It’s about to get bloody, as hit manga series Chainsaw Man turns into a TV anime. Known for its mature themes and brutal content, the series became an instant hit for gore-hounds and thriller fanatics alike. As the anime releases, questions on censorship arise. Will Chainsaw Man anime be censored? Or shall it stay true to the graphic depiction in the manga? Find out below.
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Chainsaw Man, a Gory Masterpiece
Shonen works are becoming more and more violent these days. From the depressing world of Attack on Titan to the nightmarish journey of livestock children in The Promised Neverland, the supposedly tween-friendly shonen genre seems to be leaning towards the darker side these days. And a new addition to these mature shonen works is none other than Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man.
Although categorized as shonen, Chainsaw Man is graphically bloody and brutal. Manga readers are habitually exposed to blood-soaked spectacles as they go through the series. From massacres, dismemberment, to cannibalism, Chainsaw Man never falls short of gore moments that will bump your heart.
The main protagonist, a teenage boy named Denji, was far from the typical shonen hero. He was neither cheery nor a visionary. He doesn’t have a grand dream, such as extinguishing all devils and making the Earth a better place for everyone. He simply strives to live a normal life, one where he can eat bread with jam smothered all over it, make out with a girl, and fall asleep in her arms. In short, he is anything but special.
In fact, Denji was killed as early as Chapter One of the manga, and the manner of his death was surely not for the faint-hearted. He was cut into pieces, with his chopped body parts simply left in the dump to rot.
But thanks to his companion, the devil-dog Pochita, he comes back from the dead as a devil-human hybrid with chainsaws sprouting out of his body. As soon as he resurrected, Denji didn’t waste time to exact his revenge on his killers, ripping and tearing their bodies apart in just a single night.
Just as he finishes his rip-and-tear spree, three strange people in black coats came into the scene. Noticing that the man with a chainsaw head neither smell like a devil nor a human, one of them, a woman named Makima, approached Denji and introduced herself as an official devil hunter. She then gave him two choices: to be killed as a devil or to become her human pet. Denji chose the latter, signaling the start of his life as a pet devil hunter under the Public Safety Bureau.
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Will Chainsaw Man Anime Be Censored?
Chainsaw Man anime will not be censored, MAPPA CEO Manabu Otsuka, series composer Hiroshi Seko, and Executive Director Mokoto Kimura made that clear as early as July this year. Facing the media and fans during the Anime Expo 2022, members of the production committee of the anime said that they want to remain faithful to the manga as much as possible.
“[W]e want all the content to be raw, like in the manga. We are not going to censor anything. We want to be faithful to the original material,” the committee assured.
The announcement came as a relief to many fans, who can’t wait to witness the whole series be animated, complete with all its dark and gore content.
The panel also revealed that they are working “very closely” with Tatsuki Fujimoto, author of the Chainsaw Man manga, as part of their plan to make the anime be turned into an “extremely faithful representation” of his work.
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Some Gore Scenes We Can’t Wait to See on Screen
With concern over censorship now put at rest, fans can’t help but feel excited at the thought of finally seeing the most vivid manga panels be turned into anime. Among these much-awaited gory scenes we’re excited to see on the small screen are as follows:
WARNING: Lots of spoilers ahead! Proceed at your own risk.
1. Denji’s Chopped Body Parts (Chapter 1)
Seeing the chopped body parts of the supposed hero of a shonen series is definitely a shocker to many manga readers. Surely, this panel would look even more chilling when animated.
2. Denji vs. A Hoard of Zombies (Chapter 1)
The first battle of Denji as Chainsaw Man against his murderers is among the bloodiest scenes in the manga, and we can’t wait to see how the whole scene will turn out in the anime!
3. Darkness Devil Appears (Chapter 64)
Arguably among the most popular panels in Chainsaw Man manga, the appearance of Darkness Devil with bodies of astronauts cut in half lining his path is definitely a must-see in the anime.
4. Aki’s Death (Chapter 70)
A scene to remember! Aki’s tragic death traumatized Denji, as well as numerous manga readers. Let’s see if it will leave the same effect in viewers once it gets animated.
4. Power’s Death (Chapter 81)
Power is arguably the most popular character in Chainsaw Man manga. And her death still stings to this day. Will this scene scratch the wounds open once it appears on the small screen?
5. Makima vs Denji (Chapter 95)
Makima wasn’t called the Control Devil just for nothing. She manipulated not just Denji but everyone around her. And this scene accurately depicts just how cold and terrifying she could be.
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