Reviews for Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26

What kind of drug did Mr. Fujimoto eat in his youth, and where can I get a sample? It’s almost uncanny how this guy squeezed an entire plethora of ideas out of himself when he was still that young, while I can’t even write a better plot twist than “and he wakes up” in my 20s. Did he find a secret vending machine of ideas, or is his brain just a bottomless candy jar? Tatsuki Fujimoto 17–26 feels like a fever dream you can only get away with when you’re both wildly honest and completely untamed. This anthology doesn’t try to be classy about being weird. Itbarrels in, slaps you with an idea, laughs if you blink, and then moves on. If most anthologies tiptoe around metaphors and overstay their cleverness to look deep, this one is blunt and gloriously “in your face.”

Rather than becoming pretentious or self-satisfied, Fujimoto chooses to be immediate. The anthology format becomes a showcase for his range from sincere to deranged to dumb-funny. He treats each idea like a hot take that either melts your face or makes you grin and shrug.

Some entries land like gut punches—raw, a little gross, and yes, sometimes discomfiting. They can be edgy and off-putting, but the weird thing is they feel earnest. Fujimoto never seems to be playing cynical provocation for its own sake. Even when an episode is wild and uncomfortable, you can sense a straightforwardness behind it that reads as honest intent. That said, a few segments feel like he was just goofing around with the toys in his head and not trying to teach you anything deep. And that’s fine too cause not every piece needs to be a thesis paper.

Visually, every episode looks like someone told the studio to spare no blood, sweat, or money. The animation is eye-catching in different ways across entries—sometimes gritty, sometimes painterly, sometimes bizarrely minimal but always pleasing to watch. You can feel the craft and risk in the visuals, like the animators were given free rein and a fat budget by amazon, and they spent both well.

That said, because this is an anthology, it also suffers the same major downside: quality swings. Some short films are masterpieces that stick with you, others are pleasant distractions that fade fast. If you hate uneven collections, this will frustrate you.

It’s also not universal comfort viewing. Some topics are touchy and might make you uneasy, and the unevenness means not every short will land for you. I personally call it a masterpiece, but I won’t be so eager to recommend it to everyone I know.

If you like something that pushes boundaries, sometimes misses, but never plays it safe this is a must-watch. If you want neat morals and consistent vibes, maybe skip a few entries. For me, it’s a messy, wonderful ride that proves Fujimoto is basically a walking idea machine and I am both terrified and grateful he fucking exists.

This is how you do the most you can with short form stories folks, form of art many adults don't understand perfected by someone so young. Every story serves the larger theme of love. Love is either explored in many different angles or used as a backdrop to having fun. Those eight episodes despite being incredibly creative and somewhat crazy give you a complex picture of such a pretty thing. Love here draws out amazing emotions, but even if in a tragic story it never is worth regretting. The amount of messages told through stories about love should be evidence enough that each episode is trulygreat at efficient use of time. There is love for others that leads to resisting evil societal norms, motivational story about how trying is the most important part in getting what you want no matter how unlikely, the idea of music and love bridging the divide between people, love transcending the nature of your body, love as a drive for growth and art. It shows how weird/disabled people can be pushed to evil by lack of understanding, paranoia and fear of 'normal' ones and how love can help them. There are also works focused on emotions. The blind passion of love, brightening a sad boring life by love. Fujimoto has the soul of a romantic and it is great to witness. There is only one weaker story and it still explores the theme well and is cute. The rest is very good and two I would even call perfect.

Those stories are filled with fun. Characters are enjoyable and full of emotion, episodes creative and diverse. You can have the fantastical in one and the grounded in the other. It all is reinforced by great production. Shorts look great, are colourful and have great scenes. Animation is pretty, sound design good and music works wonders sometimes. Visual aspects often reinforce the story or emotions in a perfect way as do voice actors which were wonderful in their acting. The range from dramatic to fun and many other performances in between was great to hear.

Will this be a 9/10 for you? I don't know. You can get much better stories than those, but here you will witness the limit of what can be done with such a short run time. I never saw any other work get so close to short form perfection.

As is wont to do in an anthology collection made up of old one-shots made pre-Chainsaw Man, there are some shorts that are better than others. I think some sell themselves on style, some have strong enough backbones to carry the show, some do a little of both, some... quite frankly don't really do either and end up flopping. For what it's worth, I enjoyed the majority of them and would watch a TV show/movie form instead of the one episode if that hypothetically came to fruition. I wrote down notes after each episode so I'm just gonna paste those here: Episode 1 - A Couple Clucking Chickens WereStill Kickin' in the Schoolyard: Intriguing set-up for a longer series but idk if it had the time to establish the dynamics between any characters to the point that I cared.

The "chickens" part worked for the role in the story it played, I guess, but I was expecting more comedy out of it. They use it as a gag/surprise reveal and then it's quickly done away with so we can keep moving into where the story needs to be.

I guess this is the limitations of a one-shot at play because I'd totally watch a whole season of this but, like, given the 15ish minutes this story gets, I don't think it had the time to get me emotionally invested. It does pretty much exactly enough to establish the 3 main characters, get its point across, and that's it.

You can see the potential already (idk if these are in order from the first one Fujimoto submitted to the last, I presume so considering the first 4 were collected in Fujimoto 17-21 and the latter 4 in 22-26) but I don't think it serves to be as good of a one-shot as it is an intriguing look into Fujimoto's past and what he'd end up making. Still great though.

