Forum - View topicChainsaw Man (TV) (w/ index).
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2881 |
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#3
The focus is on Power this episode. The cast is really doing its best to put people off, as there's little empathy to be had for self-absorbed characters who will betray others to get what they want. It's very typically human, even though the subject in question isn't. Denji isn't much better either, since his standards are so low he's crass enough to take up an offer without really thinking about what it really could mean (to be fair to him he's never really had to think too much all of his life). To be fair to Power, when she said Devils don't lie she wasn't entirely wrong. Devil's bargain means they just don't tell the whole truth. I didn't expect the cat to be real, but it was. Doesn't change my perception though, so plot armour will likely keep her alive somehow despite Denji finishing the job regardless of his original motivations. What is interesting is the setting. The Soviet Union is still extant, and Devils are public knowledge and not something which the government has to cover up. So having Kaiju-esque carnage on the streets is something they've budgeted for and can clean up after the same way they do after typhoons and earthquakes. Makima's comment about the nature of Devils might be handy to note later. So far the setting is more or less in line with popular culture, as having infamy equates to strength for specific specimens. Blood is scary in its own way, so Power has some level of strength. Denji on the other hand being a "living" chainsaw means Makima is right when she says he's "interesting", since chainsaws don't inspire fear except in specific settings. Perhaps Denji will make a name for himself once he changes public perception of chainsaws as he goes about his work further. As for this week's action set-piece, no complaints about it. Plenty of gore for the audience. They're keeping to their word about a fresh ED animation each week, in addition to unique ED songs to go with them. I don't care for this week's vocal, while this week's animation looks to be a rehash of all of the events which have been aired to date. |
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ACｘS
 Posts: 900 |
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3:
Ah, so we know what kind of person(?) Power is. Boorish and wild, yet innocent and even naive. If you think about it, she is like a pet animal: notice how, despite how crazy she can be, she turns subservient easily towards Makima. But more importantly, seeing how she was like an animal out in the wild, a kind like her would be disgusted at humans who can do things that animals in the wild don't/can't, one of which is lying. You can already tell where she's coming from when she said he hates humans and their lying habits. God, haven't heard Maximum the Hormone for so long. When's the last time I heard their music in anime? Death Note? That was more than 15 years ago. |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11306 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 03: Meowy's Whereabouts
Summary: Power tells Denji about her cat, Meowy, which is being held captive by a bat demon, and he offers to help her out. But when they reach the abandoned house where the demon is staying, she double-crosses him. ---------------------------------- Comments: In contrast to the previous episode, we get less world and more character building for this one. On the surface, Power might seem a bit scummy for taking advantage of Denji’s human side and pulling his emotional strings. But the fact that Power did such a thing for Meowy, I feel, says a lot about the lengths she’s willing to go for those she cares about. I’d even say it’s a little reflective of how Denji was before he became a Fiend, as I feel he would’ve done the same for Pochita, minus the human sacrifice part. I will say this did wonders for showing Denji’s determination, which is key for a good shounen core. I like that the emotions from his human side and primal instincts from his animal/demon side make for an interesting dichotomy. He wants to believe there are good people out there, which borders a little on idealism, but for a very funny goal: not to protect others, not to become stronger, but to grope some boobies. He’s a humanistic horn dog. A couple of other main protagonists I can think of that are pretty pervy, but not quite as forthright about it, are Eikichi Onizuka from GTO and Yuuji Idatori from JJK. I’m gonna’ say Denji is the perviest shounen MC I’ve seen, to this point, and I like it. As pervy as he is, though, he’s also quite ferocious. Episode 01 was fluidly-animated and super-bloody, but this one took it up another notch. I guess it helps the production crew when they don’t have to worry about animating hordes of zombies at nighttime. That being said, I’m a little unsure as to whether his ferocity was coming from his human, animal/demon, or a mix of both sides. Humans are animals, too, but as civilized as we try to be, sometimes our base instincts can get the better of us. Denji just happens to have slightly more animal/demon in him is all. This was a great episode. And I think it did a lot to develop Denji as a main character. I’m also interested to see where the Demon Hunter politics might go. Are the bureaucrats gonna’ be super-anal about the destruction and gore that ensues upon eliminating demons? Will repercussions go beyond just what they say is or isn’t prudent to public safety? And will any of these demon hunting activities actually result in some kind of casualty or other irrevocable damage, later on? ---------------------------------- Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2881 |
