Cover Image: Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1

Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1

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Denji was down on his luck, selling body parts to pay his debt to a mobster when he met a little chainsaw monster named Pochita. Despite barely having enough to feed himself, he took the little guy in and took care of him. The devil-dog paid Denji back by merging with the kid when he was on the verge of death. Now, when he is in great peril, Denji can call on his friend's power to transform into...Chainsaw Man!

Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto drops us into this strange version of our world filled with monsters call “devils.” This is a bit like Pokemon in that they come in all shapes and sizes and seem to roam around the world, however, that's where the similarities end. These creatures are deadly, even the adorable ones like Pochita. An organization is tasked with hunting them, kind of like a supernatural version of animal control.

This is a pretty fascinating concept; however, it gets bogged down by Denji's immaturity and overall lackluster personality. He's been dealt a bum hand in life, but even when he gets a chance to rise up the food chain, he still wallows in his bad luck. His only real quest is not for a better life or to have a few bucks in his pocket, but to touch some boobs. Seriously, that's all he wants.

While this might have been great for a laugh in an ‘80s teen sex comedy, it feels really out of place in this day and age. There are better ways to get Denji's unrequited love for his new boss at the monster hunting organization than a lust for her breasts. It takes away from the credibility built up throughout the story.

The design for the Chainsaw Man is pretty epic. It starts out simple with Denji waking up from what should have been his death with a pullcord sticking out of his chest. You can probably guess what happens when he pulls it. Denji sports a total of five chainsaws (one on each leg, one on each arm, and fortunately, one on his head, not elsewhere), turning him into a blood-drenched warrior hacking his way through devils big and small.

Fujimoto often depicts Chainsaw Man as a blur, with the sharp blades spinning at such a fast pace that your eyes can't focus on them. You can imagine a heavy metal soundtrack booming when the character appears on the page. It's super gory and pretty awesome. It's also not overdone as it takes a lot for Denji to pull the trigger on this transformation so every time it happens, it's a treat.

Chainsaw Man introduces us to a world of monsters, forcing its main character to become one in order to live there. It has a tremendous amount of potential if it can avoid the groan-worthy juvenile humor it seems to divert so much attention to.

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Chainsaw Man is an interesting manga, and certainly one of the most visually interesting mangas, as well mythologically engrossing, I’ve come across in awhile.

The story revolves around a young man, named Denji, trying to escape his father’s debt by hunting down demons with his pet demon dog, named Pochita, who has a chainsaw on his head. While this is a ridiculous image and concept, the first chapter goes out of its way to ground it with a very heartwarming relationship between the two characters to where I can’t help but keep reading. Unfortunately, as you can read from the descriptions, the two are killed by a demon and in a last ditch effort to keep Denji alive, Pochita sacrifices itself by fusing with Denji to bring them back so they can “live their dreams.”

Honestly, it kinda fucked me up with how much I came to care for these two in the span of just an issue.

Anyway, Denji slaughters the demon with his newfound chainsaw powers where he gets a chainsaw for a head and arms, before being recruited by a professional demon hunting corporation. And that’s the concept of this series.

While the start was incredibly strong and immediately resonated with me, the following chapters weren’t as emotionally engrossing but were certainly still entertaining and make it clear that Denji’s quest for happiness and to live a simple life of freedom is still out of reach. There’s a dark undercurrent to the story despite the silliness of the concept, but honestly, I feel the concept also works in helping provide some levity to how serious some of the matter can be in the subtext. It honestly reminded me a bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in how a silly concept with high stakes and proper wit, comedy and characterization can make for a good story.

I also found the main character of Denji to be rather realistic and easy to root for. While at the end of the day, he’s still a straight man, I can’t help but want to see this straight man achieve his dreams because of everything he’s endured and all the hard work he’s put in to get where he is.

If anything, I’d have to say that the characters I don’t like so far are the humans. They’re written well, or at least decent enough for the roles they provide in Denji’s life to the point that I actually want to see Denji take them out as the story goes on. I don’t trust Makima or Hayakawa, though I suspect that Hayakawa might actually be easier to turn to Denji’s side than Makima. Something about Makima gives me Big Bad vibes, or at least antagonistic vibes. I can’t see her becoming someone Denji can truly trust, and I hope as he develops, we get to see him outgrow his crush on her.

The art itself is visually appealing, though I’ll admit I noticed a distinct lack of backgrounds in a lot of the panels. There doesn’t need to be backgrounds in every panel, but it felt like at times there was just nothing behind characters. Considering the crunch time to put out these chapters, I can’t say I’m surprised, but I just feel that’s worth bringing up.

