Manga 116778 Chainsaw Man Reviews Filter Check 1

EDIT: Chainsaw Man is really intense, and not for everyone. This manga features child neglect/abuse, gore, vomiting, grooming/psychological manipulation, and pedophilia. If any of that is upsetting for you, tread carefully!

This review was written after the ending of Part 1.

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I hate reviews that start off with unnecessary prose, so let's skip all that and get to the meat of things!

Chainsaw Man is a story which thrives in its unexpectedness. It's a story that takes you for twists and turns in its plot and characterization, but mostly through its simultaneous homage to and subversion of shonen tropes. It's a story that looks dumb as hell, with ... a protagonist who acts dumb as hell, with a goal that seems dumb as hell (touch some booooooooobs). But where Chainsaw Man gets you is that it anticipates your exhaustion with these tropes. It anticipates that you'll accept the meathead perverted protagonist at face value and shrug off the lack of culpability put on Makima for her actions in endangering a minor. Because all shonen protagonists are teenagers who go through terrible things and are burdened with the fate of the world on their shoulders, so who cares?

Fujimoto does. And he wants *you* to care, too. And so he deconstructs common, unquestioned tropes left and right, creates characters whose complexity extends beyond convoluted backstories, and constantly ups the ante, all without creating a story so large it self destructs.

PART 1: Don't Open the Door (Denji, the Plot, and Subverting Shonen Tropes)

At the core of Chainsaw Man is its protagonist, Denji: a destitute, impoverished teen, who struggles daily to survive a cruel and uncaring world in order to pay off his late father's insurmountable debts to the yakuza. By his side is Pochita, his pet chainsaw devil. Denji is willing to do most anything to make a pretty penny: cutting down trees, hunting devils (which is highly dangerous), even selling body parts on the black market. Denji's life is tragic, but it is not meaningless. Unlike many shonen protagonists, his life of barely surviving on a piece of bread a day with his father's impossible debt looming over his head, is not a set piece to get the plot rolling, and quickly be forgotten. Nor does his backstory encompass the entirety of his character and limit his development. Denji's difficult past deeply influences his worldview and personality, but he is still treated as a highly impressionable teenager. He is both naive about the ways of the world and intimately familiar with the worst humanity has to offer.

When Denji joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters, he doesn't have much of a higher calling. He frankly doesn't care much about killing devils to save people or anything like that (at least, not at the beginning). It's a do or die situation: after being attacked by a devil, Pochita, saves his life by giving him his chainsaw devil powers. In exchange, he asks Denji to chase his dreams. When the local Public Safety force which protects Japan from devils arrive on the scene, Denji is given an ultimatum: to die at their hands as a devil, or to sacrifice his freedom to work for them, using his unique powers to become a devil hunter. Denji accepts the latter, of course. But Denji does not hate Makima, the devil hunter who put him in this situation. Instead, he is grateful to her, because she hugged him and promised to feed him breakfast.

Denji's tragic backstory doesn't exist just to make him easier to root for. It is a *core component* of who he is in a way that is incredibly compelling, as well as being more authentic to the real-world impact of severe trauma (especially childhood trauma). His easy acceptance of the dilemma Makima presents him with is rooted in the fact that he has never really been free. He's used to being used. At least he knows Public Safety will feed him. Throughout the story, every single one of Denji's dreams -- to eat good food, to have a friend to play video games with, to touch a girl's boobs, to have sex with a girl -- is a painful reminder of his deprived childhood. Denji is blunt, and Denji is simple. The only things he wants are safety, a home, and a person who cares about him.

In an incredibly refreshing twist, Denji's history of abject poverty and his role as a devil hunter is not passed off as 'normal,' and is instead actively questioned and challenged. The most overt example of this takes place halfway through the first part, when Denji makes a friend his age who truly sees him for who he is. Together, the two of them sneak into a high school to goof around and hang out. But, partway through the evening, Denji's new friend says this:

"At 16, you're still just a kid, you know? It's when most kids are studying to get into college, throwing themselves into a club or a sport, hanging out with friends.... But *you're* killing devils, almost getting killed yourself... Is this Public Safety place you're with right now really a good place?"
"Yeah, they're super great! I get three meals a day and I get to sleep in a bed."
"That's, like, the *bare minimum* standard of living in Japan... It's *not* something amazing."

Ah! How refreshing!! Another character acknowledging that Denji's situation is irrevocably fucked, and *specifically* because of his age!!! Of course, hurt/comfort tropes have their place in shonen. But I've never seen a conversation like this, where a character tells the protagonist that not just one thing that happened is sad or fucked up -- that their whole situation sucks, actually, and why isn't anyone doing anything about it? (I love Fullmetal Alchemist dearly. I spent the entire manga and both anime waiting for ONE (1) person to acknowledge that being a child soldier at age 12 is Kinda Bad instead of impressive.) There are no other teenage devil hunters who are thrown into combat because they are "talented" or "smart" or whatever. It just isn't done. Denji is a special case, because he is a devil hybrid, and is explicitly treated as inhuman by most of the cast. In a genre populated by underage protagonists tackling world-destroying threats, it's very refreshing to see this questioned.

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I'll refrain from going further into Denji's character and development. But just know that Denji is not a static protagonist, and his ridiculous quest in the first dozen or so chapters to touch a girl's boobs is not his defining trait. Generally speaking, I hate perverted protagonists! I think they're annoying as hell. But Denji isn't a pervert. He's a traumatized kid looking for connection with someone, anyone. And that, to me, is compelling.

PART 2: Connections and Supporting Characters

The supporting cast in Chainsaw Man is great, because they are all batshit crazy.

One character acknowledges that you have to have a few screws loose to survive as a devil hunter. These characters -- many of whom aren't human -- act entirely outside the boundaries of normal behavior to survive as devil hunters. And yet they're all still realistic and compelling, with their own goals, relationships, personalities, and traits. There's a sort of impulsivity about their actions, which only adds to the sense that these are characters who are just trying to survive a chaotic and cruel world. In so doing, Fujimoto enhances the complexity of his characterization, while also lending to the frantic pacing of the plot.

Chainsaw Man features a *lot* of character death. Will your favorite survive to the end? Chances are, probably not! But despite that, somehow Fujimoto avoids exhausting readers with deaths. You know you shouldn't care, because there's no guarantee they'll live to the next chapter, but you still do. Some deaths are foreshadowed for entire chapters, while others happen entirely out of the blue. But regardless, each serves a purpose, and each is genuinely upsetting.

Beyond that, each character develops and progresses naturally, where even your least favorites start to grow on you. (I hated Kobeni when I started reading Chainsaw Man. Now I would die for her.) They don't all progress in a positive way, but they are constantly changing.

A true standout character in my eyes is Power. She's a fiend -- a devil possessing a human corpse -- who is a fellow devil hunter, and becomes one of Denji's closest friends. She's also a total bastard.

Power is very unique in my eyes, because, yes, she's really cute and funny, but she's also an absolute moron. That's not very common in anime and manga, for female characters to just be stupid! Usually, a dumb female character is a cutesy airhead whose obliviousness is played for laughs and/or ecchi scenes. But Power is just as much of a jerk as Denji, if not more. They get up to antics together, prank their housemate Aki, riff off each other, and generally have an incredibly strong dynamic. As a female anime fan, it's really, really refreshing to see a female character whose gender doesn't limit her personality traits to only 'cutesy' feminine stuff! It's also really refreshing to see a 100% platonic dynamic between her and Denji. (Power is also a very compelling character herself, which I won't get into because Spoilers.)

Chainsaw Man doesn't shy away from depicting unhealthy relationships, either. The relationship between Denji and Makima is one of the most crucial and compelling things about the manga, and it is laden with emotional manipulation and abuse tactics. Depicting grooming is difficult enough, and doubly so when the groomer is a beautiful woman. However, Fujimoto manages to capture the duality of such a relationship: both the kindness which draws a victim into an abusive relationship, and the cruelty which keeps them there. Again, in the interest of avoiding spoilers, I'll stop here. But I will say that reducing Denji to a simp does a great disservice to both characters, and also perpetuates the toxic idea that men can't be victims.

