#chainsaw man analysis

This reveal is probably the craziest thing to come from this chapter. Not only is it an interesting call-back to Makima's speech back in chapter 84 (with the four possible conclussions other than death), but also raises some questions.

The birth related symbology around Chainsaw Man is undeniable: chainsaws were originally created for Symphysiotomy (the predecessor of the C-section), Hero of Hell Pochita has his umbilical cord around the neck like a rope, and the motherhood symbolisms in both Makima and Yoru. Because of this, people have speculated that Pochita is actually the Birth Devil. Plus, it would make sense thematically for the strongest devil to represent the fear of being born into this world (kinda similar to the shtick Fire Punch had going on, in a way).

However, this reveal makes things a little more complicated, as it allows new speculation points to be discussed. Humans turn into trees when they reach the culmination of thought (a process Pochita erased and is only possible in Aging's pocket reality where death doesn't exist), and chainsaws are meant to cut trees.

Is this what Barem meant with Chainsaw Man's original purpose? To bring an end to those stuck in these state? Chainsaw Man is a force of motion: he always gets up, and his chainsaws need to revolve around themselves in order to cut. Is he like this because his original purpose was also to make sure the world doesn't stagnate, granting an ending to these people who already reached their conclusion, thus providing space for new life to exist and giving motion to the world?

At first I thought Aging's world was a reference to Dante's Seventh Circle of Hell, "The Wood of the Self-Murderers". I still don't discard it, but now I'm not so sure of where is Fujimoto trying to get to with this.

I guess one of the things with "you were far happier in that shack" is that back then, despite having a terrible life/knowing other people had it much better, Denji could still kinda live in some sort of 'blissful ignorance' as long as he had Pochita. With him. That happens again in p2: Denji lives in 'ignorance' of the past because he tries his best to forget about the bad things that happened. That makes it worse when he remembers.

Pochita's solution is forgetting everything, which.. I guess would just be blissful ignorance again.. cycle...

what I'm trying to say is this all is like some cycle, as in we're coming back to some themes of p1,, ignorance is bliss and–

–desires unmet. Chasing dreams but feeling unfulfilled after accomplishing them. Denji is someone with a 'survival instinct'; he had to survive for so long, that he's only ever known how to thrive within the suffering to survive. He's happy in the suffering, sorta. He struggles to find himself in happiness. What better way to disconnect from that 'survival' than to disconnect what makes him survive - Pochita?

Yet you need the bad things—there's no existing without suffering, which is clear in p1 and p2—just like the good things. You need the bad movies and bad first experiences and bad things like Death! Hell, Death is a necessity for the cycle of life. Life needs death. And by reseting the world, perhaps it can find a natural balance by giving birth to a new Death and Pochita.

That said, it was sad that Denji didn't even get a say in it. Well, he didn't ever get a say in anything in his entire life lmao. Not in the Yakuza, not in Public Safety, etc. But maybe, starting this all anew, he'll actually have the freedom to decide and think for himself. Honestly reminds me of Asa, wishing him 'happiness' without asking him if it's what he wants, with her wanting him to eat her to kill Yoru ; Asa/Pochita tries to save Denji by getting rid of themselves even though Denji doesn’t want that.

^ Talking about Asa/Yoru, it's interesting to think that just like Asa's human feelings bled through Yoru, Denji's human feelings (in this case, feeling like a burden to everyone in his life) could've bled through Pochita and be one of the reasons he erased himself - Chainsaw Man is the reason Denji was so miserable, the reason everything started, so... mm. Much to think about. Pochita feels guilty since this Chainsaw Man persona brought so much suffering to Denji.

Anyway. Interesting that the supposed end (?) of CSM returns all the way to the start, to what this story has always been:

a boy and his dog.

Perhaps Denji could live peacefully in a world where he's not Chainsaw Man. Even if for that, one would have to rewrite history itself, erase themself, get rid of all those memories? Yes. Yes, because nobody loves Denji like Pochita does. Pochita would and literally does that. Which, in a way, breaks the cycle. Denji's cycle of constant violence and suffering. (And restarts the cycle of Denji and Pochita's life together ever since the beginning...)

