Watch Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is a dark fantasy anime series produced by MAPPA and directed by Ryū Nakayama. It is based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series follows Denji, a young man living in poverty who makes a contract with his pet chainsaw devil Pochita to become the Chainsaw Man, a human-devil hybrid able to transform parts of his body into chainsaws.

After Denji's new handler Makima recruits him into the Public Safety Devil Hunters, he finds himself caught up in a shadow war between devil hunters and the Gun Devil and his minions, who seek to plunge the world into fear and violence. Denji discovers that devils are born from human fears and that the Gun Devil plans to unite devils into an army to destroy humanity. Alongside fellow devil hunters like the stoic Power and naive Aki Hayakawa, Denji uses his chainsaw devil powers while balancing his violent missions with a simple desire for a normal high school life.

The anime has a distinctive visual style combining 2D and 3D animation. It features dark, visceral action sequences as the Public Safety Devil Hunters battle against diverse devils created from concepts like sharks, zombies, and cockroaches. Denji himself has a unique character design with a chainsaw sticking out of his forehead in his hybrid form. The series also integrates gory violence and black comedy, with Denji nonchalantly using his chainsaws in over-the-top ways.

Underneath its supernatural action, Chainsaw Man explores thoughtful themes about what it means to be human versus a devil. Denji starts out only caring about basic needs like food and female affection due to his harsh background. Over the course of the series, he slowly develops human relationships and learns to care about more than just his own desires. This personal growth happens in contrast to malevolent devils who embody primal fears.

The series has an eclectic supporting cast with varied motivations. Power is a fiend devil who becomes Denji's friend despite her violent tendencies. Aki seeks revenge against the Gun Devil who killed his family, but his hatred threatens to consume him. And the mysterious Makima has larger ambitions behind the scenes that impact Denji and the other devil hunters. The interplay between the cast grounds the supernatural premise in raw human drama and emotion.

Chainsaw Man stands out for its original premise, a subversion of standard shonen anime tropes, compelling characters, and striking animation style combining hand-drawn and 3D visuals seamlessly. It tells an unpredictable story saturated with action and emotion, centered around a dynamic protagonist who transforms from victim to hero. Dark, violent, humorous, and philosophical all at once, Chainsaw Man is one of the most intriguing new anime series of 2022.

Chainsaw Man is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (12 episodes). The series first aired on October 12, 2022.