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[Doom85]

“Which one would you choose? The Town Mouse or the Country Mouse?”

FAQ:

Question 1. What is Chainsaw Man?

Answer: Chainsaw Man is the upcoming anime adaptation of the critically acclaimed Shonen Jump manga of the same name. It tells the story of Denji, a young man who becomes able to transform into a devil, the titular Chainsaw Man, which he utilizes to fight alongside humans, fiends, and even some friendly devils in an organization of devil hunters that stand against the deadly devils that threaten the safety of people around the world.
Other significant characters are Aki, a skilled devil hunter who has a personal vendetta against a particular mysterious and deadly devil; Power, a fiend who cares for neither humans or devils and wants to mainly look out for herself; and Makima, the leader of their organization and seemingly wields a great power that dwarfs all those who work for her.
The manga became famous due to not just its strong story and cast, but also for featuring a level of violence, sexual elements, and an increasingly dark narrative practically unlike almost anything before seen in Shonen Jump’s magazine. The manga concluded its first “Part” at 11 volumes, and the initial 12 episodes of the anime should cover roughly half of Part 1.

Question 2: Who is handling the adaptation?

Answer: Studio MAPPA will be animating the adaptation. The members of the studio have shown great affection for Chainsaw Man’s mangaka, Tatsuki Fujimoto, and every single one of his manga series and one-shot manga. The studio themselves sought out the rights to adapt Chainsaw Man, whereas normally a studio is approached themselves with an offer to adapt a manga. Also, they have expressed a desire to adapt every single one of Fujimoto’s manga eventually, and the director of the Chainsaw Man anime has confirmed the year long wait for the anime since the first teaser dropped in 2021 was to ensure the animators and crew could make this adaptation as faithful and worthy of the manga as possible. Rest assured, this adaptation probably could not be in better hands. This is pretty much a passion project.

Question 3: When and where can I watch Chainsaw Man?

Answer: The first episode will air on October 11 at 9:00 A.M. PT on the streaming service Crunchyroll. The episodes on Crunchyroll will be available for the territories of North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and CIS.

If someone has information regarding territories not covered above regarding the anime being available (either through Crunchyroll or another legal streaming service), please leave a comment and I will update as soon as I can.

For the source info (plus staff listing):

Crunchyroll - Anime News | Crunchyroll News

www.crunchyroll.com

Question 4: Will Chainsaw Man have an English dub?

Answer: Yes, it will. We do not know yet when the dub episodes will be available on Crunchyroll, but it probably won’t be too long a wait.

For more info on the dub cast and other details, see below:

Chainsaw Man Anime Reveals English Dub Cast, Trailer

Ryan Colt Levy, Suzie Yeung, Sarah Wiedenheft, Reagan Murdock star

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Also, a friendly reminder: keep things civil in the topic and no needless bashing of Japanese, English, or other dub versions. Everyone has their preferences, and what truly matters is that we all enjoy Denji’s insane adventure together.

Also, I say this as someone who has read all of Part 1 of the manga, but NO UNMARKED SPOILERS! For those who have read the manga, please use spoiler tags if discussing future events, and even then try to avoid discussing major plot twists, deaths, and such. This is a series that eventually has a lot of jaw dropping moments, and I would hate for a newcomer to have the experience spoiled for them.


…..and I think that covers most of the big things! Woo! As far as I can remember, this is my first OT, so hopefully it looks competent enough! So only a few days away, we can get this crazy show on the road!

Commence Operation: Super-Smart!

Spoiler

“I can’t take it anymore, doing an OT like this makes you crazy.” - Kobeni

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Looking forward to it. Perfect for the season!

 

[Wildebeest]

It's finally happening.

 

[SJRB]

Will definitely check this out.

 

[jufonuk]

Looks insanely stupidly brilliant.

 

[GymWolf]

So hyped for this one.

 

[Little Mac]

I've read the manga .... its really good. We're in for a treat.

 

[Wildebeest]

I think I've remembered what it feels like to watch a nerdy TV show that doesn't suck. No going back to bored of the rings, rings of tedium.

 

[Doom85]

Episode 1: Dog and Chainsaw
​

MAPPA’s wait was worth it. The animation was great, from the final fight to the detail in the background. And oh yeah, Denji may only have a slice of bread per day, but goddamn is it a good-looking piece of bread.

Denji already sounded perfectly cast from the trailers, but Pochita is great as well. I really need to get around to ordering a plushie of him.

