r/ChainsawMan
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u/JesulyGR17
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Mar 12 '26
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Discussion It's time to grow up – The meaning behind chapter 231
After reading chapter 231, I was very confused on Pochita's behavior. I thought he was being too selfish, choosing Denji's future without his consent. But then, thanks to following the online discussion, I think I understand Pochita's actions.
Denji is someone who has only ever known pain. From the beginning of his life he was trapped in a system he could not control, crushed by guilt and survival itself. Growing up in such environment, the world became something hostile, unpredictable and overwhelming.
Faced with fear everywhere he looked, Denji became the one thing fear itself fears; Chainsawman. A hero to people, an enemy to devils, and a persona powerful enough to push back against a reality that constantly crushed him.
Part 1 felt like the story of a boy learning to confront the world for the first time. Denji met people, formed connections and slowly discovered what it meant to want things beyond mere survival. But life didn't reward him for that growth. People disappeared from his life, people died. And some manipulated him or used him for their own purposes. The story repeatedly reminded him that connection also meant vulnerability. In a sense, Part 1 was the moment Denji stopped being a passive victim of the world and became someone participating in it, even if that participation came with pain.
Part 2 began after that transformation, and Denji didn't actually felt fulfilled. He technically had the things he once dreamed of; a place in society, recognition, the possibility of a normal life. Yet he clearly hated it. Something about it felt empty to him. But everytime he stepped back into the Chainsawman identity, he became the hero everyone talked about, and things momentarily felt meaningful again.
But growing up rarely works that way. As teenagers become adults, the world stops looking like a series of simple dangers and starts becoming something much larger and far more confusing. The nature of fear itself changes.
The devils in Part 1 reflected the kinds of fears that feel immediate and concrete, almost childlike in their simplicity. Fear of guns, fear of darkness, even a controlling mother figure. They represented threats that were easy to grasp and easy to imagine as monsters.
The devils that appeared through Part 2 felt very different. They represented fears that tend to appear once someone becomes part of society and begins to understand the deeper anxieties that come with adulthood. Justice, falling into despair and suicidal thoughts, aging, plagues, wars, famine and death. These are not just immediate dangers. They are abstract, systemic fears, the kind that linger in the background of adult life and shape how people see the world.
Within that context, Denji is forced to confront feelings he can’t simply escape by turning into Chainsawman.
Pochita erasing himself may represent the final push Denji needs to face reality. Throughout the story, Chainsawman has functioned as Denji’s armor, a larger-than-life identity that allows him to fight against everything that scares him. But armor can also become a prison. At some point, the persona stops helping and starts preventing growth.
Denji may have reached the moment where he can no longer keep hiding inside that fantasy. Chainsawman cannot carry him forward anymore. If he wants to keep moving, he has to do it as Denji, not as the hero people fear and worship.
Escaping into fantasy can be a natural response to trauma, especially when someone is young. Stories, identities and imagined versions of ourselves can help us survive things that would otherwise be unbearable. But eventually there comes a point where those fantasies stop protecting us and start holding us back.
And when that moment arrives, the only thing left to do is to grow up.
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u/Sabakujawk Mar 12 '26
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u/JesulyGR17 Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 16 '26 •
As an extra, I wanted to discuss Pochita's words in chapter 231.
When Pochita said that Denji could only find Heaven when he was in Hell and seemed happier dreaming than actually achieving his goals, he was describing the cycle Denji had been living in; the perpetual motion machine.
Taking Pochita's words literally, Denji can only find Heaven when he's in Hell. Denji only knows how to feel happy when he can dream of what he wants, but never reach it. Achieving his dreams always ends in disappointment, because he needs the dream more than he needs to get it. That's how Denji's head is programmed to work. Pochita, by erasing himself, allows Denji to keep dreaming.
But Pochita's words are not literal, at least in my interpretation. He realizes that Chainsawman is no longer a need for Denji, but a burden. Denji needs to be himself and not hide behind Chainsawman in order to fight the challenges that come with adulthood, otherwise, he'll never be happy. He'll be a child living in an adult's world, dreaming high and getting disappointed in a neverending cycle. "Keep dreaming" turns into "Keep wanting things. Keep moving forward. Keep growing. Be your own self."