I really wish I could ramble about all the characters in Chainsaw Man, because I love literally all of them (except Santa Claus and Makima. All my homies hate Santa Claus and Makima). But much of what makes them amazing can't be summed up in brief personality descriptions, and instead has to be read through their relationships with each other. For all the brashness and bluntness of the manga, there is a beautiful subtlety to the character development, which is best experienced, rather than told.

PART 3: Art

The art of Chainsaw Man seems to be a point of contention for many! Personally, I've always liked it. I find that Fujimoto's sketchy style lends to the feeling of urgency and dread as you're waiting for the next Big Thing to happen. Also, his expressions and grasp of anatomy is godlike. But the art *is* very sketchy, and sometimes his characters fall a bit out of proportion (especially on profile views). Where Fujimoto's art truly shines is in Chainsaw Man's many gory fight scenes and eye-grabbing panels. In general, Fujimoto's panel construction is incredible. You can definitely see that he's a huge film fan, with how he uses all sorts of different angles and layouts in an attempt to emulate famous cinematography. Chainsaw Man is not a story that happens to be a manga -- it takes advantage of the medium to lay itself out as a storyboard, and lets the reader fill in the gaps. (God, it's going to look so good animated. Hype.)

Although Chainsaw Man loves blood and guts, it's not super intense / detailed -- squeamish folks may want to tread carefully, but most people will probably be fine. The gore isn't gross, but it is fun and flashy. Character design-wise, Fujimoto really shines with designing the various devils, fiends, and half-devil hybrids, as well as making all the members of Public Safety stand out despite their simple designs.

Overall, you can tell that Fujimoto believes in the ten-second principle -- most people spend only ten seconds looking at a panel before moving on. But his artistic chops can't be denied, especially when you're looking at the full-page or spread panels.

PART 4: In Summary

To finish this off, I want to say that Chainsaw Man is good as hell. It's a smart manga that is gory, painful, frequently hilarious, and will make you feel despair like you've never felt before. But beyond the blood, guts, gore, and sex, Chainsaw Man is at its core a story about trauma, chasing your dreams, personal growth, and the connections you make with other people (for better or for worse). I wouldn't go so far as to call it a deconstruction, but if you're a shonen fan who's become a bit disillusioned with the genre, Chainsaw Man is a breath of fresh air. (Especially since as of December 14, 2020, when this review is being posted, the announcement for an anime AND a "part two" of the manga just dropped a few days ago. And part 2... oh boy howdy does it look good!)

While the pacing is quite fast, I think it suits the tone of the story quite well; after all, this isn't exactly a forgiving world, and the characters themselves are rarely given any downtime. The rapid pacing doesn't mean that Fujimoto overlooks his characters for the sake of keeping the plot moving; on the contrary, it allows him to write more subtle, easily overlooked moments of setup and characterization, keeping up the hype while also ensuring that future developments aren't cheap or jarring. It adds a lot of reread value, which I find most manga to be lacking in. Once you know how things end, looking back to analyze in depth how things got to that point in the first place is really interesting!

I want to be clear: this story *hurts*. It's immensely tragic. One chapter was so sad and stressful that another mangaka had to take a week-long mental health break. I was basically comatose for an entire day after binge reading it, and I'm still unpacking all that I read. But, if you've got the time and energy to devote to it, Chainsaw Man is an incredibly unique experience that won't let you down.

(TLDR review at the bottom, as always, thanks in advance for reading)
(Major edit at the bottom lol)

If you told me to describe Chainsaw Man in one word I would grab the nearest megaphone and microphone, place the megaphone in between my mouth and the microphone, switch both devices on, and start screaming,
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Yes. There the word 'madness' or 'chaos' doesn't even fit. The sound does a better job of explaining it. Chainsaw Man is mostly made up of death metal screaming moments and having not read anything close to this other than watching Dorohedoro and maybe reading some of Berserk, Attack on Titan, Akame ga Kill ... if you count those. I can say that Chainsaw Man is one story you won't forget. This isn't your average Shounen Jump manga.


Narrative:
As mentioned before, Chainsaw Man is the embodiment of death metal screaming, though, I guess I am stretching it a little too far, it isn't entirely like that, there is a calm nature when it is needed.

At the start, the pacing makes this somewhat weird to get at first glance. You see, the story begins with what happens to be this disheartening atmosphere Denji emits off, he is living the lowest point in his life but when he makes a contract to become the Chainsaw Man, things get crazy, and things only get crazier from then on. This aspect of the story is the good thing about Chainsaw Man, you know things are crazy, and indeed will get crazier, but the constant gaining of knowledge to new information still makes you think about what else could get more insane than what just happened. Read it out for yourself. See what you will find out about this world in which, on the surface is chaotic, but further down the line is just… dark, and deep too. You see, the story isn't just madness, the story also offers how the current world operates, with various devil users from all over the world trying to take Denji for their own uses, what uses exactly? They range quite a bit. But I feel like with the use of different devil users around the world having the same objective of getting Denji, there is a strange tie to politics, conspiracies and countries trying to become the absolute superpower. It is a nice add-on to the story which enforces the original atmosphere of the chaotic world the story has. People will do anything for power and stand on top of others. It's a crazy story, but there has been some thinking done on top of this hell of a world to bring out what is the worst people can do. The true madness awaiting beneath the surface.

Getting into the fundamentals, something to touch on is plot poison. Usually, plot poison destroys what writers try to convey because they are a flimsy way of emphasising a situation, I don't really recall a time when it has worked so effectively. With Chainsaw Man, however, the excessive amounts of deaths could be viewed as general plot poison if it weren't for the three reasons of:
1. The world is borderline hell
2. People don't die in the story for the sake of some dramatic way to go out, or for the sake of making things look scary
3. Most deaths are unnamed background characters, of course, serving no relevance.

To be fair, I haven't actually seen a ton of stories with plot poison. But from what I have seen it is mostly used in a way to make the story look more dramatic when it is used in the action genre. With the horror genre, it is made to create terror to some atmosphere. Though even so Chainsaw Man is straight to the point with such an action. When death happens, it isn't used as a way to make everything look dramatic or scary, as I have said, this is madness, no bumpy road to get to what it wants to convey. Straight to the point, full stop. I must say such a technique really gives the story its ground to stand on. Even with thousands of irrelevant characters that get totally wiped off the face of the world within seconds, it may do feel as if the story has become more dramatic, or terrifying, or, well, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH. Though I feel as if it were like a signature blessed specifically for a story of its kind. You could argue that method would be a cheap way of emphasising the mood Chainsaw Man wishes to bring and to be honest, I would agree... to an extent. Having a vast amount of deaths in a world full of chaos is obviously going to make the setting look cataclysmic, but concurrently, it isn't like killing off every single importance character is going to bring for a better story anyway, not that there is excessive plot armour to be mentioned in the story anyway. It is disheartening, but that is what the story aims to be amidst the frantic hell of a world.

The characters tie in well with the story, they are practically on an equal level. Denji and Power are both dumb characters, not because of story writing, but they are generally stupid people personality-wise. They do dumb things now and then and probably have the mindset of your average high schooler, but they are a good representation of how clueless they are in the face of madness they go through day in, day out. As said before, there is a strange thread of a connection with politics and conspiracies, no one is quite sure of what people are doing behind the scenes or what the final goal is for said people. With clueless, but strong characters like Denji doing nothing but trying his hardest to get an award he was allowed to have from Makima, and Power who has to stay and work for the agency or she will face death. It makes for the perfect combo for the questionable stability of the way of maintaining world order in the story. It is more or less exploitation of the unintelligent, in other words, exploitation. The same can't be said for Aki since he is actually smart, but he too is left in the dark with all the shady business that goes on behind the scenes, his life, however, is more so just depressing in that matter. He isn't silly as Denji and Power are, and has a good grasp of the things that go around him, even so, he can't do much, he is trapped in the madness that comes with his job. No one is safe in this corrupted hierarchy.

