The Devil Is In The Details: Chainsaw Man Season 1 Review

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The creators of this art have often preached that anime should not only draw inspiration from its surroundings, but also try to find influence in art around the world. Director Ryu Nakayama and his impressive creative team have done just that with The Chainsaw Man , an animated extravaganza that pays homage to the art of cinema in every beautiful frame.

While some of the discussion around the Chainsaw Man anime denounces the hopes for realism, it's certainly a tribute to series writer Tatsuki Fujimoto and his love of cinema. For 12 episodes, whoever directed the episode maintained that cinematic look, creating one of the most inspiring TV adaptations in a long time.

Subject: Man with a chainsaw. A shonen trio that grabs everyone's attention

Boy and his dog (chains)

The chainsaw man opens his lens, which focuses on Denji, a young man forced to work for the yakuza to pay off a debt his father had accumulated before committing suicide. Knowing only the Devil Devil Pochita, Danji knows only survival, the simple comforts of life that one can only dream of, perhaps with false hope.

When the yakuza betray him and leave Denji for dead, Honor fuses with him and allows him to transform into the Chainsaw Man, an evil blood-sucking villain who destroys everything. When the avenger Makima takes him under his wing, Danji gets to enjoy the comfort he's always dreamed of. He just has to help Makima kill a dangerous demon.

Danji is an incredibly interesting, funny and likable character whose anime adaptation is long overdue and absolutely blew him away. The first episode adapts the chapter, but by including such a patient in the role, it immediately captivates viewers.

He is a man who just wants to live and enjoy life, and in many ways he reacts to his crazy situation in the way that many viewers see the turmoil in their lives. The work sucks, but it's worth it to enjoy the rooftop and a full stomach. While his upbringing and resulting personality mark him as "different," his outlook on life can make almost anyone look at their situation and think, "Maybe it's not all that bad."

reason for life

Everyone on the show has something to fight for, even if it's just to keep their lives, like Denji or the mischievous Monster Power. Aki Hayakawa starts the series acting aggressively towards Denji and not understanding his new partner/roommate's past. Aki wants revenge on the devil who killed his family, but Danji just wants a good meal and a night out with a girl.

Everyone has dreams, but some have it easier than others, and in the beginning the story mostly revolves around Denji struggling with the validity of his dreams and his right to live for them. But Denji's simplicity is also a weakness exploited by Makima, who uses Denji's desire to sleep with a woman to drive him to even more deadly sacrifices.

The cast of Chainsaw Man is outstanding and truly reflects our crazy but real world. The members of Special Operas Division 4 are similar to the anime Suicide Squad . prone to death, but for the most part instantly remembered and hugely popular. The balance of theatricality and naturalism makes the cast and story so compelling.

Characters like Shakti are constantly shooting at full blast, their boundless arrogance curtailed only by crushing carelessness and clumsiness. However, Episode 3 effortlessly breaks the façade with a vulnerability that gives Denji a simple yet powerful moment of compassion that convinces him to help the hideous monster.

It's hard to fully capture the strengths of this cast in a short factual overview, but by the end the main trio had gone from a mixture of water and oil to real friends. It's weird, but it works, and mostly because of the travel, the damage is everywhere, and the actors did a great job of bringing humanity into an incredibly wild environment.

Beauty soaked in blood

Only the hilarious opening title tells viewers how the movie inspired the show's visual direction, with such a wonderful recreation of eclectic shots of all kinds.

With character animations running at full speed, clothing, including most dresses and long coats, curves and flows beautifully. There are stories of fashion guys finding designers uncommonly cool, and Fujimoto definitely has business suits. After watching this show, your imagination is sure to be filled with dangerous and attractive people in suits and ties, and that's really good.

There are many staging and subtle differences between episodes, from the design of such expressive characters to how each one evokes emotion, but the consistency is truly impressive. As director of the series, Nakayama really stuck to the vision of Chainsaw Man , which kept the manga incredibly cohesive and similar in impact.

The quiet moments between characters are almost more shocking than the action, and that's saying a lot considering how great the action is in The Chainsaw Man . Denzi's demonic form can be intimidating at times with her animation style, but she quickly grows and proves her worth with masterful execution. This group knows how best to use different art styles for individual battles.

The devil bat fight is very different from the next stage of the devil slug fight, which is similar to the endless devil fight and so on. There are a lot of stunning fights that try to mix visual styles, but the fight is also restrained so as not to overstep its cheer.

To be fair, this series could suffer a lot if chainsaws are removed. Kensuke Ushio was the perfect choice to compose the music for the series, as her sound is also suitable for the quiet, looming fear. It's a voice that fans of his other work will instantly recognize and resonate with, and fits the story perfectly.

The voice acting in both Japanese and English brings these characters to life so beautifully, and the pressure to get it right in the latter must have been astronomical. It's good to note that the English dub of Chainsaw Man was excellent at the time of writing. Expect a closer look at sound in action in a separate feature.

Expectations were high for Chainsaw Man , and while readers of the manga will have doubts about some of the creative choices, perhaps anime viewers will find out. But this detail promises to maintain that quality for future seasons, which could be a challenge for the MAPPA studio. One can only hope that this story is a film adaptation and continues to think so.

MORE: Chainsaw Man's Devils from "Curse of Jujutsu Kaisen"

Chainsaw = anime of the year.