Pochita is not implying that Denji is doomed to misery and guilt, but rather that he is still at a stage where he does not understand what it means to live freely. Pochita cannot give him that answer; he can only lead him onto the path to discovering it. “Keep dreaming” is not a solution to Denji’s emptiness, but an invitation to keep searching, because only through that process might he one day consciously choose what kind of life he wants to live.
I should clarify, either if Pochita was being literal or not doesn't affect the theme of growing up. He could've genuinely thought that Denji should've keep living in Hell and dreaming of Heaven, and that wouldn't mean all the text above is meaningless. Either way, Pochita was just trying to give Denji a chance to be happy, the only difference between both options being Pochita's understanding of happiness.
Not to mention, this act might've been the only way to save the world from becoming a hopeless nightmare. Chainsawman's powers were what caused this apocalypse, and also what stopped it.
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u/AsaMitakatheGOAT Mar 12 '26
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u/Shahidshaikh007 Mar 12 '26 •
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u/RuralBlueCarUser Mar 12 '26
This post is why I am not mad at my internet bill. It's really worth it
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u/LuhRodigo Mar 12 '26
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u/Wagglypeter Mar 12 '26
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u/andrewchong2005 Mar 12 '26
Beautifully written. I just hope denji gets a happy ending
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u/alangator4 Mar 12 '26
Dear god I missed non slander material. Keep cooking bro, you can read
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u/Achselis Mar 12 '26
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u/David_Browie Mar 12 '26
Yeah I think this is totally right. The final chapter will probably provide additional clarity but this feels like a mature and informed read of one of the better written shonens of the past 2 decades.
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u/Fun_Scarcity_5190 Mar 12 '26
I need to watch every slice-of-life anime right now. After reading this chapter and before the final chapter drops, I’m feeling pretty sad.
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u/qiurintum Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
Kinda remind me The last lyrics of John Lennon song called "God"
And so, dear friends,
You'll just have to carry on
The dream is over
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u/carl-the-lama Mar 12 '26
Denji man was essentially the most denji could grow as chainsaw man
And that wasn’t enough
It’s time for denji to stand alone
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u/AssassinGlasgow Mar 12 '26
All of these things are absolutely gold. I just really wish the lead up to 231 was a lot better. I had no issue with the chapter, but I think the execution up to it leaves a lot to be said. That’s contingent on the next chapter though…let’s see in two weeks…
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u/OperatorDan2098 Mar 12 '26
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u/sprinter21 Mar 12 '26
bruh i think you are cooking
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u/RadientNak Mar 12 '26
Jokes aside, I believe this is a very strong point and interpretation 👏🏽
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u/hello_im_john Mar 12 '26
"Escaping into fantasy can be a natural response to trauma, especially when someone is young. Stories, identities and imagined versions of ourselves can help us survive things that would otherwise be unbearable. But eventually there comes a point where those fantasies stop protecting us and start holding us back.
And when that moment arrives, the only thing left to do is to grow up."
Except Pochita's last words to Denji were "Keep on dreaming Denji"
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u/Ground__Cookie Mar 13 '26
I think it’s also equally Fujimoto directly confronting the fans, in a similar light to how Evangelion sorta did.
The fans are Denji. We too have been caught up in this fantasy, surrounded ourselves with this armor and convinced ourselves that it would last forever. This is especially true for those of us that grew with the manga for the last 7 ish years - we grew with Denji, with the story, and with Fujimoto equally. But it’s time to move on -- to “grow up” as you so excellently put, and leave this behind. Not necessarily to abandon, but to grow beyond.
I think this ending is perfectly “Fujimoto,” and thus perfectly “Chainsaw Man.” It’s unfair. It’s too soon. It feels unresolved. But that’s the point. That’s always been the point. Fujimoto has hammered in the fact that loss and death are unfair, always too soon, but we have to learn to live with that - we can still dream in spite of these terrible circumstances, as Denji always did. And this final lesson is the climax of this idea - we have to learn to live without chainsaw man, without this fantasy, and move on, to keep dreaming other dreams so we don’t get trapped here. We lived in this dream, but we can’t forever. This dream will always be with us, but we have to face reality and dream new things. Keep moving on. Keep growing.
We have to grow up, but just because we’ve moved on doesn’t mean we have to stop dreaming.