One of the things I loved when reading this opening section of the manga is how Denji is set up completely different from any other Shonen protagonist. There’s no dream of being the best at something, no revenge plan or saving someone goal, no ordinary high school student life. This is a basically homeless kid who got fucked over by his father and the yakuza and he would be happy just for slightly better food than the nearly starving diet he is forced to have and to meet a girl. And without spoiling anything, this set up remains relevant even as his life changes as it sets up his personality and some of the themes moving forward which would only work with this sort of lead who came from such a life.

OP was fire. I need to check out what others are saying as apparently a ton of movie references are in it. I think I missed them all as I was just freaking out. The tone was so insane which was perfect for an OP of this series. The last bit with Denji and Power goofily dancing while Aki just stands there chill was perfect.

Ah man. Is it next Tuesday yet? This week by week wait is going to kill me! But regardless, again, great job so far, MAPPA!

 

[Alexios]

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Loved it!

 

[Wildebeest]

It's a shame that more people here can't watch this in case the extreme content shocks their wife so much that they have to sleep in the spare room.

 

[Doom85]

It's a shame that more people here can't watch this in case the extreme content shocks their wife so much that they have to sleep in the spare room.

Sounds like they need a better wife. I’ve already seen plenty of people, including women, on Youtube really enjoy the first episode. Hell, quite a few of the ladies were screaming for Denji to fuck those yakuza up.

 

[Fbh]

Is it too much to ask that 1 manga I like gets an animation that isnt ugly CG?.

I guess at least it didn't look as bad as Dorohedoro and only the action scenes look distractingly CG

The opening was great though and both the soundtrack and voice acting fit well

 

[Ribi]

loved the OP, cg was a bit much which was the only negative i have so far. Otherwise very exciting stuff

 

[Doom85]

Episode 2: Arrival in Tokyo

​

Aki and Power are here! Both voice actors sounded great in the trailer, and they continue to shine here, especially Power even if she is only in the last third or so of the episode. Oh man, and Power’s character OST theme, so fucking good.

The action was a little less intense this episode but oh boy will it ramp up soon. I do love just how quickly Power disposes of the Sea Cucumber Devil. There is a pretty unique way in which devils are roughly ranked power scale wise, I forget where in the manga they reveal this but I look forward to anime first viewers hearing it and maybe going back quickly to prior episodes and pick up on how that matches the strength of the devils shown so far.

Also, just love how delighted Denji is with some of the most basic or silly of things. It really shows how he came from so little that he puts anything he can imagine on his toast, or enjoys the hell out of a basic bath. And of course, boobs!

I was disappointed they cut out a few pages of the manga around the time Denji and Makima are eating breakfast. It’s the sort of thing that isn‘t a massive deal, but the mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto has so much brilliant set-up and foreshadowing (like, it got its own separate foreshadowing page on TVtropes, which is rare) that pays off particularly in the final few volumes of Part 1 that I wish it had been included. The manga has plenty of times later on that also have this particular setup so again not a massive deal, and MAPPA has made it clear they intend to give this the best adaptation possible so I understand some minor cuts have to happen to make the pacing work.

Anyway, great episode, but for those wanting a bit more action, it should ramp up next week!

 

[Skifi28]

About to watch episode 2 after work. Hyyyyyyped.

 

[Mondai]

Man people sure bitch a lot about Makima’s VA in other places I’ve been too, she’s fine.

 

[Wildebeest]

A less exciting episode than the first, but it neatly establishes some core characters. Power was only in it for the last five minutes, but she totally took over the episode. And the Big Leboswki skit in the intro is no coincidence, since Power is inspired by that film.

 

[Doom85]

Power is inspired by that film.

Wasn‘t aware of that. I know Fujimoto also was inspired by Eric Cartman of South Park (in terms of his unpredictable and wild card nature, probably not so much his other aspects, LOL) when creating her.

He also just flat out said he loves Texas Chainsaw Massacre in a quote in an early volume, so no surprise the OP wastes no time in showing an homage to it.

I do wonder if there will be additional film references in the episodes themselves. I remember the Soul Eater anime giving that little demon guy in Soul’s mind a room to look more like the Red Room from Twin Peaks, and in the first episode with Excalibur there is a quick shot of a street sign saying “Mulholland Dr.” (a film by David Lynch, who also created Twin Peaks). The latter detail wasn’t in the manga, and IIRC the devil’s room in the manga didn‘t seem like the Red Room so the anime added these homages. But in Chainsaw Man’s case, I could see MAPPA choosing to not add anything significantly different from the manga if they’re planning to stay faithful as much as they can.

