Chainsaw Man: A Horrific Delight Into Devil Hunting
I love October; not because of the fall-based foods and the liquids, not because of the journey to pumpkin farms so I can consume cider doughnuts and sip pumpkin-flavored lattes, not because of the mounds of candy for sell at local supermarkets and thrift stores. No, absolutely not. What I care most about October is the macabre, the horror of it all. The blood, guts and the creativity that comes with the horror-month of the year. October is the coming of evil and all the tidings that come with it, humor, drama, psychology, survival….I absolutely love it.
This October, Viz Media has released an interesting manga, titled Chainsaw Man, by Tatsuki Fujimo, author ofLove is Blind, and Fire Punch. Chainsaw Man starts is the story of Denji, a poor boy who becomes a devil hunter for the mob, not out of necessary but out of a familial debt. Haunted by his father’s bad financial decisions with the mob, what starts out as simple debt collection turns into bedlam as Denji pairs up with a devil-dog named, Pochita and together, they start to hunt devils to speed up their payback plan. It’s only here, that his debt gets erased and his life takes a different direction…..becoming Chainsaw Man through a betrayal, a deal with a friendly Devil-Dog, and the public safety team of devil hunters.
Chainsaw Man is a take on the ‘hack and slash’ with a comedic touch of drama. RGN 99 had the chance to read the soon to be released manga by Viz Media and I was impressed with the first volume. The action, of course didn’t disappoint, but the life of Denji is what really entranced me to the manga. His life couldn’t have been written any sadder as his loneliness becomes the critical arc in his development as a superhero of sorts. Part Human, Part Devil, all hunter as he battles various demons, his sexual urges for any woman and his loneliness play a pivotal role in becoming, the ‘man’ he’s meant to be. And I’m saying ‘man’ in a very broad sense.
Tatsuki’s take on the weapon of choice, the chainsaw is both hilarious and daring. As seen in many movies like Army of Darkness, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Series, American Psycho, Evil Dead and Running Man, the chainsaw is both ‘hellishly good and evil, depending on its handler. The chainsaw, a motorized cutter; its simple goal is to cut through, decimate, chop and reduce its object down to size. With Chainsaw Man’s design, the physics of how theses devices fit the protagonist is quite remarkable. One on each arm and his head, spanning about 4-6 feet in length (estimated), Denji, has taken down whole ‘zombie populations’ in a matter of minutes. God Bless the Chainsaw….
Another aspect of the series I personally like is the bond between a boy and his dog, literally. Pochita, the cute little chainsaw devil dog, is both fearless, and a killer and as he ‘blood bonds’ to Denji, Denji too bonds with Pochita when his life is really on the line. A dog who loves listening to his owners dreams, Pochita is the ultimate and cute, dog companion. Tatsuki’s highlight of the boy-dog relationship is a bit extreme, but its just as necessary to the series as the blood that pumps in their ‘one-heart’. Literally.
Denji’s survival as Chainsaw Man is dependent on the Devils Hunter Tokyo’s, Makima, head of Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division 4. A dominant, yet sadistic boss, she enlists a rag-tag group of diverse hunters that encompass, a mysterious ‘human hunter’ named Aki Haya-Kawa, and a devil named ‘Power’ to fight the evil devils alongside Denji. Powerful in their own right, as they associate with Denji, they berate, beat, and sacrifice him for their own suitable goals, while slowly growing an attachment to him.
Chainsaw Man is a comedic - horror - macabre that is worthy of its October debut. With its release date slated for October 6th, 2020, it’s no wonder this manga has surpassed 3 million readers in Japan. It has the right amount of hack and slash, with the chainsaw being one of horror’s ideal weapons of death and destruction. I’m pumped and as I continue to read this manga, I hope Denji gets a girlfriend and hopefully touch some boobs before this series concludes.
All Images are from CHAINSAW MAN © 2018 by Tatsuki Fujimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.