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#4
For a gore-fest, it does try to make its viewers think about what drives people and whether it's fair to rate these motivations on a scale of importance. As far as Denji is concerned, if he puts in the same effort or more for the sake of his goal it doesn't matter how petty the goal is. Of course, this is extremely infuriating even for Devils who find his motivations extremely crass. This might come in handy for Denji in future, since he's got a talent for really riling up those around him (with the notable exception of Makima). The action is front-loaded this time round, and there's confirmation that Denji's blood is the "fuel" for his chainsaw powers. If he's lost too much blood, he can't fully transform. Despite this, he puts up an admirable performance and buys sufficient time for reinforcements to arrive and finish the job. Turns out Hayakawa's got powers of his own, but he's more conventional and prefers not to rely on them unless he absolutely has to. So Denji has a free pass (no price to pay for regeneration and transformation) in his current state, something Hayakawa isn't slow on reminding him about. Hayakawa isn't the most likeable person around, but it's difficult not to feel pity for him being forced to take in the two worst freeloaders ever. Not only that, Denji's right in that he's easily manipulated by Makima into falling in with the decision from the top. He has a nice apartment in Tokyo and has his own living routine which the animators have taken considerable time to elaborate on, since it gets completely smashed because Power is now the third occupant in his not-very-large flat. Four episodes in, and it's still very much an introduction into Hayakawa's team. There's no main plot which I can discern so far, unless it's all about Denji trying to work his way into Makima's good graces so that he can feel her up. There are more Devils featured in the consistent OP animation, so maybe they have something to do with a main plot this series might have, if any. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 900 |
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4:
Hayakawa's morning routine was one of the most therapeutic things I've ever watched. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11306 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[Reserved post for Ep. 4; gotta' sleep, right now -_- ]
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23844 |
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Episode 5
I have to admit I'm a bit tired of all the attention given to Denji's desire to feel boobs. I like the show but the extended focus on this makes me feel like the creator is a thirteen year old virgin boy. Heh-heh-heh... boobies. Come on, man. At least we've started to see more of the rest of the team. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2881 |
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#5
Denji's figured out the hard way that setting the goal too low and too crass reduces the satisfaction of achievement as there's no challenge. Fortunately his boss Makima is experienced in dealing with simpletons like him as has set him a much tougher challenge with a greater reward at the end should he pull it off. Obviously there's no risk for her, since the foe is so strong and elusive it hasn't been seen for over a decade despite the global ubiquity of Hunters. Should Denji win (unlikely as she expects) all she has to do is copulate with him which I reckon isn't a big deal for her. The Gun Devil at last gives this series the first hint of a grand narrative to move it along. Even with this foe, there's not much going on besides introducing Section 4 to another unknown Devil they've been ordered to slay. One who has consumed a bullet from the Gun Devil and apparently has the ability to manipulate space. In the meantime, viewers learn a little more about Hayakawa and Himeno's backgrounds, and meet the rest of their team (although there is no formal introduction for the two other rookies). Himeno is the most senior and experienced member of Hayakawa's team, yet for some reason she's not the leader and Hayakawa is. We don't know for now why this is the case, only that she's like Hayakawa and has a contract with her own Devil. It's a strong one as well, since Power has no defence against it and the concept it embodies is one which does elicit fear on an international scale. I can see why this franchise resonates so strongly with the United States, since it has all the ingredients which would make it a hit amongst the viewers there. The Gun Devil being a case in point. Unlike Jujutsu Kaisen, this franchise relies much more on sex appeal to keep its viewers entertained, which may or may not be a good substitute for the gratuitous gore which is the main hook for a series focused on a protagonist capable of transforming into a living chainsaw in order to dismember its foes in the messiest way possible. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11306 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[Reserved for ep. 5. I swear I'll catch up!]