Another character to touch on is Makima, she is part of the, "Hey, what the hell does she want" questions that may come to mind when reading. Nothing about her is as clear as day about her, but further on, you begin to see what she hides from those she works with. She clearly has some beef with people, but no one takes her head on considering her ludicrous strength which bounces onto the reader in later chapters. All the while not knowing her true intentions. She is an interesting one. The kind of character you want to dive into more simply because there are too many shadows covering someone with such an important status in society. Again, going back to the conspiracies she may have on her mind to try to execute.

I won't get into spoilers, but the ending is quite disappointing. I felt as if it was pushed to go onto top speeds especially with how fast the pacing of this story is. It may leave you with an unsatisfactory taste to savour. In saying this the ending is nothing disastrous, it was just too fast which didn't allow for a proper finish as one may have liked to see with such intense build-up that has happened just before.


Art:
The art fits well with the entire concept of Chainsaw Man, the character designs looked great with the addition of what seems to be frantically scratched detail into the design, I honestly don't know why but it's like something you would get out of Adult Swim, or Robot Chicken if I am using the correct show. Not something I've seen before, but it was a nice first interaction with art of its kind and made for a good conveyance in the chaotic nature of the story. Speaking of which, the art when there is a fight of some kind doesn't hold back with all the details relating to blood and gore it has to offer, every action moment happens in detail. Other sceneries like background spaces are pretty much the same as the characters, not exactly the most exciting detail but nothing that I would say is bad.


Enjoyment:
I personally enjoyed Chainsaw Man a lot. For a shounen with a ton of action, however, I can't exactly say it performs the best in action. Sometimes the action scenes feel like a gag fight rather than a real fight taking place. Stiff movements contribute to this, but given the world, this is set in, it is to be expected. That doesn't mean I find the action better because of where it is set, it still gets negative points for that pillar of enjoyment. Nothing bad, but nothing I would have quite wanted.

A good point to focus on though is that maybe I am being an uncultured swine, or just downright incorrect, but I feel as if Chainsaw Man really feels like something from the "Dark Age of Comics", everything about its style yells unsettling in the sense that these corrupted images of heroes pay off well with the current age. There are "good guys'' in the stories but can you really class them with your typical 60s heroes. Again, I may be completely off but I feel as if Chainsaw Man is probably one of the best things to relate to such a time period. It makes for incredible enjoyment and insight, since there is a marriage of Shounen Jump, American style comics, and just madness brought together to bring to you the Chainsaw Man you know of today. Honestly, I haven't seen a fusion of culture as good since Pop Team Epic.


Overall - 7.75 (8)



TLDR Review:
Story - 8: The story is the embodiment of crazy, and has a deep underlying goal to it. As well as being straight-up depressing at times.
Art - 8: Character designs looked a little bit scrappy in a good way. Reminded me of something from Adult Swim or Robot Chicken.
Characters - 8: The dumb characters are a good representation of the mystery in their world. Other smarter characters are still left in the dark but question what goes on.
Enjoyment - 7: Action is wack at times. Feels like something from the "Dark Age of Comics". Combination of Shounen Jump, American style comics, and just madness makes for a pleasant story.

Overall - 7.75 (8)



Well, having never read any of Fujimoto's works aside for CSM, I can say that the other popular title made by Fujimoto, "Fire Punch" is certainly something that will come under my radar. With CSM 2 coming along as well I am looking forward to what next Fujimoto has to give. Apparently, Fujimoto is known for killing off characters and depressing stories, so I might be in for a good story and sequel. Would I recommend CSM? Yep, any day of the week. Though that is assuming that you are into the madness, chao(s/tic), craz(y/ier) that story gives. Three (five) words I have used 8 + 5 + 6 times respectively (excluding the latest) throughout this review. Is it THAT MAD? Probably not. But it's still pretty mad. Go. Give it a try.

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Edit: 2nd March 2021, tldr at the bottom

Ok so I had just finish re-reading CSM and I thought that some points are made here aren't the best so I am just going to edit over that here.

With narrative, most of my opinion is still the same, same chaos, some conspiracies, no one what the hell is going on, but you can be sure of hell along the road of the reality of CSM.

I noticed that I explained a lot of the later parts of the story in which I say, that that is where the real grit of CSM revolves off of if you get what I mean. Earlier parts really just set the story in for what is to be, later on, it does a good job at that, you can get a good understanding of the characters introduced and why they work in this hell of a job. I won't say I give it a 9/10 because to some extent, CSM has a lot of doing stuff with no meaning attached to it until the end. For those actions with meaning, such as the different things Denji does with the girls he meets, they tend to add to his origin and how that sucked instead of his future character. The dude doesn't really change despite it, is that a bad thing? I wouldn't say so. But it sure would be nice to see something from him that wasn't too static, something out of character whilst concurrently not.

With Art, I gave it an 8/10 because I was a weekly viewer towards the end of the manga (~80 chapters in or so was the latest). The quality of art for sure felt as if it had decreased over the course of the manga. Not a lot, but slightly. Looking back, there are some incredibly good moments that need to be spoken about. Most of the manga has incredibly good art. I had most of the newer chapters affect my score for the category. I was in and out of this manga, only sticking around until the aforementioned ~80 chapters in.
Art: 8 --> 9

With the enjoyment factor, I mean, if I went and reread this, it obviously means that I liked this a lot. Though I would recommend that anyone reading this also do the same as I have as towards the end of the manga (from International Assassasins arc onwards) things do get incredibly confusing with new characters joining, reveals of everyone's true motives and intents, and devils, fiends, humans doing things we had no clarification about beforehand. On that note, my brain having a hard time comprehending that, I still have to comprehend it some more, but it isn't as bad as before, though I have quite a few questions now too in exchange, that was the reason why I lowered enjoyment factor. Things get confusing, very quickly. Idk why I didn't mention that prior to this edit. I'm going to add that despite a hard time in understanding the story, in which I was close to giving this an 8/10 for enjoyment—still a very good score—I do have to admit that this is very funny to read too, the humour seems like what I proposed before this edit, i.e. the American style. I am not sure how the hell this ran on Shounen Jump, but it did. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Enjoyment: 7 --> 9


TLDR: Reread Chainsaw Man when you can.

Overall - 8.5 (9)

I sure hope I haven't messed anything up.

With less than 1,000 members and only one other review at the time of posting this, I thought I should write this so that more people will hopefully read it. This is my first review by the way!

Story - 8
The story is pretty simple so far, but that is not a bad thing! It's a shounen jump manga so fight scenes are frequent and there are comedic elements as well. What sets this manga apart though is the characters and the monsters. I'll elaborate on the characters in the "Character" section, but the monsters are really great. Because of the premise, there are pretty much ... endless possibilities for the bad guys in this manga. There are only 9 chapters out so far, and the story is still in the set-up phase, but I'm very excited to see where it goes.

Art - 8

Some people may not like the art style, but I love it. The more simplistic design allows the creative powers/monsters do be clearly drawn. You'll see early on what I'm talking about, and when Denji does use his powers, the art gets slightly more detailed and defined, and it looks really good. This manga is pretty much never visually boring, while still being easy to follow.

Characters - 9

Denji (the MC) is certainly unique for a shounen jump manga. He doesn't have any superficial ideals or an idol or hero he looks up to, but that didn't stop me from liking or caring about him. Not a jab at MHA or Naruto btw, but it's nice to see something different. The characters are great across the board, and blends some standard shounen tropes with a bit more realism. Like a lot of shounen protagonists, Denji has an unfortunate backstory, but it is addressed in a realistic manner that isn't superficial or character defining. He is completely his own person, and his character does not rely on him having a tough childhood or being poor. I initially thought that Power would be a nami clone of some sort, but this is quickly subverted as well.

Enjoyment - 9

I wish this had more chapters I could read. This manga is lots of fun to consume, and it has a perfect mix of realistic characters, great action scenes, and true originality. I can't wait to read more as it comes out!