 

[Wildebeest]

I do wonder if there will be additional film references in the episodes themselves

I think Evangelion is a constant reference due to spoiler related content. The whole thing is set in an alternate 1997 so things that were culturally relevant at the time get woven in.

 

[Labolas]

Finished the first two episodes and I really liked it. I think that I liked the second episode more than the first. The first episode had some jarring cg work and kinda took me out of the episode. But man, the second one brought it back to me. The music in the episode was easily one of the highlights of the episode. Power is still great from what I remember.

 

[Wildebeest]

I guess I don't mind 3d sections in anime because to me TV anime is a sort of gonzo style where different animators directing different scenes on a budget leads to all sorts of variation. Being an anime purist is bizarre to me. I liked Gantz at the time.

 

[Mossybrew]

I don't read manga so I'm never sure exactly what to expect, but after Ep 2 this definitely isn't for me, the horny teen trope is way too cringe to tolerate.

 

[NightmareFarm]

Really like this show so far. Especially the characters and premise of the MC working as a disposable but important asset to an organisation(this show seems to handle this premise better than Jujutsu Kaisen). The animation is top notch as well. It's a shame the first season is only one cour however.

 

[DragoonWalker]

I guess I don't mind 3d sections in anime because to me TV anime is a sort of gonzo style where different animators directing different scenes on a budget leads to all sorts of variation. Being an anime purist is bizarre to me. I liked Gantz at the time.

You are right, due to the increased massive output of anime since they opened the floodgates a few years back, the shortage of animators, plus abundance of overworked and underpaid animators, and low budgets even in popular properties, things are only gonna get worse. There's plenty of talented animators, but they are in such high demand they only get hired to do complex and climactic action scenes. Which is unfortunate.

CGI is still so far from great handrawn animation. There's life and energy in imperfection and quirks, creatively bridged pose to pose that works due to line flow and energy that CGI is simply not good at. The gap only seems close now because modern anime has adapted rather sterile, cleanly proportioned drawing styles that lack the weird shapes and crooked linework abundant 80s and 90s that gave the animation so much character.

 

[Doom85]

You are right, due to the increased massive output of anime since they opened the floodgates a few years back, the shortage of animators, plus abundance of overworked and underpaid animators, and low budgets even in popular properties, things are only gonna get worse. There's plenty of talented animators, but they are in such high demand they only get hired to do complex and climactic action scenes. Which is unfortunate.

CGI is still so far from great handrawn animation. There's life and energy in imperfection and quirks, creatively bridged pose to pose that works due to line flow and energy that CGI is simply not good at. The gap only seems close now because modern anime has adapted rather sterile, cleanly proportioned drawing styles that lack the weird shapes and crooked linework abundant 80s and 90s that gave the animation so much character.

My problem with the whole 2D > 3D angle is that everyone who argues this always ends up just focusing on personal preferences rather than identifying genuinely objective strengths and weaknesses one format has over the other. A video that actually did say what I wanted to hear:



As he goes into it, yes 2D does allow more character facial details and things like that, BUT 3D allows more freedom in cinematography, background movement, lighting, etc. These elements can arguably be just as if not more important to adapting certain works and I agree with the video maker that Land of the Lustrous probably would have been less remarkable in 2D. Studio Orange has shown a genuine mastery of the 3D format and it really disappoints me if somebody were to discount everything they had achieved purely over personal preference. Yes, one likes what they like, but it just seems unfair to me to not acknowledge all their hard work.

I personally kind of am not that big on most anime TV productions from the early 90’s or further back as the rough detail to me just often ends up being distracting. This is less of an issue with OVAs of that time (at least some of them, I really think more people should watch Youtuber Bennett the Sage’s series Anime Abandon, he highlights a ton of OVA series that were just horseshit) and especially films obviously, but for me I greatly prefer how anime TV series have evolved. And yes, even certain, I repeat, CERTAIN, 3D anime, as again even if I have my personal preferences I do acknowledge the pros and cons of both formats. Hell, some are 2D anime that frequently use 3D to great effect. SSSS Gridman would have been less noteworthy in their action scenes if they had used 2D, because 3D allowed for a closer resemblance of the tokusatsu action scenes of the original Gridman TV series.

I will say, I don’t know which popular properties you speak of got low budgets. Like, if we talk Shonen Jump since Chainsaw Man is a SJ title, I would be baffled at anyone saying Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, or Spy x Family were low budget. I’ve not watched Haikyu! but the promos always had it looking good. I guess the Promised Neverland anime could look rough sometimes, but I almost question how much Cloverworks gave a shit about it given how they wrote Season 2. I mean, they obviously can do great animation, that sailor uniform anime they made that I didn’t watch had incredible animation from what little I saw.