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2881 |
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#6
Well this is unusual. This arc is actually going to stretch to next week, so it's probably important for more than just introducing the rest of Division 4. I had wondered why the episode title was a command to kill Denji, after finishing the episode it's obvious why. Himeno has a point: It isn't the strongest or bravest Devil Hunters who are feared by their targets; it's the most insane and reckless since fear doesn't bother them while strength merely helps their cause if they don't get killed early. The two "normal" members of this division have long since let fear overtake their reason, whereas the remaining members have a screw loose or strong convictions keeping them going. I'm not a fan of those who use peer pressure to get others to adopt bad habits, so Himeno isn't the kind of person I'd want to associate with. I HAVE seen others use her line of reasoning before, so it's not completely unrealistic. Getting your partner to take up a habit which is proven to reduce physical performance in a line of work where it literally means life or death isn't sound, regardless of any long-term implications potentially rendered moot by a sudden death. Kobeni's sudden outburst reveals the profession of Devil Hunter isn't highly respected in society despite the importance of the job in keeping people alive. Not sure why her name is written in Katakana unlike the others, but so far she's not done much beyond illustrate what happens when some people not cut out for the line of work are forced into it against their will. Denji may have his crass reasons for sticking around, but her own motivations could be just as worthy of censure as his is despite the involuntary nature of her participation. We don't see much of Arai's backstory either, only that he's only slightly more resistant to panic than Kobeni is. My appraisal of Hayakawa has gone up slightly in this episode. I didn't expect him to cover for Denji, and even if his reasoning for taking the hit is purely out of self-interest it requires a lot of courage to put self in harm's way for a goal which at this point appears to be extremely unrealistic. I don't know what the deal is with his sword, but Himeno is desperate enough to let Denji die rather than Hayakawa paying years of his lifespan to get everyone out. Chekhov's Gun and all, so there'll come a point where Hayakawa must draw the sword and use it. Whether or not we see it happen in this adaptation is another matter. So next week should see the showdown between Denji and Eternity. So far Eternity has all the cards, but Denji might be on to something based on his observations. He doesn't fear being eaten, and he hasn't lost hope that his chainsaw form can indeed kill his target. We didn't get any action this week, so next week should be promising when the two eventually face off. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11306 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[Reserved for ep. 6]
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2881 |
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#7
The battle was surprisingly quick, although probably for the best since the process didn't really need too much elucidation considering how long it took to get the desired result. I had two takeaways from Denji's rampage: 1. If he's able to metabolise anything he consumes into blood to maintain his chainsaw state, he's very difficult to defeat because chainsaw mode gives him super-fast regeneration. 2. His personality changes when he's in Chainsaw mode. In this state he'll eat (or drink) anything that will keep him going, but the second half of the episode reveals there's limits to what he'll consume when he's not transformed. After seeing what he's capable of, it's no surprise the other two rookies want to quit. The two more senior members of the team are more than happy to keep him onside, since at the very least it's going to be extremely difficult to kill him if they had to. Himeno's master (it's either Kishibe or En in the credits) is right; it appears anyone who wants to work in their line for more than a few months and survive really needs to be slightly unhinged. Regarding that second takeaway, it's highly recommended anyone watching this week to do so when NOT consuming food or drink. I won't go further, but it's obvious why. With an episode title like that, I didn't expect Denji to be the victim of that unfortunate consequence of inebriation. Have to agree with him, not jealous of him when that happens. Considering how simple-minded he is, he might actually take up her drunken offer at the end of the episode. After all, Power managed to get away with it knowing how shallow he is. Beer isn't high in alcoholic content, but that's a LOT of tankards Makima can down without any problem. Not even sure that's humanly possible as all of that water and alcohol has to be processed somehow. With THAT scene, I'm astounded the series managed to pass content review for its timeslot. Perhaps another reason why United States fans were so rabid about its adaptation. There's a very 80s feel to this week's ED animation, while the lyrics of this week's ED song are a pointed reference to what happened in the episode which viewers will remember. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 900 |
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7:
Mouth-to-mouth re-vomit-tation is hot. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11306 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[Reserved for ep. 7]
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2881 |
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#8
Nothing much happens in the first half, which makes the second half of this episode all the more surprising because of the unexpected turn in pace. The series is not afraid to shed its members when it feels like it, so plot armour doesn't appear to be a device except for Denji, Power and Akiyama. The flashback with Makima was slightly disconcerting since it didn't seem consistent with last week's party finish as everyone in the party was gathered together. Obviously it did happen, since he ended up with the sweet. If Makima has really copped it, then Denji won't have the reward he's been working towards and will regret not taking up Himeno's offer as it's no longer on the table. It's all very sudden, so given the clues we've been shown it's clear the assassins are either organized crime with a grudge against the Public Security Bureau or the government has dispatched a different team to kill off one of its own organs. Not quite sure why the latter would be the case as Makima was on her way to a meeting with them, so we viewers with no knowledge of the source material will have to watch to learn more. That's two of the mysterious devils (or half-devils) who appear in the OP to have made their formal entrance, so perhaps we'll know more about them provided Denji can wake up faster to take on the pair. Himeno tried everything to stop Akiyama from using his sword, but failed anyway. It's certainly powerful, but Akiyama has given decades of his life for a lost cause. The emotional impact is even worse when he realises what Himeno did for him and how futile that was as well. I suppose everything now hinges on Denji, since Power has lost all of her arrogant swagger when faced with opponents much stronger than she is. If I remember correctly, this series is running for two straight quarters. So I'm not expecting a sudden ending and there should be more to come despite the sudden change in pace. |
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