Re-reading the manga made me realize that. The reason Denji asked Makima about the movie before he decided to kill her is nothing complex. It's not because he realized that there will be no good without bad, or anything complex. He just wants to be normal. From the very start, his real dream is to be normal. He kept searching for what he wanted only to get even more confused. And when Kobeni had a talk with Denji, something just clicked. She said that "it's normal to experience bad things because if you only experience good things, that's just a dream". His promise from the start with Pochita is that he will show him his dream. And so, Denji just did what he wanted, what he promised from the beginning. To live a normal life.
@@NINJAMUSHI I feel as though he is getting better. The art is more consistently quality, the depth of stories increase, and the drama in them is real. I hope Fujimoto puts that into Chainsaw man too.
A thing I always loved about CSM is that there is never action without a reason. There is always character motivation/growth, or story progression in every fight. There is never ultra violence without reason. It's ultra violence WITH reason
The journey of denjis character is ultimately just gaining literacy of intimacy and emotions as he is broadly just a blank slate going from abject poverty trapped in debt towards that maturation of his needs and desires in his chaotic circumstances. Great coming of age story
Chainsaw Man, with its incredible art, story and battles, has completely charmed so many people, me included. But every once in a while I wonder how in the world did someone allow such a gory, horrific and violent manga into shonen jump Ps. Love your vids, keep up the good work my man
The best thing about Chainsaw Man is that it has the appeal of a battle shonen without any of the annoying tropes associated with it: - No issues with power escalatiton - No neverending fights - There's enough breathing room between the action and plot - The romance is fully developed - The sex and nudity is done for artistic reasons rather than just fanservice - The premise isn't streched to go on for longer than it should - It never overexplains the plot and lets the viewer interpret things on their own - No training arcs - Probably has the stronger female cast among its contemporaries A near-masterpiece in my eyes. Also, we know a top-right quadrant Chainsaw Man would still be popular, it's called Jujutsu Kaisen.
The thing that I love is that they only kinda exaggerate the boob bit with Makima once, and there was a clear thematic and story related reason why it happened, which was Makima showing Denji how much more powerful a touch can be when its not just for the sake of touching boobs. There was never the dumb fire force level of "oh no my clothes got ripped off." And it felt like a huge breath of fresh air for it. Idk stuff like that feels like a glitch that happens in a video game, takes you out of the experience and reminds you that you are inputting controls on a controller and making the pile of pixels do something. But this makes it more grounded, even though its a crazy world it feels real.
I'm no battle manga connoisseur, but speaking respectfully, I can easily see some points on your list there as the strengths of that genre instead. Just that different people have different tolerance about what annoys them, and repetitiveness makes people turn heads for something different. Also in a long running serialized format, it depends on how far the authors have visualized their stories. Then you have editors chiming in etc... Seems like Fujimoto-sensei already have a solid vision with his stories to begin with, which is why CSM is tying knots so convincingly. I'd say learning from Kishibe is the 'training arc', but just like everything else, it happens and concludes real fast, as intended.
That's also a fair way to summarize his character (and it might also add on another level of familiarity for readers). Though, in relation to the other characters, he fits the role of a guardian/mentor a lot more than a rival-thus why I used the comparison to that archetype. That said, I guess you could kinda use both comparisons. It just depends what means you want to use to reach the same ends.
@@NINJAMUSHI But they do start as rivals they both wants Makima's love or at least they both think they do. They immentedially start kicking the crap out of each other but as time goes along they no longer stay rivals like most anime/manga but actually get past their differences and become friends. He also obviously as the usually calm cool attitude and look. Also there is way more of a mentor character in Kishibe.
8:30 dude that interview is a fucking blast to read bc it’s 2 really well-respected authors just nerding out about eachother’s manga and at one point they just start talking about if they like tsunderes LOL. It’s so funny bc you get the feeling that Fujimoto really just makes up whatever he wants to continue his stories. Which is something that Fire Punch struggled with towards the end but became one of the main strengths of Chainsaw man. Also outta curiosity…. Whats this Chainsaw Man shirt of yours look like🥸
Yeah, that interview is super fun. I love getting to see creators getting to have a back and forth like that. It can help give a perspective that you might not otherwise get from the creator or other fans. Even if it's about tsunderes My brother made it for me for my birthday last year (he's got a small screenprinting/clothing business). I can just send you a pic on Twitter if ya wanna see it. Debated putting a picture of it in the video but I think it was in my dirty clothes when I was editing the beginning of the video lmaooo
Man, I love Chainsaw Man. And the more I see analysis stuff like this I start to love it even more. It's not just fun and chaotic it has some underlying themes. It's really become my favourite shonen series. Great video. I like that your videos actually have some substance than just praise. Subbed.
Gotta agree 100% with your live of chainsawman, only thing i disagree is calling mangas “shonen” as if it was a genre and that’s the biggest factor that defines it, it just feels too restrictive and unnecessary, shonen/seinen/shoujo/etc aren’t genres, they are names for main target demographics of the magazines that publish these works. Its akin to calling Zelda BotW or Mario Odyssey a “children’s game” because it is sold mainly to appease a younger audience, even though everyone plays it, or a Pixar movie a “children’s cartoon” for another example. I’m not ranting at you or anything just expressing my opinion on this topic I don’t really give a crap if you use these terms anyway you want.