Score - 8/10

Episode 2 - Sasaki Stopped a Bullet: Wow, this one kinda sucked. It just felt like the direction was... wrong. Even for the 15 minutes they had, it felt like they were stalling for time and speaking super slowly.

It's just some virgin loser talking to another virgin loser (ironically given the plot of the story, someone who could be considered a version of him from a different future) and then he Stops a Bullet

It's not like I want the teacher to be forced to have sex with the shooter but, like, I don't exactly want Sasaki to have sex with her either. He's pretty pathetic and his only redeeming quality is "muh father died".

The plot is solved through contrivances and Joseph Joestar-level bullshittery. That's pretty much what this short could be described as. It's like if Joseph Joestar had a tenth of his charisma and it went on for 15 minutes.

None of the characters were likeable, I guess it had a decent message but boy, do I never want to watch this again

Score - 3/10

Episode 3 - Love Is Blind: I thought E2 was kinda Shaft-pilled but that was probably a coincidence/something that pervades Lapin Track because THIS is Monogatari-pilled (apparently the director for this episode worked under Shinbo and Ikuhara which... yup that sure does track).

The direction (although I'm not surprised the same person [I don't just mean Fujimoto, but the actual scriptwriter] WROTE the script) is really the only notable part of this episode. It's (relatively) significantly shorter and the entire plot is MC-kun is determined on confessing his love to the detriment of everything else which could be fun... if he wasn't also a coward about it.

The dichotomy was frustrating more than funny. The last-minute plot twist was kind of funny though.

It also feels less thematically rich. For everything I thought this did better than Sasaki (more engaging protagonist, better direction [although I think this is the biggest example of vision vs. budget]), I think Sasaki had something to say

Love is Blind was entertaining enough but I think Fujimoto definitely could've gone back to the drawing board to make this better. If I ever watch this again, it'll be solely for the direction.

Score - 6/10

Episode 4 - Shikaku: I think this is easily the best one of the first half/17-21

I was pretty happy with how the story played out. Unlike E1, I didn't think there were really any "wasted" story elements. While it has the shortcomings of being a 15ish minute long one-shot, given the constraints, it's pretty good.

It tells a story with the most engaging characters so far, they must be conserving their budget for the more action-focused ones because it's back to looking pretty decent, it's another one where I'd read a whole series about this.

Fun gore, if nothing else, the difference in aspect ratio makes it stand out, the characters were fun, I liked the plot, good short

Score - 9/10

Episode 5 - Mermaid Rhapsody: Oops, this one is also awesome. Idk if it'd make a good whole series but I'd definitely watch a movie of it.

It's a touching romance, I felt he did more with the "human and thing that eats humans" dynamic here than the first episode.

He manages to set up why the mermaids and humans have a tense dynamic, why the mermaids are more fine with Toshihide, the romance (and fear) between him and Shiju, given the length of a standard anime episode, he did a very admirable job.

That's really all I have to say. I guess E2 and 3 just got the short end of the stick budget-wise because this one also looked fine.

I think I prefer Shikaku a little more based on my personal preferences in the anime I watch but Mermaid Rhapsody is also really good.

Score - 9/10

Episode 6 - Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome: I think this one had my favorite style. E3 was very Monogatari-esque but as a result, it kind of stuck out and to be honest, the budget wasn't all there.

This one looked gorgeous and like it had its own stamp and style.

It also happens to be the shortest, clocking in at 10-11 minutes.

It tells a simple story of someone... waking up as a girl and his gender identity and struggles as a result.

I'm not trans so it doesn't personally connect with me/hit home but I thought for the time it had, it was a well-told story. It passes the "I'd watch a longer version of this" test.

My biggest complaint is how rape-oriented it was. Nobody ever GETS raped but a not-insignificant portion of the story is dedicated to calling the MC (who shares the same name as the one from Mermaid Rhapsody, which I am not a fan of) a perv or the delinquent bullies trying to get a slice of the freshly minted girl pie or a certain someone else trying to.

Other than that, I think this one is my favorite so far.

Score - 9/10

Episode 7 - Nayuta of the Prophecy: Sorry, this one low-key kinda sucked.

E2 at least had... interesting direction, one of the weaker points of E5 (who has the same director as this episode) is that the direction is just... competent. There's no real style or panache in the same way E3 or E6 had.

This one has a sort of washed-out or grainy style but that's about it.

Honestly, given she's named after a Chainsaw Man character, I was just kinda wishing Ryu Nakayama was doing this episode as a sort of pseudo-redemption

Do you know how godawful and boring this episode had to be to make me go "boy, I sure wish public enemy number 1 Ryu Nakayama was directing this because at least I'd FEEL something"

Nayuta is a total brat. Her way of speaking is QuIrKy and she only speaks in dark dangerous stuff like "chaos lava genocide carnage!" which gets really annoying really fast

I'm sorry and I get that Nayuta might be able to change but honestly, I was rooting for the military to just go "fuck you" and shoot both her and Kenji down.

She is objectively a threat and Kenji's not even sure if she's NOT going to snap and kill everyone.

She does nothing but cause problems for Kenji, I couldn't help but dislike her.

If you compare her to Power or Chainsaw Man Nayuta, you can clearly see how he's grown as a writer because they are much better in similar roles.

Score - 2/10

Episode 8 - Sisters: I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that I watched this whole series in one day, it's off the back of the worst episode in the show, and I'd actually already read this one, but I wasn't a big fan.

Really, it just reads like Look Back but, naturally, if it were worse.

