Denji, as a character, doesn’t make a lot of sense from a logical perspective, but makes a lot of sense when you consider the environment he was raised in. Even though he’s a dumbass and has very odd values, you can’t help but root for him even if it’s only out of empathy. He’s a typical 16 year old who has had to sell several of his limbs while he was still a human. The result is a complete indifference to bodily harm and death. His behaviour can get borderline insane sometimes, but that’s once again understandable when you consider his upbringing.
What I like about Chainsaw Man is that it doesn’t force me to feel anything. There isn’t a wide variety of sad orchestral pieces to make me feel sad about a character’s death and as a result the character deaths do in fact feel more meaningful. It goes against the tropes of battle shounen by not giving us elongated flashbacks before a character’s death and they instead happen at breakneck pace. Seeing the different responses to having people taken away from them is amazing and really makes you question Denji’s humanity especially when put in contrast with other cast members like Aki.
I can’t talk about Chainsaw Man without talking about the production and I can confidently say that MAPPA has once again knocked it out of the park with this one. The animation is easy on the eyes and manages to be spectacular without ever trying to do too much. Chainsaw Man’s art is one of its redeeming qualities so having to match that level couldn’t have been easy. So far they’ve done just that, if not more.
Overall, this show is amazing. I would highly recommend it by anyone who isn’t immediately put off by gore, because it does go pretty heavy on the gore. Chainsaw Man is raw, thrilling, charming and as a result one of the best anime of the year.