And anyone saying Chainsaw Man had a low budget would be entering borderline flat earther territory. Like, the director all but said they allowed themselves an additional year to animate It because pretty much everyone at MAPPA respects the hell out of the mangaka. AN ENTIRE YEAR. Like, that’s possibly unprecedented for an anime TV production. And the results show. The shots of the background are frequently stunning. The cinematography of the action scenes are great. The details of lighting and shadows on the characters even when in motion are on point. This obviously was not a rushed or cheap production by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m sorry that anime isn’t what it used to be for how your preferences line up. But it’s definitely not an objective downgrade. Every format, every era, has its pros and cons and that’s pretty much how it’s always been.

But I don’t want to keep going on about this too long. This is a topic about the Chainsaw Man anime, not the preferences of which era of animation.

 

[DragoonWalker]

My problem with the whole 2D > 3D angle is that everyone who argues this always ends up just focusing on personal preferences rather than identifying genuinely objective strengths and weaknesses one format has over the other. A video that actually did say what I wanted to hear:



As he goes into it, yes 2D does allow more character facial details and things like that, BUT 3D allows more freedom in cinematography, background movement, lighting, etc. These elements can arguably be just as if not more important to adapting certain works and I agree with the video maker that Land of the Lustrous probably would have been less remarkable in 2D. Studio Orange has shown a genuine mastery of the 3D format and it really disappoints me if somebody were to discount everything they had achieved purely over personal preference. Yes, one likes what they like, but it just seems unfair to me to not acknowledge all their hard work.

I personally kind of am not that big on most anime TV productions from the early 90’s or further back as the rough detail to me just often ends up being distracting. This is less of an issue with OVAs of that time (at least some of them, I really think more people should watch Youtuber Bennett the Sage’s series Anime Abandon, he highlights a ton of OVA series that were just horseshit) and especially films obviously, but for me I greatly prefer how anime TV series have evolved. And yes, even certain, I repeat, CERTAIN, 3D anime, as again even if I have my personal preferences I do acknowledge the pros and cons of both formats. Hell, some are 2D anime that frequently use 3D to great effect. SSSS Gridman would have been less noteworthy in their action scenes if they had used 2D, because 3D allowed for a closer resemblance of the tokusatsu action scenes of the original Gridman TV series.

I will say, I don’t know which popular properties you speak of got low budgets. Like, if we talk Shonen Jump since Chainsaw Man is a SJ title, I would be baffled at anyone saying Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, or Spy x Family were low budget. I’ve not watched Haikyu! but the promos always had it looking good. I guess the Promised Neverland anime could look rough sometimes, but I almost question how much Cloverworks gave a shit about it given how they wrote Season 2. I mean, they obviously can do great animation, that sailor uniform anime they made that I didn’t watch had incredible animation from what little I saw.

And anyone saying Chainsaw Man had a low budget would be entering borderline flat earther territory. Like, the director all but said they allowed themselves an additional year to animate It because pretty much everyone at MAPPA respects the hell out of the mangaka. AN ENTIRE YEAR. Like, that’s possibly unprecedented for an anime TV production. And the results show. The shots of the background are frequently stunning. The cinematography of the action scenes are great. The details of lighting and shadows on the characters even when in motion are on point. This obviously was not a rushed or cheap production by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m sorry that anime isn’t what it used to be for how your preferences line up. But it’s definitely not an objective downgrade. Every format, every era, has its pros and cons and that’s pretty much how it’s always been.

But I don’t want to keep going on about this too long. This is a topic about the Chainsaw Man anime, not the preferences of which era of animation.

I never intended for this to become an argument. I don't mind if someone prefers 3D but I don't like your passive aggressive style of responding with a huge essay then saying "we should stay on topic". Or implying my view is equal to flatearthers. Dude. I never said Chainsaw Man is low budget, I was talking about general trends and the increase of 3D not as an artistic choice but a shortcut. If you pay attention to industry news the demand is outstripping the ability of anime companies to supply them, and the explosion of shows in production every single season is stretching manpower and money thin. Most animators are paid shit. For every one show with massive budget and tons of sakuga sequences and great backgrounds, you have 10 shows that didn't get enough money. Great 3D anime is rare, that's why everyone brings up Land of the Lustrous because it's the exception. How many shitty 3D anime or budget 3D shots do you get every year in every show for every one LotL?

