Manga 140150 Chainsaw Man Buddy Stories

Chainsaw Man Buddy Stories, at first, seems like just a generic spin off, created to make extra cash with fanatic fans desperate to have everything Chainsaw Man, or Fujimoto related in their collection.

But it isn't.

The first and last story are the most akin to a spin off that you'll get from this piece of work (and they're still fun and interesting in their own way), because the rest is a literal expansion of the CSM universe in the form of a novel. Especially the second and third stories are peak character development and I wholeheartedly want to someday see these two animated somehow.

This volume, next ... to the manga itself, makes me genuinely believe that the CSM universe literally exists inside fujimoto's head in constant motion and that he can, anytime he writes something related to Chainsaw Man, just take a small part of it and put on the paper for us to appreciate.

That's why he's my favorite manga author. If you're a Chainsaw Man fan and, specially, a Fujimoto fan, I suggest you read this one. You won't regret it.

I am going to preface this review by saying this light novel is meant to be read after Chainsaw Man (up to the end of Vol. 11 anyway). Some of the stories spoil quite a bit of the series – including the ending!! – so wait to read this novel until you've finished the manga!

Secondly, I feel I should say that this light novel is best enjoyed by those who read Chainsaw Man and loved it. If you read Chainsaw Man and were neutral on it, or weren't the biggest fan of it, I would not recommend reading this light novel. It's nothing revolutionary and ... it's not gonna change your feelings on the manga.

Now with that in mind, and as a fan of Chainsaw Man myself, I'll give my thoughts on it to other fans.

This light novel is 4 short stories that feature different characters. The scenarios, apparently laid out by the author of the manga, are quite in line with the manga. None of them felt like they were out of place. Some of the stories were better than others, however it's nothing drastic. They all range somewhere from "average" to "pretty good". I don't think any of them are exceptional, but none of them are awful either so it evens out.

Each of the stories has a single full-page illustration to accompany it. Loved the art. However, I question why certain scenes were chosen to be depicted over others... I believe certain scenes would have made for a better illustration in some of the stories. Not a big deal but I did find one of them in particular disappointing. (Again, not the art itself! but rather the choice of scene.)

Now, my actual complaint with this light novel is that the prose is *very* short and direct. I can see the appeal of this style of writing but I found the detail was just too bare-bones at times. I found this was a lot more noticeable in certain stories compared to others. The lighter, "fluffier" stories worked with this style of writing a lot better than the stories focusing on heavier content did. I think if another handful of pages could have been added to those heavier stories it would have given them the opportunity to build up more impact. This is totally subjective though! You might prefer the quick pacing yourself but yeah, I did not.

Overall, in my opinion this light novel is good stories hampered by mediocre writing. I suppose that should warrant a lower score, but it was a silly, fun read and honestly I didn't expect much more than that. Just don't expect anything profound and you'll probably enjoy it too. (Think of it as official fanfiction.)

“Chainsaw-Man” in book form seems like a complete antithesis to what the original, insane story depicted, but hey, worked pretty well.

Props to the writer, who isn't the original Tatsuki Fujimoto. This is a set of four stories that are technically canon, since there's nothing to contradict their presence in the story. It's consistently set at the right moment, for instance, characters not using nicknames established later in the series, their trust being at an incredibly lower level compared to other times. Or, in other instances, being placed as subsets of backstory, or as an explanation for an off-episode panel.

The first story is that of ... what amounts to a filler chapter. Not the most enjoyable, probably the one the author stuck there first to get it out of the way, and tell us this isn't part of the original vision. Power and Denji get caught up with a bunch of paranoid hunters in a building, where something's taking the group apart. All from the main perspective of a bloke who's not aware of their insane antics. I didn't find this one to be particularly good. It displays personalities, yes, but it boils down to some empty fun. We know who'll live or die. Predictable, and not even that mysterious.

4/10. Happy to hear from these characters again.

The second, one of the best here. Quanxi and Kishibe had me extremely intrigued about their past. An impossible romance, not only because of one's sexuality, but each other's attachment issues, plagued with a toxic comfort from the knowledge of both not dying anytime soon. Complex, filled with trampled hopes, and the looming feeling of life's dissatisfaction. Both are stuck in a job where good will, and saving civilians, doesn't bring good results, much less a good life. Miserable, but oddly comforting. They clash in a battle of ideologies, attachments, and it leads to the first step in their tragic future. Really liked this one, specially those relaxing moments where they just eat, or get a newbie drunk. It leads us to a scene where Kishibe recognizes the overt danger that the woman he loves poses, not in terms of fight antics, but morally.

8/10. The devil encounter was a little too on the nose about the character's insecurities, but alas, it's not bad.

The third might be on par, or a little better than the second one. Reading about Aki, and Himeno's relationship feels like a breath of fresh air. Both are two, very damaged individuals, seeking something to fill in the void in their hearts, but in the wrong place. Neither of them considers the other to be worth a piece of their humanity, and in their search to find the other's worth, they bond. Small, inconsequential, but ultimately sad. If you're in the know of “Chainsaw-man”'s story, you know the future of these characters, and it all feels pointless. Like reading the diary of a long-lost friend, it's a piece of a life that was lived, that was important, that defined them. It makes everything after seem like the truest, most raw form of tragedy. Pages of people finding they're worth sharing a beer with, only for it to go away once you finish reading those last words.

It's a well-written little episode in the lives of those we care about. Nice little story, fun fight scene, and good stakes, even if we know they'd win. It arches back to the best chapters from the manga, as a memory. It works wonders.

8.5/10. I don't always feel like I truly know characters, but these people are something special.

Fourth one, I've heard some controversy. Yes, this is the emotionally manipulative one with an ending that doesn't truly grasp the amount of pain felt by Denji. It's a beach episode, one which happens in an impossible moment in the story, but for good reason. In the beach, they spend their time together. Jokes, pranks, the stupid shenanigans Power and Denji usually come up with, but there's something wrong, and Denji can feel it. At times, a character breaks a mold, like breaking the fourth-wall, and letting us into the weirdness of the situation. It all leads to the sad reveal, the reality punch in everything we experienced, right before the ending of Part 1 of “Chainsaw-Man”.

I was legitimately sad, but instead of building towards the true sadness, it feels like one of those fan-arts that try to be painful for the sake of it. As a comparison, the Aki and Himeno story built this inherent tragedy, by not acknowledging it at all. It let us as an audience think back on their experiences without trying to force us into them. If this story could fit into a real point in the story, it would've delivered its gut-punch much better, in my opinion. I like the abstract nature of some of these moments, but it's too on-the-nose to be any special.

6/10. The ending, though, that was great.

6.6/10. As a complete experience, it's a mixed bag. Two greats, a stinker, and the one with the good and the bad. Overall, a positive experience that scratches that “Chainsaw-Man” itch.