Maybe like that, Denji can keep dreaming.

i genuinely don’t care about the dudebros who call her mommy, not because it’s correct or not egregious, but because they’re few and far between if you’re not engaging with stupid men. what is more frustrating to me is people that call her a sexual predator or pedophile.

she dangled denji’s desires in front of him to manipulate him. she was never going to have any sexual relations with him, and her manipulation + grooming were never sexual. she is incapable of that sort of attraction.

i also dislike the people that characterize her as some wacky cartoonishly evil sadist when her sadism is no more than that of any devil. she does not enjoy killing, she enjoys control. her laughing after killing power was her experiencing the joy of her power, true control, and being swallowed by that ecstasy.

people seem to forget that her life is not dissimilar to reze’s. she was also a child once, and she had always been kept “collared and controlled” by the state. she views people as tools due to the combination of her natural desire for control and also because she has always been a tool with a gun to her head. she never knew equal relationships, all she knew was the government and its destruction.

her treatment of denji, including destruction of his family and security, was for the purpose of drawing out chainsaw man and having him eat the other horsemen and all of the other dangerous devils.

she did get some level of satisfaction in these things, her instincts as the control devil make that immovable, but she also got satisfaction due to her jealousy. seeing denji get a family and withhold equal relationships despite the danger of his hybrid aspect, she feels satisfied that she gets to rip that away and watch him turn empty and motionless, just like herself.

her reasoning for wanting to kill other devils is control is something that is feared due to what it brings. war, famine, death, etc. are all the reasons people feel fear towards control. makima desperately wants equal relationships, a family, to feel the simple joys that people do.

she believes her actions are a necessary evil to ultimately end human suffering. she believes this because her life is government control, and the only way she knows how to achieve this goal is the same techniques used by the corrupt and abusive government. she doesn’t care what it takes because she doesn’t know how, people are pawns to her because that is how her superiors treat humans and makima herself.

despite part of her goal being to “free” mankind of their pain, it is truthfully more selfish than that. you see it too when she cries in the movie theater while two characters hug. she would give anything for a chance at a family, a chance at equality without feeling above others. how can a devil feel above others if she has no leverage to hold? maybe then, and only then, could she be free of her chains.

And man… did y’all just not even read/watch the series?? Like idk but I feel as if the majority of the nudity, raunchiness, and all of Denji’s pervy thoughts all serve a storytelling purpose, not just as fan service.

The main purpose I think is to remind the viewer that Denji is just a teenager! He’s literally just a very normal teenage boy with very normal thoughts and feelings. Which can be sort of forgotten in a lot of shonen, what with all the action and violence and revenge and training and superpowers and whatever other larger-than-life events might be going on for the protag. Especially in csm, where Denji never even had a chance to be a normal kid. But throughout the story, we are constantly reminded that Denji is in fact just a teenager, because the way he initially reacts to certain things is usually very immature and goofy and yes, even perverted.

He sees a hot girl? He gets excited and nervous! And yes he wants to touch boobs, yes he desires physical intimacy… just like damn near every other teenage boy. And so what he sees and thinks and feels is exactly what we as the viewer also experiences… until reality comes crashing in, and suddenly what he sees—what we see—is just a woman, an average person. And I mean that in the best way possible!

Like, touching Power’s boobs? Hell yeah let’s gooo! Until he realizes she’s gross (affectionate) and wears bra pads because she likes the way they make her look and feel. And suddenly the illusion is shattered. Like that whole scene starts off with Denji’s original point of view, looking up at Power as this sexy angel granting him the opportunity of a lifetime! She’s leaning back and her chest is perky and she’s luring him in.

But as soon as the bra pads fall out and the camera pans back to her… she’s no longer this glorious sexy angel on a pedestal, but instead just a girl. Baggy shirt, flat chest, sitting a little more awkwardly.

Then kissing Himeno? Hell yeah let’s fucking gooooo! Until she pukes in his mouth. And later that night when she tried to sleep with him? Again, he sees this sexy half naked woman who’s seemingly interested in him

but it all shifts when he realizes he doesn’t actually want to do that with her. It then shows her hogging the bed and snoring. And the next day, she’s still half naked.. but it doesn’t even register to Denji because he’s so focused on the food and the view from the balcony. Plus, Himeno is sitting “unladylike”, slouching and legs crossed in the chair. She’s now shown as an average woman chillin at home on her day off.

Then there’s hanging out with Reze and seeing her naked?? And she’s flirting with him?!? Well hot damn, that’s his dream come true! She’s cute and he’s freaking out at seeing her start to undress, focusing on her underwear and coy smile

But then they get in the water and there’s ZERO sexiness, just silliness! They’re kids having fun! And suddenly the nudity is just natural, just them existing as human beings.

Now, I don’t think all of the nudity and so-called “fan service” serves this one sole purpose, because eventually we do start to see Denji maturing as the story goes along and he’s reacting this way less and less as time goes on. But! I still don’t think it’s ever “unnecessary”. There is still always a more meaningful reason for the nudity and suggestive/sexual content.