Look it's clear we don't have the same standards for what is most important in animation, you made it abundantly clear when a.) you mentioned more character facial details over anything else as a strength of 2D, b.) you're not a fan of most anime productions from the 90s or further back due to distracting "rough details". Cinematography style, background movement, lighting, etc, that's nice but they're secondary dressing. I care more about that when it's a live action film. The meat of animation is, you know, the animation. So many people don't seem to care I guess. I look at Trigger's Cyberpunk and the whole thing barely even moves. You can say it's all subjective but animation is founded on principles. At the end of the day, 2D and 3D animation both follow the same principles, and in my opinion as someone who works in the animation industry, it's far simpler to apply those principles to a pleasing degree when it's the former. Of course 3D is great when there's enough time and money (and talent). Look at a Dreamworks or Sony or Disney movie. But its strengths matter less to me than the strengths of when budget is less, as in most anime.

As for Chainsaw Man, I enjoyed what I saw. As a cinephile I appreciate the references in the OP but I have yet to see how it plays out into the story. As a pilot it's fun enough. It's the same ol' "pact with a demon/hero is a shut in" shit I've seen since forever, but the very cinematic storytelling style stands out. Nice storyboarding mostly. The animation is pretty consistent at least, so I can see where the money went, and the spots of 3D here and there is probably as well integrated as it's ever gonna be for TV anime. But, I can still tell, and less than the fact that I prefer 2D, is the fact that I prefer a consistent visual reality.

 

[Wildebeest]

You are right, due to the increased massive output of anime since they opened the floodgates a few years back, the shortage of animators, plus abundance of overworked and underpaid animators, and low budgets even in popular properties, things are only gonna get worse. There's plenty of talented animators, but they are in such high demand they only get hired to do complex and climactic action scenes. Which is unfortunate.

It was the same or worse even in the glory days of hand drawn cell animation. If you remember, even flagship anime like Evangelion had long sequences where there was barely any motion to make up for the lush battle scenes. Part of the reason why anime was looked down on as cheap foreign rubbish in the day was how jerky and inconsistent the animation was compared to Disney movies.

 

[Doom85]

I never intended for this to become an argument. I don't mind if someone prefers 3D but I don't like your passive aggressive style of responding with a huge essay then saying "we should stay on topic". Or implying my view is equal to flatearthers. Dude. I never said Chainsaw Man is low budget, I was talking about general trends and the increase of 3D not as an artistic choice but a shortcut. If you pay attention to industry news the demand is outstripping the ability of anime companies to supply them, and the explosion of shows in production every single season is stretching manpower and money thin. Most animators are paid shit. For every one show with massive budget and tons of sakuga sequences and great backgrounds, you have 10 shows that didn't get enough money. Great 3D anime is rare, that's why everyone brings up Land of the Lustrous because it's the exception. How many shitty 3D anime or budget 3D shots do you get every year in every show for every one LotL?

Look it's clear we don't have the same standards for what is most important in animation, you made it abundantly clear when a.) you mentioned more character facial details over anything else as a strength of 2D, b.) you're not a fan of most anime productions from the 90s or further back due to distracting "rough details". Cinematography style, background movement, lighting, etc, that's nice but they're secondary dressing. I care more about that when it's a live action film. The meat of animation is, you know, the animation. So many people don't seem to care I guess. I look at Trigger's Cyberpunk and the whole thing barely even moves. You can say it's all subjective but animation is founded on principles. At the end of the day, 2D and 3D animation both follow the same principles, and in my opinion as someone who works in the animation industry, it's far simpler to apply those principles to a pleasing degree when it's the former. Of course 3D is great when there's enough time and money (and talent). Look at a Dreamworks or Sony or Disney movie. But its strengths matter less to me than the strengths of when budget is less, as in most anime.

As for Chainsaw Man, I enjoyed what I saw. As a cinephile I appreciate the references in the OP but I have yet to see how it plays out into the story. As a pilot it's fun enough. It's the same ol' "pact with a demon/hero is a shut in" shit I've seen since forever, but the very cinematic storytelling style stands out. Nice storyboarding mostly. The animation is pretty consistent at least, so I can see where the money went, and the spots of 3D here and there is probably as well integrated as it's ever gonna be for TV anime. But, I can still tell, and less than the fact that I prefer 2D, is the fact that I prefer a consistent visual reality.

Okay, take it easy. I was not referring to you when I said the flat earth bit. How could I be, since you didn’t specify which popular properties in your first post? I never thought you were referring to CM, just that if someone else did how silly it would be. And sorry, I wasn’t trying to cut you off, but I was just trying to stay on topic.

