Collateral Damage Man returns.
So, this episode we begin with Denji and Power being lectured for their lack of teamwork and also the collateral damage they caused when Power jumped that devil. However, they’re let off with a warning. In a conversation later, Power finds that she’s looking for help to take out a devil who kidnapped her pet cat and, when offered the opportunity to fondle her boobs if he lends a hand, Denji agrees to assist.
While Makima faces being lectured by the authorities, Denji and Power head out to an isolated farmhouse. There, Power betrays Denji, knocks him out, and offers him to the Bat Devil, since he’ll give her cat back if she gives him a human to consume. He doesn’t like Denji’s taste very much, so after a little blood to regenerate with, he decides to swallow the cat and Power alike before flying off in search of more prey.
Denji, however, clings on to the escaping Bat Devil and transforms as he flies into the city, starting a fight in earnest. This leads to many smashed buildings, exploded cars, and vast quantities of spilled blood as Denji, in Chainsaw Devil form, eventually gets the upper hand and cuts the Bat Devil to ribbons. Presumably, opening up the monster’s guts will reveal a live Power (and maybe even her cat; Bat Devil didn’t like to chew its food), but that’s for later. For now, the show rests on the laurels of its action and gore.
And writing it out, this seems short, but the episode oddly feels like something of a marathon. What I’m really noticing about Chainsaw Man, more than anything, is that it knows how and when to slow down and take a breath. Some of the shots of characters just walking, establishing who’s where, have so much effort put into their lighting and little motion that they’re honestly quite beautiful. I don’t know if this is what fans were looking for in the Chainsaw Man adaptation, but as a visual product it’s clear that all the world’s budget has been thrown at this one and the people involved knew what to do with that.
In terms of the writing and pacing… Denji is an amusingly blunt instrument. I’m not sure how well he’ll hold up as a protagonist, but then we’re still meeting people and getting used to the setting. Case in point, this episode we learned that there is some Soviet-American tension and issues about militarizing Devils, and also that Devils have specific names not granted to them based on what they or their powers happen to be associated with. Rather, they come into being with that name and are stronger based on how much humans fear their named topic. So a coffee devil (or that Tomato Devil from episode 1)? Not going to be so strong. But a car devil or a chainsaw devil? Seems relatively threatening and likely to be strong. This is fairly important information for the audience that seems liable to be if not true common knowledge than at least common knowledge in the right circles, and we’re still just getting it now
On the other hand, we are getting a good deal of character. This episode did a ton for Power, showing how she formed a very human bond with her cat (despite initially only wanting to fatten it up to eat), but still worked with Denji, Makima, and the world as a whole to an extent. This is important – we need to care about these people if we’re going to care about what happens in the show.
So, thus far, I’m fairly impressed. I think it’s angling to be a good show, and will see you around next time.