Overall, I would recommend this series for newbies to manga, as well as established manga readers, just because there is something fresh to it. While the concept is odd and the plot itself isn’t anything too enticing, the character work and art is the lifeblood of the series, and I look forward to reading more of it.

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Wow, this was amazing!

I had very low expectations for this. I heard about this for awhile, but I’m not the biggest fan of gore, so I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it, but the minute I started reading I was absolutely hooked.

It’s one of those mangas that shows that it is gory, and while it is full of gore, it’s also incredibly funny at times. It knows how to balance the tone out, so while it can be bloody and horrific, it never feels depressing. I actually really enjoyed the humorous and wholesome moments, because they fleshed out the characters with it. I don’t think it would’ve been easy to read if it was bleak and depressing all the time, and I think it’s a testament to the authors skill that they were able to balance out such contrasting tones without causing whiplash. I also appreciate how most of the character motivations were very wholesome, either desiring a normal life or try into to save their pets. I relate so much to this.

The introduction of Power was insane. She’s blood hungry and hates humans and I didn’t know what to make of her, but the minute she mentioned how her sole motivation was to save her cat I was like “I completely understand you.” All the characters are fascinating and interesting, and I can’t wait to see how their stories progress.

I’m really eager to read the next volume, because the cliff hanger has me wanting more.

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Okay so hands down the reason I wanted to read this was 'chainsaw dog demon', who wouldn't want to see that? The first volume incorporates chapters 1 to 7 and it is a wild ride from start to finish. 

First up, you will feel sorry for Denji, the main character, pretty much the entire way through so be prepared for that. He has so many debts due to his late father that he struggles to even be able to afford a slice of bread each day. I don't know how many times I said 'aww' in total but it was over 5 for definite. His devil-dog Pochita is seriously adorable too, just a round little devil dog with a chainsaw through it's body. 

Pochita is basically the only real friend Denji has ever had, and this shows greatly through his inability to socialise. The very first chapter ends up with him being brutally attacked (in case you weren't aware, this series is super gory) to the extent he's hacked up but Pochita uses his devil powers to basically give him heart in exchange for the promise that he lives out his dreams.

But, dreams-wise he isn't after much. All he wants is a safe place to stay where he'll be fed and can relax and he gets that pretty much straight away but with a catch - he has to work as a devil hunter for the government. Not a bad trade off for a former devil hunter really! 

He ends up with powers thanks to his chainsaw-devil-dog too - when fighting he can turn parts of himself into chainsaws and attack with them. It's very cool but it leads to him kind of being held captive by the organisation because of the weird situation of him being part devil.

What I really enjoyed about the first volume though was the fact it made me go through a few emotions in what's really a short amount of time. I was scared for Denji, I felt sorry for him, and he also made me laugh on a few occasions with how ridiculous he can be (I can't spoilt his biggest dream but I can assure you, it'll have you chuckling when you read it).

In terms of other characters the only one who really stood out was Power, a devil (known as a fiend after they took the body of a human) who's female but pretty cunning. She tricks Denji into doing things and lies but I'm hoping in future volumes she might have some kind of redemption arc where she ends up being a good devil.

Overall, it's a solid first volume and it definitely made me want to read more! 

Will update this with a link as soon as it's live on my site - going up on November 1st!

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When you think of a manga named “Chainsaw Man” what comes to mind? Is it literally a man made of chainsaws just mowing down people left and right? If you thought that you wouldn’t be wrong, but you wouldn’t be exactly right either. “Chainsaw Man” Vol.1 by Tatsuki Fujimoto published by Viz Media tells a story that you wouldn’t really expect, with great action scenes as well as lighthearted moments too.

Within the world of “Chainsaw Man” everyday normal people live with devils who hunt eachother down. These devils can come in different forms. So for example a devil could turn people into frogs that devil would be the Devil Frog. Seems silly but you never know that very well may be a thing in this world. In this story we follow a man named Denji and Pochita, his devil dog who has a chainsaw for a body. We quickly find out that Denji is in debt beyond belief, so much to where he’s selling off his body parts in order to pay off his debt.. In a sad turn of events Denji is murdered, but Pochita gives him his heart so he can live. Then boom! Chainsaw man is born, and this is where the plot really kicks off.

