A review by lovelymisanthrope
Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1: Dog and Chainsaw by Tatsuki Fujimoto

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I stumbled across a copy of this manga one night when I could not sleep and thought it would be a fun read.
"Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1" follows Denji, a young man who is really down on his luck. After the death of his father, he has taken on his father's massive debt. Denji will do almost anything for money, include hunting down devils. His only friend is Pochita, a devil-dog he rescued. After Denji is betrayed by someone he trusts, he gets the power of Pochita inside of him, and becomes Chainsaw Man.
This manga was fine, but I do not think this series is for me. Denji is a highly relatable character, and I really empathized with his situation. I think most people have been in a situation of being in debt, and we can all relate that it is not a great feeling. He also loves and cares for Pochita with such care. I love seeing a character be so invested in their pet because pets are so much more than animals, they are family.
For a manga series about a main who is half chainsaw that hunts devils, I felt kind of bored. The story felt slow to me, and I just wanted to learn more about the process of hunting devils. There was quite a bit of violence, but even that did not feel like it brought the story along any faster.
I will likely not continue in this series myself, but I do think it has an audience. 

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