“I want to have women in higher positions than men”: Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Absurd Chainsaw Man Fantasies Came from His Love for Getting Bullied
- Tatsuki Fujimoto's female characters from Chainsaw Man stand out from other shonen mangas
- Tatsuki Fujimoto enjoyed being bullied by a woman in the past
- Chainsaw Man creator wants to delve into the concept of Femme Fatale in his next work
Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto stands as a gritty departure from traditional shonen norms, taking its stance as one of the dark trios of shonen manga. There is no denying that males predominate in the manga and anime industries. This means that female characters are underappreciated compared to their male co-stars when they are featured, particularly in the shonen genre.
Even today, there is still controversy surrounding women in anime and manga. Mangakas like Kohei Horikoshi, who were formerly praised for their treatment of their female characters, soon lost that recognition. Others, such as Masashi Kishimoto, were never acknowledged in the first place. Tatsuki Fujimoto’s female characters, particularly those in Chainsaw Man, his most well-known series, stand out because of these circumstances.
Female characters in anime are frequently criticized for having little agency in the narrative, making less of an impact than their male counterparts, and serving primarily as visual candy for the viewer and other characters. It is difficult to clear these three hurdles in order to avoid getting grilled by the fans. Tatsuki Fujimoto seemingly achieved the impossible, with his female characters in Chainsaw Man.
Tatsuki Fujimoto Loved To Get Bullied
There are several incredibly unconventional female characters in Fujimoto’s manga. Whether it’s the vicious War Devil Yoru, the cunning and menacing Makima, or the tough assassin Quanxi, Fujimoto is well known for basing his stories around strong, occasionally cunning women. The mangaka’s affection for strong female characters stems from his fascination with “tough and unreasonable” women in real life.
In an interview featuring Fujimoto Tatsuki and Samura Hiroaki, the creator of Chainsaw Man revealed his attraction to irrational and dominant women. He said:
I also like domineering and irrational women. In college, there was a girl who was mean to me, and then one day at school my bicycle had fallen over. I was wondering what happened, when she said “I knocked your bike over, ha ha ha!” I was so happy.
When Samura said that he also liked women who were mentally superior to men, Fujimoto continued:
Right, I want to have women in higher positions than men.
With no doubt in mind, Fujimoto is a self-proclaimed masochist who gained interest in dominant women after he was harassed by one in college. Rather than becoming angry, Fujimoto relished the attention. Known for being transparent about the urges he can’t resist, Fujimoto consistently places female characters in leadership roles and gives them strong, fantastical personalities.
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Next Manga Will Delve Into the Concept of “Femme Fatale”
A Chainsaw Man illustration at the Tatsuki Fujimoto exhibition at the Angoulême International Comics Festival suggests that the manga creator wants to explore the theme of “femme fatale” in his next work since he loves the idea of a woman who would destroy anything in her path. A note under the artwork stated that this information was provided as a “gift” only to the show.
— 📚 Rémi レミ 📚 (@RemiNoTsundoku) March 16, 2022
Tatsuki Fujimoto said at the Angoulême International Comics Festival:
“I wanted to create something about the femme fatale. I love this image – the typical woman who destroys everything in her path! In my opinion, it will please the fans of the genre.
"Chainsaw Man" creator Tatsuki Fujimoto revealed he is working on a new manga with the theme of "Femme Fatale", he really likes the idea of such a woman who is destroying everything along her way. But it's far from finished as he has still a lot to draw.
Thx @RemiNoTsundoku pic.twitter.com/bxc5pYFM8z
— Manga Mogura RE (Anime & Manga News) (@MangaMoguraRE) March 16, 2022
A femme fatale is a subgenre of fiction in which the main female protagonists are enigmatic, attractive, and alluring women who have a deadly allure that frequently wins men over. For the guys, this usually means problem. But in Fujimoto’s opinion, they represent an archetype of writing and art.
To put it more simply, a Femme Fatale is a lady who, due to her charm and alluring demeanor, has power over a guy. The majority of these characters are wicked and morally dubious.
