Posted in: Anime, Crunchyroll, Review, TV | Tagged: anime, chainsaw man, Crunchyroll, CSM, Review
Chainsaw Man Season 1 Ep. 1 Review: Bloody Fun Born to Be an Anime
The first episode of Studio MAPPA's Chainsaw Man will start airing on Crunchyroll starting on Tuesday, October 11, at 9 am PT/12 pm ET (announced during NYCC 2022), but are we really ready for this? Boy, was this story made to be an anime. Take sad, fun, bloody gore and put it in a mixer— add a splash of insanely detailed animation, and you got the recipe for a fantastic anime. There were very high hopes for this anime, and it delivered tenfold! It was a great introduction to the world and story we will be following this season.
The story follows a teenage boy living in poverty thanks to the horrid debt his father left behind. Denji and his Chainsaw Devil Pup, Pochita, live off to repay by hunting and harvesting devil corpses together. Though after facing betrayal and staring death in the face, he makes a pact with Pochita and becomes Chainsaw Man. While things go to hell, friends are made, and more betrayal lies ahead for our hero… or heroes? When I read the manga, I thought to myself it would benefit from being animated, and it truly did.
In just one episode, we already get to know our main player and the reason why he is in his current predicament, struggling to make ends meet by hunting demons and selling body parts. We get to feel for the boy and fall in love with his adorable demon pet, Pochita. The duo is just too adorable and pure for the world, and you will want to hug them the whole time. Their relationship and understanding will captivate the viewer from moment one, and it will make it impossible to turn the eyes away from the screen.
Chainsaw Man a Heartbreaker at Its Core
The story is heartbreaking at its core, and the perspective change along the episode kept the sense of unease growing throughout, adding a pretty horror-y vibe to it. The episode went by fast and paced well, not to drag or move ahead too fast— it was like baby-bear: just right! I like the point in which the story starts without feeling the need to over-explain the universe in which we find ourselves. All while we still get a growing sense of foreboding about what is to come. The animation is insanely detailed and just fantastic; I kept getting lost in the little details of the surroundings and the characters themselves. I cannot wait to see more of Chainsaw Man and Makima. Also, I really adore Pochita. The one thing I must add is: this episode would not have been the same without the music. Wow! The soundtrack for the episode was phenomenal in ways that would be deserving of its own thousand-word article.
Here at Bleeding Cool, we have been happily waiting for this anime for quite some time, and it did not disappoint. We are looking forward to a season of blood, a rollercoaster of emotions, devil-hunting, and just balls-to-the-wall fun brought to life by beautiful animation that makes it all much more disturbing. In terms of first episodes: it does everything you want in a first episode— it captivates you and leaves you wanting more.