@@minecraftgravityguy Yeah, I get that they're not "genres" by definition, but that's just a way I like to categorise my manga. Like Chainsaw Man definitely isn't the best manga I've read but it's the best shonen manga I've read. And it's serialised in Shonen Jump sooo...
Absolutely. I know how I mentioned things coming and going in CSM, but I really, really want the concepts of primal fears, darkness, and hell to come back full force in part 2.
@@NINJAMUSHI I was surprised to see that in psychological theory, there are actually 4-6 primal fears, that all of humanity shares. Loss of ego/autonomy (i.e. Makima) usually ranks second or third.
subtly the darkness devil's power is shown by way of his arms being the lines that separate panels. Almost being an omnipotent being. Chapter 64 is where this happens. We get the attack and right after his arms are between all the characters as if they're the panel lines.
Really excited to see where they take Denji’s character next in the series. Like, how does he mature and grow further beyond this point and what are his new goals (besides trying to find Power)?
Absolutely agree with that. Although, while I'm excited, I'm also a little nervous because I think he has such a solid character arc already. Just hoping it doesn't become shaky going forward
haha, I'm writing a piece about how Chainsaw Man relates to ideas of alienation through labour and part of it touches on the hierarchy of needs so it's great to see you also mention it. it lets me know I might not be alone in these interpretations.
Awesome work, man! As a brazilian, I was struggling to find good Chainsaw Man content/analysis in portuguese and been searching for it in english for a while. When I saw that you're a relatively small content creator, I decided to took some of my time in order to leave a comment and say that you absolutely ruled in this video. I'm already expecting the next ones! +sub
15:53 I always felt like Aki was more of the Sasuke or Megumi type character while Kishibe was the Kakashi or Gojo of Chainsawman. Aki the darker more brooding counterpart and rival to the MC, while being more mature they're still a bit inexpirienced, naive, and childlike. Nearly as much of a Junior to the other characters as the MC starts out, and they function a bit like a cooler older sibling. Aki fits that arche-type especially considering how he and Denji have their little grudges and spats just like siblings or main characters and rivals have at the start. Kishibe feels like the older and more experienced Kakashi or Gojo like mentor, considering his skill, tragic past, the fact that he was instructed to take care of Denji and power, his role at the end, his more mature and older disposition, and the fact that he was a mentor to other members of the cast as well.
i’m pretty tired rn so i don’t have anything substantial to add but i just wanted to say that chainsaw man is my favorite manga, and you summarized many of the reasons for why that is very well here. i can’t quite place what exactly it is abt this series that made me hyperfixate on it harder than i have on anything since my warrior cats phase in elementary school, but it did, so fujimoto’s definitely doing something right heh
I wouldn’t say aki is like gojo or kakashi. He’s more like sasuke in a way. He’s driven by revenge and that makes him blind to the people around him that still care for him. He’s also like an opposite to denji and by the end he sees him like a brother.
Maybe I needed to clarify better, because you're not the first person to say this. My point is kinda that's he's a character unlike Kakashi who is put into that kind of mentor role. He isn't in a position like Sasuke, who can run off independently to accomplish his revenge. This may sound stupid, but it's more like if you took Sasuke and put him in Kakashi's role lol
@@Jvm-iq2qe yeah, I've had this problem a few times in my videos. Gotta start making sure my choice of words will communicate what I'm trying to say a little better. Anyways, thanks for watching the video!
Really impressed by this video, I watch an unhealthy amount of YT video essays so i guess you could say im an authority on this matter (that was a joke (but seriously I do watch a ton of video essays)), and honestly this vid was a cut above. Great analysis and unique topic. Not something I had ever given thought to before but you're so right. It really is accessible while also being experimental. It's a lot different from the examples you gave, but my favorite band polyphia is similar in a lot of ways. They have crazy technical instrumentals that on their own would be inaccessible to most non-musicians. Yet underneath all that, it has a strong resemblance to pop in the chords and rhythms they use. Most listeners won't consciously identify this, just like most readers won't identify it in chainsaw man, but they intuitively pick up on it and recognize it on a subconscious level. The group apparently don't listen to any of the other bands in their "genre" and mostly listen to music with strong pop influence so their own music remains inspired by those catchy and accessible aspects present in pop.
Thank you! Those are some very kind words from such an esteemed CZcams connoisseur, haha! I haven't listened to them, but I remember the name Polyphia popping up in my feed a couple years ago. I'll be sure to give one of their albums a spin soon!
Interesting that you use Suda 51 game music in this because I think Suda and Fujimoto have a lot in common as creatives. Chain Saw Man is like the No More Heroes manga I always wanted. If CM ever gets a game it should be from Grasshopper. This is a really good breakdown. CM man was just enough pop sensibility to not be off putting for most while standing out. It's popularity makes sense.
I'd say that JJK is a little bit, but still experimantal, because in order to change a status quo that hard you need to take risks. That's why I love jjk and aot, even if csm was experimantal from the beginning.