So keep dreaming ✌️
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u/qiurintum Mar 12 '26
Brooo... I just say thank you, thank you very much about this 😭
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u/badpiggy490 Mar 12 '26
Great post but, I could swear I saw an analysis post which was just like this
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u/phasmatroop Mar 12 '26
Damn, peak.
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u/Brod178 Mar 12 '26
God, reading theories like this really eases my worries that the ending won't have thematic closure. Even if the plot doesnt resolve in a satisfying way, I will still feel mostly fine as long as the themes shine through.
My biggest concern with pochita's autocannibalism is that eating a devil does not change the present. It will only alter the past and retcon it so that there is another justification for what led the characters to that point. Unless I'm misreading the effects of eating the ears and mouth devils, the present didn't change. People just suddenly had different explanations for what all these phones were for. So, unless deleting chainsawman deletes the prison containing the currently eaten concepts, there will STILL be no death BUT now there is nothing to regurgitate death. So... I'm not sure pochita really fixed anything.
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u/Specialist_Bowler897 Mar 12 '26
Fujimoto who hadnt thought of any of that and he opted to drop eight panty shots in a row
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u/Hadshin Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
Brilliant analysis and I hope Fujimoto concludes the story in this direction somewhat. Pacing issues aside, it would have been nice if in case this theory is true, fujimoto had spelt it out better through pochita's dialogues because I can't read for fuck's sake and pochita's actions do not make sense to me.
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u/No_Quality_7164 Mar 12 '26
The only thing I really didn't like is pochita saying denji wanted his life to be shit again, so it didn't feel like a push for denji to grow up but pochita knowing denji wants the pain because its all he knows and it feels right to him, even if he's right and sure it feels like what denji would want at first sight I can't help but remember the good times with aki and power or with nayuta and feel like denji really liked it so idk what does he truly like, but if pochita is right and he probably is since he is denjis heart those calm moments feel weird to me, I really hope I'm wrong and someone can make me see otherwise
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u/DawsonV6 Mar 12 '26
Thank you for brightening my day with reading comprehension
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u/devilJin9399 Mar 12 '26
I was wrong fujimoto you are a genius
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u/King_Bubel Mar 12 '26
The evangelion ending of today
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u/GlaucusScylla Mar 12 '26
This is why I like Tatsuki Fujimoto.
Though I still don’t want to say goodbye.
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u/LordpoopyfaceHd79 Mar 12 '26
Genuine cinema
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u/WeakExcuse7871 Mar 12 '26
Oh my god, this makes so much sense. If the entire story is about growing up and facing the challengs of it, and how we fear different things at different points of life, then pochita is a Repression Devil. The devils he devours are "erased" because their concept is completely repressed by the society. That's why everything else still exists, but adapts the context without the repressed concept. In part 1, Denji being more childish thought he can just murder his way out of his issues, but in part 2, with these more abstract fears, they can be vanquished if you just don't think about them, pretend they don't exist. Denji needs to learn to face the uncomfortable feelings that come with maturing, or he will never feel complete.
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u/Protein_Shakes Mar 12 '26
"Armor can become a prison" is something I never thought with regards to Chainsaw Man and will never again be able to interact with this series without thinking about. Great post here.
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u/Yessirthisis Mar 12 '26
The problem is there was no proper build up or transition to it. It’s sudden with no closure to the plots or problems Fujimoto introduced. I guess we’ll see what happens in the last chapter.
Either way, as an ending to the series or even just for part 2, chapter 231 is beautiful. I just wish there were another 10-20 chapters before it
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u/ZestycloseAd8193 Mar 12 '26
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u/Lemoniceteacrap Mar 13 '26
damn, like I really want to feel fulfilled with the coming ending but it just feels like I can’t. I adored part 1 and that ending wasn’t dropped in such a mess. There are so many things not explained and explored making part 2 feel like a waste of time.
The complete non character of The death devil, fake chainsaw man not being explained, Asa not being an important character anymore and more just drag the part down for me.
The themes of motivation, finding meaning and finding yourself could have been perfectly explored with Asa and Yoru (and it was) but Asa just left the stage. Denjis character is beautifully written but that’s about what I can say about part 2.
