Chainsaw Man is a contemporary and unique take on what it means to be an outrageous anime. With traditional Shonen characteristics (mischievous MC with no parents, some power system of sorts, a general “baddie” system composed of powers equal to or more than the protagonist) upon first inspection, it seems to be another washed up attempt at an eye-catching, fight-porn story. Chainsaw Man is the opposite. Throughout the first chapters, you are led through the incredibly heart wrenching story of Denji and Pochito. But then, the tides turn. Denji truly becomes “Chainsaw Man” and the outright extraneous aspects of the story begin play in. The character design (both art and story-wise) run in tandem with the craziness of the plot. Everything is chaotic; a plentiful number of events subvert your expectations and twist your brain into knots. It never was “boring” while reading. There was always some insane side conflict to satisfy even the most hardcore Shonen fans. Additionally, it was not overly gory; something that tends to make or break these darker stories.
Conclusively, the seemingly fanatic 97 chapters drew me in and forced me to drink deeply from the flow of text and beautifully drawn panels. While I may not have much manga experience under my belt, I can say for certain that Chainsaw Man is one of kind and not meant to be undertaken as just another visceral attempt at a “quirky” anime. I must say, it is not for everyone. The only reason it is not at a 10 in my book is because I believe it had much more potential. Nevertheless, I recommend this to anyone looking for an excellent read and an enthralling storyline.
Also, Makima best girl.