Honestly, I think manga fans really forget how the West can be. I mean, we LOVE tarantion here. His movies did decently well, and his movies are well regarded. But his films are violent, dirty and messed up. The characters talk about sex, kill people violently and relish in all their dirt. Other violent, sexy stuff has been popular too. It's only recently that the most popular stuff has been supremely cookie cutter and violent avoidant (think MCU). Really even comics have hyper violence baked into them--see Invincible, a show everyone unanimously said was at least good.
Channels under 10k making the most well scripted and edited videos be like: The sound design is on point and definitely can tell there’s inspiration drawn from long-analysis form channels.
Flcl and a Chainsawman both pull the experimental fringe thing off so well and in such a similar way. Chainsawman is far different from the plot of FLCL but pulls inspiration from its characters and energy expertly
While I tend to stay away from looking at art through a graph or a spectrum, I think you've made a good case here. I'm interested in knowing more about what its readers resonate with Chainsaw Man, and looking it through poster boy Denji is reasonable.. yet murky in some ways. Perhaps it's still too soon to say anything. I've not interacted with CSM's fans in a more in-depth level yet. And we have Part 2 going strong. But it's fun trying to find something reflective about society or human mindset through an art of such degree of popularity.
4:50 I like it when underrated anime/manga gets a bit of recognition. I have 3 favorite animes and chainsaw man is the only one that got the hype it deserved.
Holy shit another amazing video and another amazing analysis on chainsawman, this is the best and most deserving channel i found in recent memory to be called a “hidden gem”, even though right now it feels more like a hidden masterpiece...
Dude, that's so kind of you-you really don't have to flatter me so much haha. Next time I get an annoying comment that gets under my skin, I'll remember your comment. Thank you :)
This is a unique analysis of the series that I haven't seen before, and I really liked your take on everything! This is the second video I've seen from you (the other being the Demon Slayer v. Chainsaw Man one) and in both of them you manage to stand out from the anituber crowd. Way to go dude!
Me wondering if it is worth it for me to watch this video even though I haven’t read the manga yet for some reason. I know it’s good but I always forget to read it. Ps. I hope the anime adaptation is good and not like Tokyo Ghoul.
I throw out major spoilers without warning in this video so I wouldn't recommend it, but thanks for considering anyways haha I think it'll be a good adaptation, but we'll have to see
15:40 I think fujimoto is talking about characters and structure here in very general terms, i.e. tropes. You can argue that denji has a nakama for example. And he goes through the hero's journey. And characters are very clearly good or evil. I figure, if CSM wasn't published in WSJ, makima probably wouldn't have given denji a friend group and his outcome would probably be more morally grey, exploring the repercussions of her manipulation. That said, I haven't read fire punch so idk if fujimoto has a precedent for that, but that's the impression I got.
Great video! I had constant whiplash while reading CSM, and even with Fujimoto's most recent one shots. I really should get to Fire Punch soon. What music did you use in the "Chainsaw Man Has Pop Sensibility" chapter? At the beginning it sounds a lot like Bohren & der Club of Gore
@@NINJAMUSHI It has a much more industrial sound, but there are elements of dark/doom jazz. I really recommend Bohren, especially the albums Sunset Mission, Dolores, Black Earth
Yeah, I really liked what I played a few years ago but I used to be a little self conscious of the alcohol use in the game (way I was raised and whatnot). But since then I completely got over that fear and have no real issue with alcohol, so I think that my experience with the game would be a lot different now. Will try it again sometime soon! Thanks!
13:36 There's a lot in that chart I don't agree with as the chart doesn't seem that well thought out. It seems like it's missing a lot. The lack of variety and coverage is why it looks so wrong at even first glance IMO. For example, you put Death Note there even though it's not a battle shounen like the rest of the series you put on the chart, but failed to put series such as A Silent Voice, The Ancient Magus Bride, GTO, Beck, Pandora Hearts, Hi no Tori, Drifting Classroom, Silver Spoon, Nichijou, Dr. Slump, and The Girl From the Other Side. Some of which firmly belong in your experimental and not pop sensible quadrant. There's also the bit where Fairy Tail is the only non Shounen Jump representative on the chart, even though a good portion is just dedicated to canceled Jump titles. You could have included other battle shounen from other magazines. What you considered pop also seems arbitrary. It's like you only consider something pop if it managed to become popular, which is quite a flawed way at trying to measure these things. Is a series not pop just because it failed to become popular, despite trying its hardest to emulate the standard popular series? Because that applies to all the series you put as standard and not pop sensible. There're loads of reasons why a series isn't popular but has nothing to do with what the series is trying to be, the obvious one being writing quality. Other than that particular part the video is interesting.
Hey, thanks for the feedback! To be honest, the chart was made nearing the end of the editing process and I was just trying to hurry it up so I could get the video out (to which CZcams blocked the vid 3 times anyways lol), and I just kinda wanted it done. Still, I probably should've put just a bit more effort into it. Death Note was supposed* to fade out, sooo yeah. It and the titles you mentioned wouldn't really serve any point in what I'm saying at that moment. It'd be the difference between one irrelevant title (Death Note) and half the graph being irrelevant. Also, maybe it seems like I treat pop as being the exact same as popular (there is a big correlation after all) but something like Gantz is not super duper mainstream or massively successful, but I put it in the top half of the graph because I still think a lot about it is pop sensible. Maybe I could've used more titles like that, but I'm not quite saying pop sensibility =/= most popular. The point I'm trying to get across with the lower right is that these titles are pretty bog standard but, to make the music comparison again, their "hooks" suck and nothing about them is catchy so, in that way, they lack pop sensibility. Maybe I could've explained that a tad bit better in the video. I will totally admit that I could've used more non Jump titles. I feel like I've been falling in the trapping of acting like Jump is the only shonen magazine but I guess it's because it's the one I have the most experience with by a considerable margin. I will try to be more inclusive to other magazines in the future! Thanks for the time you took to write this comment!