I would say claiming only 10% of anime today are well budgeted/animated is quite the leap. And are we really claiming animation for TV (again, comparing TV to TV, comparing modern TV anime to older OVAs and films is a constant mistake I’ve seen other people do and it drives me nuts) is any worse than it was back then? There was a lot of low quality animation back then too, not to mention far more long running series which meant even more of a less consistent quality whereas now it’s rare to even have 24 episodes aired at once.

As for 3D shows, well Land of the Lustrous is a well regarded manga. Same with Beastars. So yes, people are going to reference them because they are great series alongside having solid 3D animation. Now yes, Berserk 2016 sucked, and that new Ghost in the Shell as well, though I don’t know many GitS fans who are even asking for more anime of it anyway, seems like most are content with the original film and SAC. But then after a few examples like that, what do you have left? Okay, Handshakers looks like shit, but honestly aside from having a joke at it, who gives a shit? It’s fucking HANDSHAKERS. The show would have sucked anyway. Hell, in Ex-Arm’s case, we know for a fact it would have sucked just as much in 2D because as everyone found out, it was made by people who never worked on anime before!

Hell, even with 2D anime, that usually seems to be the case. In most cases, the good animated series were the ones who either had also a good story/cast to match it, or at least a mainstream appeal to warrant it. But then the shit that would probably suck even if it was well animated tends to get bad or below average animation, but why should I care? I’d be mad if Re:Zero Season 3 came out and looked terrible because the novel author actually bothers trying to tell an interesting story. But if In Another World with my Smartphone Season 2 ends up looking like shit…like why would I care? A pretty turd would still be a turd. I’m not saying there aren’t exceptions (One Punch Man Season 2), but that’s just it, they‘re exceptions.

And focusing on bad 3D shots has always been unfair in my book. Okay, who exactly is keeping track of the good 3D shots every year just so we’re keeping track? No one? Well, that’s because the point of well done integration of 3D into 2D anime is to have the viewer not notice (barring some examples where they have a purpose of making it clear, like in SSSS Gridman as I mentioned earlier). In Kill la Kill, yes everyone mentions the infamous shot of Satsuki walking up the wall and how bad it looks, but notice how it’s pretty much the only moment most people bring up? Well, Kill la Kill used plenty of 3D moments in it, just most people didn’t notice as that’s what was intended. Hell, they use it within practically the first two minutes, as the shot of the uniform-stealing student being hurled all the way across the field as the camera pans around him completely is using 3D, yet barely anyone will notice unless they slow it down or pause.

And yes, it is all subjective. Even if something is more “animated”, failing or merely being passable in other categories is noteworthy by plenty of people. Take Steven Universe. I didn’t watch the show past Season 1, but I heard many complain about the later seasons. Not due to the animation being lowered, but due to the character’s proportions and details becoming very inconsistent. Suddenly there could be a shot or two of one character being noticeably taller than another despite the fact they’re supposed to be roughly the same height, things like that. Regardless if the show’s animation quality was consistent or not, plenty of fans did notice these problems.

 

[Ocean Dweller]

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I enjoyed him kicking his roommate in the balls repeatedly.

 

[Renoir]

really glad the anime is not being shy. There is definitely some section of the manga that I feel wont be received well in the state.
3d was not to bad. I feel like all the studios need to talk to ARC Sys and license there tech for 3d.

 

[Doom85]

really glad the anime is not being shy. There is definitely some section of the manga that I feel wont be received well in the state.
3d was not to bad. I feel like all the studios need to talk to ARC Sys and license there tech for 3d.

MAPPA said they should be good to have everything uncensored, so yeah it shouldn’t be a concern.

Not sure what wouldn’t be received well. I’m struggling to think of anything in Part 1 off the top of my head that could be controversial. Even Denji’s desire to cop a feel is made clear that he wants it to be consensual, so there’s not even the whole “oh, a character intentionally groped someone, hilarious amirite?!” shtick (which I don’t want to “cancel” anyone over, but it shouldn’t be unreasonable for me to hope anime outgrows such an outdated element eventually). And there are even a few LGBT characters whose orientation is not reduced to a comedic punchline like a few manga/anime do (to be clear, the orientation itself being nothing but the punchline, a LGBT character like Leeron from Gurren Lagann who is humorous in general I think is great).

I’d say Chainsaw Man is a pretty progressive manga all things concerned. Though my apologies if I misunderstood by what you meant “won’t be received well”.

 

[Renoir]

MAPPA said they should be good to have everything uncensored, so yeah it shouldn’t be a concern.