We’re introduced to how the world works almost immediately after Denji dies. As well as what may be happening behind the scenes,also who else hunts the devils. As well as some other devil classes. But what really makes the story stand out is the blend of humor, action, and wholesomeness. As said before Denji is a very poor man, hes a fish out of water. Because of this a lot of humor comes into play. Watching him being exposed to something as simple as balanced breakfast and think this is what the 1% of the world eats is heartwarming. The only other friend he had was Pochita so it’s clear he doesn’t really know how to socialize with other people, just dreaming of the day where he could ask a pretty girl out on a date and spoil her.

But since he has never talked to a girl, he’s almost like a horned up teenager fighting his urges not to creep people out. A lot of the humor is very childish but it still lands everytime. We see him get into all sorts of situations because he was perhaps thinking with another head. Because of that it causes some funny moments with people he comes across.

But when the action scenes hit, they hit hard. It’s humorous to see the story go from quirky antics to bloody fights in a few short pagesYou’d expect nothing less from a manga called “Chainsaw Man” and oh boy does it deliver. Whenever we see him go in full chainsaw mode it’s almost a work of art. It makes you wonder how much more gruesome can they get? Especially since other characters are just as dangerous as Denji, making the fight scenes more interesting each time.

“Chainsaw Man” Vol.1 really came out of the doors swinging. With a name like that, how can you not read it? The manga is self-aware of itself too because they acknowledge how ridiculous his powers are and that’s what makes it so much more enjoyable. They don’t overdo it with the fighting and sprinkle in some great moments in it to keep the story rolling smoothly. Of course, it ends in your typical manga style with a cliffhanger leaving you wanting more.

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Overall, I think it was a decent intro to this manga series, although I am not as hooked as some other people right now. I find the concept really interesting and the art style is also quite good but there were just not as many exciting events in this first volume as I hoped. Especially the backstory of the protagonist was a bit rushed in my opinion, although I found him a likable character in general and I think that he has a lot of potential. There are also some interesting side-characters introduced which made me a bit curious for a the next volume. I was not necessarily blown away by this manga but I will definitely continue with the series to see how it will develop. 3.5 of 5 stars overall.

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Such an entertaining beginning to the series! Can not wait for more in this series and if you're in to action manga (or horror though it really leans more to the other) then you're going to love this.

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Love it or hate it, Weekly Shonen Jump has fostered some of the most iconic series in manga, and it’s core concepts of “Friendship, Effort, and Victory” are prevalent throughout its series. Still, we often have a narrow perception of these concepts, commonly associating them with ambitious underdog stories like My Hero Academia and Haikyu. In truth, the values of Weekly Shonen Jump can be interpreted in dramatically different ways, and no series shows this better than Chainsaw Man. The first volume of Chainsaw Man is now available from Viz Media, so let's take a look at what makes this series standout from its contemporaries!

Chainsaw Man centers on Denji, a young devil hunter who is forced to pay back his dead father’s debt. When Denji is suddenly killed on a job, his pet devil Pochita merges with his body, reviving him as a human-devil hybrid that can unleash chainsaws from his appendages. As a result, Denji joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters to exterminate devils, with the hopes of getting closer to its alluring leader Makima.

At first glance, Chainsaw Man feels a bit off from what you’d expected from a Weekly Shonen Jump title. While it’s easy to sympathize with Denji’s poverty, he is by no means a traditionally “good” person. Denji is incredibly crass and selfish, narrowly focusing on his mundane priorities. While this may make it difficult to invest in Denji’s story, it also presents him as a fascinating character. Denji has lived such a harsh life that his values have been drastically warped from the norm. While most protagonists would have an ambitious goal to achieve power or status, Denji only wants to indulge in the pleasures of an ordinary life. Denji simply wants to embrace the joys of youth, but he is shackled by his own circumstances

While Chainsaw Man’s cast isn’t fully fleshed out in this first volume, there are still some notable additions. The leader of the Public Safety Devil Hunters Makima serves as one of Denji’s early motivations in the series. Makima excels at taking advantage of Denji’s emotional innocence, enticing him with romantic advances to make him follow her orders. In reality, Makima views Denji as a pawn that she is willing to kill to suit her needs. The toxic relationship between the two of them is hard to read, but it paints the dark picture of Makima’s character. While she may be protecting humanity, her subordinates are nothing but weapons to her.

This volume also introduces Denji’s partners Aki Hayakawa and Power. Aki is a Public Safety Devil Hunter whose family was killed by a devil. Aki serves a foil to Denji’s wild behavior, being far more reserved and orderly in his duties. This creates some entertaining tension between the two, and a solid dynamic that will continue to evolve throughout the series.