Motivational? Hardly. It didn't exactly make me want to pursue my dreams. Uplifting? Uhhhh, maybe by the very end but not nearly as much as other battle shonen. Overall it's kinda a downer. Empathic? Absolutely, but its empathy is expressed in some pretty dark and cruel ways.
![Denji's Dream of a "Perfect" Life Still Sucks - A Chainsaw Man Retrospective Analysis [1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9Tj7t8IUluc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Denji's Dream of a "Perfect" Life Still Sucks - A Chainsaw Man Retrospective Analysis [1]](/img/tr.png)
![[MMV] CHAINSAW MAN Part 2 x TERRASPEX](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EFWtkIzsBVw/mqdefault.jpg)
I’ll never not laugh at the fact that Makima was inspired by a time Fujimoto was pushed off a bike by a girl and him being into it
LOOOL
Unbelievable, but actually very believable after reading his works...
Fujimoto....his twitter account, the fish story, his attempts to levitate, i swear the dude is crazier than his mangas
i love how he perfectly translated that fetish into the manga, because now were all barking for makima with the same intensity he felt at that moment
@@MilanNikolic96 who? 🤨🤨🤨 I ain’t? 🤨🤨🤨🤨power best girl btw 🥱🥱
Re-reading the manga made me realize that. The reason Denji asked Makima about the movie before he decided to kill her is nothing complex. It's not because he realized that there will be no good without bad, or anything complex. He just wants to be normal. From the very start, his real dream is to be normal. He kept searching for what he wanted only to get even more confused. And when Kobeni had a talk with Denji, something just clicked. She said that "it's normal to experience bad things because if you only experience good things, that's just a dream". His promise from the start with Pochita is that he will show him his dream. And so, Denji just did what he wanted, what he promised from the beginning. To live a normal life.
Fujimoto as an author is an insanely creative and experimental. I read Goodbye Eri the other day and my god was that a unique experience
Goodbye Eri is super out there for sure.
@@NINJAMUSHI I feel as though he is getting better. The art is more consistently quality, the depth of stories increase, and the drama in them is real. I hope Fujimoto puts that into Chainsaw man too.
A thing I always loved about CSM is that there is never action without a reason. There is always character motivation/growth, or story progression in every fight. There is never ultra violence without reason. It's ultra violence WITH reason
Then why the hell did that one McDonald's chapter exist?
@@deathlydashi pochita fulfilling denji's dreams. Like going on a date and eating burgers
Chainsaw man made me realise tha maybe JoJo isn't my top 1 manga...
Mannn, I get it but I'm taking all of JoJo over CSM every single day
@@deathlydashi wait i gotta see this, what is the chapter?
The journey of denjis character is ultimately just gaining literacy of intimacy and emotions as he is broadly just a blank slate going from abject poverty trapped in debt towards that maturation of his needs and desires in his chaotic circumstances. Great coming of age story
Chainsaw Man, with its incredible art, story and battles, has completely charmed so many people, me included. But every once in a while I wonder how in the world did someone allow such a gory, horrific and violent manga into shonen jump
Ps. Love your vids, keep up the good work my man
Thank you! I shall!
Isn't it on shounen jump+ ?
Nope, part 2 will be but the original was in WSJ
he had cred with shonen jump. aparently, Fire Punch really helped establish SJ.
@@NINJAMUSHI ah yes, the Wall Street Journal. I do recall seeing chainsaw man published in there, now that you mention it!
The best thing about Chainsaw Man is that it has the appeal of a battle shonen without any of the annoying tropes associated with it:
- No issues with power escalatiton
- No neverending fights
- There's enough breathing room between the action and plot
- The romance is fully developed
- The sex and nudity is done for artistic reasons rather than just fanservice
- The premise isn't streched to go on for longer than it should
- It never overexplains the plot and lets the viewer interpret things on their own
- No training arcs
- Probably has the stronger female cast among its contemporaries
A near-masterpiece in my eyes. Also, we know a top-right quadrant Chainsaw Man would still be popular, it's called Jujutsu Kaisen.
The thing that I love is that they only kinda exaggerate the boob bit with Makima once, and there was a clear thematic and story related reason why it happened, which was Makima showing Denji how much more powerful a touch can be when its not just for the sake of touching boobs. There was never the dumb fire force level of "oh no my clothes got ripped off." And it felt like a huge breath of fresh air for it.
Idk stuff like that feels like a glitch that happens in a video game, takes you out of the experience and reminds you that you are inputting controls on a controller and making the pile of pixels do something. But this makes it more grounded, even though its a crazy world it feels real.
