Review of Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is really something, eh? Took me long enough to rev this bad boy up but here we are. CSM really is the next evolution of shonen, one that will make you question what that demo even means anymore. Still as action packed, still with all the potent character growth, intense worldbuilding and great interpersonal chemistry, but instead of squeaky clean good boys trying to save the world with friendship and togetherness, it's a horny sicko down on his luck, motivated purely by his desire to fondle some boobs and have a meal in his stomach every day. It's full to the brim withblood, guts and darkness. A gloomy dread hangs over everything. If ever you wanted a perfect balance of action, darkness, comedy and depth, this is it! It somehow attracts both people looking for some over-the-top edgy gory action and people looking a realistic introspective story and somehow manages to serve them both equally. It's an experience like nothing you've ever seen before and I think it's definitely worth your time!

I think it's plainly obvious that where Chainsaw Man stands out the most is with story and characters. Right from the get go, we learn two things. One, this world is ruthless and merciless to absolutely everyone within it. Two, nobody we meet is right in the head. This really sets it apart from anything else out there. Beyond shonen or seinen, Chainsaw Man just does whatever it wants and does it with confidence. On one hand, it's absurdly violent, extremely gory and at times downright ridiculous. On the other, the details of the worldbuilding are captivating, the characters are vibrant pastiches of positive and negative qualities and exploring their oft mysterious motivations keeps you hooked. It's a fine mix that lets you enjoy both some really well thought out storytelling while also clapping like a seal to outrageous scenes of blood and boobs. It somehow feels shallow and deep at the same time, indulging in the best parts of both. This is what I mean when I say there's nothing else like it. Being edgy can be fun, but it's so easy to become cringy, for balancing on the edge is a very fine art, but CSM is a long overdue addition to the greatest edgy stories out there and might just be the most profound one out there. It doesn't just balance on the edge, it breakdances on it!

On a personal note and to elaborate on my previous point, it fills me with genuine joy that a story so weird, dark and twisted is so popular and well beloved. I dream to be a writer myself so seeing something so similar to many of the dark ideas thrashing around in my own sick brain be successful shows me that there is a place in the world for sick fucks like me. On a meta kind of level, it speaks to me very well because it aligns so much with what I'm looking for in a story. Every character is an absolute mess that is exaggerated in many ways, but still oh so believable. Their flaws, their decision making, their behaviour, they all feel like quirky, but absolutely real people. Through them, themes of sex, abuse, neglect, vulnerability, violence, social structures and dreams are explored. Even the simple things that seem shallow have profoundness within them. Denji's thirst for boobs is just a comedic and exaggerated representation of the struggles of a man starved of intimacy. Him also being so overjoyed and immediately loyal just because someone fed him and gave him a roof over his head is just the expected behaviour of someone, for whom all these basic needs were a luxury most of his life. Now, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that it's all deep all the time, some of it is intended to be surface level most likely, but being able to have these unique personal interpretations is part of the fun of it all!

Now let's tackle the most obvious thing here - MAPPA absolutely KILLED IT with this anime! In terms of technical aspects, it's second to none! Every action scene was super dynamic, detailed and full of energy, it's an absolute spectacle. The only possible criticism that sometimes it gets too chaotic and can become disorienting and difficult to follow. Even beyond the fights, the animation is unbelievably crisp and rich, to the point that even seemingly minute throwaway activities like someone eating, lighting a cigarette or taking of their shoes are rendered marvelously. Across both fast-paced action scenes and dramatic dialogue, unique perspectives, camera angles, dynamic posing and interesting cinematography ensure that every single moment is never dull. The colour palette too is absolutely amazing, using vibrant colours to enhance intense moments and more muted ones for more melancholic and intimate scenes, while dramatic and purposeful lighting serves to accent everything important and further enhance the vibe. I could go on and on but it cannot be understated how incredible CSM is in the visual department. Every aspect of it was done to the highest possible quality and every tiny elements was done with intent and creative direction that enhances the viewing experience. It's absolutely spectacular. All I can say is, knowing what we know about MAPPA, I just hope it didn't cost the health and wellbeing of all the extremely talented and skilled people that made this happen. Oh, and all of this without mentioning the meaty and visceral sound effects, absolutely flawless voice acting and incredible music score! The fact that we got a different ending theme for every episode, matching the tone, characters and events of that specific episode only, is absolutely insane, mad dedication! The whole thing is just a feast for the senses!

Overall, I firmly believe that Chainsaw Man is something that everyone deserves to check out. It's such a varied and rich thing that nothing out there really compares to. It's so brutal and edgy, yet it has so much richness to it's story and characters. I talked about the possible philosophical implications, but the beauty of it is that you can just ignore all that if you feel like it. If you want just a fun action packed edgy story with lewd humour, you got it! If you want to indulge in the characters and their rich motivations, go for it! It serves these two disparate things so well at the same time and that deserves to be commended. It's fun and epic, but no matter what there is this strong sense of impending doom, like something is terribly wrong, like something horrible is just around the corner. We don't know what yet, but you feel it coming and it keeps you hooked.

On that note, if there is one criticism I can give, it's this - the anime is just way too short! It just manages to get going and build to bigger and better things and then it's over. Still satisfying, but it's clear we've barely scratched the surface of the manga and almost all major questions and plot points are left unresolved. Thankfully, being that this series is so popular, I'm sure we'll see it to the end and it won't end up like other series that are otherwise good but were ruined by stopping in the middle of nowhere and never getting a proper anime conclusion, like Talentless Nana or Deadman Wonderland. For this, we'll just have to be patient. Still, it sucks if you're an anime-only that all of the really juicy stuff is yet to come. At least it can be treated as a compliment that the experience was so good, my only really gripe is that there isn't more of it.

TL:DR Chainsaw Man is peak edgekino and deserves your attention. It's the stupidest smart show ever and the smartest dumb show ever. It's also just cool as fuck in so many ways! This is only the beginning and the best is yet to come (both spellings). Vroom vroom motherfuckers!