Warning: Contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man Chapter #190Chainsaw Man’s latest arc has just wrapped up, and it was arguably thestrangest and most ambitious sectionof the series so far. Pitting both friend and foe against the Primal Fear Devil, Aging, the arc took its story from a prison, to a sushi restaurant,and eventually ended in an alternate dimension. Along the way, Denji removed himself from the narrative in order to give Pochita time to shine, while Asa and Yoru gained incredibly powerful weapons of war in place of their arms.
The Aging Devil arc has been Part Two’s most eventful by far, and yet a rather large portion of the fan base is torn about whether its conclusion is befitting of a section with so much happening. Rather than havingthe newly re-formed trioof Asa, Denji, and Yoshida engage in the series' usual chaotic action, author Tatsuki Fujimoto once again decided to conclude a major arc in an anticlimactic way, subverting readers' expectations as he’s done so often in the series' second part.
Regardless of how it ended, though, it cannot be denied thatChainsaw Man’s protagonistunderwent major changes during the course of the Aging Devil arc. From despair so heavy Pochita had to take control of his body, to declarations of heroism that showcased his unbreakable determination to continue living, Denji both suffered and prospered throughout the series' recent chapters. Though his ‘normal’ life hasn’t quite arrived just yet,the titular Chainsaw Man seems to finally have matured.
The Aging Devil Forced Chainsaw Man’s Dual Protagonists to Grow Up
Both Asa and Denji Are Different Characters By the Aging Arc’s Finale
Though Denji eventually defeated Makima and arose fromChainsaw ManPart One victorious, he hadn’t truly progressed as a character in the way many fans believe he did. Over the course of the Public Safety section of the series, he learned about the importance of family, and to not allow himself to be controlled. Yet he hadn’t quite put those lessons to use during the earliest sections of Part Two, andstill harbored scars from the loss of Aki and Power.
When Aging Devil transported the series' dual protagonists to its own separate world free of Devil powers,both Asa and Denji had fallen into slumps of despair and inaction. Thanks to Pochita, however, who went on a spree of eating and erasing Devils,Denji was able to finally confront the traumaof his lost loved ones, and realized that life is worth living despite the inevitable tragedy and loss still to come. He and Asa also spoke to each other freely and without misconceptions for the first time, snapping both back to reality and returning them to the fight.
Faced with the physical manifestation of aging,Chainsaw Man’s two main characters were able to finally mature, before returning to the chaos of the real world. Fans have criticized the recent arc’s conclusion for simply returning its characters to the status quo, but that notion isn’t exactly correct. Despite sharing a meal as if nothing had happened, both Asa and Denji are different people by the time the Aging Devil arc reaches its final pages.
Chainsaw Man Part Two Is Nearing the Total Length of Part One
There Is Still Much to Resolve Before Chainsaw Man Can End
In the buildup to the Aging Devil arc’s climactic moments, it seemed as thoughChainsaw Manmight have been approaching its finale. The arc featured major character development, a focus on Pochita’s erasure abilities, a showdown between Chainsaw Man and the War Devil, and the appearance of the Primal Aging. However, the most recent chapter #190, titled “To Their Respective Worlds”, made it abundantly clear thatPart Two wasn’t quite where it needed to be for an ending.
The main party wasvictorious in their recent clash, and though the series' protagonists have undergone some major growth, much of the overarching plothas yet to be moved in any meaningful direction. The hybrids responsible for killing Nayuta are still out there, Public Safety will presumably continue their mysterious plans for Denji, and Yoru has yet to achieve her goals. Given Denji’s return to form, the plan to use Pochita in order to save the world has also now failed.
The total length of Part Two in comparison to Part One’s 97 chapters hasn’t been confirmed, though as of the Aging Devil arc’s finale,the follow-up to the Public Safety arc currently spans 93 chapters. With so many different plot points needing to be resolved, it’s all but confirmed thatChainsaw Man’s second part will far exceed the chapter count of its first. Author Tatsuki Fujimoto has never written a story longer thanChainsaw ManPart One, and there’s no telling just how far he will take the series.
Where Does Denji Go From Here?
Chainsaw Mandoesn’t lend itself well to predictions, though with a major arc on the horizon, there are certain plot elements thatmust be addressed sooner rather than later. Most importantly, neither Denji nor the audience are exactly aware of the shady plans taking form behind the main events of the series. The most recent chapter closed with the main trio, joined by Fami and Fumiko, eating together. This would likely not have been the case if Denji had known that Public Safety drugged and dissected him before the Aging World fiasco.
The story would also benefit from keeping Denji and Asa together moving forward. Despite the time spent together in Aging Devil’s world,Asa has yet to inform Denji about Yoru, and he is still likely under the impression that Asa is a normal girl with severe mood swings. Regardless of how many total chapters remain in Part Two, the series cannot conclude without Denji finding out her secret.
Chainsaw Man Embraces a Shocking Cliffhanger That Introduces One Character’s… Clone?!
Chainsaw Man is well into the climactic battle with the Aging Devil, and the most recent chapter has introduced yet another twist no one saw coming.
Chainsaw Man’s latest arc has finally come to a close, and for the first time in the series, Denji seems to have matured enough to grasp the fact that even a normal life comes with painful things. Where this revelation will take the titular hero remains to be seen, though knowing Tatsuki Fujimoto,it will surely be an unexpected destination.
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Manis a dark fantasy manga created by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series follows Denji, a young man who merges with his devil-dog Pochita to become Chainsaw Man. He joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters to fight devils threatening Japan. The series explores themes of violence, power, and survival. Since its debut in 2018,Chainsaw Manhas gained immense popularity, leading to a critically acclaimed anime adaptation.