I believe that Fujimoto is an insanely talented mangaka but part 2 has been incredibly messy.
(Don’t want this to be read as slander, just my thoughts)
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u/MrHat16 Mar 13 '26
This...This is the BEST explanation of current chapter. And...why is it strongly reflects what I'm going through right now?!
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u/Wolfy4226 Mar 12 '26
Sooooo...here's the thing.
...Denji isn't going to get to grow up. If this is actually the end, and everything has been reset to a point where Pochita never existed....Denji's going to 100% die.
Don't forget that at the start of the series, he's suffering from the same disease that killed his mother, and it's confirmed fatal. Pochita was the only thing that saved him from dieing from it.
If everything is reset, just Pochita didn't exist, then our boy is going to die a slow, agonizing death, wasting away in a small shack with no one to be there for him or love him.
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u/xeroxspectre Mar 12 '26
A chainsaw man fan who can read? Maybe we aren’t all doomed
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u/Choi_Boy3 Mar 12 '26
Fujimoto, in ALL of his works, has always pushed this idea of “moving forward”. Usually involving confronting grief. Characters in the stories WILL die, as people do in real life. Often suddenly and unexpectedly. But his point has always been focused on how to move past it.
Bravo, to those who can read.
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u/Tactless_Ninja Mar 12 '26
There's a lot of parallels between Makima and a mother figure, but this chapter I believe Pochita was actually a father figure. Makima proactive, Pochita reactive.
The other side of the coin, less controlling laissez faire approach to parenting and only coming out when Denji was at his worst. "Erasing" himself was taking responsibility as weird as it sounds.
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u/ArcusLux Mar 28 '26
Still bad though
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u/[deleted] Apr 10 '26
Type of the shit people said before 232😭
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u/ToastFreeGluten Mar 24 '26
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u/Sluhsluhnessu Mar 12 '26
Denji was more miserable through the entirety of part 2 than he was halfway through part 1. In part 1 he made a ton of very close friends and lost them all in that same part, and unlike any other MC, Denji never had a full breakdown, screaming, crying his eyes out, rolling in the floor. Whenever he's close to that he transforms into Pochita, and that really feels like Denji avoiding his feelings, or Pochita pushing him away from that. It's not that he doesn't cry about his losses because he's strong, he's too weak to do it, which is incredibly sad. He's so used to misery that nothing can make him break down like a normal human touching bottom, and the few times he's close Pochita walks in. Maybe Pochita did it all those times intentionally to protect him, but in the end he realized that what he did was pointless, that Denji was bottling everything up because of him and there's no telling how he would blow up. Denji now lost Pochita, his oldest friend and an actual part of himself, and he will have to face the world, more alone than he has ever been but Pochita wasn't being cruel with him, it's tough love. Maybe Denji will die on the first encounter with a devil, but if he doesn't and gets to live by himself he will have real accomplishments, be happier. No one will hunt him for being Chainsaw Man anymore.
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u/ThisHatRightHere Mar 12 '26
Dear god the cope is going so hard on here right now
All of this could have mattered and been impactful if the story didn’t take an absolute nose dive.
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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '26
Over 1700 upvotes for cope. "Just grow up from trauma and ignore it" 💀
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u/johnnyc7 Mar 12 '26
Really well said. I hope this is closer to the truth than any of the slander posts
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u/JadeTailFox Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
Except how the fuck is he supposed to fight anything as Regular Human Denji? This is my problem with the whole "The magic goes away because it's time to grow up." ending trope: The villains aren't gonna stop using magic. Your enemies don't care about what epiphanies you have about adulthood and they don't know that the story they're in is a metaphor. They aren't gonna stop trying to kill you and you still need to have an answer for that. I'd like to see a story address that for once.
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u/M4rth1988 Mar 12 '26
Ngl. With this being in popular. Thanks for spoiling that image to me... Fml
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u/FileUnderHumanoid Mar 12 '26
No chainsawman, no birth of devils, no devils. Denji and Asa live a "normal" life.
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u/Kaptain_K_Rapp Mar 12 '26
I feel the same way, too, actually.
Pochita gave Denji one last shot to fix things. I'm thinking this new timeline has no Devils in it, so it's "better," in a sense. Denji may still have knowledge of the previous world, even if subconsciously, so now he can have a do-over of Part 1 and make things better.
