This article will contain spoilers for all Chainsaw Man Part 1 Manga
Denji–the protagonist ofChainsaw Man–is definitely not one to be judged on first impressions (tough though that may be, given his carnal desires). Make no mistake, this isn’t a piece about how Denji’s thirst for his boss at work, Makima, feels relatable and integral to the plot, and I admit it’s hard to even delve into the story without sounding like I’m discussing a risqué X-rated movie, but I believe that beneath the surface, Denji is quite the misunderstood character, and not as lustful as we think.
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To begin with, Denji has every reason to hold a deep-seated grudge against his female manipulators and antagonists; there’s the domineering Control Devil, who toyed with Denji’s life as the femme-fatale devil hunter Makima, as well as the sly Bomb Devil, a lovely romantic interest turned public menace. Denji had dated both, only to have his tongue savagely bitten during a kiss, his friend blown to bits on his 17th birthday, and his own heart literally stabbed until there was no blood left.
Actors following a script can read one thing, while their faces can’t help but tell the real story.
To his credit, Denji never acts victimized, and instead extends a forgiving hand to his tormentors, showing a remarkable willingness to sweep it all under the rug if it means these women would gain some sort of liberation and closure to their dreams. He proves time and again that he’s capable of seeing beyond the physical and into the depths of a person’s soul.
‘But dude, Denji literally goes and tells Makima that he wants to be her loyal man-dog-servant at one point.‘I get that, but let’s not forget that a lot of characters in Chainsaw Man often say things they don’t necessarily mean, even if we don’t see that theme solidified until the very last act. Reze actually reciprocates Denji’s feelings in her heart, and Denji keeps up his simping charade despite knowing Makima doesn’t see him as a person beyond his Chainsaw Man ability. Even Makima herself is exposed as someone who longs for an equal relationship rather than one of fear and control, which her power itself embodies. In a sense, it’s like everyone is playing their part in a movie, and the author continues to prove it’s wrong to take anything his characters say at face value.
So why would Denji continue to lie and humiliate himself like this? Because his contract with the chainsaw devil Pochita gives him insight into what the strongest devils crave most. While the devils in the story are physical embodiments of our most primal fears-be it war, guns or even the terrifying roar of chainsaws-the downside is that the reason for their existence (revealed in the final chapter) prevents them from forming meaningful relationships with humans until those same fears are overcome.
Hence all Pochita really wants is to be hugged and loved. Not only that: he asks Denji to give Makima the same treatment - a hug, and something akin to a loving family. However, since Makima’s identity in and of itself obliges her to be the controlling partner in a relationship (as she ironically still is through her reincarnation Nayuta in part 2), there aren’t really many options for Denji to keep her company and fulfill Pochita’s wish except to do what she likes; watch movies with her, kill whoever she doesn’t like and, well, bark liker her pet dogs.
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Interpreting the characters as ‘actors’ is fitting, given how Chainsaw Man’s distinct movie-like manga paneling accentuates the characters’ visages more than their words, as well as Makima’s fervent love of cinema. Makima’s crying face lets out her true feelings during her all-night movie date with Denji when watching the mother-son hug scene in the Russian movie “Ballad of a Soldier.” Since it was the only scene in all the movies they watched that brought her to tears, it reveals how suffocating her ice-queen demeanor is and how genuinely she longs for just such a hug.
Actors following a script can read one thing, while their faces can’t help but tell the real story. It was this film date that gave away the lie that Makima and Denji are both living, foreshadowing their true relationship dynamic as Denji tries his hardest to cure Makima’s loneliness per Pochita’s request.
Denji and Makima’s relationship is in reality about Makima being unable to vocalize her woes or seek assistance because her problem is so deeply ingrained, and Denji who would stop at nothing to give her the tender embrace she longs for. That’s why he welcomes her new child reincarnation Nayuta into his home - because he still loves and care for her even if she didn’t have the ‘physical proportions’ he is looking for anymore. This ain’t ‘simping,’ it’s a marker of a much deeper kind of love.