I'm no battle manga connoisseur, but speaking respectfully, I can easily see some points on your list there as the strengths of that genre instead. Just that different people have different tolerance about what annoys them, and repetitiveness makes people turn heads for something different. Also in a long running serialized format, it depends on how far the authors have visualized their stories. Then you have editors chiming in etc... Seems like Fujimoto-sensei already have a solid vision with his stories to begin with, which is why CSM is tying knots so convincingly.
I'd say learning from Kishibe is the 'training arc', but just like everything else, it happens and concludes real fast, as intended.
This is why Chainsawman is the best Shonen I've ever read, it's unique and not dragging on like most Shonen.
Isn't Aki more derivative of the Sasuke a youngman whose driven by avenging his dead family but learns to love his friends and live to protect them.
That's also a fair way to summarize his character (and it might also add on another level of familiarity for readers). Though, in relation to the other characters, he fits the role of a guardian/mentor a lot more than a rival-thus why I used the comparison to that archetype. That said, I guess you could kinda use both comparisons. It just depends what means you want to use to reach the same ends.
@@NINJAMUSHI But they do start as rivals they both wants Makima's love or at least they both think they do. They immentedially start kicking the crap out of each other but as time goes along they no longer stay rivals like most anime/manga but actually get past their differences and become friends. He also obviously as the usually calm cool attitude and look. Also there is way more of a mentor character in Kishibe.
8:30 dude that interview is a fucking blast to read bc it’s 2 really well-respected authors just nerding out about eachother’s manga and at one point they just start talking about if they like tsunderes LOL. It’s so funny bc you get the feeling that Fujimoto really just makes up whatever he wants to continue his stories. Which is something that Fire Punch struggled with towards the end but became one of the main strengths of Chainsaw man.
Also outta curiosity…. Whats this Chainsaw Man shirt of yours look like🥸
Yeah, that interview is super fun. I love getting to see creators getting to have a back and forth like that. It can help give a perspective that you might not otherwise get from the creator or other fans. Even if it's about tsunderes
My brother made it for me for my birthday last year (he's got a small screenprinting/clothing business). I can just send you a pic on Twitter if ya wanna see it. Debated putting a picture of it in the video but I think it was in my dirty clothes when I was editing the beginning of the video lmaooo
Man, I love Chainsaw Man. And the more I see analysis stuff like this I start to love it even more. It's not just fun and chaotic it has some underlying themes. It's really become my favourite shonen series.
Great video. I like that your videos actually have some substance than just praise. Subbed.
Thank you! I appreciate that!
Gotta agree 100% with your live of chainsawman, only thing i disagree is calling mangas “shonen” as if it was a genre and that’s the biggest factor that defines it, it just feels too restrictive and unnecessary, shonen/seinen/shoujo/etc aren’t genres, they are names for main target demographics of the magazines that publish these works. Its akin to calling Zelda BotW or Mario Odyssey a “children’s game” because it is sold mainly to appease a younger audience, even though everyone plays it, or a Pixar movie a “children’s cartoon” for another example. I’m not ranting at you or anything just expressing my opinion on this topic I don’t really give a crap if you use these terms anyway you want.
@@minecraftgravityguy Yeah, I get that they're not "genres" by definition, but that's just a way I like to categorise my manga. Like Chainsaw Man definitely isn't the best manga I've read but it's the best shonen manga I've read. And it's serialised in Shonen Jump sooo...
The Darkness devil has to be one of the most spectacular, unsettling, creative, mind-bending and genius ideas I’ve ever seen in manga…
Absolutely. I know how I mentioned things coming and going in CSM, but I really, really want the concepts of primal fears, darkness, and hell to come back full force in part 2.
@@NINJAMUSHI I was surprised to see that in psychological theory, there are actually 4-6 primal fears, that all of humanity shares.
Loss of ego/autonomy (i.e. Makima) usually ranks second or third.
subtly the darkness devil's power is shown by way of his arms being the lines that separate panels. Almost being an omnipotent being. Chapter 64 is where this happens. We get the attack and right after his arms are between all the characters as if they're the panel lines.
Comparing Chainsaw Man to Death Grips and 100 Gecs is the most Galaxy Brained thing I've ever heard
this is either a very nice comment or lowkey savage LOL
@@NINJAMUSHI coming from a huge death grips and 100 gecs fan***
@@6lugg god bless you
Throw in some Machine Girl
What is Death Grips?
Really excited to see where they take Denji’s character next in the series. Like, how does he mature and grow further beyond this point and what are his new goals (besides trying to find Power)?
Absolutely agree with that. Although, while I'm excited, I'm also a little nervous because I think he has such a solid character arc already. Just hoping it doesn't become shaky going forward
haha, I'm writing a piece about how Chainsaw Man relates to ideas of alienation through labour and part of it touches on the hierarchy of needs so it's great to see you also mention it. it lets me know I might not be alone in these interpretations.
That sounds super interesting! I'd love to check it out when you release it
Awesome work, man!
As a brazilian, I was struggling to find good Chainsaw Man content/analysis in portuguese and been searching for it in english for a while. When I saw that you're a relatively small content creator, I decided to took some of my time in order to leave a comment and say that you absolutely ruled in this video. I'm already expecting the next ones! +sub
Thank you! That's very kind of you to say :)
Another Chainsaw Man vid? YESSSSS! I'm so hungry for more Chainsaw Man content 😭
Happy to provide!!