It's got a very pseudo-incestual, kinda gross tint to it since the whole plot is "grrrr, my little sister who has a huge idolization complex around me painted me naked and it's hung up for everyone to see so I'm gonna get her back!"

Like, I get what it's trying to say and this isn't the worst episode in the series but it's also nowhere near the best.

I'd say it's fifth, arguably sixth since I'd rather watch Love is Blind again even if I think that is HARD carried by the director.

Score - 7/10

IMO:

Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome

Shikaku

Mermaid Rhapsody

A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard

Sisters (that being said, I have no real desire to watch any more of this, this one works fine as a one-shot imo, a movie would've been too much for me)

Love is Blind (this one's kinda weird because I think this one could totally work if it were written a little better, I would totally watch a show with the same plot if it had the same director)

Sasaki Stopped a Bullet

Nayuta of the Prophecy

I think the bottom 2 are really the only ones I don't have any interest in ever seeing again

If you're a fan of Tatsuki Fujimoto, you should definitely check this show out

Even if you aren't, there'll probably be something interesting among the 8 one-shots, this is a show worth checking out

here's a brief summary of everybody's Fujimoto journey: postmodern sceptic to shortsighted enjoyer to mystic believer to everything regreter to regrounded monke, cleansed down to the desire for a banana after experiencing the most incomprehensible, vile, crass but thoughtful ideas & narratives that's the magic of Fujimoto's writing - his ability to shift effortlessly between comedy and heartbreak, juggle pain & sorrow with dry humor is quite unmatched. his stories remind us that joy and sorrow often come from the same place, and that's what makes them unforgettable you can clearly see where he developed his knack for jacobean absurdity, rug-pulls, dark humor & emotional damage. these shortstories were just precursor to what would eventually become one of the most prolific run in the modern anime/manga industry

a couple clucking chickens were still kickin' in the schoolyard: 4.5/5

has stellar animation, editing & direction. the battle sequences were eye candy. starts with an absurd premise but by the end you might possibly be soft sobbing

sasaki stopped a bullet: 3/5

the weakest from this batch. nothing too extravagant but has some profound ideas one might concoct afternoon a mushroom trip or a big fat bowl or if you're just someone who has mastered levitation

love is blind: 4/5

low-key the best directed, very experimental which totally favoured the galactic levels of priorities shown by our protagonist. neat encapsulation of anxiety. Ibuki is the male tsundere of this year

shikaku: 3.5/5

this one is a gore fest. shikaku is a ditsy, chaotic version of makima, isn't she? or atleast a prototype with all the eye gouging from the mafia activity. a budget little makima indeed

Ill add the 2nd half after i watch it tomorrow ✌️

Proof that “unhinged genius” was never a phase. (if you got something like that in your resume , idk if i call you a genius or send you strait to a fucking Psychiatric ) ✨ THE GOOD (BRAIN ROT, BUT ART): Every short screams Fujimoto was already insane at 17. Raw emotion, awkward silence, sudden violence, and that quiet dread that crawls under your skin. It’s messy on purpose , and that’s exactly why it works ,...i guess?. 🙄 THE “THIS IS NOT NORMAL” PACKAGE: Some stories feel unfinished. Others feel like they end mid-thought.But that’s the point: discomfort is the feature, not a bug.

🤦 THE “HOW IS THIS IN HIS RESUME?” ENERGY:

Watching this after Chainsaw Man is wild , you see the DNA forming in goddam real time.

Same obsessions: loneliness, love, death, and characters who need therapy yesterday.

💔 THE “GENIUS IN PROGRESS” DEPARTMENT:

Not everything lands tbh.

But when it does? It hits you in that quiet, existential way that stays for days.

🎯 FINAL VERDICT:

A chaotic, uncomfortable, fascinating snapshot of a mad genius loading his future crimes against your emotions.

✔ Watch if: You love experimental anime and creator-driven insanity.

❌ Skip if: You need clean plots, clear morals, or emotional safety.

🧠 Best paired with: Late-night viewing, mild existential dread, and saying “yeah… this explains everything.”

For anyone on the fence, please just watch this show. I think it was absolutely brilliant, but even if you don't agree, it's not very staggering a time investment and also offers a look into Tatsuki Fujimoto's past. Keep in mind that, I never really got around to reading the he original manga, so I am an anime only. So, getting to the meat of my first ever review, this show was just absolutely great. I usually always love these kinds of series where each episode is from a different studio/director and this show does that wonderfully. For most episodes, it's clear to see thatdifferent people worked on it; but the constant was production quality and the sheer artistic talent that showed through. The music was also very well done and really enjoyable. All throughout, there was great art, some really good shots, and loads of well-animated sequences; at no point did it feels cheap. And, in terms of the actual stories, from having wacthed every single one of his works that have been adapted to anime form, it's very clear to see how differently Tatsuki Fujimoto thinks, and has thought since a young age, from the average person. The premises of his stories themselves may not ALWAYS be very unique (though they very often are) but the direction he takes those stories and the way he chooses to tell them are incredibly unique and interesting. This show is a very interesting look into his psyche.

My only really serious critique is that: the dub voice acting was plain horrible. It felt grating to my ears. And the dialogue was so altered as well. Like I switched on the Japanese subs midway through Ep 7 and the og dialogue was 1000x better compared to the corny-ass dub I was listening to.

Overall Show Rating: 8.5/10

[SPOILERS] Individual Episode Ratings:

Ep1: 8/10 love the execution of a time tested trope; it's a simple story, but very well done and very well thought out as well(mostly unrelated rant upcoming)**

Ep2: 7.5/10 good, but corny. Good message and very interesting concept.

