The world premiere of " Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26," an animated adaptation of eight short stories by manga artist Tatsuki Fujimoto , known for works such as " Chainsaw Man" and "Lookback, " was held at the prestigious Chinese Theater in Hollywood on October 5th (local time). The world premiere took place at the Global Stage Hollywood Film Festival 2025, and featured appearances by director Nagaya Seishiro of "There Were Two Chickens in the Garden," director Takeuchi Nobuyuki of "Love is Blind," and producer Oyama Ryo of Avex Animation Labels, who revealed the background to the project and behind-the-scenes stories from its production.
" Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26" will be an anime adaptation of all eight stories from "Tatsuki Fujimoto Short Stories Collection 17-21" and "Tatsuki Fujimoto Short Stories Collection 22-26," which contain short stories that Fujimoto wrote between the ages of 17 and 26.
Producer Oyama said, "(The original author, Fujimoto) said he was embarrassed to have his early works adapted into anime, but he gave us a message to prioritize making something interesting and to create freely." He added, "We wanted to further highlight the individuality of each of the eight works through the direction of the anime creators."
Director Nagaya commented, "After reading Chainsaw Man, I came across There Were Two Chickens in the Garden, and even though Tatsuki Fujimoto wrote it when he was younger, I felt there were similarities between the two. Motifs such as the relationship between brother and sister and transformation already appear, and I thought it was interesting how they connect to Chainsaw Man. I myself am an animator by trade, so I was most particular about how the characters moved in the animation. The work features a lot of aliens, and although they look like aliens, they are the same as humans in every other way. I wanted to move the characters in a way that when you see their behavior and actions as aliens, you start to think they might be us."
Director Takeuchi said, "Love is Blind was the last remaining project when I decided to participate. Although I felt embarrassed, I created the film while imagining what it would be like to fall in love. I put 100% of my feelings into the main character, Ibuki, when I drew him. I don't think anyone will notice, but when he confesses his feelings, his cheeks turn red, but I was most particular about the fact that his earlobes also turn red."
Director Nagaya commented that "Love is Blind" is "the most comedic of the series. Director Takeuchi's direction makes his individuality stand out even more." Director Takeuchi also commented that "What was impressive about There Were Two Chickens in the Garden" was that "it beautifully captured everyday scenes that are typical of Japanese animation, without losing touch with the original work by Tatsuki Fujimoto."
Regarding themes that resonated with them throughout the film, Producer Oyama said, "I love boy-meets-girl stories, so I really related to the confession scene in 'Love is Blind,'" and Director Takeuchi nodded, "I empathized with the somewhat one-sided way the protagonist, Ibuki, expresses his feelings." Director Nagaya said, "Tatsuki Fujimoto works always have the theme of 'communicating with others,' and I feel that this is important precisely because it is becoming increasingly difficult in today's age."
"Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26" will be released worldwide exclusively on Prime Video on November 8th. It has also been announced that it will be screened for two weeks only at nine cinemas nationwide, including Shinjuku Wald 9 (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), from October 17th.