Denji’s other partner Power is a fiend, a devil which has possessed a human corpse. From her introduction alone, she exudes personality, loudly announcing her presence and acting humorously over-the-top. Power is able to make even Denji’s antics seem tame in comparison, as seen when she kills a devil by jumping off a rooftop and then screams her victory. Power perfectly encapsulates the tone of Chainsaw Man: bloody, insane, and thoroughly entertaining.

If Chainsaw Man didn’t stand out enough narratively, Tatsuki Fujimoto’s artwork does the deed. The series has a rough yet detailed look, pairing fittingly with the manga’s ample violence and gore. The designs of the devils are especially intricate, contrasting with the more simple human designs. This gives the devils a more abnormal vibe, while also forming a sense of horror around them. That said, combat is where Chainsaw Man truly shines, as Fujimoto will depict the conflicts in meticulous detail with numerous large panels. Every battle feels more epic than the last, and creates an addicting sensation while reading it. The different facets to Chainsaw Man’s visuals make it feel like a series that only Fujimoto could create, cementing it as a truly special series.

Chainsaw Man is a wild and action-packed manga that will excite readers at every turn. Denji’s outlandish behavior and values makes him a unique protagonist, crafting a narrative that feels unpredictable yet incredibly fun. This is one manga that will be hard to put down.

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Monster or demon hunting manga is a fairly common shonen manga scenario, but Chainsaw Man keeps it fresh, thanks to the introduction of chainsaws!? Actually Denji starts out in such a difficult situation, it is hard not to sympathize with him. He's sold off some of his organs like his eye and he struggles every day to piece together a meager living from monster hunting, helped out by his pet demon dog Pochita who manages to look adorable despite having a chainsaw for a nose. Denji dreams of the day that he'll have enough money to actually put jam on the slice of bread that makes up most of his meals, but it wouldn't be the first volume of a shonen manga if there weren't some powered up surprises in store for the hero.
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There's a level of off-kilter humor in Chainsaw Man that I find endearing. I found Denji heading into the woods to cut trees with his dog's chainsaw nose extremely amusing. When Denji tells Pochita that if anything happens to him, the demon is free to take over his body and live his best life, his dog unexpectedly answers saying "I'll give you my heart, in exchange show me your dreams." Denji wakes up with his wounds from a recent attack healed, and a chainsaw pull sticking out of his chest. In some illustrated action sequences that show an impressive command of body horror, Denji cuts his way out of a pile of demons do to his sudden ability to manifest chainsaws on the top of his head and one of his arms. An attractive girl accompanied by additional agents suddenly appears and gives him a hug and introduces herself as a devil hunter for public safety. Makita offers him the choice to be slain as a demon or live as her pet, and she's willing to provide incredibly yummy breakfasts.

Denji has difficulty integrating into his new Public Safety Demon Hunter squad, with some altercations with a new rival, and some funny slice of live scenes that showcase his unending devotion to jam at breakfast. There's also plenty of juvenile humor as once Denji has the basics of food and shelter secured he promptly decides that his next mission in life is to touch some boobs. Overall, I found the monster fighting, buckets of gore, and humor in <em>Chainsaw Man</em> plenty amusing. Denji is an incredibly damaged but potentially powerful hero, so I'm definitely intrigued by seeing him chainsaw his way through further adventures.

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As edgy as the cover may look, there is a refreshing level of humility in this shounen. Denji is a unique shounen protagonist; seeking out not to be the best, and instead live out his best - a simple modest life where even toasted bread with jam is a little slice of heaven. This is a promise to his dog, Pochita, after giving Denji a second chance in life to become the "Chainsaw Man." Blood and gore are certainly a part of the morbid charm, yet this title provides a substantial emotional ground for our main character. For a title that appealed to my edginess, I am glad to have a good foundation of the world, characters/cast, and themes. While the work still has much more to flesh out - this volume is a great read nonetheless.

