The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Chainsaw Man, “ARRIVAL IN TOKYO,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
After such a bloody conclusion to the premiere,Chainsaw Manrides high for a second weekwith some fascinating character developments as it handily introduces new players into the mix. Denji has a home and a purpose, but now it’s time to figure out what’s next and what he needs to strive for to make himself useful to Makima.
Last week, Denji merged with Pochita and slaughtered the Zombie Devil in a brutal climax that left him surrounded by corpses when Makima and Public Safety found him. A dark yet beautiful moment between Denji and Makima ended the premiere on a high note, but only mere minutes into episode 2’s premiere, that kinship feels considerably darker.
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The Venus Fly Trap
As calming and welcoming as Makima appears at first glance, it doesn’t take long to peg her as somewhat sinister under the surface. The calm manner in which she asserts dominance is as concise a telegraph of her nature as theopening theme’s plentiful metaphors, from mind-controlling slugs to Venus fly traps.
It’s increasingly apparent that as the weeks go on,manga readers will look to weekly reviewssuch as these with a snickering glee, awaiting no shortage of bombs to drop. It should be noted that the author of these reviews forChainsaw Manhas not read the manga, so this is going to be especially fun.
This episode loses none of its charm on account of Makima’s nature being known because it doesn’t matter in the long run. What is so exceptional is that in no way can you blame Denji for going along with the treatment of being a dog. It isn’t as if he’s oblivious to it either as he shows initial disdain for the association.
The kind of character that Denji is - at least currently - feels like they would fit perfectly alongside a charismatic and manipulative villain in a dark shonen series. He has lived with nothing for his entire life, thinking only of survival and dreaming of the bare minimum, so when someone shows him kindness, he doesn’t see the need tostare a gift horse in the mouth.
A New Dream
Denji is like a kid in the funniest ways despite the darkest of contexts. Neck-deep in a wealth of the bare necessities that most people take for granted, Denji has effectively already achieved his dream after just one episode. Aki reacts to his unprofessional attitude the way a lot of people might until Denji informs him of exactly how serious he truly is.
So long as he can live even remotely like a normal person - something that was stolen from him long ago - he doesn’t mind the grind, especially if he can meet friends.Even if those friendships starta little aggressively, like kicking your new friend in the balls repeatedly in an alley.
This show’s sense of humor is something else, often playing off of Denji’s adorably naive traits, but without the humor ever feeling like it clashes with any moment of seriousness. The visual direction maintains a consistent look and the realistic weight of things gives the moments of levity a mature feel whereas other shows might have gone more cartoonish.
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Aki’s introduction comes with an expected amount of conflict between him and Denji, and it’s hilarious to think that Aki’s words do in fact getDenji to reconsider his priorities, but in the single stupidest way. Denji, not having a personal grudge against devils, finds purpose in what he can gain not by killing devils, but by getting closer to his coworkers.
Put that way, it almost sounds wholesome, until you remember that he’s getting closer so that he can touch a woman’s breasts. He’s basically crossing off items on a list of things to accomplish before a very likely gruesome death in his future. Though it might not be wise for him to pursue his new partner.
The episode ends shortly after introducing the fan-favorite Power, who is - as expected - pretty dang cool, and crazy to boot. So far the vocal performances haven’t disappointed and Power is one of the most exciting to get hyped for. In the end, not a single chainsaw was unleashed in this episode, and yet, it might actually havebeen better than the premiere. Definitely a good sign.
Ending Theme Week 2
With a new ending planned for each episode, it makes sense to briefly highlight the work for each new ending. Episode 1 was just a black screen with credits and the upload to MAPPA’s channel just had images from the episode playing over the song. Thankfully the new week brought a fully animated ending with a funky track by ZUTOMAYO, titled “Time Left.”
The track is fast-paced and fun but what sells it are the pastel-like visuals that arereminiscent of an EVE music video. It focuses mostly on Denji, Power, and Aki on a rainy evening in Tokyo, an aesthetically strong setup for a closing theme. The EVE comparison is especially funny because they are slated to perform an ending of their own, though it isn’t certain for which episode.