Ep3: 7/10 just a funny little short

Ep4: 8/10 Cringe in the beautiful Fujimoto way. We've seen this kind of thing alot before, but this is still well done

Ep5: 5/10 weak link of the show + the bad VA really shines. It's just not very compelling. It tries to do so many things and brings up so many plot points, but doesn't really properly execute any of them.

Ep6: 9/10 by far my favourite, great artstyle and art, very good art direction, great music, and impressive episode overall for it's short runtime. The bad dub also kind of played into it's more favour. I just can't get over how well they use colours and how colourful this episode is. I also love the ending song.

Ep7: 9/10 really accurate portrayal of how a kid thinks and how she would feel if she was in a situation like this, where everyone hated her already when she was born. Also, I heard someone saying that she could be a symbol for neuro divergent people, but I'm not too sure about that(was the opening shot in the same alley as the one in CSM?)

Ep8: 9/10 very Look Back esque. Obviously the art was great and also the story itself was an interesting dissection of how sibling rivalries like this can play out and how people who introduce you to a craft can start to harbour resentment for you if you outdo them.

**[MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE GAME "Detroit: Become Human" AND EP1 UPCOMING]

[spoiler] I especially appreciate what the first episode does because it's twist essentially just does the opposite of the twist at the end of Detroit Become Human. See, what happens in the relevant part of Detroit Become Human is, that Kara — basically an android maid — gains consciousness and saves Alice — a little kid — from her abusive father. After this, they become runaways and Kara has to risk herself being rounded up with other rogue androids in order to steal food and provide shelter to Alice. But, near the end of the game, it's revealed that Alice was actually also an android and that Kara actually knew this fact. What this essentially does is, invalidate all the effort Kara went through for Alice, even though all her needs could have basically been turned off with just the press of a button, but also, much much more importantly, it invalidates the genuinely beautiful message that an android can act as a mother and raise a human child. What Ep1 of this show does is exactly the opposite of that, as the opening and ending lines clearly already state. [/spoiler]

PS: I had to write all this twice because I accidentally deleted it all the first time literally after I'd finished writing the whole thing.

PPS: I left out a lot of parts that I decided later that I wanted to add in and thus deleted the og review to repost it now.

### *A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard* If there where aliens that saw humans the same way humans sees cattle, would it be wrong for them to eat humans? Very interesting premise, delves into the morality of eating other animals, interesting twists, great worldbuilding. Insane production values, up there with the best animated movies, fujimoto stays winning. Niwa niwa niwa tori ga iru. ### *Sasaki Stopped a Bullet*There is always a very low but nonzero percent chance of something happening, and we decide to brush them as impossible since that is easier for us.

As always with fujimoto the premise is creative and intriguing. How easily he can make a character extremely interesting is amazing. The moment when he actually went to the moon was dope. Furthermore, this shit was hilarious.

The directing seems monogatari inspired so that was cool, the music was good as well.

### *Love is Blind*

There is a time in everyones life where they have to do what they have to do at that moment or they will regret it.

This mf just doesn’t miss. This shit was so funny, so cool, so interesting, unique, and cute. I am rooting for them omg. This guy never fails to deliver something unique and thought provoking.

If the previous one was monogatari inspired this one is just monogatari fujimoto

### *Shikaku*

A girl who has no sense of normal and is hated by everyone even if she apologizes, and an immortal vampire who does not forgive boredom.

Fun watch, cool characters, great visuals and colors.

This fujimoto guy might be the goat at making one shots.

### *Mermaid Rhapsody*

Boy confronts his fear of mermaids since he loves a mermaid, mermaids who hate humans like human boy because they love his piano playing.

Feels like fujimoto before he went weird lol.

### *Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome*

Girlie boy turns into a girl and decides for himself what he sees himself as.

Simple premise, super fucking cool and creative visuals. Actually amazing. Dope music too.

### *Nayuta of the Prophecy*

If the entire world wants to kill your family, for possibly good reason, to what extent should you protect them?

Great world building. Made me care about the characters in a 20min short film. Amazing music. Interesting plot.

### *Sisters*

Fucking amazing.

This is fujimoto at his best. Its an absolute priviledge to watch all of his works get adapted to their fullest.

The way he can make you feel so many conflicting emotions in a short span of time. I love the theme of having someone who is always following you and having to deal with those emotions when they surpass you. It really resonates.

Amazing art and direction, as well as music. The paintings really came to life.

It makes me think how the choice of things such as nude and sex related make a big impact and is great at driving a point.

Overrall amazing, didn't feel like rating each short cuz I didn't want to compare them.

The directors commentaries are really cool. For Sasaki they even recorded with stage actors.

https://fujimototatsuki17-26.com/

As a Fujimoto fan, Tatsuki Fujimoto 17–26 delivered. I love how he can turn idiotic settings and premises into stories full of sorrow and depression. Behind the facade of fun and wackiness, we find characters struggling with both simple and complex things. Whether it’s a story about sisters, school lovers or an alien invasion, Fujimoto always finds a way to be original and humane. Every episode had a distinct animation style, and that really helped the stories for the better. Favorite story: Nayuta of the Prophecy (Yogen no Nayuta). I really think this one could have been its own anime series.

