MANGA REVIEW | "Chainsaw Man" - Volume Nineteen
Can we talk, Tatsuki Fujimoto? I’m a little concerned about you lately. You notice that your series is called Chainsaw Man, correct? Ergo, you’re supposed to bring forth something like a Sam Raimi/Lloyd Kaufman cocktail that goes down quick, easy, and leaves a feel-good aftertaste when you read it. So why’s this series more depressing than an Irish period drama?! Do we need to bring in your kouhai Yukinobu Tatsu to show you how to spark joy into the life of Denji?
You could’ve given Denji a bit of happiness by taking him to a Soapland, Japan’s greatest contribution to society! But no, just when you were about to get his and the readers’ hopes up, you decided to literally burn the venue to the ground. And what’s Denji’s consolation prize? An old Shinji Ikari, compliments of Asa Mitaka. Nothing sadder than a handy from a one-armed woman, right?
Well, it turns out it isn’t, as Volume Nineteen of Chainsaw Man goes into the depths of despair. Denji is eager to find Nayuta, and it’s going to take turning into Chainsaw Man to find her. However, the Church’s second-in-command tells Denji that in order to transform properly, he needs two things: everyone’s fears and Denji’s own unhappiness. So how does Barem bring out that unhappiness? By showing us a truly cruel image.
Naturally, Denji loses it and becomes the true hard-armored Chainsaw Man. There, he starts taking out one Devil after another, to the point where he’s ridding the world of key things like ears and mouths. Thankfully, the carnage is back to that balls-to-the-wall violence that Fujimoto is fantastic at bringing about. With that being said, does sadness have to be what drives Denji into becoming Chainsaw Man? Even with what Barem said, it shouldn’t be the one legit thing that allows Denji to be the hero that he wishes to be.
And it gets worse. There’s only one way to calm down Chainsaw Man, and it’s to have him eat the Aging Devil. The Aging Devil agrees, on one condition. This is where I realized just how deranged Fujimoto can get with his writing. It’s a quid pro quo so unsettling that I can’t even utter it in this review. Just the sheer thought of what Aging Devil requests sends shivers down my spine; it’s so vile!
I know that Chainsaw Man is a fucked-up series. With that being said, Fujimoto has the power to bring joy to that fuckery, and he seems to desire the readers’ sadness over their smiles. The worst part: it’s all so damn entertaining! Volume Nineteen of Chainsaw Man is the equivalent of a sad boner. Sure, what’s in your pants will feel great, but is warping your mind into a spiral of somberness worth it? You don’t need to answer that; I already know what you’re going to say.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