Final score - 9

Chainsaw Man is a breath of fresh air in the realm of shounen manga, the premise is wonderfully executed with its wonderful story, characters, atmosphere and overall tone. It is such a fun manga to read and experience through as it grasps your attention and keeps you thrilled throughout.

The characters are one of this manga's main attractions, all of them feel like real people with their own personalities, growth and ambitions. The main cast have the seemingly virtuous duty of killing the powerful and dangerous monsters that are devils, but they are never portrayed as the "good guys," like so many other shounen do. ... This also applies to the antagonists of the stories, they all have their own ambitions, and are not shallow plot devices to be bad for the sake of being bad.

The art is unique and charming, it appears to be more on the rough side but fits the story and world so well. There are many panels within the manga with great detail to behold, even more so when Chainsaw Man shows off it's grand and spectacular fights which are honestly some of the best that Jump has had to offer in recent times. They feel badass and exhilarating to read through in all of it's stylish detail.

Chainsaw Man is a manga that certainly deserves the praises it receives, it's managed to stand out in a great way in the midst of the most brutal publisher that is Shounen Jump. It gets a 10 from me and I for sure recommend this manga.

Edit: Chainsaw Man is getting an anime adaptation by studio MAPPA, as it rightfully deserves.

This thrilling manga has come towards it's thrilling conclusion, at least for its first part, as a sequel is soon to be published. If you haven't already then I highly recommend people to pick up this manga, this masterful work is honestly one of the best things that has come out of Shounen Jump in a while, standing above the rest of its competition.

TL;DR Chainsaw Man is a one of a lifetime experience. Even though the story at it's core is very simple, it certainly is not generic nor cliché. The plot may surprise even the veterans, yet it does not feel forced thanks to the world's unique atmosphere. Characters are believable, relatable and first and foremost, human. Artstyle is not objectively good, but the character designs are fresh and simply delicious. Humour is edgy and immature, but in those respective categories the comedy is very well delivered.

The Story - It is a simple one, but it serves astoundingly well as a tool to explore the characters. ... It takes place in a corrupt, pseudo post apocalyptic world. Humans can seem more monstrous than the devils themselves. It is not an exacly new premise, but the series shows it from an angle not yet explored in manga. In this story, a human life is a fragile thing. A mortal threat should not be taken lightly, as the plot armour is scarce.

The Characters - They are the reason this whole thing works. There is barely any exposition, as personalities are conveyed through actions, expressions and behaviours. A character won't act in a way necessary to further the plot. The plot is but a byproduct of actions taken. Thanks to that everyone stays true to themselves and feel like geniune human beings.

The Art - There is a certian degree of bueaty in there, but honestly speaking it is not splendid. Having said that, i am a huge fan of overall designs and creativity oozing from pages. There is a lot of gore, and everything seems dirty and ugly, which works perfectly with the setting.

Author does not hold back his horses, and you as a reader will be taken for a wild ride. I will stand for my point, that this series is created to be the purest, most primal and raw form of entertainment, and should be viewd as such. It works astonishingly well, delivers exactly what is supposed to and even exceeds expectations. So far, it is without a doubt a ten and I sincerely recommend it.

Chainsaw Man ends at its peak of popularity and quality and will be missed, as its reading is exclusive among manga. Who knew that Weekly Shounen Jump would hit so well this time, even more with a title above what is expected.

Obviously, everyone who reads the name laughs instantly about what the manga is about, but they are surprised by the boldness that Tatsuki Fujimoto took in building mature and spontaneous content at the same time.

For those who don't know him, he also created Fire Punch, another well-known title. But, what is Chainsaw Man about? Are your fame and positive mentions a complete exaggeration? Or ... is the manga really worth it?

Chainsaw Man tells the story of Denji, a young man in debt because of the death of his father and who does everything to get small amounts of money. One day, he encounters a creature that resembles a dog, Pochita. Pochita is a demon that Denji found. It has an overwhelming power: a chainsaw in its snout. The young man then decides to hunt the demons that plague this world, to get some money and try to achieve his only dream: to have a happy and peaceful life. However, the joy is short lived. Yakuza, the institution where Denji was hired, betrayed him and left him in a state of near death, being saved by his only friend, Pochita. It is mentioned that the two agreed to save each other's life and that it would be Pochita's turn to save him if necessary. From there our Chainsaw Man is born.
Denji, already in the state of man and demon, joins the public security organization, at the behest of Makima, one of its leaders. Denji, having nothing to do, accepts and begins to hunt demon in his new group, with Aki and Power being the most prominent.

The premise of Chainsaw Man is no different than what we are used to in animes of demons and powers that combine different creatures in the same being, but the manga stands out in the way it tells the story. The title does not require a complex world, nor does it explain the misfortunes that caused the situation in a world where two races constantly fight. Chainsaw Man works the characters and brings an incredibly good and nosy comedy. In fact, I must say that the author does not hesitate to write offensive words, nor does he hide the most animalistic desires that the characters may have, especially Denji, who lived such a bad life, that he did not even have a decent education.

And speaking of Denji, he gets better every day, every chapter. Not only is he a walking laugh box, he is one-sided butchery. He develops an interesting duality when it comes to being a caring human being and being an aberration. All tense and funny moments have some connection with Denji. The manga knows how to use jokes in very well choreographed fights, besides having a very beautiful art!

Another point worth mentioning is the relationship between humans and demons that develops over time. In the beginning we had a group that killed demons at any cost. And this is more than expected, after all, some characters even have traumas because of that, in some past event. But much of the manga explores an attempt to unite these two highly different positions. And Denji and Power are examples of a man / demon combination that worked. The manga offers us unimaginable creativity about the powers of the most uncomfortable creatures we have ever seen. From a giant bat to small demons, Chainsaw Man likes to use every chance to create a whole world for himself, exclusive, dirty and corrupt, in addition to working the mind of each character, even if the moment is intimate for some prosperous couple .

In conclusion, Chainsaw Man is a work that features recurring elements in manga and anime, but has a content never seen before. I must congratulate Jump for bringing us a very pleasant and dense series to see. It was certainly one of the craziest experiences I had the pleasure to read.

Chainsaw Man is the black coffee of Shōnen series. It is grounded and raw and without the saccharine additives that makes many of Jump’s series palatable for younger readers. It’s bitterness might deter many from appreciating its offering right away but over time many who once found it distasteful will realise its quality and those who had the tongue for it in the first place will say, ‘see this is what real coffee should be.’

Initially I couldn’t get past my shock of seeing this series featured alongside other Jump stalwarts. It departs so much from the safe and tested tropes. Sure it features of many ... of the same qualities that allow it a place on the shelf such as a teenage protagonist, destructive battles and resurrections with a fantastical imaginative world.
Dig a little though and you’ll also see a young protagonist more real in his depiction than many others in the same genre. Yes he’s goal oriented like the others. But his purpose is more relatable to real life teenage boys than becoming some king of whatever. Yes the battles are brutal and over the top but unlike many in jump’s lineup they don’t overstay their welcome. Sure death can be but a small inconvenience as often seen in other series where it is either only seen in flashback or shown as something just needed to be overcome. But in Chainsaw Man you feel that resurrection often also comes with despair and a true sense of loss for the character. It doesn’t result in some renewed declaration of will and power but with bitter consequences that affect the character’s emotional well-being. And finally yeah sure this is a landscape where devils and monsters exist, but often the biggest threat in this series isn’t some enormous blob of demonic creation but the very people who look and talk and think like you.

One final point of appreciation I have for this series and I think might be overlooked is the author’s respect for the medium. Many series in the same vein don’t trust the reader with visual imagery alone and must fill their panels with bloated and unnecessary words. Chainsaw Man however allows the characters and the world to come to breathe on its own. It’s often perfected in a lot more seinen series but amongst its peers in the Shōnen category it stands out even more.

I look forward to continuing this series and seeing the transformation of the characters and the developments made in the story. It’s a series that deserves its place as one of the most influential of its time and I welcome more people to either try it again or see for yourself the pure and great taste that is this black coffee series.