Its not everyday you get to see an anime that encompasses the feeling of watching diffrent genres of Anime. Be it the absolute Awe when seeing a Sakuga that is so well animated or The sinking feeling in your stomach when you see a dark side of society, Or the absolute heart and soul poured into an episode that truly emphasizes the passion of the artist working in the medium. this anthology truly has it all. even the disappointment when one story is not quite as good as the other. Overall I really enjoyed this serise of short stories accompanied by the breathtaking visuals. will definitelyrecommend it as i am sure you will enjoy one or more episodes from this collection of Fujimoto Tatsuki.

This review is written by two people; my watching partner's at the top, and mine (account owner) at the bottom. --- 17-26 is an anthology series done by multiple animation studios with the goal of adapting fujimotos one shots from age 17 to 26. It is pretty rare to see this happen nowadays in anime, so I am glad that the industry’s love for fujimoto has yielded fun and varied results. If someone put a gun to my head and forced me to show my writing from when I was 17 years of age, I would tell them to shoot. So from the start I thinkthis anthology is pretty vulnerable in regards to that. Some works are rougher around the edges, with simple plots or a failure to empathize enough with female characters, but it is nice to see the stuff that an author likes, what themes and images appeal to them. This anthology is a very nice way to show fujimoto’s passions as an artist, and seeing him grow more confident (and weirder) in his work is a delight.

Since this is an anthology and it is not necessary to watch it in order, I’d recommend the three last ones, but there’s no harm in watching them all, so have fun!!

---

Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 is exactly what it is; an animated collection of Fujimoto’s earliest short stories, for better and for worse.

Each episode is done by a different set of staff, so animation quality differs from episode to episode. Overall, though, everything still looks great--it’s a Fujimoto adaptation afterall, and he doesn’t get badly animated ones. (Seriously, did he make a contract with the animation industry devil?) I have some qualms regarding character design for certain episodes and camera composition for others, but artistically, none of these are truly bad--just not as interesting as some others. The OST is alright.

Individually, the stories themselves range from meh to really good, as things in an anthology tend to be. You really really can tell that some of these are early stories, and some stories make it really clear why editors are important. It’s his early work, so obviously not all of them are perfect, but its interesting to see the threads and pieces of what would culminate into later works. It’s wonderful that the shorts get better as you go on, as Fujimoto becomes a better storyteller with practice. Things become less generic and more weird, in that deeply Fujimoto-way.

Fujimoto fans will definitely appreciate this collection, but I don’t think its a great recommendation to someone who isn’t familiar with his works. While the animation is mostly fine, the strength of the stories themselves aren’t strong enough for me to recommend to anybody who isn’t already a fan. We’re essentially looking at a high definition of Fujimoto’s sketchbook, and while that’ll interest a pre-existing audiences, new or unfamiliar fans will have a better time with his complete “paintings” (Chainsaw Man, Goodbye Eri, Lookback). Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 is a wonderful romp through Fujimoto’s art, but it’s not much more than that.

I was simply hooked, binged all of it in one go. There is no more than one Tatsuki Fujimoto in this world. I just have to admit that this guy is just a really unique divergent thinker and storyteller. Most of his work are simply bangers, thought-provoking, and all with a very distinctive sense of imagery. This set is yet another proof that he can do any settings, and any genre. A great depiction of his skills. Experimental stories are usually very unique, but this set is on another level. The characters are great, but if you've read most of his work, you'll notice that his protagonists oftenfeel like vessels to drive the story. It feels very impersonal, yet immersion and empathy still come naturally. The pacing is on point.

Easy 9/10 for most of the episodes.

Oh my god. You have to see this. No questions asked. These short stories are nothing short of incredible. Tatsuki Fujimoto is certainly an incredibly unique and interesting storyteller in the modern day. I have to discuss everything here, in order of the ones I liked best. 1. Nayuta of the Prophecy (9/10) I actually thought the story and direction of the episode were not that remarkable compared to the other episodes. The environments give off the same feeling as the first season of Chainsaw Man did (pretty cool how this story would actually get referenced in the Chainsaw Man series itself, huh?). The soundtrack was quiteamazing, too. I loved the music that appeared during the title card.

But this is, in my opinion, the best episode in this series not because of the episode itself, but the allegory that the story could be presenting: caring for a neurodivergent sibling (the sibling in question being Nayuta). There's so much about Nayuta and her story with her brother that just hits so close to home. The struggle with communication, the social stigma surrounding her existence in society, and most importantly, the love that trumps all of it. If those that struggle to fit in fail to conform to our social norms end up harming or scaring us, they shan't be met with judgment, but love, empathy and guidance. Even though we may see the world differently, and act differently, we are all human at heart. We show affection for one another, we care for one another, and it may be in ways that we may not recognise, that we may find repulsive. But once we break through that wall, once we come to an understanding, that is when we can flourish together.

I thought the way Nayuta and Kenji's story was directed was unremarkable, but its message pulled at my heartstrings.

2. Sisters (8/10)

If you aren't the type of person that can appreciate artistic nudity, this episode would probably be a shock to you. It's important to approach this story with an open mind (or at least one that doesn't see nudity as inherently sexual), because artistic nudity is a focal point of this story. It's a story with enough misdirection that makes the main character, Mitsuko, really compelling. It's amazing what these short stories can achieve with so little time, because with just twenty minutes, Mitsuko is already a character with layers. I love the depiction of the sisters' unconditional love for each other. The way the story ended was incredibly heartwarming, too. Overall, it's just a simple story about the bond that an older and younger sister can have, with just a small taboo element to it.