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This is one of the coolest manga I've had the pleasure of reading.
Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto has everything someone might be asking for. Demons, chainsaws, endearing characters, and a whole lotta blood! Denji is a broke devil hunter down on his luck, and when he makes a deal with his pet demon he becomes Chainsaw Man! To avoid spoiling I won't go much further than that, but it is such a fun ride! If you like a cool action comedy story, as well as incredible art and perfectly composed action scenes, Chainsaw Man is something you MUST check out!
Now, as a big localization geek, let's get into those details! Chainsaw Man is translated by Amanda Haley, lettered by Sabrina Heep, and edited by Alexis Kirsch. Haley's translation and dialogue are absolutely superb! The smart humour and snappy dialogue comes across perfectly, and I was able to immediately get a good feel for all the characters' personalities. Just fantastic! And Sabrina Heep's lettering is quite possibly some of the best I've ever seen. Her lettering for the English sound effects perfectly capture the look of the Japanese, to the point that it does not look like an imitation, but like they were always meant to be there. Really, words cannot express enough how stellar the lettering is! Another grand localization effort from Viz Media, and Haley and Heep!
I'll definitely be picking this up as soon as I can, and I suggest others do too. Even if you've already read these chapters via Shonen Jump, seeing them in volume format with all the sound effects redone is just spectacular, pure bliss!

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A demon hunter who dreams of a better life is revived when his demon chainsaw dog sacrifices himself for him and becomes a chainsaw man.

I really enjoyed this first volume! It was nothing like I thought it would be as I thought it would be really dark, but I found myself laughing a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely has its dark and gory moments, but it also had cute and funny moments. The only reason I’m leaving out a star is because the artwork was a little chaotic for me at some points and made certain a panels hard to decipher.

Overall, I definitely recommend this manga! It has a super unique concept and I can’t wait to read the next volume.

*Thank you to Netgalley and VIZ Media for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

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October is spooky month, a time for devils and zombies and body horror galore. VIZ Media is jumping into the thick of it with their Shonen Jump title Chainsaw Man Volume 1 from mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto. In a world of devils and devil hunters, Denji is a poor young man who will do anything for money, including selling organs and taking on odd, dangerous jobs hunting down devils with his pet dog, Pochita. The English translation for this title is by Amanda Haley and features touch-up art and lettering by Sabrina Heep.

What makes Chainsaw Man Volume 1 interesting is that it immediately complicates its protagonist’s life by tying this make-shift devil hunter to a devil, his dog. Pochita is adorable and deadly, with a chainsaw coming out of his head. It’s that chainsaw that lets Denji take on all types of nasty devils but their bond isn’t just made up of slashing through bad guys. Instead, it’s a caring relationship, and it’s clear that Pochita is the only thing Denji has in the world and the only thing that cares about him.

Overall, Denji is a simple man with simple dreams, and despite their seemingly mundane status, they can’t be achieved because he is drowning under a mountain of debt. In the first chapter it’s clear that Denji is just trying to survive and while it isn’t easy, Pochita helps him keep living and moving forward. But his already sad life gets sadder when its turned upside down. Betrayed by someone he trusted, Denji becomes imbued with the power of a devil and when he unleashes it, he becomes Chainsaw Man. Part human, part devil, Denji is taken in by a task force and told to work with them or be killed like the devil he has become.

Chainsaw Man Volume 1 is filled with action, body horror, and surprisingly, a lot of emotion. As a more graphic title under the Shonen Jump banner, it would have been easy for Fujimoto to rely on his top tier creature designs and violent panels. Instead, we get a story that is balanced with humor and heart. While the gore has its place, it’s used more to highlight the atmosphere of the story. That said, the action sequences in this volume are not only graphically violent but imaginative as well. The ability to create devils based on particular traits is a skill that Fujimoto flexes with unique character and creature designs.

Additionally, the humor that accompanies the horror in the story is both illustrated and written. It’s heavy-handed in places in the way that only shonen can be – Denji just really likes boobs – but it also doesn’t come close to landing fully on the fanservice side of things. While Denji is a young man looking for a girl to hug, he is also processing his own problems and trauma. Over the course of this debut volume, Fujimoto does an excellent job of showcasing Denji’s age and the priorities that stem from it while also highlighting the more adult and intense issues he is dealing with as well. This helps make Denji relatable, someone to root for, and a humourous shonen protagonist at the same time.

All in all, Chainsaw Man Volume 1 sets a wonderful foundation in just seven chapters. Fujimoto is able to drop readers into a new world, establish how it works, and knock an emotional moment out of the park. With 86 chapters currently available on VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump app, you’re going not going to be able to stop yourself from diving directly into the next chapters of Denji’s story.

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Chainsaw Man Volume One tells the story of a young man and how he becomes the character in the title of the series.

