From panels to motion picture

Lyndon Kaneko, Staff Writer|February 21, 2023

Standing strong as one of the few animes that have actually met and even surpassed fan expectations, “Chainsaw Man” has been one of the most explosive releases in 2022; a year consisting of heavy hitters like “Blue Lock” and “Spy x Family.”

The show has been one of the most anticipated adaptations since its initial announcement over two years ago. In early August, its second trailer blew up hours after its release and showcased an ambitious level of animation quality and voice-acting; a level it certainly delivered on. The show premiered on Oct. 12 and ended 12 episodes later on Dec. 28.

The world of “Chainsaw Man” is one in which devils are manifestations of their respective human fear; the greater the fear, the more lethal the devil. Denji (Toya Kikunosuke), an orphaned teen, is forced to work as a devil hunter for the yakuza and dies in the process. Denji forms a contract with his only friend, the Chainsaw Devil Pochita (Izawa Shiori), and the two become a devil/human hybrid. This catches the attention of the Public Safety Bureau, and he is recruited into Special Division 4 with the task of hunting the Gun Devil.

“Chainsaw Man,” written and illustrated by award-winning mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto, places a heavy emphasis on its one-of-a-kind visual storytelling. The series serves as the culmination of what Fujimoto has taken from his previous works (“Fire Punch,” “Look Back,” etc.)And while the adaptation might fail to capture certain nuances in the manga’s black-and-white panels, it makes up for it with its own elements. For example, the anime’s color palette is more muted and realism is incorporated into the characters’ designs, giving it an entirely different air compared to the source material. 

While many viewers might initially find the CGI quite jarring, it actually manages to enhance the viewing experience as the series goes on; it is arguably at its weakest in the first episode. CGI has also freed up manpower for MAPPA to focus on making the show’s ambiance top-notch. Outside of its fight scenes, the studio went so far as to make the backgrounds filled in and detailed. This, coupled with the show’s incredible job of effectively showing distinct facial expressions, provides a sense of immersion absent in the manga. 

Not only has the sheer quality of the show’s visuals clearly conveyed that its producers and animators cared about this adaptation, but it has also shined through its soundtrack’s creative direction. Every episode’s ending has featured a different artist and track, with each encapsulating the mood of the episode they accompany. It’s standard for longer shows to switch up the opening or ending every now and then, but “Chainsaw Man”’s lengthy discography is unprecedented given its short run time. 

Its cast of characters, while by no means conventional, is one that is certainly loveable. In contrast to other shounen whose protagonists come equipped with a strong moral compass, Denji and anyone else in the show are quite literally the opposite. Hardly any of the cast have grand aspirations or righteous goals, and every character has at least a few screws loose.

Surprisingly, their unorthodox personalities never come at the expense of their character. It’s become commonplace for characters to be distinguished by their quirks, whether in their mannerisms or personality, which portray them as cartoonish and otherworldly. But in the cast of “Chainsaw Man,” every character is missing something inherently human, making them just plain weird. This unfamiliarity makes their group dynamic seem fresh and, by all means, a joy to watch. 

This first season has only served as an introduction to the world of “Chainsaw Man,” but it still felt too short in comparison to other adaptations of similar source-material popularity. 

In addition to its length and CGI, another aspect of the show viewers may not enjoy is its tendency to go to extremes. In a show with chainsaw in its name, it’s going to come loaded with gore, gore and more gore. But sometimes the show is just too gross. There is a scene involving vomit that felt unnecessary and overly repulsive, a scene that didn’t amount to much in the manga either. If one feels they can handle that, then the sheer quality of the adaptation coupled with its masterful world-building and carefully crafted story make it worth the watch. 

Verdict: stream it