3. Niwa ni wa Niwa Niwatori ga Ita (7/10)

The next episodes are getting tied for quality for me. This is one of the stories that feels like a setup for a long-running series. This episode about an aliens taking over Japanese society and becoming an imitation of it was quite fun. I think the biggest highlight of it was just the Chainsaw-Man-ism you get towards the end when it starts to become more action-packed. The gore in this episode is also quite intense, much more intense than what you'd get from Chainsaw Man itself. That said, I don't like comparing it to Chainsaw Man too much, so I will say that the premise of the story itself seems compelling enough to become a series that would last a few volumes. It would've been even better if the story ended on a cliffhanger so that it can keep its potential as a story to be expanded. The world also has some of the elements of your typical battle shounen, so if you like those, I'm sure you'd want to see more from this story.

4. Shikaku (7/10)

It's a story that's just plain fun. Not a fan of Shikaku's backstory (really, all it establishes is that she's a messed up girl that grew up in a messed up home), but she's a cute and entertaining character that becomes the main charm of this episode. I also laughed quite a lot watching this episode. I love Fujimoto's sense of humour. A lot of the qualities of the previous episode I mentioned can be seen here as well.

5. Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome (6.5/10)

It's a cute story about staying true to who you are regardless of the body you get put in. The characters and their dynamics were quite cute, and their struggles felt real. However, the story didn't really capture me that much. It's still an experience that I appreciate a lot though. I have to acknowledge how it sheds a light on transmisogyny, particularly the part about how men that turn into women get sexualised like cisgender women do. The representation is something that I appreciate quite a lot (this wouldn't be the first time Fujimoto does something like this either!).

6. Sasaki Stopped a Bullet (6/10)

Really funny story about a really strange situation resolved in a really strange way. It's a story that feels very unabashedly Fujimoto, with wonderful absurdist humour. Every moment had me wondering what strange thing the characters were going to say next. I think the jarring awkwardness might turn away some people, but that's also what makes the story really funny. Overall, it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

7. Love Is Blind (6/10)

This one reads almost like a 4-koma gag manga. There's a lot of build-up towards the big moment and it keeps escalating until it just becomes ridiculous, then it has an ironic, anticlimactic ending. Really cute and funny, does a great job with its gags, but it doesn't offer much story wise.

8. Mermaid Rhapsody (6/10)

Awfully generic, to be honest. It was like the author was asked to make a simple age-appropriate coming-of-age romance. I still like the story, but it also feels like the type of romance story you'd get from a seasonal anime. That said, I LOVED the piano parts. They were absolutely melodic. Everything surrounding the piano was what gave this story at least a hint of uniqueness. But otherwise, it's a story that's really safe and doesn't do anything that interesting.

Overall, even though I enjoyed some stories more than others, I really appreciated this anthology as a whole. Would definitely recommend going through ALL of them to see for yourself, even the ones that might not appeal to you.

It genuinely felt like watching a master at work. Every segment carried its own weight, its own rhythm, like each story was a different room in the same vast mansion. One moment I was smiling at something soft and tender, the kind of romance that lingers quietly in your chest long after it ends. The next, I was staring at something completely unhinged, surreal to the point where it stopped trying to make sense and instead demanded to be felt. There was confidence in that contrast. The kind that only comes from someone who understands storytelling deeply enough to bend it without breaking it. What impressedme most was the range. These were not variations of the same idea wearing different costumes. They were distinct worlds, distinct emotions, distinct obsessions. Cute did not feel cheap. Absurd did not feel random. Even the strangest concepts had intention behind them, like they were daring the audience to keep up rather than holding their hand.

I kept thinking how perfectly these would translate into anime. Each story felt episodic yet complete, like a short series you could binge in one night and still think about the next morning. Different art styles, different soundtracks, different opening themes. I would have watched all of them back to back without hesitation.

After the heart wrenching film that was the reze arc movie, Tatsuki fujimoto is back with another adaptation, this time an anthology series adapting his one shots from when he was 17 until 26 years old. Honestly, i wasn’t really familiar with Fujimoto’s early works so I didn’t have much expectation for this, but damn this was better than what I was expecting. I really loved this series Not gonna lie, the characters were really interesting, the animation was pretty good, and I really liked how each episode/story is just so edgy and unique. Guess chainsaw man isn’t one of his sanest ideas after all. My episode rankings:
1-shikaku 
2- nayuta of the prophecy 
3- sisters
4- a couple clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard
5- mermaid rhapsody 
6- love is blind 
7- sasaki stopped a bullet 
8- woke up as a girl syndrome

Based on each episode, I have a different rating: 1. A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard: 8 - The story was a good intro to hook you onto the anime. 2. Sasaki Stopped a Bullet: 6 - Honestly found this one a little weird. 3. Love is Blind: 6 - This one was funny but I wasn't too hooked. 4. Shikaku: 9 or 10 - This one should be serialized or even a movie. This story was really good! 5. Mermaid Rhapsody: 7 - This one was cute! 6. Woke up as a girl syndrome: 6 - This one was also cute! 7. Nayutaof the Prophecy: 9 - This one would also make a good movie! It should be longer. Its a wholesome family story

9. Sisters: 8 - This one was a good story as well!

Personally Shkaku and Nayuta were my top!

