Review of Chainsaw Man

This review will be on the shorter side as there are many things to unpack and discuss that may spoil future moments in the series and take away from the experience of anime-only fans. Chainsaw Man is one of my favorite series currently and I hope that whoever reads this gives it a try and will continue to stick with it in the future. Having read Chainsaw man back in 2020, I wanted to go in partially blind to the anime to see if it still lives up to the excitement I had when reading it for the first time. While this show did have acrazy amount of hype for just the first season of the show, it did not disappoint in the slightest. The amount of detail and effort MAPPA has put into including things for both manga readers and anime-only fans is enjoyable to see when looking at all the subtle hints they include in the endings and other scenes. The opening itself has many scenes that foreshadow future events as well as draw out the personalities of each character before the episode even starts. The anime also includes original content that was not covered in the manga, allowing it to expand on scenes that Fujimoto may have wanted to include but couldn't.

Now as this show may seem to have a generic plot at first, many people may be turned off saying that it is a Jujutsu Kaisen clone. However, even with the many tropes and plot devices that it shares with JJK, Chainsaw Man can subvert expectations with its cast of characters and action scenes. The character development and relationships between Denji, Power, and Aki are very enjoyable to watch with the voice acting and in some cases improve the source material drastically. MAPPA did a great job of displaying Makima's mysterious and creepy nature when she is interacting with others. Seeing the interactions they have with each other and the other characters are perfectly captured and will continue to be expanded upon in the coming arcs.

Finally, the action scenes are the main appeal of Chainsaw Man as it does not shy away from gore and has a great mix of CGI and 2D animation that does not limit the character's movements. As most people will be quick to judge the usage of CGI in fight scenes, it is not as apparent as one may think. Yes, there are instances where it may look clunky at first and take away from the action, but it is quickly transitioned into amazing 2D quality that makes it seem like you are watching a movie. The backgrounds are done beautifully and the transitions between scenes do not drop in quality.

As this season was shorter than most may have thought it would be, it did not give enough time for new viewers to be interested and invested in these characters and stories. If you are impatient like I was when I heard the first announcement that it would be animated if you are willing to wait, stick with the anime as it adds a lot of depth that the manga can't. If you are very invested in the series and don't want to wait for the next season or possible movie, give the manga a try as reading it does have a different feeling to it. With the resources and personnel involved in this project, MAPPA will continue to increase the levels of quality and keep this series as its golden goose. If you have not already checked out this show, I highly recommend it.