By In a world where human fears turn into creatures called devils which terrorize humanity, “Chainsaw Man” immediately catches the attention of viewers with its action-packed and intense animations.
As of writing, the trailer currently stands at 1.4 million views with over 1,000 comments. In only four episodes the show proves that it is ready to match up to some of the bigger anime that most people are familiar with.
Chainsaw Man animation still from first preview video. Photo credit: Studio MAPPA
The show’s protagonist is a young man named Denji, who was born into poverty due to his father making unfortunate financial decisions.
In their world, devils are hunted by a group of individuals who have sworn to protect humanity and defeat devils at all costs no matter what organization or group they choose to work with.
At a young age, Denji formed a bond with a Chainsaw Devil who he named Pochita, which resembles a chubby dog with big eyes and a chainsaw for a nose. The orange creature has been the closest thing to a friend Denji ever had, as he was forced to become a devil hunter in order to pay off his father’s debts.
Things got so bad at times that he had to chop trees to sell the wood and even went to the extreme of selling body parts such as his eye and a testicle.
“Chainsaw Man” can match the palette of any anime fan as there are so many familiar elements used to tell this tragic tale of a young man yearning to live a normal life.
The fight scenes are intense and action-packed but they can be extremely violent and bloody. There is a little something for every type of anime fan as there is a decent mix of action, romance, drama and comedy which come up throughout the episodes.
The animation style is very crisp and detailed as the animators manage to create shots that capture the eye while remaining darker than most anime through its themes and compositions.
Chainsaw Man animation still from first preview video. Photo credit: Studio MAPPA
One of the most interesting aspects of the show is the opening credits. “KICK BACK” by Kenshi Yonezu, plays as the animation makes references to multiple scenes from American movies such as “The Big Lebowski,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction” and even some as modern as “Thor: Love and Thunder.” The end credits for each episode are always changing giving viewers a different experience every time.
The original manga series is written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The story is told visually in interesting ways, but unlike other manga, “Chainsaw Man” has drawings that seem like they are shot from a movie.
The angles and points of view that Fujimoto gives the viewer make every episode seem like short films that all coincide with one another.
The studio currently in charge of the animation is called Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association (Studio MAPPA). They have been producing anime for 11 years and have established themselves in the community.
The antagonists such as the Zombie Devil, the Sea Cucumber Devil, the Leech Devil and the Bat Devil are interestingly drawn and look scary at first glimpse. These creatures are given life through their dialogue which allows viewers to get to know a little bit more about the foe before Denji fights them.
The side characters such as Power, Aki Hayakawa and Makima each have interesting backgrounds and motivations as to why they are out hunting devils.
These initial four episodes serve as an introduction to the series so watchers can get a grasp of the story, challenges and pain that the protagonist faces.
There will be a total of 12 episodes with new releases every Tuesday which can be streamed via Hulu or Crunchyroll.