If you enjoyed Fujimoto's other works (Chainsaw Man and Look Back) this is worth checking out. Episode 1: A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard (5/10) Fine enough short story about humans being prey to aliens. Nothing too special, although it does draw particular attention to humans eating other beings for sustenance, which seems to be a running theme in Fujimoto's other works. The animation is pretty decent. The little girl's English voice acting was jarringly bad. The voice did not match the character. Episode 2: Sasaki Stopped a Bullet (4/10) Wasn't a fan of this one when I read it and I'm still not afan. There's a good scene between a student and teacher talking about how their perception shapes the world around them which I think was well-written. The overall message of the story is fine, if not very cliche. This leans into the Fujimoto weirdness and sex-central storytelling without any of the nuance or maturity of his later works, so it's just weird.

Episode 3: Love Is Blind (6/10)

A funny short about a boy repeatedly getting interrupted while trying to confess to a girl. This could have been better if Fuji had written in more absurd scenarios instead of lessening the impact by having the boy nervously fumble whenever he gets a chance.

Episode 4: Shikaku (9/10)

This episode is when the anthology goes from mid to good. A vampire hires an assassin to kill him. It's like Undead Unluck if Andy were a vampire and Fuuko were a crazy, airheaded assassin. Great animation and solid voice acting. They must have been saving on budget with eps 2 & 3 because while they both looked quite bare-bones, this episode and everything after has surprisingly good animation. Fun premise, sweet ending, good stuff.

Episode 5: Mermaid Rhapsody (8/10)

A wholesome love story between a boy and a mermaid. Simple and cute. I liked how instead of causing unnecessary drama between the two kids, Shiju biting Toshihide was treated as a "yeah, that was the risk" event and the story moved on after brief apologies.

Episode 6: Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome (9/10)

My personal favourite. As you can probably guess from the title, Toshihide wakes up as the opposite sex.

The day touches on pretty much all of the big things that one would expect to be problematic were somebody to suddenly wake up as the opposite sex with a decent degree of maturity. Even though there are a few emotional and mature moments, the episode is full of visual comedy and gags that work wonderfully with arguably the best animation out of any short in this list.

One scene that balanced emotion with comedy well was the near-sexual assault that Rie, Toshihide's girlfriend, commits during a state of emotional distress. It reminded me of a few scenes from other shows where, when faced with substantial revelations or changes to their norm, one of the characters will react poorly due to such an influx of high emotions. After the tension rises and the characters are distraught, deciding how to proceed next, we get a few funny lines and some visual comedy to bring things back down. Rie's reaction, while not appropriate, was very realistic, naive, and motivated by emotional immaturity rather than malice. By escalating things WITHOUT going too far, the story unlocks lots of potential to explore those emotions and develop both of the characters.

I would absolutely watch a 12-episode story in Fujimoto's style about these two characters, à la Ranma ½ without the back-and-forth.

Episode 7: Nayuta of the Prophecy (8/10)

A precursor to concepts explored more in-depth in Fujimoto's later works, made even more obvious by the names; Kenji's younger sister, Nayuta, a child with horns and magical powers, who speaks only in incommunicable violence, has been prognosticated to bring about the end of the world. Kenji has to learn how to control her violent tendencies and outbursts to protect both his community and his sister. It's a neat story that deals with Nurture vs. Nature without the cheap shock value that you may initially expect when she first starts killing animals. I really liked the later scenes between Kenji and Nayuta.

Episode 8: Sisters (7/10)

Not my favourite of the bunch, but not a bad way to close out the anthology. Sisters explores a one-sided sibling rivalry between a girl who idolises her sister, and her sister, who does not at all care for the idolisation. These last few episodes have explored quite relatable struggles and concepts that many of us may deal with in the real world, and Sisters is no exception.

From Mitsuko's perspective, her sister is a bit of a nuisance who slowly shifts from a loving sister to a competitor. From Kyouko's perspective, her sister is her world, and all of her efforts and pushes are done with the intention of strengthening the bond between her and Mitsuko. While I think that there should have been a bit more moderation in how both sides are handled instead of the Kyouko-favouring outcome, I can't ask too much more from a short story like this, and I appreciate that there was some willing acceptance of the sisterly dynamic on Mitsuko's end.

Overall, a good watch for any fans of Fujimoto. 22-26's adaptations are definitely stronger, but 17-21 ends strong. Since it's an anthology, you aren't missing anything if you decide to only watch a handful of the 8.

I wish anthology series like this had individual sub links for separate ratings outside of the forum polls.

I'm really glad these got adapted. While I'll review each one individually, I would suggest watching the whole thing start to finish. 1: A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard (8/10) This is a great intro to the anthology, as it really captures the weird energy fujimoto's works have. Animation and cinematography was great, and I think it did a really good job of elevating the source material. 2: Sasaki Stopped a Bullet (2/10) Probably the only one I can say I hated. While the idea of catching a bullet because you got insanely lucky is interesting, the rest of the story isgross without any of the redeeming qualities his other works have. The production quality was quite low as well.

3: Love is Blind (8/10)

The funniest one by far. The pacing and direction reminded me a lot of a nichijou bit. It's short, simple, and the kind of episode that's just gonna make you smile.

4: Shikaku (10/10)

An all around solid entry to the series. Like love is blind, it has a relatively simple yet interesting plot that it sticks to. The animation and art direction is immaculate. I love stories about the immortal, and I felt this summarized a lot of those themes well in a short amount of time.

5: Mermaid Rhapsody (6/10)

It was okay. It didn't really grab my attention like the other episodes.

6: Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome (11/10)

My personal favorite. While the story is great, the y2k setting/vibe is the cherry on top. There are so many great little details and gags that really add to the experience. It's very messy in its themes and characters, but I think it works.

7: Nayuta of the Prophecy (10/10)

Once again, a great simple concept executed well. Watching this makes me wish that nayuta was like this in part 2 of chainsaw man instead of whatever we got.