Chainsaw Man Volume One
Written by: Tatsuki Fujimoto
Publisher: Shueisha, Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: October 6, 2020

The main character is a young man named Denji, who works as a small-time Devil Hunter for the yakuza in order to try to pay off the debt of his late father. Even though he kills devils that are worth a lot on the black market, by the time payments for his father’s debts and other expenses are taken out, he hardly has anything left. Denji’s companion and partner is Pochita, a demon dog with a chainsaw. Denji dreams of being able to eat more than just a slice of bread for a meal and having a relationship with a girl.

Denji’s life changes when the yakuza turns on him and feed him to the zombie devil and his minions. Pochita decides to save Denji by taking over his body and residing inside his heart. Not only does this bring Denji back to life, but Denji now also can use chainsaws from his body… hence the title, Chainsaw Man. After coming back to life, Denji takes on the zombie devil and his minions again and defeats them with his new chainsaw power.

This takedown grabs the attention of Makima, a woman who is with the Public Safety Devil Hunters. When she meets Denji, she treats him nicely at first, but he finds she’s actually not as nice as she seems. She sees him as her “lapdog,” and orders him around. She gets him into the Public Safety Devil Hunters, and his squad leader Aki Hayakawa doesn’t seem to like him too much.

Near the end of the volume, he is paired up with another Public Safety Devil Hunter, a female Blood Fiend named Power. She tells him a story about wanting to rescue her cat that was stolen from her by a Devil. But it turns out she has ulterior motives for involving him with trying to get her cat back.

By the time I finished this volume, I noticed a theme going on: being used. Denji is used by the yakuza, then by Makima, and then by Power. But this makes a lot of sense, since we see in a flashback that Denji was still a child when his father hung himself and was forced by the yakuza to become a Devil Hunter in order to pay off his father’s debts. He doesn’t really know any other way to live, I think.

Denji is also quite the simpleton, which also makes sense when you consider his background and upbringing. At one point in the volume, Denji tells Aki that he never went to school, for example. Also, Denji has simple dreams and desires, which he allows to cloud his judgment when he makes decisions in this volume.

The art in this first volume really grabbed me, especially the scenes when Denji is fighting with demons. You can tell that Fujimoto has taken a lot of care to make these particular panels look impressive and grab the reader’s eye.

Chainsaw Man Volume One sets a strong foundation for the series. Denj’s character is very well established by the end of it, the main character relationships seem to be in place, and the story and action are compelling enough to make the reader want to continue the volume. The way Volume One ends makes the reader want to read the next volume in order to find out what happens to Denji.

I would highly recommend Chainsaw Man to readers who enjoy shonen manga series like One-Punch Man.

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4/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-arc.

Loved it, well...except for the perverted jokes but everything else was great. Especially the idea of a cute innocent chainsaw devil dog

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I had a hard time getting into this story. I didn't find any of the characters likable enough to be truly invested in the plot. The chainsaw devil transformation was great, but not enough to get me excited for the next volume.

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This was a surprisingly heartbreaking title. There were so many emotions running wild through me that I didn't at all expect when I picked up the book. This heartbreaking story about a sad man did a great job of blending action-packed devil fighting with a more emotional story. I felt that we got a pretty decent introduction to the world in this volume as well as with some of our characters. I'm a bit suspicious about some but am extremely excited about others. Its definitely a bit graphic and for an older crowd but, I like that kind of manga.

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"Chainsaw Man is a promising series with an equal balance of gore and comedic relief that has much potential to become the next big manga series as well as an anime series for the English-speaking market." -Andrew Nicholas

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Manga Monday – “Chainsaw Man” – The simplest of dreams are enough to fuel life (Opinions Portion of Article)

Western readers may be familiar with Fujimoto and his first series “Fire Punch”. There are interesting parallels between Denji and Agni from “Fire Punch” as both men come from impoverished backgrounds and supernatural powers resurrected them. However compared to Agni’s dark revenge, Denji has a bit of comfort thanks to his new employers. “Chainsaw Man” itself has a lighter atmosphere with several funny moments and Denji’s optimistic mind. It somewhat balances the many gorey action and bleak situations he constantly encounters. The manga has the rating of Teen Plus due to illustrations of bloody violence, tobacco use and some sexual content. Definitely not for those faint of heart but highly recommend to fans who love hard hits in their horror.

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Ah yes, the classic story of boy meets dog, boy and dog become inseparable. Literally.

This book is just as weird as it sounds. There's some ridiculous action as the main character literally becomes a creature with chainsaws for arms to fight demons. There's a sort of weird master servant dynamic going on between the main character and his new patron and the dog does die (sort of), but it's worth it if you're looking for some pure wtf-ery. If you're looking for something deeper, maybe try Junji Ito.

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