leave readers with that same aftertaste.
Sources: Tatsuki Fujimoto and Kōhei Kadowaki’s conversation on Nothing New’s YouTube channel (via AnimeHunch and CBR), Fujimoto’s interview with Da Vinci magazine, Shonen Jump+, Anime News Network.