Chainsaw man is a type of manga that surprises you with the plot of the story, who will die? Who is the real villain? At certain times you will be asked who is wrong in the story.
Characters are the most important part of the manga, getting too attached can be a problem in the future...
In terms of art, the author can surprise, creating beautiful and epic scenes. The universe itself is not so complex to understand, which makes reading, besides being fun, exciting!
Although the protagonist has futile goals, the story around him can transform in a deep and frustrating way ...

Yes, READ!

Alright !!! As promised, I'm back to update my review since Chainsaw Man has finally reached 25 chapters. Yay??!!! I'll update once more if this reaches 100 chapters. I've been following the series right from chapter 1. Tone has shifted. If you are a horny teenager who loves some bloody actions fashioned with pseudo-echhi moments, congrats, you've picked the perfect manga.

Outline : We find ourselves in a world filled with devils. They range from pretty to cute to pure disgusting abominations. Our hero, Denji, is a poor dude with a pet living a harsh life. His life was isolated and pretty simple until shit happened ... and he died. But wait, he heart merged with his devil pet and he became a pseudo devil-man. He gets a badass new form and now, he's out for more. He gets hired and now he becomes a devil-hunter. Where will his bloody and murderous journey lead him?

Story : Right from the first chapter, the story has never been slow. It has a very nice flow to it and I feel comfortable with the current pace. It doesn't drag out any scene. The fights are gore-filled to the brim(c'mon, its chainsaw man.....pretty flowery highschool romance ain't needed). The short, but rage filled fights are pretty dope to look at. There are wholesome, lovely moments too and there are a few naughty moments here and there. We've already past the arc of Denji's misery. Now we get to see him care for his dick and get some blood.
You see, this has become a pseudo-ecchi action series. Kisses, boobs, sex, crush, etc goes hand in hand with the action. Our hero is great at killing. He's basically a chainsaw that massacres everything in its path. Nothing short of highly mutilated death would stop him. He goes in, he absorbs pain as if he enjoys it and he massacres. You don't see normal superhero actions, not that naruto or dbz style fights. These fights are basically no rules street fights, you kill or get killed in a very messy and unsettling way. BUT, hold up!!! The writer fuels the non-action parts with raunchy stuff. Denji is a horny dude and his sole motivations are touching boobs, kissing, french kissing, sex, licking his crush, etc. Welcome to a virgin's world !!! xD
I must add, the story steadily kept me interested in it and will keep getting better. The current arc is extremely interesting with a very promising villain. Since I'm reading the Masterpiece Wano arc of One Piece and Monster Arc of Onepunch Man side by side, this manga seems mediocre to me, I'm sure that on its own, this is actually better than what I claim here.

Characters : Character development has been quite impressive. We've seen a notable increase in the side cast and so I have stuff to go on.
Denji - So far, we've got quite some character development on Denji's part. His motivations are funny but hey, he's just a simple guy. Denji is a horny virgin who would love to get laid. Turns out, he has integrity; he wants to do the raunchy stuff only with his crush. He usually tries to turn away offers from others but can't help himself. Don't blame him, the guy just got introduced to the world of the pleasure. So Denji's deeds of actions are wholly based around getting some dick action. MINOR SPOILER : He helped his female teammate in fighting a vicious opponent just so that he could touch boobs for the very first time.
Pochita - Denji's loyal devil dog who showed its greatness by saving its master right from the gates of hell. Their bond is truly touching and even though it got very limited exposure in the manga, it won our hearts.
Makima - Denji's crush and his boss as well. She is Denji's main motivation. Denji would do anything to impress her. She is probably a sadist. She is highly manipulative and a total control freak. She'd possibly whore herself to achieve her demands. However, she has the power to capture others' hearts and make them submit to her. She's the character from whom I have the most expectations of development.
Power - She is the funniest of the bunch. She is a potential deuteragonist contender. She has padding on her boobs lmao. She eats a lot and her motivations are funny as well. She is kind of a comic relief. However, at times she shows conviction.
Aki - Another potential deuteragonist contender. He is the most interesting character so far. His motivations and goals are not fully clear. We know he's quite righteous and sticks to his ideals. He is an admirable fellow. He stands by his comrades and his partners tend to like him and vice versa. He has a rivalry with Denji, both in action, leadership as well as over Makima's heart.
Himeno - She is the one who we all loved and hated at the same time. Her actions are pleasing, her motivations and her character is admirable. Her care for her partner is very moving. She is loyal, horny and definitely something to look forwards too. :'(
There are others as well who show promise and will probably become more intesting later on. We have recently encountered two very intriguing villains and the future chapters will possibly go uphill.

Artwork - The art is okayish. I expected it to improve but nah. For a battle series, it is somewhat suitable. Its messy, its convoluted and it reminds me way too much of Tokyo Ghoul fighting panels. In a nutshell, it has a sketchy feeling to it. It lacks intricate details that one might expect from non-action scenes. At times, the sketchy feel is annoying. However, its not enough to throw you off. Its not pretty but during battles, it does depict the adrenaline flow well enough. The messy-ness contributes to the gory scenes in a positive way. I try my best to like this art but fuck it, I repeatedly disappoints me. You don't get to see that one stunning panel that'll move you, that one tiny detail that you'd wanna recheck 10 times. Even the sexually stimulating scenes have a look of disarray, as if the mangaka has to take a shit and so he quickly did the artwork. The character faces are disfigured, the shapes are inconsistent, the backgrounds are bland and so.

So for now,
Story --- 7/10
Character --- 8/10
Art --- 6/10
Enjoyment --- 8/10
Overall --- 7/10

I still have high hopes for this series. I believe the story part is gonna be fantastic. The art art has lost me but I'll try to take it in. Other than that, my believe was right. It has become very interesting. I hope it keeps running, whilst improving its art(plz), broadening its reach.
I'd recommend this to teenage boys. Adults should steer clear and go for seinen or some mainstream shonen. But hey, its always your choice, don't let me discourage you. *PEACE*

P.S --- This is my first review. Hope I did well.

Chainsaw Man seems to be somewhat divisive. While some people tout it as a masterpiece, others will absolutely loathe it and call it unsubstantial garbage. I can see why: it's stylish and strange and definitely not focused in being a crowd pleaser. I, personally, stand more in-between, and think that while it's most definitely flawled, what Fujimoto has to offer is a fun and bold ride that you can get a lot of enjoyment out of.

I guess the easiest thing there is for me to compare to Chainsaw Man, as many do, would be Tokyo Ghoul; both are manga about suit-clad members of an organization ... that aims to exterminate devils, and both are extremely violent and miserable (It's shocking to me that something as gory as Chainsaw Man landed a Shounen Jump serialization). While they do share some themes, such as questionings about what makes one human and whether fiends and humans can live in harmony, I feel like most of the similarities are surface-level. To be more specific, Chainsaw Man exists less apologetically than Tokyo Ghoul does - it's brashly committed to what it is to the very end, to the point that it certainly pissed a lot of people off, but I respect that.

Not only does it exist in more freedom, it also takes itself much less seriously. Chainsaw Man is a wild mixture of horrifying, bloody action with messed up cynical comedy. It relishes in putting the characters through the worst and then flauting irony in a punchline. It doesn't always hit - for example, the ongoing gag about Denji being desperate to have sex gets old and annoying real fast - but when it does, it's glorious. The feeling of reading this manga comes very closely to that of watching an extremely fun, campy B movie classic. Moreover, Fujimoto is very skilled at paneling, so that makes for a really easy, fast read. I went through all 90-something chapters in only two days, and if not for having to work, I'm sure I could've managed it in one sitting.

The cast of characters is surprisingly fun and likeable as well. They may be getting put through hell, but you can't not warm up to Power, Aki and Denji's familial antics. Makima's questionable and mysterious behavior is quite charismatic. The manga also counts on a pretty strong cast of supporting characters - notable mentions being Kobeni, Reze and Angel Devil, who enrich the chapters with the way they stir the story and add in new layers of development and comedic relief.

