Photo provided by Viz Media.
By Luis Joshua Gutierrez, Staff Reporter
When you think of a manga named “Chainsaw Man” what comes to mind? Is it literally a man-made of chainsaws just mowing down people left and right? If you thought that you wouldn’t be wrong, but you wouldn’t be exactly right either. “Chainsaw Man” Vol.1 by Tatsuki Fujimoto published by Viz Media tells a story that you wouldn’t really expect, with great action scenes as well as lighthearted moments too.
Within the world of “Chainsaw Man” everyday normal people live with devils who hunt each other down. These devils can come in different forms. So for example a devil could turn people into frogs that devil would be the Devil Frog. Seems silly but you never know that very well may be a thing in this world. We follow a man named Denji and Pochita, his devil dog who has a chainsaw for a body. We quickly find out that Denji is in debt beyond belief, so much to where he’s selling off his body parts in order to pay off his debt. In a sad turn of events, Denji is murdered but Pochita gives him his heart so he can live. Then, boom! Chainsaw Man is born, and this is where the plot really kicks off.
We’re introduced to how the world works almost immediately after Denji dies. We also learn about what’s happening behind the scenes such as who else hunts the devils and some other devil classes.
What really makes the story stand out is the blend of humor, action, and wholesomeness.
Denji is a very poor man, he’s a fish out of water, so there’s a lot of humor comes into play. Watching him being exposed to something as simple as a balanced breakfast and think this is what 1% of the world eats is heartwarming. The only other friend he had was Pochita so it’s clear he doesn’t really know how to socialize with other people, just dreaming of the day where he could ask a pretty girl out on a date and spoil her.
He’s never talked to a girl, he’s almost like a horned up teenager fighting his urges not to creep people out. A lot of the humor is very childish but it still lands every time. We see him get into all sorts of situations because he was perhaps thinking with another head. As a result, there are some funny moments with people he comes across.
Photos provided by Viz Media.
But when the action scenes hit, they hit hard.
It’s humorous to see the story go from quirky antics to bloody fights in a few short pages. You’d expect nothing less from a manga called “Chainsaw Man” and oh boy does it deliver. Whenever we see him go in full chainsaw mode it’s almost a work of art. It makes you wonder how much more gruesome can they get? Especially since other characters are just as dangerous as Denji, making the fight scenes more interesting each time.
“Chainsaw Man” Vol.1 really came out of the doors swinging. With a name like that, how can you not read it? The manga is self-aware of itself too because they acknowledge how ridiculous his powers are and that’s what makes it so much more enjoyable.
They don’t overdo it with the fighting and sprinkle in some great moments in it to keep the story rolling smoothly. Of course, it ends in your typical manga style with a cliffhanger leaving you wanting more.
With that being said the manga is 9/10 because the humor lands perfectly, and it blends perfectly with the action without making any of it feel forced. Be sure to pick it up for $9.99.