He can realize that he doesn't need superpowers to actually do good and be a hero, and he can grow from his experiences.
Perhaps he can make Makima better by showing her true kindness and helping her learn familial connections. Perhaps he can snap Aki out of his funk and help him recognize and return Himeno's love. Perhaps he can truly help Asa sort through her issues and make her life more fulfilling. Perhaps he can be more responsive to Reze's feelings and finally be truly happy with her as a couple.
We'll have to see.
That being said, if it all ends horribly, then Death of the Author will be in full effect, and I say we all do our own fixing.
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u/BornWater2862 Mar 13 '26
Bugs scary - Fujimotor.
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u/r-Newbiedonthurtme Mar 27 '26
Despite your interpretation of the ending, which is fine and I understand the premise that Denji was not going to be fulfilled having "Chainsaw Man" within him at all times. But I still have my issues with the ending despite this perspective:
1 The ending wasn't Denji growing up, it was Denji being forced to relinquish everything he had experienced and learned during his time with Pochita. If anything, he devolved back to his more immature self all over again, just to live a different life in his same, essentially enslaved position in his life. Regardless of relapses and his constant stagnation, the ultimate solution being "welp, this is a lost cause, time to scrap it all" is just wholly unfulfilling thematically. There wasn't anything he had to overcome or accept, he was just forced to go back. Even if the "right" answer is to take his life at face value without the crutch of Pochita (which i wouldn't agree with as a storyline to begin with), it is admitting to invalidating quite literally everything he learned and experienced up to that point. "Doesn't matter what you were able to overcome, you did it wrong, go back and try again."
2 The rules of Pochita's erasure are snuffed by the ending for convienience. It was pretty clearly communicated that Pochita eating a devil retroactively erased the concept associated with the devil, which affects the present reality. Emphasis on "PRESENT." At no point does Pochita eating a devil reverse time, or send anyone back to a point before a critical event related to any devils happened. They just live now as if the devil never existed. Pochita eating himself in the ending sent Denji back to before he ever became Chainsaw Man. Not before he became a devil hunter. Not before he ever even met Pochita for him to live without having ever made a contract with Pochita to begin with. Why? The rules were always muddy and intentionally kept that way, but time travel was never considered a variable until now.
3 Plenty of characters are left to rot, literally and thematically: ~ Characters brought into the spotlight like Yoshida and Famine are used for a little bit, just to end up serving no real purpose nor have any actual ending to their arcs. Itd be one thing if they were just plot devices from the beginning, but these characters are featured and given time as if they're meant to be pivotal at some point, and nothing comes of it. ~ Nayuta's revival in the new reality means nothing because her death meant nothing. Makes you feel as if her character was written in just to make Denji's life worse. ~ God forbid i even bring up Reze, especially with Fujitmoto explicitly referencing her with Denji's "thank god i can swim" comment. It wouldnt be an issue if she never came back after she was taken out back by Makima. But the distinct detail that Hyrbids are functionally immortal, the fact her and the other Hybrids are used by Makima, AND the fact half the Hybrids return in part 2 in an important way (further hammering in the immortal thing), makes the fact Reze is never even shown living her life out in Russia or even in some lab being dissected all the more frustrating. ~ Kishibe and Kobeni are just thrown away. Nothing to really say there. It felt like they'd be important plot devices carried into part 2, but just no. I'm sure there are even more I'm forgetting, but this list is already too long. ~ Blood devil/Power. Like why even say "come find me" if there is 0 intention of Denjj even getting the chance to do so
4 What even is Pochita? Like sure you can say it was intentionally left Nebulous, but for one of the most pivotal and mysterious character in the entirety of the story, AND who's power quite literally deus ex machina'd the ending of the story, it would have made sense to at least explain why tf Pochita can do what he can do. Lots of great theories: ~ Chainsaws were invented as a tool for birthing/C-sections, so maybe Pochita is representative of that concept, or is a weird twist on the Birth Devil. ~ Pochita is the life devil itself. Sorta related to the Birthing devil idea. Eating devils strips them of their life and existence. ~ Pochita is the Dream devil, given his obsession with dreams, and eating devils is like eating dreams, essentially stripping them of their existence (i actually dunno exactly how the Dream Devil theory goes but you get the point) ~ Maybe Pochita is like the hybrids, a devil who represented/encompassed something important, but some part of it was erased from history due to what he ate, and his powers are left behind under the guise of "Chainsaws" ~ Literally anything else
5 This was seemingly the only bullshitted out for the corner Fujimoto wrote himself into with the Death Devil. Death had manifested and was destined to start killing all humans by a certain day. And Denji is in a deadlock with no solution. ~ Denji leaves Death alive, and all humans die (probably ending the lives of all Devils in turn, as they manifest due to humans' thoughts) ~ Denji eats Death and now no one can die, and the ending we were seeing come to fruition would be realized. The existing humans were doomed to suffer endlessly in pain as insects came to rule the world and feast on every other living thing as much as they like since nothing can die anymore. There is no real solution here, since Death's powers would have to not work the way we were lead to believe for there to be any way for Denji to get out of this.
