The editorial line of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump has been tightened for several years in order to suit an aging readership. After the hits Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen, it was Chainsaw Man’s turn to hit the headlines and take everything in its path. To say that its adaptation in an animated series is expected at the turn would be a mild understatement. Does the Chainsaw Man anime live up to the hopes placed in it? Here is the opinion of the editorial staff of JV after the first episode.
Summary
- Chainsaw Man in a nutshell
- The animated demon of Shonen Jump
Chainsaw Man in a nutshell
Chainsaw Man (or Chensō Man from its original title) is a manga scripted and drawn by Tatsuki Fujimoto, a Japanese author best known for Fire Punch. Pre-published since December 2018 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump, the work currently has 105 chapters for a total of 12 tankobon, a Japanese term meaning “collection”. In France, the publication of bound volumes is handled by the publishing house Kazé (now Crunchyroll). It should be noted that the first part of Chainsaw Man ended in December 2020 while the second part, pre-published in Shōnen Jump+, only started very recently, July 13, 2022.
Chainsaw Man begins in 1997 in an uchronic universe where the USSR (for Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) is still in place. This world differs from ours on many points, historical in the first place, but also fantastic with the presence on the surface of the globe of demons whose origins are human fears. It is in this context that we meet Denji, an indebted Devil Hunter working for a local thug. During a mission, the young man is betrayed and left for dead by his employer which pushes him to merge with his demon dog Pochita. He then becomes a chainsaw man, and joins a team responsible for tracking down and eliminating demons.
All about the animated series Chainsaw Man on AlloCiné.
The animated demon of Shonen Jump
Let’s start with the obvious. The animated adaptation of Chainsaw Man strikes viewers with a visual slap. With MAPPA (for Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association) directing, the opposite would have been surprising. Japanese studios have had the wind in their sails for several years, and are chaining major projects. If you have seen Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 or even Attack on Titan: Final Season, you undoubtedly know and appreciate their work.
To return to the subject of the day, the anime marks the spirits from the first moments with its visuals paying homage to the paper work and an unusual brutality for a Shonen. Fans feared the manga would get censored when it moved to the anime format. It is not so. Chainsaw Man roars his engine of death, and sullies a particularly generous first episode in hemoglobin and other highly graphic scenes. It is a safe bet that some purists will find fault with this point. For my part, I had my dose, and I want more.
From a purely narrative point of view, this first episode does not spark much, but plays its score with a seriousness that honors it. It sets the context, introduces the main characters, especially Denji / Pochita, and outlines the challenges of a universe that only asks to be revealed over the hunts. Chainsaw Man slices through the lively “frame 1”, and demonstrates an unfailing efficiency that should delight fans of the manga and surprise fans of Shonen unaccustomed to such an outburst of violence.
The Chaisaw Man anime lands October 11, 2022 on Crunchyroll.