Anime Chainsaw Man is currently one of the most phenomenal anime in 2022. This is considering that the MAPPA series has always been a hot topic of conversation among anime fans, even before its broadcast. Even so, surely there are anime fans who are still hesitant to watch this series.
Therefore, since Chainsaw Man has just finished its first season, the writer will review everything in this action genre series. From the plot to the direction, here’s a Chainsaw Man review from the author that can change your doubts!
Anime Chainsaw Man — The Birth of the Saw Devil Man
The story begins when Denji’s father dies with a mountain of debt. As a result of his father’s debt, Denji has to live with apprehension. There was no warm house or food to fill his little belly.
A yakuza then offers Denji a deal to work as a demon hunter. In return, the Yakuza will pay off his father’s debts. Accompanied by the Saw Demon he met since childhood, Pochita, Denji fulfilled the promise and worked as a demon hunter until he grew up.
However, one day Denji was no longer needed. Then, the yakuza killed Denji until his body was scattered, then threw his body in the trash. Seeing the body of her friend who was no longer alive, Pochita felt so sad because Denji was the only human who wanted to be friends with her.
Pochita then put the body pieces back together and made herself Denji’s heart. The goal is to revive his friend. Since then, Denji has lived as the Chainsaw Man.
Even though it has an exciting story, at the beginning of the story, the writer doesn’t feel anything special from Chainsaw Man. The story that is presented is also not as dark as many people say. Moreover, there is quite a lot of fan service which actually only slows down the pace of the story and is annoying for some viewers, including the writer.
However, apart from these things, the excitement starts to grow as the story unfolds to a tense and unexpected battle. Moreover, in the middle of the story several demonic weapons characters also appear. They come with a unique weapon-shaped head that has never been seen in another anime series.
Anime Chainsaw Man — Main Characters Relatable To Real Life
When talking about the characterizations in the Chainsaw Man series, of course the writer will praise the uniqueness of the main character in this series, namely Denji. Unlike the main characters in other shounen genre series who tend to have big dreams and motivations, Denji is actually the main character with such simple dreams.
Having a happy life, being able to eat and sleep well, and having a girlfriend may be the simple desires of many people. Denji’s dreams are more relatable to the dreams of many people in real life than the dreams of other shounen main characters. This is also what might make Denji much liked by fans even though he is actually a perverted and childish character.
Besides that, what’s even more amazing about this slightly gore-themed anime is how they show the development of each character through dramatic past stories, for example the development of the character Aki. From someone who is apathetic, he then becomes a person who is more sensitive. He even has a goal in life to avenge the death of his family.
It seems quite difficult to analyze the story of anime characters in a relatively small number of episodes, right? Well, Chainsaw Man managed to do it for some of the main characters through flashbacks of the past.
Exciting Action Animation to Watch
The quality of the animation presented in Chainsaw Man left the writer speechless. It feels cool and stunning words alone are unable to describe it.
Every element in this anime adaptation of the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto is drawn in such detail. In fact, the scenes of “Kon” and “Hebi”, which are the most iconic battle scenes, can make anyone shiver and want to keep repeating them.
However, MAPPA is also not a god. Of course there are still shortcomings in the animation they make, such as the combination of images and 3D computerized motion that is less smooth. This gives an uncomfortable feeling for fans of full two-dimensional action animation, including the author.
Various ending songs in each episode
What sets Chainsaw Man apart from other series is the variety of ending themes. According to the number of episodes presented, in total there are 12 closing songs performed by Vaundy to Eve, who previously also performed the OST for Jujutsu Kaisen. The closing songs also appear with clips that are so cool and entertaining.
It doesn’t stop there, the opening song of this fall series is no less interesting. Performed by Kenshi Yonezu, the song is titled “Kick Back”. Genre of J-rock and having a melody that is so ear-catching, the official music video of this song has managed to gather more than 50 million views in just 2 months. Not only that, the lyrics that are presented seem to be relatable to Denji’s personality, who just wants to live happily.
Not only the opening and closing songs, the soundtrack presented in it is also able to enliven every scene, especially the action scenes. In collaboration with Sony Music Labels, Kensuke Ushio presents 21 soundtracks that successfully add to the euphoria and give goosebumps. The writer personally couldn’t stop thinking about the efforts of the production team who dared to present many songs and soundtracks for only 12 episodes of the anime.
Fan Criticism Couldn’t Sway Ryū Nakayama’s Performance
Adapting a popular manga series into an anime series is certainly not easy. Popular manga series have a lot of readers and fans to satisfy. When their expectations don’t match reality, of course an anime series will get a lot of hurtful criticism.
That’s what Ryū Nakayama as the main director in Chainsaw Man might feel. Since just before its broadcast, Chainsaw Man has received a lot of harsh criticism from die-hard fans, such as young voice actors and scenes that are deemed not in accordance with the manga due to censorship alone.
However, the author personally considers that Ryū Nakayama and his staff have worked very well. He was able to execute the Chainsaw Man manga into an entertaining series, but also thrilling. His work is also able to make the audience impatient waiting for the next episode. He also has the ability to put surprising scenes at the last minute so that fans are curious.
If it weren’t for Ryū Nakayama’s excellent performance, it would be impossible for Chainsaw Man to gain an 8.8 rating on MyAnimeList and become one of the best anime series this year. Ryū Nakayama himself is not a director who has just entered the Japanese animation industry. Until now, he has worked on more than 40 anime series and many of them are hits. Still want to doubt the ability of this one director?
Maybe that’s the author’s brief review of the Chainsaw Man series that just ended. Both in terms of story, animation quality, OST, and various other elements presented perfectly so that the writer can’t wait to see the continuation of the episodes of this anime series. Based on these reviews, the writer decided to give a rating of 4.5/5 for this series that revolves around a weapon demon.