15:53 I always felt like Aki was more of the Sasuke or Megumi type character while Kishibe was the Kakashi or Gojo of Chainsawman. Aki the darker more brooding counterpart and rival to the MC, while being more mature they're still a bit inexpirienced, naive, and childlike. Nearly as much of a Junior to the other characters as the MC starts out, and they function a bit like a cooler older sibling. Aki fits that arche-type especially considering how he and Denji have their little grudges and spats just like siblings or main characters and rivals have at the start. Kishibe feels like the older and more experienced Kakashi or Gojo like mentor, considering his skill, tragic past, the fact that he was instructed to take care of Denji and power, his role at the end, his more mature and older disposition, and the fact that he was a mentor to other members of the cast as well.
Yeah that is the accurate read of those characters relationship for sure
Now I see manga as a political science. Nice
expanding your mind one video at a time
i’m pretty tired rn so i don’t have anything substantial to add but i just wanted to say that chainsaw man is my favorite manga, and you summarized many of the reasons for why that is very well here. i can’t quite place what exactly it is abt this series that made me hyperfixate on it harder than i have on anything since my warrior cats phase in elementary school, but it did, so fujimoto’s definitely doing something right heh
another absolute banger video you've helped inspire me to work on my own video on chainsaw man(hopefully i actually make it this time)
Thank you! That means a lot to hear I was able to inspire you. I'd love to check out your video when you release it-best of luck getting it made!
I wouldn’t say aki is like gojo or kakashi. He’s more like sasuke in a way. He’s driven by revenge and that makes him blind to the people around him that still care for him. He’s also like an opposite to denji and by the end he sees him like a brother.
Maybe I needed to clarify better, because you're not the first person to say this. My point is kinda that's he's a character unlike Kakashi who is put into that kind of mentor role. He isn't in a position like Sasuke, who can run off independently to accomplish his revenge. This may sound stupid, but it's more like if you took Sasuke and put him in Kakashi's role lol
@@NINJAMUSHI nah I get it. I just thought you meant he was like kakashi and gojo but what you meant was he was put into their role by force.
@@Jvm-iq2qe yeah, I've had this problem a few times in my videos. Gotta start making sure my choice of words will communicate what I'm trying to say a little better. Anyways, thanks for watching the video!
With your videos I feel like I'm learning while enjoying. Keep up the great work!
Glad you could learn something! Thank you!
Really impressed by this video, I watch an unhealthy amount of YT video essays so i guess you could say im an authority on this matter (that was a joke (but seriously I do watch a ton of video essays)), and honestly this vid was a cut above. Great analysis and unique topic. Not something I had ever given thought to before but you're so right. It really is accessible while also being experimental.
It's a lot different from the examples you gave, but my favorite band polyphia is similar in a lot of ways. They have crazy technical instrumentals that on their own would be inaccessible to most non-musicians. Yet underneath all that, it has a strong resemblance to pop in the chords and rhythms they use. Most listeners won't consciously identify this, just like most readers won't identify it in chainsaw man, but they intuitively pick up on it and recognize it on a subconscious level. The group apparently don't listen to any of the other bands in their "genre" and mostly listen to music with strong pop influence so their own music remains inspired by those catchy and accessible aspects present in pop.
Thank you! Those are some very kind words from such an esteemed CZcams connoisseur, haha! I haven't listened to them, but I remember the name Polyphia popping up in my feed a couple years ago. I'll be sure to give one of their albums a spin soon!
@@NINJAMUSHI check out their new song playing god
6:27 fun fact: the arms spell out "MAKIMA"
it's a really cool detail but I think the page with the arms being used for the panels is even cooler. What an amazing moment in the manga all 'round.
@@NINJAMUSHI that is my favorite panel in chainsaw man actually..
Interesting that you use Suda 51 game music in this because I think Suda and Fujimoto have a lot in common as creatives. Chain Saw Man is like the No More Heroes manga I always wanted. If CM ever gets a game it should be from Grasshopper.
This is a really good breakdown. CM man was just enough pop sensibility to not be off putting for most while standing out. It's popularity makes sense.
I'd say that JJK is a little bit, but still experimantal, because in order to change a status quo that hard you need to take risks. That's why I love jjk and aot, even if csm was experimantal from the beginning.
I dunno how I forgot to put aot on the graph. It for sure is one of the few battle shonen that's in the top left
I’d have put jjk more left too, I think it’s also gonna be a manga to redefine shounen along with a few others
I love this channel. Will you ever cover any of Fujimoto’s other works?
Thank you! Maybe at some point, but they'd need rereads and I have a lot on my plate as is right now
Comparing CSM to Death Grip is one of the most unexpected yet accurate descriptions I’ve ever seen
I hoped it wasn't too out there for this video to include a Death Grips talk, but I'm glad it panned out
Honestly, I think manga fans really forget how the West can be. I mean, we LOVE tarantion here. His movies did decently well, and his movies are well regarded. But his films are violent, dirty and messed up. The characters talk about sex, kill people violently and relish in all their dirt. Other violent, sexy stuff has been popular too. It's only recently that the most popular stuff has been supremely cookie cutter and violent avoidant (think MCU). Really even comics have hyper violence baked into them--see Invincible, a show everyone unanimously said was at least good.
