chainsaw man isn't a "gooner anime." i know people joke about it, and yeah, it has sexual stuff in it, but that's missing the entire point. denji isn't written as some horny meme character, he's literally a traumatized teenager who's never known real love, real care, or even basic human affection. when you grow up being treated like trash, like you don't matter unless you give something in return, it messes up how you see intimacy.
denji's obsession with sex isn't because he's some over the top perv. it's because he's desperate for connection, and sex is the only form of "love" he's ever been told exists. he equates being wanted physically with being wanted emotionally, and that's heartbreaking. the world around him just keeps proving that people don't care about him, they want his body, his power, or what he can do for them. and he keeps chasing the idea that maybe if he gives enough, if he's wanted enough, someone might finally love him back.
chainsaw man uses lust as a way to show how hollow and painful that kind of search for meaning can be. it's not about desire, it's about loneliness. itβs about how trauma warps the way you see love until you can't tell the difference between affection and exploitation. denji isn't horny because he's free, he's horny because he's empty.
so yeah, people can laugh and call it a gooner anime, but if you actually pay attention, it's one of the most honest portrayals of how messed up it feels to want love when all you've ever known is being used.