Not sure what wouldn’t be received well. I’m struggling to think of anything in Part 1 off the top of my head that could be controversial. Even Denji’s desire to cop a feel is made clear that he wants it to be consensual, so there’s not even the whole “oh, a character intentionally groped someone, hilarious amirite?!” shtick (which I don’t want to “cancel” anyone over, but it shouldn’t be unreasonable for me to hope anime outgrows such an outdated element eventually). And there are even a few LGBT characters whose orientation is not reduced to a comedic punchline like a few manga/anime do (to be clear, the orientation itself being nothing but the punchline, a LGBT character like Leeron from Gurren Lagann who is humorous in general I think is great).

I’d say Chainsaw Man is a pretty progressive manga all things concerned. Though my apologies if I misunderstood by what you meant “won’t be received well”.

yea the manga is pretty liberal. what I mean by well received is that a few "loud" minorities will complain and blow this out of proportion.
The titty grabbing is very different than falling accidently falling in some titty for the funnies.
I just hope nothing get the show cancelled, or make the maker say no season 2.
I'm really liking what I see now, ill be upset if they can't do the whole manga, so much dope imagery in the books. Really looking forward to seeing how it translates to animation.

 

[Doom85]

Episode 3: Meowy’s Whereabouts

​

More Power shenanigans! The parallels between her and Denji’s backstory are pretty obvious, with Denji meeting the devil dog Pochita and Power meeting a normal cat named Meowy. While both used their pets as a means of survival, it seems like Denji more quickly had a legitimate bond with his pet, while Power took more time and had trouble understanding why Meowy met so much to her.

Okay, so the power scaling was explained this early. So yeah, the concept a devil embodies determines its strength based on how much people generally fear that concept. This is why the Tomato Devil at the start of episode 1 and the Sea Cucumber Devil at the end of last episode were so weak, whereas the Zombie Devil and Bat Devil were harder to deal with. It’s a pretty unique power scaling method IMHO.

And that wasn’t a major translation goof, yes, in the meeting with Makima, one of the executives did talk about dealing with the Soviet Union. I’m not sure how much will get elaborated on the time period and other details like that in these first 12 episodes, but rest assured eventually they explain it.

Fight scene was awesome. I think that was a new music track during part of the fight, it sounded great.

 

[Doom85]

Episode 4: Rescue
​

Some absolutely sick action this episode. Denji fighting the Leech Devil looked so great. And damn, they still keep the animation detail up the whole episode.

Here we get the first details regarding contracts with Devils. Ironically, despite Denji being clueless about the concept, he actually had formed one with Pochita when he offered it his blood in exchange for helping him on the day his father was buried.

I like how they talk about dreams in this section. It’s like the idea that in a way, what your dream is isn’t as important, rather how passionately you pursue it. This reminds me of the movie Serenity (the sequel to the show Firefly) where Book tells Mal, “I don’t care what you believe. Just believe it.” and how that gives Mal the push to achieve what he needs to in the final act.

And now the trio are firmly united under one roof. Will they manage to avoid driving each other totally mad?! Or will Power never learn to eat vegetables and flush the toilet?! Stay tuned!

 

[Wildebeest]

Aki showing his cool side and why he deserves to be placed above Kobeni's car in popularity polls. Power is an angel? That's crazy talk.

 

[Little Mac]

Great episode. The "Kon" scene was awesome.

 

[Doom85]

Damn, they had this ready to announce as soon as the episode aired, LOL.

Chainsaw Man's Power Gets Figure With That Pose

Shibuya Scramble Figure opened pre-orders for 29,920 yen figure on Wednesday

www.animenewsnetwork.com

 

[Doom85]

Episode 5: Gun Devil
​

The full squad is here! Himeno is so great, love her fun yet caring attitude. And Kobeni, she seems like a typical timid type, but us manga readers know why she’s so great, but we’ll get there eventually.

Aki’s backstory is so upsetting. And to be clear, the Gun Devil incident was international. Yes, it slaughtered 1.5 million people in five minutes across the entire world. Might make Denji’s confidence in beating it seem a tad foolish, but that‘s Denji for you!

I can’t remember if the manga clarifies if the mass gravesite is solely for victims of the Gun Devil, or if that was where Devil Hunters are specifically buried. Probably the former. But still, it’s such a striking image to really lay home that for as much fun as the series can have, this is still a dark setting our characters find themselves in.

And now our crew find themselves possibly stuck on a floor of this hotel. Will they get out of this situation? Will Denji get a kiss (with tongue!) from Himeno? Will Arai learn some chill? We’ll see next week, I suppose!

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

Kobeni looks so interesting to me for some reason lol I don't like reading mangas, so I don't really know what her deal is, but my mates who do all love her so I can't wait to see her in proper action.