8: Sisters (5/10)

It's kind of like "Look Back but worse and with incest vibes". It's not so much as that the actual episode was bad, it just feels a bit redundant.

Every single animation studio did a great job. Ep 1: pretty good wholesome story, Ep 2: weird and basic, Ep 3: one gag/joke that got an entire one-shot for some reason, Ep 4: its weird, but fine, Ep 5: liked it, pretty interesting, Ep 6: very weird, kind of sweet, Ep 7: probably the most interesting out of all of these. A common criticism is that in Episode 8 "Sisters", there is a similar plot to Fujimoto's Look Back, because instead of 2 girls who are best friends who want to create a manga, in this one, its 2 sisters who paint each other, it mademe lower the rating a bit. While the topic that it explores is much more deeper than the previous ones and i still think it is artistic, but it is normal for anyone to feel uncomfortable while watching it, because of the characters ages and sibling relationship. Like I understand that the message is about art and human connection overall and its genuinely beautiful. But i think fujimoto was confused when writing this oneshot.

i know that 95% of the time in anime, when nudity is shown, its just fanservice, but that 5% of the time its to show a deeper connection or traumatic experience between characters, one example is from another work of Fujimoto, the pool scene in Chainsaw Man Reze Arc, the characters being naked is not meant to be inappropriate, they're not related first of all and their bodies are mostly covered in water, we see every inappropriate thing through Denji's perception. Sisters on the other hand is confusing.

= As an anthology of short stories written by mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto in his adolescence and young adulthood (from ages 17 to 26), the quality between the various episodes can range wildly depending on the material. Let it be known that many of the stories are unpolished. Still, fans of Fujimoto's writing should give this a watch anyway. It isn't particularly long (an 8-episode series, less than 25 minutes each), and it's interesting to view these as a set of rough drafts that helped Fujimoto evolve as a storyteller. With that said, here are some brief notes on each individual episode: 1. A Couple Clucking ChickensWere Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard (Grade: B+)

+ Probably the best animation of the series (or at least the episode with the most action), this is probably the closest in spirit to Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man: a delirious dark fantasy idea punctuated with violence and bleak tragedy. The ending is a bit of a letdown however, stopping short of catharsis and leaving the story feeling incomplete.

Episode 2: Sasaki Stopped a Bullet (Grade: C-)

~ This one's more of a comedic concept, or at least more of a farce considering the exaggerated tone. One could argue this is Fujimoto's take on absurdism—i.e. how we can find meaning in our lives through sheer willpower—but the use of sexual assault and gun violence as plot devices is... inelegant. There is a way to achieve the same story without needing to steer into such tonally ill-fitting territory.

Episode 3: Love is Blind (Grade: D+)

~ A full-fledged comedy about the do-or-die stakes of teenage courting rituals (in anime, at least). It wants to be funny, but the humour falls flat. The problem is its stagnant conflict, which just repeats the same punchline over and over again. You can see how Fujimoto plays with situational irony in this episode, something he gets much better at by the time he begins writing Chainsaw Man.

Episode 4: Shikaku (Grade: C)

~ The animation is solid, but the story is all over the place. Vampires, assassins, gore... I feel like Fujimoto is just trying to cram in as many pulpy, violent ideas to juxtapose against his mostly vanilla love story. Not awful, but not particularly interesting either.

Episode 5: Mermaid Rhapsody (Grade: B-)

+ This romance fantasy would seem really unusual for Fujimoto, if not for the added touch of monster horror. It tells a coherent story about star-crossed lovers, but it is a little derivative, relying on a mish-mash of fairy tale cliches (mermaids, music, negligent parents, different worlds).

Episode 6: Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome (Grade: B)

+ A somewhat shallow gender-bending premise, made significantly better by its animation. Simple actions are elevated through literalized metaphor: lips are zippered shut, insults wrap themselves around its target, punches land with the impact of breaking glass. This isn't the first time Fujimoto has also written about gender identity (i.e. Fire Punch), and while imperfect, the story offers an earnest attempt at empathizing with the transgender experience.

Episode 7: Nayuta of the Prophecy (Grade: D)

~ Nayuta, the episode's titular character, is difficult to care about specifically because she can't talk (outside of spouting gibberish). There is no means of understanding her motives or interiority; as a result, there's no way to develop meaningful conflict. Fujimoto would reuse Nayuta in Chainsaw Man to much greater effect, but this family story doesn't really say anything substantial.

Episode 8: Sisters (Grade: A)

+ Easily the best episode of the series! A prototype of Fujimoto's Look Back, Sisters is effective in how it taps into the jealous conflict that comes with having a talented sister as a fellow artist. It's not as cathartic as Look Back, but Sisters is nonetheless bold, provocative, and emotionally resonant. If you were to only watch one of the eight episodes from this series, watch this one!

Man, all of Tatsuki Fujimoto's works are getting top-tier anime adaptations, and with this anthology style adaptation of all his pre-publication one-shots, it's a pristine cherry atop the pile of perfection. Having read all of the manga a while before, I can wholly say that this was fantastically faithful. The soundtrack was beautiful, most notably Kevin Penkin's scoring of 'Nayuta of the Prophecy,' and the ending theme for 'Sasaki Stopped a Bullet' by YUQI. My favourite short would have to be 'Mermaid Rhapsody' purely due to the stellar compositions played by the characters, and the animation quality blending so perfectly with the emotional impact of the story. 10/10, willwatch again.