It all comes at a price, though. I did compare Chainsaw Man to a B movie before; it goes without saying that it has shortcomings in its writing. More specifically, it has great ideas and great action, but it suffers from dreadful pacing issues. The final arc and biggest reveal of the series was pretty much thrust upon us with no warning, making what could have been excellent seem a little disappointing for happening so fast. Characters die left and right - not an issue in itself considering the nature of the story, but it becomes one when even major character deaths happen way too fast and in an anticlimatic fashion. Chainsaw Man is simply a manga that gives you little time to connect, feel and mourn. To be fair, I feel like there is an attempt, but I don't think this is Fujimoto's forte. The story's structure is a little broken.

And it's with a heavy heart that I say that a broken structure and pacing end up limiting his interesting cast of characters. No doubt that you will get good moments with them and enjoy their presence to the end; but you'll leave feeling like they were all severely underutilized. If Fujimoto was better at pacing his story, Chainsaw Man would probably be a tad longer, and we'd probably get a more competent balance between gorey twists/battles and character bonding moments. I ultimately feel like I'm more attached to these characters because I recognize how incredible they'd be if used to their full potential rather than because they ARE textually excellent.

One last praise I will hand is for the art. I'm personally very fond of its sketchy quality. Fujimoto is without a doubt really good at character design and monster/creature design, as he is at depicting gore and drawing expressions. It looks very original and distinctive, and details such as the difference between the characters' pupils and inventive playfulness with the devilmen's characteristics makes for a visually memorable experience.

tl;dr Chainsaw Man is a competent manga. It's an easy read that delivers its promise of craziness, gore and fun while also dwelving into themes tied closely to the human condition. It is, however, dragged down by pacing and minor writing issues, and it feels like a version of itself that is not the best it could be. Maybe in another world, in an universe parallel to ours, Chainsaw Man is the properly fleshed out 10/10 manga that we deserve. But for now, let's be content with what we've got, because it's also pretty good.

-Fujimoto has one of the best manga panel construction ability I have ever seen, it is reminiscent of a movie, which isn't surprising considering he's a big movie fan.
-the build up of atmosphere is incredibly outstanding and unique.
-I have read lots of horror manga but none have made me feel chills down my spine from one panel.
-You can never predict what will happen next and it is a good thing.
-He can use the lighting in a scene to create an incredibly oppressive atmosphere, conveying a genuine emotion which could be felt across the screen.
-For characters that show up very little, it is amazing how he ... can add depth and personality to them, it is as if everyone in the story has a real life personality.

A proud city mouse visits his cousin living in the country and is treated to a modest meal. Unsatisfied, he invites the country mouse back to the city to taste the fine life. There, they gorge out on delicious food, but are soon interrupted by a pack of dogs and have to run for their life. After the ordeal, the country mouse decides the opulence is not worth the risk and returns home.

Which mouse are you, dear reader? Are you willing to risk your sanity going into this manga, or would you rather live ignorant of it?

Chainsaw Man is the second work from the tragedy ... aficionado Tatsuki Fujimoto, whose previous work Fire Punch caused quite the stir in 2016–2017 for killing off pretty much its entire cast so playfully and at such a brisk pace it made its famed contemporaries like Attack on Titan and Game of Thrones feel almost uplifting in comparison.

Indeed, Chainsaw Man and its predecessor share many similarities, including (but not limited to) gritty art style, graphic violence and nudity, massive death counts, and heaps of suffering for everyone involved—audience as well. And, as such, will alienate many readers from the get-go. If this is something that upsets you, it's totally okay not to like it, and I would not insist you read either of the two works. However, dismissing either of them for all the negative stuff as if they were a dumb edgy piece of action schlock without acknowledging the positives would be missing the forest for the trees.

You see, Fujimoto is, at his core, a passionate artist and a very clever writer. He really enjoys and knows the strengths of the medium he's working with. He portrays his characters with a confident hand, keeping precise track of their personality and emotional state and relaying this information to the reader with minimal effort—very often in just a passing panel that may not even strike you as some sort of important foreshadowing until much later. Every tiny bit, every expression contributes to a character, and as such he makes them very human, so you connect with them almost instantly. You can love them, you can hate them, but even the minor cast members are perceived as individuals and may often steal attention from the leads for several chapters in a row. And when they die like most of them eventually do, their loss becomes all the more apparent and solemn.

This makes for an interesting contrast—or, perhaps, even a dynamic—between the setting and the characters inhabiting it. Where the setting has obvious battle/horror fantasy and mythical elements to it and is, at times, quite surreal, the emotions of characters, their socialization, the problems they experience and the consequences they bear are *very* real—almost hyperreal, in fact. In one particularly haunting episode of Chainsaw Man some of the characters are briefly transported to Hell, where they are exposed to one of the most powerful devils who overwhelms them in a quick and chaotic onslaught. The way this scene taps into the primal fears is incredibly efficient: in just a few panels both the audience and the characters are subjected to an intense feeling of powerlessness, disorientation, and dread on such a deep conceptual level that when the characters eventually return, we learn that some of them have died in the process, a few end up maimed, one resigns, and one is so deeply traumatized they revert to a child-like mental state. Most of this information is presented in a scene that takes place next day just before breakfast, quiet and undramatic to the point of being casual. And that underlines the reality of what happened: these characters know they are dealing with terrifying phenomena and lethal threats; death and loss of limb are expected but will still hurt every time. So if one started out on a mentally healthy baseline, they will either have to try desensitizing themself, or commit to using alcohol and other chemical means to force it, or be forced to resign if they're lucky to have the opportunity before they're killed in action.

"Wait, that actually sounds like real life", you say. Well, doesn't it? It's been a while since a manga published in a magazine full of battle fantasy manga preached these simple truths, almost as if it were an act of purposeful sabotage. Battles are dangerous. Guns are made to kill. War is not a fun adventure. Death is deeply traumatizing even if averted. Seeing your friends and colleagues die will scar you for life. Being maimed does not make you a better fighter. Taking the life of another is neither easy nor something that anyone should be subjected to. Grass is green. These messages are clear but they're never shoved down your throat; the only thing that makes them apparent is that, for once, you're shown the *actual consequences* of armed conflicts without glorifying any of their purposes.

The sheer reality and apparent obviousness of trauma and death which most of us—especially the adults—can relate to are a perfect counterpart to Fujimoto's trademark blend of the conceptual horror of Junji Ito (whom it paid a couple homages to) and the arcane horror of the religious traditions, most notably Christianity (which is *terrifying*, as those deeply familiar with the Bible and the orthodox European penance traditions know for a fact). There are no jump scares or any other cheap shots. In fact, the opposite is true: at one point one of the main characters is explicitly shown by an omniscient devil how and at whose hands they will die. This anticipation and the inevitability are dreadful all on their own. Even if you come into Chainsaw Man after Fire Punch (or Game of Thrones, or any other such work), knowing that no-one—not even the main characters—have any plot armor to keep them safe from dying, every time you come across a piece of potential foreshadowing you just can't help chanting "oh no, no, please don't" in your mind. Amazing. I honestly cannot tell if it's more painful than it is satisfying to read, but if anything it's incredibly gripping... and, despite everything, occasionally quite fun! While Chainsaw Man's subject matter is hardly comedic by itself, the brief moments of levity feel genuine and deserved. The characters, no matter who they are or how questionable their morals, are charismatic and soulful. The main trio—Denji, Aki, and Power—are always a joy to behold; their onscreen chemistry is palpable and the scenes of bonding are so sweet you'll start searching the web for fanfics where nothing bad happens to them for once.

