Chainsaw Man Episode 2 Hilariously Introduces The Rest Of The Team, As Well As The Nut Devil
In its second episode, "Chainsaw Man" introduces all the remaining components for a winning shonen anime: an elite organization fighting violent forces, a team of supporting characters our hero will work with, and a goal our hero wants to accomplish.
Except, of course, all of these are twisted through the "Chainsaw Man" lens. The elite organization? A unionized office job with occasional field work. His co-workers? A bunch of people who literally treat Denji like a dog and can't wait for the chance to kill him. And also a literal dead body possessed by a devil. The hero's noble goal? To touch some boobs. Though manga readers may scoff at some adaptation choices and the removal of a scene from the manga, the show so far is off to a great start, with brisk pacing that matches the manic tone of the story and its irreverent humor.
In anime fandom there is a tradition called the three-episode rule, essentially stating that an anime usually takes three episodes to fully get into a rhythm, having already revealed any initial twist. Well, unless something spectacularly shocking happens next episode, you should already know whether "Chainsaw Man" is for you or not. This episode is all about the dumb, horny, gross 2000s humor that makes this show so funny as well as action-packed and poignant. It's the attack of the Nut Devil!
Denji the dog
Now that Denji has gained stable employment (for life, or else), and the ability to eat toast with literally anything he can imagine on top, no matter how gross it looks, he reaches a crossroads: what should he live for now? What is his next goal? Of course, the conclusion he reaches is simple — he is going to touch a girl's boobs. The way he sees it, he never had a chance before because he was poor and smelly, but now? He has an actual bed, some food in his belly, and even a shower, so why not? Plus, he already has his sights set on his dream girl, Makima.
That's right, the woman who first threatened to kill him at the end of last week's episode and how forces him to work for her as a dog or be executed. Denji takes the job, of course, not realizing how he stupidly jumped from one abusive working relationship to another. She plays him like a fiddle, and it works, because he falls in love with her for a good reason — he has never seen a single act of kindness, and thinks the world of anyone who extends some to him. This is where "Chainsaw Man" pulls off a delicate balancing act, it is juvenile, gross, and banal, but also knows when to pack in some serious emotional punches regarding Denji's upbringing.
But still, this is "Chainsaw Man," and while we don't see the titular man made out of chainsaws this episode, we do get an episode all about the juvenile humor of Denji the human, and if you're able to roll with it, it rules.
Aki got attacked by the Nut Devil!
It starts the moment Denji meets his co-worker and boss, Aki, a grumpy man already dead inside from the danger of his work and who laughs at Denji's immature and childish dreams and his lack of seriousness. Aki lives in the serious aspect of this world, the "Attack on Titan" version of this story where everything is bleak and miserable, without the laughs. It makes sense, as we hear he's already seen countless co-workers die because they didn't take the job seriously or because they have no concrete goals to keep them motivated.
Seeing Denji's lack of focus, Aki leads him to an alley and punches him, asking Denji to quit or continue to get beaten up, a kindness compared to the fate that awaits him on the job. Of course, our boy Denji is no fool. Sure, he may be dumb, but he's not a fool, so what does he do? He retaliates by kicking Aki in the groin, repeatedly. He may have recovered his organs, eye, and nut, but he definitely made sure Aki lost one, saying he never fights a man unless he aims for the nuts. When the two go back to Makima and she asks what happened to Aki, Denji says he was attacked by the Nut Devil, solidifying their relationship. This scene truly encapsulates the gross, '00s sex comedy humor of "Chainsaw Man" and it works wonderfully.
Meet Power
Later, the two go on an assignment to kill a fiend, a devil who has taken over a human's dead body. This is to be a test of Denji's power as the titular Chainsaw Man, but rather than a cool transformation, we only get Denji using an axe to kill the devil. He tells Aki that he wanted to make it painless for the fiend, which prompts Aki to say that they should never show devils mercy, because his family died at the hands of one. Of course, that's only partially the reason why Denji didn't transform. In reality, he didn't want to make a mess of gore and guts, so he could save the porno magazines scattered across the floor.
The episode ends with the introduction of the last member of the main cast, the season's best girl (technically a fiend): Power. She has the ability to manipulate her blood to create weapons and has a thirst for killing, one that not even the terrifying Sea Cucumber Devil can satisfy. With the huge mess caused by her killing the devil, the episode ends.
So far, nothing extraordinary has happened plot-wise, but "Chainsaw Man" is a fantastic adaptation that captures the unique and irreverent tone of the manga that made it such a hit with readers. Add in a brand-new ending theme with some cool animation and a slice-of-life vibe, and we have a fantastic start to the show.