Weeb Weekly: Chainsaw Man Anime Gains Popularity
The plot of Chainsaw Man centers on Denji, a poor young man who enters into a contract to have his body fused with that of his beloved dog-like devil named Pochita, giving him the power to turn specific body parts into chainsaws. Denji was left with a sizable debt after his father passed away and no way to pay it off. He is currently hunting devils to pay the debt.
Recently this manga has gained much popularity and fame following the release of the English dub on Crunchyroll and Hulu. Only a few episodes have been released so far, but the viewer count keeps increasing rapidly.
The animation is top-notch thanks to MAPPA, the studio behind popular works like Jujutsu Kaisen and the last season of Attack on Titan.
Tatsuki Fujimoto, who created the manga, is renowned for his absurd and compelling storytelling. This compliments the storyline and gives the manga a hardcore connotation. Fujimoto is also known for his works in Fire Punch.
How to Stream Chainsaw Man
Both Hulu and Crunchyroll offer The Chainsaw Man English anime with an English dub and subtitles in their official streaming collections. Hulu has a number of deals, such as a $7.99 monthly fee or packages with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. The basic plan on Crunchyroll costs $4.99 a month. Both services, however, offer a free trial period.
Reviews of What’s Been Released
Following the release of the series, many critics had opinions to share. NPR had released a review of the first episode immediately following the release. Maison Tran had a lot to share solely on the first episode. He shares how the first episode is merely a world-opener and does not have much to share yet. However, the gruesome action in peak scenes allow for the audience to stay drawn in.
He shared, “When the Chainsaw Man finally makes his grand entrance and lets it rip, that’s really the highlight of the episode. We see zombie-devil guts and limbs splatter across the screen, accompanied by the sound of heavy metal and gnashing of chainsaw blades, and you can tell the show’s artists put some thought and care into the violence.”
The anime doesn’t currently offer anything incredibly impressive, but it teases Tran just enough to keep him interested. If a viewer enjoyed the bloodshed in the first episode, then they might want to continue watching to find out what happens next.
There was also another very detailed review on IGN. Rafael Motamayor builds upon the excitement of the fans and emphasizes the importance of the anime’s release. Motamayor states, “There is arguably no anime premiere this year that is as eagerly anticipated as Chainsaw Man, the adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga.” This truly emphasizes the need for this release.
Motamayor extends onto another important aspect of the show: art style. He showed the prominence of bloodshed. “The bleakness of story extends to the visuals too. MAPPA introduces us to a gray world with muted colors, one that is constantly cloudy, where every attempt at color – any character with a splash of joy – is drowned by their surroundings… at least until the blood starts pouring.”
Yet, I think his final verdict truly says it all: “Chainsaw Man delivers on all fronts with a premiere full of gnarly fight scenes, an incredibly bleak story, fantastic gallows humor, and one of the most fascinating anime protagonists in recent years. Faithfully adapting the first chapter of the manga, this is one metal anime episode that fully lives up to the hype.”
What I Think of Chainsaw Man
I am actually diving into this series headfirst by watching the anime. I have yet to read the full manga, but will expand to that. A lot of people around me love it and I decided to take a crack at watching the series so far. I am hooked onto it.
Initially, it was slow to pick up, but I am not one to judge only the first episode. I think it takes three episodes to make somewhat of a fair statement. Yet, the art style allowed that peak chainsaw moment to draw the audience right in. The colors were muted and vague throughout each scene. Pochita stands out the most with his burnt orange. The crimson blood color that takes over the scene completely changes the mood and impacts the emotion.
Personally, I think this anime definitely has potential. It is emotional, original, and fuels on excitement and suspense. Kenji is just trying to live a normal life, which is the best life he could ever have.
Twitter Dives into the Characters
This thread on Twitter has a long stream of fans analyzing Denji’s character within the anime and the show.
Many fans have taken a strong love to the dog-like devil Pochita. Pochita’s cute face and friendly, protective demeanor makes a best friend to all. Lots of fan art has sprung of Denji in chainsaw form, but others have shone light on this friendly pet in the #Pochita Twitter thread.
Another strong character we have met so far in what has been released is Power. Power is a devil hunter and is working with Denji. She also adores her cat Meowy. Twitter has also dove into a deep analysis of her character.
