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There is a lot to say about Chainsaw Man. Let’s start by introducing our main protagonist, from the start of episode 1 we see a working-class citizen named Denji with a dog named Pochita, who is also a chainsaw. Talk about man’s best friend! Pochita and Denji start out with a great formula that truly fits the basic main character-side character bit, this has to be a really exciting journey, nothing could happen to that cute dog Pochita that we got so attached to at the beginning of the first episode right?
(SPOILERS FROM NOW ON)
We are hit with a real tragic backstory from our main character, a bounty hunter killing “devils” that corrupt the world to pay off his fathers’ debt from the Yakuza that he left his son with. Character building seemed quite essential for this series. Up to about halfway in the first episode, Denji wanders into a warehouse looking to take care of a devil, make some quick cash, and then leave. It was revealed to him in the warehouse that his “employers” had been turned into some sort of zombie, later found out to be caused by the “Zombie Devil” which seemed like the most powerful thing in the show and was certainly a sight to see. After Denji loses even with his amazing dog, Denji is left cut up into bits and thrown into a dumpster.
In the dumpster, Pochita, our cute little chainsaw dog provides a quick backstory right before a character we love dies, and Pochita fuses with Denji, resurrecting Denji and bringing him back to life. Hold up, let us pause for a second. So much happens within just a few minutes, and we are left jaw-dropping in utter confusion, sadness, and a sort of satisfaction by the end, why you ask? Because this is going to be a magnificent fight scene that marks the first major arc in the story, and what ultimately makes “Chainsaw Man” come to life.
The fight starts off and our enjoyment comes rises, the animation is fantastic, many fans don’t enjoy the 3d bits but it adds to the fight a lot more than just 2d computer animation fighting. On the edge of our seats, we see Denji fight relentlessly, as soon as he pulls the cord on his chest they demonstrate a beautiful power dynamic between this character and his former devil dog and he looks unstoppable! He has a few hiccups during the fight but turns out victorious.
So this takes us to the end of the episode, a car pulls up to the warehouse, and they introduce a mysterious red-haired woman by the name of Makima. She finds Denji and gives him the choice of joining the Public Safety Devil Hunters, or they have to unfortunately kill him. Given the choice, Denji is taken in by Makima like a lost puppy, and that ends our first episode. The worst thing about the series so far was having to wait a week for another episode!
And this concludes our review of episode 1 of Chainsaw Man, quite fantastic and it left us fully satisfied. The series turned out to be a great new gen of anime and was worth all the hype. I would recommend this to anybody that is a teenager or young adult but think it would smooth over with most adults as well, a younger audience is not recommended.
Overall this show led us to a great anime, and with the end of season one is finished at this time, really makes us eagerly wait for season two!
You can watch Chainsaw Man for yourself on Hulu or Crunchyroll