What never fails to surprise me, though, is how Chainsaw Man managed to get published in Shonen Jump—a magazine aimed chiefly at teenage boys. By all means, this is not a shonen work at all. Admittedly, the main character, Denji, is 16, but he doesn't get any slack for technically (and legally) being a minor. All the other human characters are adults; they lead an adult life and have adult worries. Almost all of the comedy comes from Denji and the devilmen being quirky and/or clueless when interacting with each other or humans, while human characters rarely crack jokes and treat the devilmen as useful idiots most of the time. When shown off-duty, characters mainly do household chores, socialize with their colleagues, or drink/smoke away their painful thoughts in solitude. Indeed, many characters drink and smoke—not because it's a part of their cool image but to cope with the stress, which they are often very explicit about. There is a lot of tasteful but still very sensual nudity and elements of sexual foreplay. The art style, albeit sketchy, is not devoid of detail and also tends towards a realistic portrayal of human anatomy and facial features, which has a direct and positive impact on the characters' body language and enables portraying even subtle emotional changes without spelling them out. The tone and narrative style are typically quite mature and fully befit of the seinen demographic. This is considering that seinen manga has already been plagued with much more juvenile edge-fests like the recent Gleipnir, Dead Tube, and Fake Rebellion whose only claim to a higher-age demographic is their cynicism and explicit imagery. It's really surprising because Shueisha still has a whole line of magazines aimed at young adults, such as Young Jump where the likes of Gantz, Tokyo Ghoul, and Elfen Lied were published. So what gives? I doubt anyone but the editors responsible for this decision could give a convincing answer, but I like to think that it was a way to give Fujimoto the broad exposure he deserves—and, judging by the sales, it seems to have worked.

And this is where I must warn you again: the first 1–3 chapters aren't fully representative of what's to come. Denji is a relatively weak character by himself, the way he is introduced borders on self-parody, and it can be easily misconstrued as an exercise in misery porn trying to capitalize on shock value. I admit, this threw me off as well at first, and I only decided to keep reading because Fire Punch taught me to expect better. And indeed, the more characters were introduced, the better they bounced off of Denji and each other. In the first character popularity poll, Denji only took 5th place with barely half the votes put in for the 1st, which speaks to the enormous popularity and value of the side cast. It has a much stronger camaraderie and family vibes than Fire Punch, and this really hits home shortly after the encounter in Hell that I wrote about earlier. Overall, the manga has consistently kept becoming better over the course of its run—and this is something I deeply appreciate since many Jump serializations peaked in their early arcs and never recovered.

Finally, I wanted to point you again at the Aesop fable paraphrased in the first paragraph of this review. It is a recurring theme in Chainsaw Man, alluded to and even quoted directly on multiple occasions; as such, it permeates the entire narrative and provides a framework to gauge the characters' decisions. Would you count your blessings or go for broke? Would you remain in blissful ignorance, or would you learn something that might ruin your entire world? Would you stay behind with your family or follow your deep desires even if the pay-off might not be worth it?.. The characters make decisions and bear the consequences. Where most shonen manga naturally tend towards following a story of wild and often unreasonable success, Chainsaw Man ruthlessly and meticulously documents the costs and the failures: ruined dreams, dashed hopes, one-sided romances, fruitless revenge, disastrous gambits. It very clearly demonstrates that the risks faced by the proverbial city mouse are real and that not every adventure is worth going for.

So again, with all this in mind, which mouse are you?


(Review updated on 2020/06/20, valid as of chapter 73.)

Review subject to change as I (definitely) continue this manga, contains spoilers up to chapter 20.

So: I'm not exactly sure what's going on in Chainsaw Man. The basic elements are formulaic (insert random mishmash of shounen tropes here - actually scratch that- this thing basically works as a D-Gray Man parody) and I'm sure finer details will be revealed as the series continues. But I seem to have skimmed over other expository elements : how high up the government ladder is Makima? who is half devil, who is devil man, devil summoner, what's the difference?

The thing is, though, I really don't care at ... all.
This is probably me reading too much/not enough into it, but Chainsaw Man is a story about broken people almost à la Evangelion (and, well, that's how you keep me reading).

In the beginning of the manga, the story moves along almost exceedingly quickly. It's hard to care about what's going on more than recognizing as the backstory info dump that it is. But at the same time, the protagonist doesn't care either, still entirely stuck in survival mode, and excusing the reader from having to invest in some shitty ~my dad left me and now i have to bla bla ~ pity party. Great start!

In fact, in Chainsaw Man, no one is exceedingly relatable, and I don't think there's a single character present yet that I'd even dare call 'nice', not even as some sort of foil to the rest of the team. Everyone (you care about) is sharp, stony-eyed, and dangerous. They don't care about friendship, or saving the world, or rescuing strangers, no, their motivations are very much self-centred and vain. All the bloodshed is done to selfishly save the one person they (think) they love (who loves another girl, fuck), to feel up some tits, to save their cat. Honestly, the MC is just here to fuck a babe and try to survive till the next day. We respect that!
In Chainsaw Man, the characters are not judged for doing what they must to feel human. And as a piece of shit living in a collapsing capitalist society, that makes me feel goooood.

From these scarred and probably traumatized characters (you can see where I'm connecting to Evangelion with this, huh), this semi-abstract web of obedience & freedom, risk & reward, pain & pleasure. And yes.... this is the part where I pretend that the cheesy fan service scenes are actually crucial and thematically relevant. What I'm getting from the strange sexual favour pacts the characters keep promising each other are half-hearted, dissimulated adolescent attempts at connection and communication. In a universe filled with demons, where you can't even afford to believe that your ~cute ~half-demon ~coworker is human much less will still be alive tomorrow, promising him to opportunity to feel you up is a way of desperately establishing a communal dream, a moment of connection, a way of veiling your insecurities and doubts - if only for a brief breast grab.

Tell me that's not some Sexuality 101, kink studies type shit. Tell me *main character's name* isn't learning how to integrate a social order by being Makima's dog (woof). Tell me that (Aki? Eyepatch girl)'s character isn't eerily similar to Eva's Misato: trying to protect and connect and love all at once, having kissed pretty much (child, adult) passing through the squad, pretty sure that includes everyone that has died so far! Huh, kinda tragic. Honestly I hope this desparate/strange horny energy continues through the manga. It would be fun seeing that energy continues through the manga, that instead of your average shounen battle team, that these characters end up fitting together like kinda horny, kinda broken puzzle pieces, while carving demons into spectacular blood fountains along the way.

I'm not sure why this review is so long lol. Honestly, I'm fairly certain that this manga will disappoint me, that in a couple dozen chapters we'll be firmly settled into a more conventional shounen series with an OP protagonist, and a rival, and a love interest, and a mission to save the world. Can't wait to watch my analysis of this series thus far crumble, but I can't help but hope that Chainsaw Man stays on its track of being a subversive battle manga focused on young adults dealing with pain in through unhealthy and fatal coping mechanisms.

i don’t think there’s any words to fully describe how great Chainsaw Man truly is, good doesn’t even cover the wonders of this series. Tatsuki Fujimoto wrote an incredible story with amazing well written characters i can easily say this manga is a rare practically perfect story. the twists are incredible everything about this is just a holy shit moment.

this is a series i’d recommend to anyone in a heartbeat, genuinely deserves a chance to anyone questioning if it’s worth it or not. it's completely worth it and just truly a refreshing read, i cannot say it enough but this was just amazing.

I actually don't remember why and how I get into this manga. As I read it for like 30+ish chapter I see that this is one of another great release by JUMP. What I really keen (and also hate) is the brutality that being drawn and caused both in the manga and also to my emotions respectively. I couldn't stress enough that Chainsaw Man brings you no enjoyment at all. I didn't mean that it's not fun or not great but the abundance of sorrow will come to you as you progressed while reading this manga. I had to stop at one point of not ... reading this manga since it caused a great damage to my feelings. Guess what? After I restarted reading it again the author itself didn't even give any break or two for a breather. Fujimoto clearly destroys me at this point. Somehow I managed to read every sufferings the author gave upon me. Here's an advice if you don't like your feelings and emotions getting bludgeoned or if you got easily attached to a certain character; Do not read this manga. I am aware in the situation of mudhole of agony that dragged me down. If you do actually like being tortured mentally and emotionally then I guess this one is for you. I wished nothing but a sleepless night, stressful days and hardships to Fujimoto-san for what he had done to me thru his manga. Thank you and I hate you.

I've read 76 chapters of the manga and hence I am writing this review.