Makima enticing Denji with a nibble of his finger, a grope of her breast, and a promise to grant any wish he has? Denji constantly fantasizing about Makima? This is obviously meant to show the severe control she has over him. Out of all the women he meets after becoming Chainsaw Man, she’s the only one where his rose colored glasses don’t shatter until it is far, far too late. And so he continues to have these immature and perverted thoughts about her much longer than he did for Power, Himeno, or Reze. And I mean, I could sorta maybe see how an anime-only fan would think this was all just unnecessary fan service at first, because it does take until you get further into the episodes before things start clicking into place. There’s a scene in like the second chapter of the manga though, and it’s one of the only scenes I can think of that didn’t get animated, but it was a brief moment of clarity for Denji where he clocked that something wasn’t right about Makima, that maybe he should actually run away. But since this wasn’t in the anime, I think it takes a bit longer to realize that everything she says and does to Denji is definitely not a good thing.

Reze’s nakedness as the Bomb Devil? It’s never actually portrayed as sexual in my opinion—no one is ogling her, she’s never stopping mid-fight to stand in a hyper feminine sexy pose, and I can’t think of an instance where it ever zoomed in and focused on her naked parts. She just… is. And honestly the nudity only emphasizes the fact that she’s actually just like Denji - a CHILD who has been taken in by the government, controlled, and turned into a weapon. Being the Bomb Devil is not something she wants. And this is made even more apparent when she and Denji wash up to shore after their fight… because even though she was naked as the Bomb Devil, Denji has dressed her in his shirt when she transformed back into Reze. It highlights the stark contrast between the animalistic weapon Bomb versus the average teenage girl Reze.

Power and Denji in the shower together? I’m sorry but if you seriously think that whole scene was nothing but “unnecessary fan service” then all I can say is literally what is wrong with you. Nudity in that scene was meant to show their vulnerability, the care they have for each other, the important shift of Denji’s feelings from “I definitely wouldn’t cry if she died” to willingly helping her bathe because she’s too afraid to be in the bathroom alone. And even when they’re in bed together and Power insists on the physical intimacy and the blood drinking, Denji flat out admits to himself that he no longer views her in a sexual way anymore. The moment is very much portrayed as Power’s desperation to feel present and safe in their home and not like she’s still about to die in hell, and Denji’s determination to make her feel safe again. Plus, despite his immaturity, he’s also a chronic people pleaser, so of course he gives in to Power being clingy.

“OP this is all fine and dandy but what about the scissoring lesbians??”

Ah yes! Even the scissoring lesbians serve a greater purpose than just fan service! The way I see it, it’s just another example of the overarching theme of control. Makima and Quanxi are actually pretty similar in that they tame and control their fiends through honeyed words and the promise of protection, food, and a generally comfortable life. The only difference is that while Makima may tease with a boob grope, a date, and a promise of granting a wish (and also being ya know.. the Control Devil), Quanxi is out here putting her whole pussy into pleasing her girls. Literally.

The War Devil showed up in Chapter 97.

What we thought was the Famine Devil showed up in Chapter 108, but now we know she was actually the Death Devil the whole time.

Now, the actual Famine Devil has shown up in Chapter 198.

So Makima really did order her sisters off in the order they first appeared in the story.

The discourse on Chapter 231 frustrates me.

Because fans will come up with a really meaningful story in their heads inspired by what they read and what seemed to have been the intent behind the chapter, and mistake that as being the actual work itself. Thus anyone who hates this chapter must simply not understand it.

As a writer, when I think of a cool story idea, I go "I want to write that."

But when these fans fill in the gaps and come up with something far more impactful than the narrative itself, they assume it must've been there all along. Even when it just isn't.

And you can make the argument that perhaps one of these interpretations, or even all of them, were the genuine intention behind the chapter, but that's not the same as what we actually got.

What we actually got was Pochita saying "Your life was better when you were dying in a rundown shack and dreaming of happiness, because actual happiness isn't worth it if you lose it."

Maybe what he meant was that Denji needed to grow up and face reality. Or that the Chainsaw Man persona enable his worst destructive habits chasing after impermament, shallow esctasy, and thus Pochita is forcing indepence onto Denji out of genuine concern, love and selflessness. Or whatever other interpretation sounds good to you.

But that's not what he said. You can't even say it sounded good on paper, because this was literally on paper.

Post-barf Yoshida still has his long bangs but his expression is so vivid it shines through.

It's funny how unnatural he comes across when he was trying to seem like a normal high-schooler that he's just oozing social awkwardness with an eerie pretty face and at the same time, the way he's so naturally sociable in appeasing Asa and persuading Denji AND talking about being eaten and killed with that bright smile on his face that it circles back to being uncanny again.

Like just look at the gap in how the enthusiasm is displayed here?? One is forced and the other is cheery.

What is this friggin refreshed ikemen sparkles filter he got from Denji's spit. He's so funny.