This episode (plus the last one) in particular was quite clear in showing the way Makima is just using everyone around her to get what she wants with no actual care in the world. What a piece of shite. She's such a well written character, of course -- even the OP goes to show you on multiple ocassions that something's off (aside from the very explicit venus flytrap, ampulex, and leucochloridium scenes), like that side eye she gives Denji in the very first scene after he switches his attention from Power to her. Can't stand people like her IRL, so I'm quite excited to see what they do with her and how long she can keep this whole circus going on.

 

[Doom85]

Episode 6: Kill Denji
​

Everyone, please remember to show your support for the nomination of Power as Prime Minister. Only together can we ensure she takes office and brings in an unparalleled era of human suffering!

Oh my god, those visuals of the inside of the Eternity Devil. So fucking awesome looking. I admit, this episode did have a few rough spots animation wise, but those Eternity shots made up for it in my book.

Aki and Himeno’s bond is so great. Like god, I almost want a spin off manga entirely focused on their past together, but only with the mangaka Fujimoto’s blessing of course. I mean, we have found out and will find out more about their time together, but they’re such a great duo, I just want more.

Well, yeah, so this is Kobeni’s lowest point. I feel though if the manga fandom learns to love where the character goes though, I’m sure most anime watchers will too. No specifics of course, just don’t write her off yet. I did forget her explaining this early in the story why she‘s a Hunter in the first place (unless MAPPA changed it to include it here) so if anything, don’t hate Kobeni, hate her parents for being shitheads and forcing her into a job she clearly isn’t mentally prepared to handle. I’m not saying it fully excuses her but still.

Besides, clearly Denji was the worst this episode. Eating all the food, for shame. Don’t know how Arai could blame Power. I mean, yeah, she’s standing right by the empty bags and has crumbs on her face, but it was clearly a frame-up by Denji to besmirch the reputation of our future Prime Minister! Well, Denji, if you get them all out of there, we’ll forgive you, but please no more sabotage attempts on our clearly innocent Power!

 

[Little Mac]

Everyone, please remember to show your support for the nomination of Power as Prime Minister. Only together can we ensure she takes office and brings in an unparalleled era of human suffering!

I'm shocked she hasn't received the Nobel Prize yet. It's a fucking travesty. No justice in the world.

 

[Wildebeest]

Episode 6: When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The reason for Kobeni's popularity is clear, for a devil, her fear response is second to none.

 

[Little Mac]

Episode 7 dropped. Good episode and character development.

 

[Doom85]

Episode 7: Taste of a Kiss
​

“I’m a fucking perpetual motion machine!”

Eternity Devil down! And it seemed to be familiar with the Chainsaw Devil! Just what was Pochita up to before it met Denji? And does Makima know more about it than she is letting on? Won’t matter for the time being, as apparently no one on the squad is beating her in a drinking contest.

The new music as Denji just tore into the Eternity Devil was pretty great.

Fun hijinks at the restaurant! Power just can’t stop eating! Who can blame her, top notch Japanese cuisine is excellent!

And Denji got his first kiss! And it could traumatize him for life! Except there’s no time to reflect on that, as he’s now next to a very forward Himeno in bed! Hah, people thought the episode ending with Denji about to finally touch Power’s boobs was a tease, but this episode topped that!

Also, a proper full scene with Himeno’s mentor. So yeah, being a little nuts is a bonus in this line of work. Makes Denji and Power fit right in!

 

[Little Mac]

I've read the manga and still wasn't prepared for this episode.

 

[Doom85]

Episode 8: Gunfire
​

Denji and Himeno form an alliance! Though it’s rather short-lived…

Makima is on her way to Kyoto for a meeting. And then tragedy strikes. Obviously this is a rather sudden end for a character being built up so much, but just keep watching and it’ll make sense where it goes from here.

Are Himeno and Arai dead? It’s not looking good for them either…

Katana Man has appeared! Oh boohoo, your child-murdering grandpa died and now you can’t enjoy the life of a spoiled brat, yeah, eat actual shit, dude.

RIP, Himeno. Even if her final sacrifice was foiled, at least she bought Aki some time.

Though Aki used the sword once already which eats up his lifespan, so not looking great for him regardless. With Denji shot in the head, Aki barely hanging on, and only Power at full health, how can our trio possibly get out this situation?

So in short, welcome to Chainsaw Man’s “Madoka Magica Episode 3”! (if you know, you know) Yep, shit’s only going to get crazier from here…

 

[Wildebeest]

Well, it's no Gantz Buddhist Temple arc.