This manga is patently really good, the story seemed rather weak at first but later develops into something really interesting, as the mc begins to search for the meaning of his life.
The manga is action filled, and bits of comedy here and there, there are characters in the manga which are really interesting and cute while on the other hand there are characters which are very mysterious but entertaining.
The story line is rather uncommon and interesting.

It has comedy, romance, action...........It's really good.

Do I recommend this manga? Sure, why the hell not? I ... would actually love it if this manga gets an anime adaptation.

A Deconstruction of the Shonen Genre. The Tarantino of Manga. A story written for people who have seen it all. A spoiler-free review.

If any of those descriptions sounds like something you'd be interested in, then boy do I have a manga for you.

Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of Chainsaw Man, is a well known film buff. In fact, the advice he gives to aspiring young mangakas is to get a Netflix subscription. And this shows in his work. Neat pop culture references aside, what really shines in Fujimoto's work is what he intentionally leaves unsaid.

Chainsaw Man from beginning to end is a thrilling, chaotic, ... often depressing, yet oddly hilarious, rollercoaster of emotions. And to express this, Fujimoto's favorite language to use is Atmosphere. Whether shown through paneling, or his signature rough and unrefined art style, or through the quiet moments shared between characters, the emotions he wants to convey have never been heard more loudly.

This is what I feel like separates Fujimoto's work from other Mangaka's. But what about Chainsaw Man? What makes this series in particular, so absolutely brilliant? And why has it developed such an intense cult following?

I would say it comes down to three things: Characters, Theme, and Expectations.

The characters in Chainsaw Man have this odd power, the ability to instantly make you fall in love with them. I say its odd, because the world of anime and manga has always taken an excruciating amount of time developing each and every character (often at the expense of others). So how, despite Chainsaw Man's blistering pace, do we find ourselves so emotionally attached to these characters?

I think the answer is in what I already explained as Fujimoto's genius: His language of atmosphere. Everything he draws, and everything he doesn't, all culminates into telling a story and conveying the emotions he wants to express. His characters use this language, and in every panel you can find them doing something or saying something that characterizes them even further. And that makes their growth, pain, happiness, and destruction all that more intensely satisfying.

So what happens when you take Fujimoto's genius language of atmosphere, combined with lovable characters that have no need for exposition, and tie it all together with a theme? Well then you have the makings for one of the most incredible stories in the game. I could spend hours talking to you about the themes portrayed in this series, and some of the reviews here have already done an incredible job of doing just that. So instead, I want to end this review on a little bit of an anecdote.

Fujimoto writes Chainsaw Man for people like Fujimoto. People like me. Someone who has watched hundreds of anime, read countless manga, binged endless novels, has a hulu, netflix, disney plus, and amazon prime subscription, and has generally spent their life watching film and television. After a while, people like us begin to crave the same thing: The Unexpected.

Tropes and Cliches have existed for as long as stories have, and when you see enough of them, you gain the ability to predict plots from beginning to end. When I watched Game of thrones with my friend for the first time, I was accused of never being surprised. And to be honest, I wasn't. Yet, every week, no matter what predictions I had in my head, Chainsaw Man never failed to completely blow away my expectations. And because of that, I have never been more excited for a manga in my life.

I don't know what Fujimoto has planned for the rest of the series, and honestly, that's what makes it great. And I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Clarification: If there are things misspelled, I'm sorry, but I don't speak English very well.

This will not be an in-depth review or anything like that, I'm just going to say what I think and voila.

History: 9/10
This story is about Denji, who has a simple dream: to live a happy and peaceful life, spending time with a girl he likes. However, this is far from the truth, as the yakuza forces Denji to kill demons to pay off his crushing debts. Using his pet, the devil Pochita, as a weapon, he is ready to do anything for a little money.

Unfortunately, he has outlived his usefulness and ... is murdered by a devil in contract with the yakuza. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Pochita merges with Denji's dead body and grants him the powers of a chainsaw devil. Now able to transform parts of his body into chainsaws, a revived Denji uses his new abilities to quickly and brutally dispatch his enemies. Catching the eye of the official devil hunters who arrive at the scene, he is offered work at the Public Safety Bureau as one of them. Now with the means to face even the toughest of enemies, Denji will stop at nothing to achieve his simple teenage dreams.

Art: 9/10
The art of this work is incredible, it has small details that no one would expect, the designs are great, very well done, Fujimoto Tatsuki has a gift for these things, just incredible.

Characters: 10/10
The characters are magnificent, the protagonist is 10/10, I think the specialty of this manga is the female characters, they are very well done, more than that, Makima fulfills his role in a spectacular way, Power is very well done and Developed, Himeno It is also very well done, I would like to continue telling myself more characters but if I keep talking I will give spoilers so I better not say anything more about the characters.

Enjoyment: 10/10
Believe me when I tell you this, the first chapters and volumes will go by so fast that you won't even notice, they are very good, not at all annoying, they are fun, they have good fights, they have absolutely everything for you to enjoy, I definitely recommend them.

Overall: 10/10, amazing in all respects.

Chainsaw Man short review (without spoilers):

Background:
I read Chainsaw Man manga due to its popularity, going in without knowing anything about the plot or characters. The first chapter was quite promising and made me want to read more. The fighting scenes were gory but epic at the same time, the art style was quite messy but simple. However, the following few chapters made me feel uncomfortable for how much Denji, the main character, was horny. I stayed and kept reading mainly for Aki, the deuteragonist, having little to no hope I would enjoy the rest, which somehow ended with me falling in love with the manga.

Story:
I ... gotta say, the story is one of the most memorable stories I have read. It may be a simple story, easy to follow, yet intriguing, knowing the author can pull anything to play with our emotions. Compared to other mangas I have read like Noragami, Pandora Hearts or Magi, I can't remember more than half of what happened in those stories (but that might just be a me thing...). The story is not just about fighting and touching boobs. There are character developments, plot twists, emotional scenes, and panels that are heartfelt (especially in Part 2).

Characters:
The characters are the ones that grow on you throughout the journey. Especially the main character Denji, whom I disliked at first, seeing him in Part 2 breaks my heart for what he has been through, and how much he has grown. And digging into his character as a protagonist, I also want to include the fact that Denji is the most realistic main character in the Shounen genre, with realistic goals and dreams.

Powers:
I am also very into power systems, and I enjoy well-thought-out power systems in animanga, rather than them being random gained abilities. I have to say, the power system in Chainsaw Man is one of the best, gaining abilities by making contracts with a devil which are not only based on its fear, but also the payment.

Conclusion:
In the end, all I want to say is... Chainsaw Man is great. I would even consider it a masterpiece.
Chainsaw Man manga is something you can easily read within 2 days, but if you speedrun it, you must reread it again.
That's it. Bye

"Cindy-Uchiha" is an example of a contrarian. Someone who notices the spiking popularity in a new movie, anime, manga, whatever, and decides to go into it getting ready to hate on it.

Anyone who reads this manga with an open mind will have to agree it deserves nothing less than a 7. It simply does not. So to give it a 5, meaning it's on par with literal mid shounen like Bleach and Fairy Tail (and surprisingly he has Bleach as one of his favorites) is just a joke. And to have Devilman Crybaby as a 8 and this at a 5? What?

This review might ... seem like an attack on a reviewer. Maybe I just seem salty. The answer to both is "sure, so what?" It takes away nothing from the point I am trying to make.

Chainsaw Man definitely has some weak points. Yes, it's world-building isn't the most incredible you'll ever read and yes, the plot isn't the most incredible thing you'll ever read.
But is it an extremely creative take on a shounen battle manga?
Does it have some really cool characters with actual depth and development?
Does it have some really cool designs and plot progression?
Is it still ongoing meaning it has time to iron out some of its weaknesses?
THE ANSWER TO ALL THAT IS A RESOUNDING YES.

Do not let people who have decided to hate on the new cultural-phenomenon-of-a-shounen sway you from picking this masterpiece up. Give it a try, don't set your expectations too high or low. Be honest with it, and enjoy the fucking ride it is.