Rating A｜Chainsaw Man, a Rising New Star

As another rising star in the Japanese manga industry, the circulation of Chainsaw Man exceeds 15 million copies. As a result, it successfully animated in recent months and become popular sooner.

With the expectation of "animation of the year", what kind of work "Chainsaw Man" is? Why can it successfully attract the attention when manga creation is gradually weakening?

Now, let me take you into the bloody world of "Chainsaw Man".

(Spoiler alert!）

The most miserable protagonist?

There are many kinds of "demons" in the world, all of these are associated with a thing people fear. The more fearful people are, the more powerful the demons become.

The protagonist, Denji, has a tragic life. His father hangs himself after having a huge debt, and in order to pay for it, Denji has to sell his organs. However, the loan he needs to pay is still increasing.

By coincidence, he saves a chainsaw demon "Pochita".

In order to make money, Denji has to take "Pochita" as a weapon to become a demon hunter.

One night, Denji and Pochita are suddenly assassinated, and finally Denji is dismantled and thrown into the rubbish can.

Fortunately, his demon Pochita saves him and revives him by becoming his heart. His situation of being half-human and half-demon successfully attracts the attention of Makima, the public security leader. She decides to bring him back as "Miss Makima's dog" to raise.

This seems to be a traditional cliché of a revenge until the character "Makima" show her nature. Wait, I should not spoil here. Please enjoy the reverse by yourself!

What makes Chainsaw Man so appealing?

The reason why "Chainsaw Man" became popular can be attributed to the anti-cliché.

the protagonist Denji is a worthless guy whose dream is to eat bread every day and have sex with women. The other supporting roles are also somewhat flawed. They are wicked, cowardly, and timid, but closer to the desires we face.

Creators nowadays generally face a dilemma-the audience's standards for "spectacles" are constantly improving. The once shocking plot has become tiresome, and the threshold for stimulating the audience is getting higher and higher.

But the author of "Chainsaw Man", Tatsuki Fujimoto, is clearly a genius at creating reverse. In his works, you will never be disappointed for the plot.

At the same time, the violent scenes and straightforward sexual hints make this work an entertainment for adults. It should be noted that the audience watching anime are mainly teenagers, while those "adult works" are often lacks budget. Thus, when a well-made work like "Chainsaw Man" appears, audiences become crazy about it. (of course, the original itself accumulates enough fans).

Besides all of this, the core of "Chainsaw Man" is still healing. Everyone Denji meets seems to want to "educate and guide" him. For example, Makima, who adopts Denji, gives him a tenderness he never knew before. Hayakawa Akira, who takes Denji in, took care of Denji without any regrets. One day, he suddenly said that he would teach Denji how to cook. The reason was "If I'm not around someday, you can still survive."

Under the violent and chaotic scenes, it is the most delicate heart hidden inside.

Behind the Scenes

Tatsuki Fujimoto has just turned 30 this year. He has been actively posting manga since he was a student. As a result, He became a manga artist in 2013 at the time he wins the Newcomer Manga Award for his short manga "Love Makes You Blind". Since the serialization of "Chainsaw Man" started in 2018, it has been in the limelight in Japan.

Tatsuki Fujimoto is a crazy movie fan, his storyboard looks similar to movie shots. Thus, the producer MAPPA makes many easter eggs in the OP, such as the following images, which are a tribute to the original movie.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

Pulp Fiction

Sadako vs. Kayako

And who is MAPPA? I think viewers familiar with Japanese anime should know this company very well. As the producter of "Attack on Titan" and "Jujutsu Kaisen", we can say that MAPPA production is the guarantee of quality.

For viewers familiar with Japanese animation, "Chainsaw Man" are rare to see. The original work has been very popular as a B-level work, so that the staff has high expectations on its animation. They put a lot of effort into making the animation, and the final product did cause a discussion among anime fans. It turns out that there are works that can combine pure love, gore, and pornography so well.

Anyway, I am sure to follow this animation, do you love such exciting animation?