From the beginning, chainsaw man It has been a series with many strong points. Its fantastically written character drama, robust art style oozing attitude, and memorably unique Devil designs have contributed to the reputation of what has become one of Shōnen Jump’s most popular stories. And as Part Two progresses, it becomes quite clear that unpredictability is also one of the chainsaw manbest qualities.
For a series that kills its protagonist in the first chapter, events being unpredictable is nothing so new. Part One tossed its main antagonist aside only to prop up another, before revealing Pochita’s entire nature as the Chainsaw Devil out of nowhere in the last 15 chapters. I gave up trying to predict future events in chainsaw man a long time ago, as did many other fans after reading Tatsuki Fujimoto’s book Fire Punchor his many acclaimed one-shots, and realizing that they were all equally unpredictable.
But as Part Two moves deeper into the story, it appears that Fujimoto increased the unpredictability factor of the series. A beloved and very important character was unceremoniously killed off-screen, an explicit sexual act between the two protagonists occurred in an alley, and most recently, an alternate dimension similar to the Domain Expanse was introduced. Shocking readers is comfortable territory for Fujimoto, but none of his stories have had so many moving parts. And now that Part Two is nearing the end of Part One, these many plot threads could be a problem moving forward.
Unpredictability is what makes Chainsaw Man special
Chainsaw Man is elevated by his reluctance to be predictable
Behind the wild and crazy qualities that defined Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work, chainsaw manas a narrative, it is relatively simple. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface in terms of theme and character writing, especially in the case of Denji, who has unfairly earned a reputation as a terrible protagonist among non-chainsaw man fans. Still, at its core, the story itself isn’t much different from other shōnen hero journeys. This hero is unique because he lacks any major motivation or goal. The unpredictability of history is often what works to elevate its narrative to such intense heights.
Part One could have easily divulged the information that Pochita was actually the Hero of Hell in the very first chapter, letting the audience know about some mysterious, dormant power hidden within Denji, as other popular series have done. But that wouldn’t have the same impact as having it appear randomly. The same goes for the eventual revelation of the villain: by hiding who the bad boss really was, the eventual realization became much more powerful. This time, however, chainsaw man may have just a little too much going on to eventually finish things cohesively.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that Fujimoto was doubling down. chainsaw manThe unpredictability right at the beginning of Part Two, when the titular hero spent several chapters before appearing in his own manga. Then, near the arch of the Chainsaw Man Church, everything started to go off the rails. What started as high school pranks for Asa, Yoru, and Denji quickly turned into commentary on idolatry and heroes, criticism of the Japanese and American governments, and an all-out war between the two main characters.
Chainsaw Man Part One Didn’t Have So Many Moving Parts
Chainsaw Man Part Two introduces new plot threads with each twist
There’s a lot going on in Part Two of chainsaw manwith several characters taking time to shine, protagonists divided, dubious negotiations taking place off-screen and plots seemingly stretching in all directions. Part One also had a lot going on, but in comparison, it was a little more focused than Part Two. In the early chapters, the Gun Devil was introduced and painted as the endgame antagonist, or the thing that drives the plot forward and keeps it straight.
Although the story eventually avoided Gun Devil being the final villain, having this as an established fate for the characters kept Part One focused. Part Two introduced the sinister Demon of Death, but haven’t used it in any meaningful way yet. It was mentioned occasionally, in vague requests for Chainsaw Man to defeat Death in order to prevent an imminent apocalypse, but nothing Denji did was actually in pursuit of that goal. Instead, it appears that Makima’s emotional defeat of Denji during the end of Part One was extended throughout Part Two.
And maybe that’s the point chainsaw manSecond half of: Freed from the shackles of Control, Denji must come to terms with the fact that normalcy may simply not be an option for him. But the fact that the wandering protagonist is a reactive character, instead of moving the plot forward, caused several peripheral plot threads appear with each new twist. Yoshida and Fami remain drenched in mystery, a fake Chainsaw Man was introduced and never mentioned again, a cult is running rampant using the Chainsaw Man name, and a major disconnect remains between the two protagonists.
The second part is reaching the point of no return for its two protagonists
Denji and Asa may have lost too much to have a happy ending
The biggest elephant in the room that hasn’t yet been discussed by chainsaw manThe double protagonist of is Yoru. On several occasions throughout Part Two, the War Devil has directly interacted with and taken advantage of Denji, while the series’ main hero has no idea of his existence. And with every twist the story takes, it seems the distance between Denji and Asa continues to grow.
The two are now alone in the world of Aging, with literally nothing but time and ample opportunity to tell each other their secrets and bond over the trauma. At this point, though, with everything the two have been through, It could be very difficult for either of them to escape this situation unscathed.. The stakes became too high and they both lost too much. Any physical or emotional damage to Denji or Asa can completely break them.
However, Tatsuki Fujimoto wrote himself out of countless corners that I found to be unavoidable throughout his many works, and if any author can tie up all those loose ends and get the point right, it’s him. chainsaw man has continued to shock its audience while delivering hard-hitting themes and emotional character drama, and will continue to do so as Part Two moves towards its end. And while he’s done it before, Fujimoto has a lot to do if he wants to wrap things up gently this time around.