A man with chainsaws coming out of his arms and coming out of his face sounds like something exceptionally horrific, like some sort of failed '80s horror movie with really memorable VHS cover art. However, in the realm of anime, it works perfectly. On October 11 at 9 AM PT on Crunchyroll, the first episode of Chainsaw Man arrives, and it's the perfect way to kick off the Halloween season.
The first episode of Chainsaw Man, which GameSpot was provided for review, adapts Chapter 1 of Volume 1 of the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The story follows the adventures of Denji, a young man who is trying to pay off his father's debt, sometimes having to sell off body parts to make ends meet. He befriends a little devil and becomes a devil hunter. From there, well, it's an anime. You know where it's headed: he's going to fight some monstrous creatures.
Denji is that lovable loser trope you've seen time and time again, except he's a victim of his environment, not just someone born a hapless dope, who trips over his own feet for a laugh. This is more of a serious character. He's trying to do what he can to unbury himself from his father's mistakes, and at times, it seems there's something sinister hiding underneath the surface--later on, there totally is, and it's awesome.
The premiere follows 55 pages of the manga and is exceptionally close to the source material. However, in the translation, Chainsaw Man's more humorous elements from the manga--which are few and far between--are watered down, and the show's primary tone is straight-up horror, which works exceptionally well. Toning down the humor--and again, there isn't a lot in the manga--and really leaning into the body horror, the blood, the guts, and the bizarre makes this opening episode such a standout introduction.
And speaking of blood and guts, Chainsaw Man is full of them in the latter half of Episode 1. Yes, it's just as over-the-top with geysers of blood as you'd think it would be. Do we need blood shooting out of every cut and wound from a monster? Of course we do. Chainsaw Man does not hold back, and that's half the fun: guessing how intense and wild it will get in the next action sequence.
The monsters on the show come to life better than imagined. Within the manga, sure, they're horrifying, but seeing them fully-realized raised the bar, and really helped drive the horror tone home. Without getting into too much detail about these beasts, they worked great on the page, but are oh so much better in the series.
MAPPA is the animation studio behind Chainsaw Man--this is the same production studio behind Attack on Titan: The Final Season and Jujutsu Kaisen. If you're familiar with their work, then you know you're getting into. It's intense, paced exceptionally well, and most importantly, the animation looks amazing. MAPPA was obviously the best choice for this adaptation--especially if you've seen some of the demons in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Chainsaw Man has a lot to live up to. Sure, the manga is another "devil hunter" series, but it's so huge and bombastic that it comes off as mildly absurd--in the best way possible. Denji's best friend is a devil dog with a chainsaw coming out of its face named Pochita. It's such a weird moment to see Denji using Pochita as a chainsaw to cut down a tree, but that's the show. You go from something mildly cute--but ultimately bizarre--to a tomato devil, which is horrifying, laying dead on the ground. It's a show that has the audience bouncing back and forth and flips expectations on its head. That's what is so engaging about it. Will we see something heartwarming next or will someone's intestines be falling out of their torso?
The only issue with the premiere episode is that there are some 3D background effects here and there that look a little awkward. It happens right in the beginning of the episode, and that's about it. It's a little jarring, but ultimately, it's not a huge part of the series, so you don't have to deal with it very much.
The opening episode of Chainsaw Man will not disappoint, regardless if you've read the manga or not. It is a wildly entertaining experience. MAPPA is delivering some top-notch animation here, and with all the devils, blood, and guts, this is the perfect anime to watch on--or near--Halloween. Although we only received one episode for review, it's one of the best premiere experiences for an anime we've seen in quite some time.
