Chainsaw ManPart Two has been divisive among fans of the series since it first premiered in 2022. Following the beloved and critically acclaimed Public Safety Saga, Tatsuki Fujimoto had quite a bit on his plate with the continuation of his series, and the author was well aware of that fact.Chainsaw Manbecame wildly popular throughout its initial run, garnering one of the largest fanbases a manga has ever had prior to any official anime release. And as soon as an adaptation was announced by MAPPA, the fanfare only grew.
When the manga finally resumed after nearly two years, fans couldn’t wait to pick up where Denji left off, and see the Hybrid Devil acclimate to high school life. Immediately, however,Fujimoto reminded his readers of the kind of author he is, and turned the focus away from the titular Chainsaw Man for the first several chapters. If Asa’s introduction wasn’t enough to convince fans that Part Two wouldn’t be exactly what they were expecting, then the events that followed surely would.
One of the most common complaints popping up around the series in more recent timesis that it forced character regression onto Denji. Part One wrapped up with the protagonist’s victory over Makima, and set him on a brighter path towards school life with his new little sister. Now, many fans are wondering why Part Two is once again dragging Denji through the mud, undoing all the growth he enjoyed in the previous saga. And though Denji did progress nicely inChainsaw Man’s first part, it seemssome fans might have misunderstood the scars that Makima left him with.
Part One’s Ending Left Matters Unresolved
Part One Left Denji With Open Wounds and Enemies
The ending toChainsaw ManPart One may have seemed like a happy one to many readers, but that isn’t really the case. The series' audience has grown very accustomed to watching Denji endure the worst that life has to offer, and continuously rise back to his feet. After all, Chainsaw Man always revs his engine and gets back to fighting, no matter how many times he’s been killed.His attitude and behavior make it easy to forget that Denji is still human, and the protagonist of a story featuring some of the more realistic characters in anime and manga.
While Denji might have found a reason to fight and defeat Makima,he never addressed the events that led up to his triumphant chainsaw slash. Aki and Power died right in front of him. He was forced to kill someone he loved, regardless of her evil intent. He was left alone to raise Nayuta, the reincarnation of the Control Devil. Denji may be tough, butthese are all events from which he never recovered. As fans likemyster322 on X have pointed out, Part Two isn’t about knocking him back down, but rather Denji’s journey to getting back up.
I Thought Chainsaw Man’s Denji Was A Terrible Protagonist But I Was Wrong, & Here Is Why
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Beyond Denji’s trauma, there were other problems left unresolved following the victory over Makima. The figurehead of Public Safety might have been eliminated,but the organization still remained, and along with it, members that did not entirely agree with Denji’s actions. Barem’s hatred towards Chainsaw Mandirectly led to Nayuta’s recently confirmed death, while the remnants of Public Safety are currently doing everything in their power to use Pochita and create the perfect world that Makima envisioned.
While Part One’s ending took care of the main antagonist,it wasn’t the happy one that Denji deserved. His past was bound to haunt him, and enemies remained that wouldn’t just vanish. Part Two is only the natural progression from the first part’s endpoint, and it seems that Denji is finally beginning to heal.
Denji Has Found His Resolve in Part Two’s Recent Chapters
Denji Has Found Hope Alongside His Trauma
The majority of Denji’s time throughout Part Two ofChainsaw Manhas been in misery. The thin layer of protection he called Chainsaw Man was strong enough only to defeat Makima, but visions of a world that loved him were only fleeting.Too much of Denji remained for the teenage Devil Hunter to become the heroall the girls screamed for on TV. However, in recent chapters,Chainsaw Manhas finally allowed for Denji to focus on healing those remaining pieces.
Stuck in Aging Devil’s domain-like world, and being on the receiving end of Asa and Yoru’s flip-flop emotions, Denji was in more or less of a catatonic stateuntil his oldest buddy, Pochita, came to the rescue. Throughout Part One ofChainsaw Man, Pochita hid behind a door alongside Denji’s deepest trauma, urging him not to open up. It was that denial of his terrible past that kept Denji from making peace with himself before Makima’s manipulation broke him. Pochita’s plan to keep Denji’s trauma locked away failed.
In Part Two, the Chainsaw Devil learned from his past mistakes, choosing instead to eat and throw up various devils tied to Denji’s trauma, in order to force him to confront his past. In doing so, Denji realized that throughout his painful experiences,he had learned to love and be loved by others. Back on his feet once more,Chainsaw Man decides to livefor “grub and girls”, and relies on his oldest found family member to help break him free from Aging’s World.
Part Two is Reaching Its Final Destination
Pochita is Set to Take On the Aging Devil in a Climactic Battle
Currently nearing the length of Part One in its entirety, Part Two seems to finally be reaching its climax, withPochita gearing up to take on the Aging Devil. Denji’s own personal unresolved matters from Part One have been addressed, andall that remains are the real world threats. Aging Devil’s powers are still largely mysterious, but with Denji’s help from the inside, Pochita may just have a shot at winning.
Part Two involves far more moving parts than its predecessor, and chances areit will surpass Part One by quite a bit in length. Asa and Yoru are still riddled with question marks, while Fami has been absent for the entire ordeal following Pochita’s arrival. While Denji’s personal issues have been dealt with, his job is far from finished.
Chainsaw ManPart Two may not be the continuation that fans expected, but it’s proven itself to be a perfect follow-up to the series' iconic and beloved Part One. Though it may have taken some time to get there, the remaining consequences of Makima’s defeat are beginning to be resolved, andDenji has finally been able to experience some actual growth. Upcoming chapters are bound to be dominated by the impending Devil on Devil showdown, and fans aren’t going to want to miss Pochita in action.
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Manis a dark fantasy manga created by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series follows Denji, a young man who merges with his devil-dog Pochita to become Chainsaw Man. He joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters to fight devils threatening Japan. The series explores themes of violence, power, and survival. Since its debut in 2018,Chainsaw Manhas gained immense popularity, leading to a critically acclaimed anime adaptation.
