Chainsaw Man & The Horror of Dead Media Literacy

A Spoiler-Free Opinion

Hannah Phan '23, Staff Writer|November 29, 2022

Tatsuki Fujimoto

Despite the crudeness and violence ingrained into its nature, Chainsaw Man inspired a very hopeful perspective on how humans live.

The Harvey Award-Winning, Eisner Nominated Japanese comic Chainsaw Man aired its anime adaptation last month. As expected, its adaptation is stellar, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the show progresses. However, during my search for other commentary and reviews, I’ve noticed a disconnect in how other people have approached this unconventional piece of fiction.

The story follows a sixteen-year-old orphan, Denji, who is left to pay off his late father’s crippling debt to the mafia in a world where humanity’s fears physically manifest into devils that terrorize society. The first episode, free to watch on Crunchyroll, is a brilliant 25-minute adaptation of the first few chapters of the manga.

Seeing Denji’s struggles and his desire for a better life animated on-screen displayed a story that I loved in a new, eye-opening way. In the source material, Denji considered if he made his life worse by hoping for more, even though all he had were the dollars in his pocket and the scrap food he’d find in the trash. In the show, he still contemplated this, but it was layered with a voiceover of his thoughts during his current conflict. It was a poignant scene about wanting more even when we are content with what we have.

I finished the episode pleased with how it turned out, and so far for its airing, it’s been produced with fantastic animation, detailed sound design, and remains true to the source.

Although I love Chainsaw Man, I hesitate to make a general recommendation for it as it gets seriously bloody, and honestly, it will become too strange for most people. However, I will recommend the first episode, and the first three chapters of the manga, which are also free to read.

Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of Chainsaw Man, is known for his captivating art style which presents absurd, dark stories. Since I read his short one-shot, Goodbye Eri, which I will recommend since it’s very approachable, I’ve read everything he’s made that’s been published in English. Chainsaw Man is still my favorite work he’s written because of its phenomenal execution of an engaging, but atypical story of growth. I’ve had its adaptation on my radar for a while.

After the public reception of Chainsaw Man, gaining over 16 million views for its opening within two days, I’ve been thinking about one particular quote Fujimoto had said in an interview: “I have faith in the reader. I believe that if you over-explain for the sake of clarity, you’re actually making a fool of your audience. Readers pay more attention to your work than you realize.”

Animated by MAPPA Studios, known for producing hits like Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, I was prepared for the surge in discussion regarding one of my favorite pieces of media. Previously, Chainsaw Man also had a large reader base, and with currently over 20 million copies in circulation, I already knew I was far from the only person reading it.

What I wasn’t prepared for was how superficial Chainsaw Man was being taken by readers.

 

After its adaptation aired, I saw a surge in ridiculous statements. I didn’t focus on anything said by the people who were only watching the show, since the show currently only covers three volumes of an eleven volume series. It was from people that read the source material and reduced it to this story about a teenage boy trying to get a girlfriend, which Denji does initially set his goal as once he acquired eating real food, but in doing so, diminished the much more interesting nuances present.

I could make an argument about what the themes of Chainsaw Man are with Fujimoto’s statements and my analysis. It covers everything from the belief that life without suffering is meaningless to the idea that endless work is destructive. It showcases aspects of the human condition, like how the desire for family, not necessarily dictated by blood, is deeply rooted in how we function. I would love to do a deep-dive into all of its messages, but I’d rather not spoil the events and character development that lead to these conclusions. Unfortunately, anybody just watching the show will have to place some trust in what I’m saying.

At this point, somebody could think, “Okay so, there’s a disconnect between what the author wants to say and what the readers understand, why does that even matter?”

If you consume media, whether it’s film or television, or written work, solely for entertainment, then you could say it doesn’t change anything. You could watch Chainsaw Man and still be entertained by its well-choreographed fight scenes and its smooth animation and captivating soundtrack without having to think about why Denji’s fighting. Similarly, you could also read it and leave feeling the same way, satisfied with a unique tale that had some pretty cool art.

However, I enjoyed reflecting on the story almost as much as experiencing it. As expected, upon completion, I was once again impressed by Fujimoto.

I respect any well-crafted story, and after reading Chainsaw Man, I had my own moments of “Oh, so that’s why that happened” and “That’s what that was foreshadowing,” but most of all, I was impressed by how unexpectedly moving it was.

I went through 97 chapters reading about a guy who had a chainsaw that would sometimes erupt from his head, but I also saw him through his search for finding meaning in his life, and how even after the most horrifying experiences, he made it through. Despite the crudeness and violence ingrained into its nature, Chainsaw Man inspired a very hopeful perspective on how humans live.

A story about a boy turning into a chainsaw to fight devils for money was never going to be boring, but it’s way more interesting when that same story about a teenager with chainsaws for hands makes a compelling commentary about what it’s like to live in search of a dream, even if you don’t know if it’ll be worth it once you get there.