Yup, agreed
Channels under 10k making the most well scripted and edited videos be like:
The sound design is on point and definitely can tell there’s inspiration drawn from long-analysis form channels.
gotta love the death grips soudtrack in the background.
Flcl and a Chainsawman both pull the experimental fringe thing off so well and in such a similar way. Chainsawman is far different from the plot of FLCL but pulls inspiration from its characters and energy expertly
Tbh it's ain't even that different. Both main story is how to navigate relationships while growing up.
7:56 just realized you were bumping to No More Heros TSA ost track. That's happen to be one my favorite ost in the whole game! 😃
I usually have 2-3 No More Heroes tracks in every video. This video has 1 from NMH3 and 2 from TSA, which is one of my favorite OSTs as well :)
Just found your content, really great analysis man, love it!
Thank you! Glad you found it, haha
Definitely reminds me of that one quote by kohei kodono in the second boogiepop book about the nature of boogie and pop media
I love how you put death grips in background lol, an experimental band with an abrasive edge to it (9:52) plus I love DG
Death Grips is the jam
While I tend to stay away from looking at art through a graph or a spectrum, I think you've made a good case here. I'm interested in knowing more about what its readers resonate with Chainsaw Man, and looking it through poster boy Denji is reasonable.. yet murky in some ways.
Perhaps it's still too soon to say anything. I've not interacted with CSM's fans in a more in-depth level yet. And we have Part 2 going strong.
But it's fun trying to find something reflective about society or human mindset through an art of such degree of popularity.
0:00 no more heroes ost ...
This is gonna be good
4:50 I like it when underrated anime/manga gets a bit of recognition. I have 3 favorite animes and chainsaw man is the only one that got the hype it deserved.
Holy shit another amazing video and another amazing analysis on chainsawman, this is the best and most deserving channel i found in recent memory to be called a “hidden gem”, even though right now it feels more like a hidden masterpiece...
Dude, that's so kind of you-you really don't have to flatter me so much haha. Next time I get an annoying comment that gets under my skin, I'll remember your comment. Thank you :)
If you guys liked chainsawman you should try Fujimoto's new one shot goodbye eri.
I don't know how he made two 9/10 one shots in between Chainsaw Man parts. Fujimoto is cracked, man
This is a unique analysis of the series that I haven't seen before, and I really liked your take on everything! This is the second video I've seen from you (the other being the Demon Slayer v. Chainsaw Man one) and in both of them you manage to stand out from the anituber crowd. Way to go dude!
Those are some very kind praises, haha. Thank you!
dude I really hope your channel grow a lot these videos are so damn good and well made you deserve it
somehow this comment got flagged for spam by YT, but thank you!! Means a lot to hear that
Ur channel is very underrated for the content it delivers. Amazing and insightful video BTW
Thank you, that's very kind of you!
That blissful feeling of discovering a new channel with great videos and instantly subbing
Appreciate it, prototype Guts
Aki Hayakawa reminds me a lot of Roy Mustang.
That's a fair comparison
Me wondering if it is worth it for me to watch this video even though I haven’t read the manga yet for some reason. I know it’s good but I always forget to read it. Ps. I hope the anime adaptation is good and not like Tokyo Ghoul.
I throw out major spoilers without warning in this video so I wouldn't recommend it, but thanks for considering anyways haha
I think it'll be a good adaptation, but we'll have to see
Really nice work on this, I liked the music you used too
15:40 I think fujimoto is talking about characters and structure here in very general terms, i.e. tropes. You can argue that denji has a nakama for example. And he goes through the hero's journey. And characters are very clearly good or evil. I figure, if CSM wasn't published in WSJ, makima probably wouldn't have given denji a friend group and his outcome would probably be more morally grey, exploring the repercussions of her manipulation.
That said, I haven't read fire punch so idk if fujimoto has a precedent for that, but that's the impression I got.
Great video!
I had constant whiplash while reading CSM, and even with Fujimoto's most recent one shots. I really should get to Fire Punch soon.
What music did you use in the "Chainsaw Man Has Pop Sensibility" chapter? At the beginning it sounds a lot like Bohren & der Club of Gore
Thank you!
Thanks for reminding me, I still need to update the description with the music I used. It's "Create Nothing" by Dated
@@NINJAMUSHI It has a much more industrial sound, but there are elements of dark/doom jazz.
I really recommend Bohren, especially the albums Sunset Mission, Dolores, Black Earth
bonus points for the va-11 hall-a soundtrack
0:25 no one girl should have all that Powuhhhhh
Found this video late but your script is super high quality!
Thank you! :)
15:58 I always thought of Aki as more of a riff on Sasuke Uchiha
damn this is such a good video i love the way you edited and talked about this topic
Thank you :)
Love the NMH3 soundtrack. Great video! 👍
The No More Heroes osts are so good that I put at least 2-3 tracks from TSA or NMH3 in every video lmao. Thank you!
Amazing video
Thank you 🙏
This video was just amazing bro! Thanks, and sorry for my bad english hahaha.
