The highly anticipated anime adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s early one-shot manga collection, Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, is set to make its global debut with a world premiere in the United States on October 5, 2025. Following this, the anthology series will receive limited two-week theatrical screenings in Japan and South Korea before its worldwide streaming launch on Amazon Prime Video in November.
U.S. World Premiere Kicks Off Global Rollout
Fans in the United States will be the first to experience the anime with its world premiere slated for October 5, 2025. This exclusive event will take place during the Global Stage Hollywood Film Festival 2025 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatre in Hollywood, California. This premiere offers an early look at the acclaimed mangaka’s formative works brought to life on screen.
Two-Week Screenings in Japan and South Korea
Following its U.S. premiere, Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 will receive limited theatrical engagements across Asia. Japan will host a two-week screening run starting October 17, 2025, at nine selected cinemas nationwide. The eight-episode anime will be presented in two distinct parts, each comprising four episodes, with both parts opening on the same date.
Shortly after, South Korea will also hold its own two-week theatrical screening event, commencing on October 24, 2025, at MEGABOX theaters. Additionally, two titles from the anthology, “A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard” and “Shikaku,” have been nominated in the Short Film category of the Bucheon International Animation Festival and will screen during the festival on October 25.
Global Streaming Release on Prime Video
The Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 anime anthology will then be released globally for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, with a scheduled debut on November 7, 2025 (November 8 JST). The series will be available to Prime members in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Delving into Fujimoto’s Early Works
The anime adapts eight one-shot stories from Tatsuki Fujimoto, the celebrated creator behind Chainsaw Man and Look Back, that he penned between the ages of 17 and 26. These stories were originally compiled into two manga volumes titled Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21 and Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22-26. The anthology promises to offer a diverse range of genres and themes, showcasing the creative origins and unique narrative style that would later define Fujimoto’s more famous works.
The adapted stories include: “A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard,” “Sasaki Stopped a Bullet,” “Love is Blind,” “Shikaku,” “Mermaid Rhapsody,” “Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome,” “Nayuta of the Prophecy,” and “Sisters.”
A Collaborative Creative Endeavor
The production of Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 is a significant collaborative effort, bringing together seven acclaimed directors and six different animation studios. This multi-studio approach suggests a varied visual and directorial interpretation for each of Fujimoto’s distinct short stories. Noted directors include Tetsuaki Watanabe (Blue Lock), Nobuyuki Takeuchi (Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?), and Kazuaki Terasawa (The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2). The animation studios involved are ZEXCS, Lapin Track, GRAPH77, 100studio, Studio Kafka, and P.A. WORKS.
The voice cast also features a roster of talented actors, including Kensho Ono, Shion Sakurai, Kazuki Ura, Kimiko Saito, and Mitsuo Iwata for specific episodes. Other notable names mentioned across the series include Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita, Junichi Suwabe, Chika Anzai, Shun Horie, Shion Wakayama, Hitomi Sasaki, and Mamiko Noto, indicating a star-studded ensemble bringing these early works to life.
