Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
I’ve barely read manga before. Years ago, I read a few volumes of The Walking Dead because I loved the show and wanted to get more of the story. This time, it was something similar. I had already watched the Chainsaw Man anime, found it entertaining but not enough to actively seek out the manga. Buying it was pure chance—on a recent shopping trip, my wife pointed out the manga section at Crosswords and insisted I pick up a few books. If Dandadan or Kaiju No. 8 were available, I would have gone for those, but Chainsaw Man was the next best thing. And now, after finishing Volume 1, I’m glad I picked it up.
Denji is unlike most shonen heroes. He doesn’t dream of being the strongest or saving the world. His life is painfully simple—he's drowning in debt, killing devils for scraps, and barely surviving with his only companion, Pochita, a chainsaw devil that doubles as his pet and his only friend. His existence is so dire that he considers being able to eat a slice of bread a luxury. Then comes the inevitable betrayal—his yakuza employers, under the control of the Zombie Devil, turn on him, literally hacking him to pieces and tossing his remains in a dumpster. It should have been the end, but Pochita fuses with Denji’s heart, bringing him back as Chainsaw Man—a human-devil hybrid wielding chainsaws from his arms and head.
Makima, a high-ranking Public Safety Devil Hunter, steps in after the carnage, offering Denji a new life—but on her terms. She treats him like a dog, feeding him, giving him a job, but keeps him on a tight leash. Denji, for his part, doesn’t mind—compared to his past, this is an upgrade. He gets hot food, a warm place to sleep, and a somewhat stable life. But something still feels missing. For the first time, he starts thinking about his desires beyond just survival, and his first real goal is absurdly simple: he wants to touch a boob.
It’s refreshing to have a protagonist whose ambitions are so low-stakes yet oddly relatable. His partnership with Power, a blood fiend, is equally chaotic. She’s loud, manipulative, and just as impulsive as Denji. When she offers him the chance to fulfill his goal in exchange for helping her rescue her pet cat, Meowy, he doesn’t hesitate. Of course, Power being Power, she betrays him, sacrificing him to the Bat Devil in an attempt to save Meowy. But things don’t go as planned, and Denji, now royally pissed off, unleashes hell as Chainsaw Man.
Volume 1 is ridiculous, violent, and absolutely engaging. The humor is dark, the action is relentless, and Denji’s motivations are as dumb as they are entertaining. It’s a perfect blend of absurdity and emotional depth, and I can already tell this is going to be a wild ride. Chainsaw Man is different, and that’s what makes it great. I’m giving it a solid 4/5 and diving straight into Volume 2.
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