Not only does Pochita end up being an important character later on, but he’s also an oddly cute dog-like devil that might remind you a (slightly more gruesome) Pokemon. One of the (several) Chainsaw Man trailers includes pre-Chainsaw Denji lying in bed with Pochita. The fact that their cute interactions don’t remain a constant throughout the story is, of course, necessary for the plot to kick off but it does feel almost like a lost opportunity. With the first episode of Chainsaw Man coming out really soon, we can’t wait to see Denji’s first transformation into the titular Chainsaw devil. It was already quite impressive in the manga but we expect Studio MAPPA will outdo themselves with this one. Unfortunately, the truth turns out to be darker, eventually culminating in a bittersweet arc; one we can’t wait to see animated. The manga arc involves plenty of action, but what truly shines is the quiet scenes that involve Denji and Reze for instance on school grounds, admitting they’ve never been to school. That infamous scene is an early one in the International Assassins’ arc. It involves Power forcibly taking Kobeni’s car for a ride, then hitting someone and blaming Kobeni - as the car’s owner - only to start boasting when the person she hit is revealed to be an enemy.
This iconic moment exemplifies Chainsaw Man’s cynical and chaotically dark humor. Compared to the other arcs that verge towards action, comedy, and tragicomedy, this is closer to pure horror anime with both psychological and body horror, a variety of devils, cool concepts, and rich world-building. Even in black and white and in manga form this arc looks great, and it will undoubtedly look even more chilling with the right audio-visual effects. By that point, all of them had had some horrible experiences and they realized that their best chance is to keep surviving together. Their relationship becomes truly iconic and precious, which makes all that follows hard to watch. By that point, her bad luck is notorious and even when she tries to move on to something unrelated to hunting, the Devils still find her. Not to mention the extensive list of names of the Devil’s victims. Chainsaw Man isn’t shy when it comes to gore, so everyone’s horror at an enemy we have yet to see only intensifies when the Devil actually appears and we can’t wait to see him animated. Others can’t stand him because of the exact same qualities (or his obsession with girls). Those who dislike Denji or are undecided about him will have to see the flashbacks where some of his past actions and experiences are revealed. His past is visualized as a closed door that he doesn’t dare to open yet so the scene that shows what happens when he does is going to be memorable. Aki is a greatly interesting deconstruction of a shonen deuteragonist. He tried to protect Denji and Power as an older brother but his attempts resulted in tragedy and Makima’s actions led to the very situation Aki tried to avoid. We won’t say more here, but seeing this scene with sound is bound to make us cry. Apart from being a shocking revelation, this constitutes one of the tensest battles in the entire manga, as, no matter how you feel about Denji, one can’t help rooting for him and hoping that he will come to escape Makima’s influence.