Thank you! Your English is great!
Dude I gotta ask have you played va11halla? because I hear the soundtrack in your videos sometimes so I had to ask.
Yup, I only got about a third into the game, though. I'd love to get back on it sometime soon.
@@NINJAMUSHI you should it’s a amazing game in my opinion also amazing video.
Yeah, I really liked what I played a few years ago but I used to be a little self conscious of the alcohol use in the game (way I was raised and whatnot). But since then I completely got over that fear and have no real issue with alcohol, so I think that my experience with the game would be a lot different now. Will try it again sometime soon!
Thanks!
no problem @@NINJAMUSHI
Very well made video!
Thank you!
13:36 There's a lot in that chart I don't agree with as the chart doesn't seem that well thought out. It seems like it's missing a lot. The lack of variety and coverage is why it looks so wrong at even first glance IMO. For example, you put Death Note there even though it's not a battle shounen like the rest of the series you put on the chart, but failed to put series such as A Silent Voice, The Ancient Magus Bride, GTO, Beck, Pandora Hearts, Hi no Tori, Drifting Classroom, Silver Spoon, Nichijou, Dr. Slump, and The Girl From the Other Side. Some of which firmly belong in your experimental and not pop sensible quadrant. There's also the bit where Fairy Tail is the only non Shounen Jump representative on the chart, even though a good portion is just dedicated to canceled Jump titles. You could have included other battle shounen from other magazines.
What you considered pop also seems arbitrary. It's like you only consider something pop if it managed to become popular, which is quite a flawed way at trying to measure these things. Is a series not pop just because it failed to become popular, despite trying its hardest to emulate the standard popular series? Because that applies to all the series you put as standard and not pop sensible. There're loads of reasons why a series isn't popular but has nothing to do with what the series is trying to be, the obvious one being writing quality.
Other than that particular part the video is interesting.
Hey, thanks for the feedback! To be honest, the chart was made nearing the end of the editing process and I was just trying to hurry it up so I could get the video out (to which CZcams blocked the vid 3 times anyways lol), and I just kinda wanted it done. Still, I probably should've put just a bit more effort into it. Death Note was supposed* to fade out, sooo yeah. It and the titles you mentioned wouldn't really serve any point in what I'm saying at that moment. It'd be the difference between one irrelevant title (Death Note) and half the graph being irrelevant. Also, maybe it seems like I treat pop as being the exact same as popular (there is a big correlation after all) but something like Gantz is not super duper mainstream or massively successful, but I put it in the top half of the graph because I still think a lot about it is pop sensible. Maybe I could've used more titles like that, but I'm not quite saying pop sensibility =/= most popular. The point I'm trying to get across with the lower right is that these titles are pretty bog standard but, to make the music comparison again, their "hooks" suck and nothing about them is catchy so, in that way, they lack pop sensibility. Maybe I could've explained that a tad bit better in the video. I will totally admit that I could've used more non Jump titles. I feel like I've been falling in the trapping of acting like Jump is the only shonen magazine but I guess it's because it's the one I have the most experience with by a considerable margin. I will try to be more inclusive to other magazines in the future!
Thanks for the time you took to write this comment!
Aki is more like the sasuke, and Kishibe is the goujo/kakashi archetype
Star Wars was an "Experimental" film.
VA11HALLA ost appreciation🙏
great soundtrack. I still haven't finished the game though..
Fck man why the puke-kiss scene again ?! Im tryin to forgot it
I wish I could watch the video but I really dont wanna be spoiled so im gonna comment in frustration instead and add it to my watch later list...
Haha, sounds good. Hope to see you back eventually!
great video
y'all wach tokyo gore police?
Great video
Thanks!!
You are based sir
I try lmao
Dorohedoro n Jagaaaaaaaaan should be bottom Left
Comparing Chainsaw Man to Death Grips was just perfect.
Evangelion is top left as well
Shall dost thou read this?
Absolutely
Nice video bro
+sub
Thanks!!
Damnnnn
It’s a crime that you omitted bangers like Jojo’s from the top left sector
I've written 350 pages (or 140,000 words) on JoJo. We'll get to it one day on the channel lol
death grips
👏
You don't think Chainsaw Man is motivational, uplifting or empathetic?
Motivational? Hardly. It didn't exactly make me want to pursue my dreams. Uplifting? Uhhhh, maybe by the very end but not nearly as much as other battle shonen. Overall it's kinda a downer. Empathic? Absolutely, but its empathy is expressed in some pretty dark and cruel ways.
@@NINJAMUSHI I found that it checked all three boxes for me. Maybe it's only motivational for people who are already in a pretty bad place.
@@NonApplicable1983 I could understand that. I dunno, for motivation I look to something like Space Brothers personally
If you think about it Nayuta is best girl because she's the only girl remaining
I meannnnnnn
And Kobeni
Kobeni is best girl by the process of elimination
Chainsaw man hype
i love you
💜
FUCK why did I spoil myself nooo Aki
This is why I put the spoiler warning at the beginning, sorry chief 😔
Lol bro most over hype manga
Aot and jjk exist
CRINGE
Fck man why the puke-kiss scene again ?! Im tryin to forgot it