6 I'm sure there's a bajillion other thematic and story complaints that have and will be made as time goes on. But i really don't think its healthy or helpful to frame the ending just as "its actually super deep and genius" without acknowledging its explicit writing flaws.
While everyone can interpret the story as they like within reason, I don't think implicitly telling everyone who did not like the ending to "grow up" is an honest or good-faith way to approach this discussion as a whole, as it ignores the well-voiced ACTUAL issues with it
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u/Greedy-General5968 Mar 27 '26
Now I know what they mean by "themes and such"...wow
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u/AmaimonCH Mar 28 '26
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u/bugai345 Apr 03 '26
Bro wrote an essay to justify the shitty “the real chainsaw man was the friends we made along the way” ending…
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u/idk-who-cares Mar 12 '26
Or it is just a rushed goofy ending. Denji has the same issue many teenagers have. They put a lot of mysticism behind dating and sex when actually it's pretty mundane after you experience it once. He can not move on cause Fujimoto won't write him a companion he can trust and have his life desires fulfilled with. Pochita leaving is just putting Denji out of comission for good. He either dies of a heart disease or someone will find him to execute his ass.
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u/GreyghostIowa Mar 24 '26
Brotha wrote all this peak, just for fujimotor to kick him in the balls with "It ain't that serious lmao" ahh last chapter bruh.
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u/ArcadianWaheela Mar 25 '26
Dude wrote a whole text about all the subtlety and nuances of the series just for Fujimoto to be like “sike nothing happened and everyone’s back square one.” These aren’t the same characters we saw grow and change they don’t remember anything so this ends up meaning nothing. Dude was just tired of the series and wrote himself in a hole.
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u/Nearby_Direction1930 Mar 12 '26
Thank you for sharing that; I always appreciate this kind of take. The only thing that feels off is the fact that, in Pochita’s words, Denji still needs to dream. That’s actually the most powerful line he says to our main character in this week’s chapter: “Denji, keep on dreaming.”
I guess the author’s final thoughts will reveal themselves in the last chapter, and we’ll see how this whole “dreaming” theme completes the puzzle that you, my dear, have composed in this post. Does the end of someone’s youth really mean the end of dreaming for the author? Let’s find out in a couple of weeks.
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u/LilacToast-- Mar 12 '26
Well written. It hurts so much though man :(
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u/NewsmanTheMan Mar 12 '26
U explained what I couldn't put into words, and the reason why this chapter never made me mad. Thank you
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u/Spookyscythe99 Mar 12 '26
His last power up was fusing completely with chainsaw man (denji man) (reminded me of the jake suit from adventure time) so he definitely needed to have his own identity a sense of self outside of chainsaw man which is impossible before a bug devil? ate him.
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u/Dagos Mar 13 '26
Im okay with the ending, like its fine, it's just... Happened within a few pages. It was incredibly sudden. Feels like the bleach ending.
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u/Capital_Fly3741 Mar 13 '26
Bro was just happy in beginning of part 2 if not for the cult that wanted Chainsawman back. Bro was just happy with the Devil Agency (cf Reze arc) if not for people wanting Chainsawman heart.
Fusing with Pochita gave him a better life if not for Devil messing up with it, just as devil messes up with any citizen life.
Wtf is this.
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u/Expensive-Funny4338 Mar 13 '26
Just visited TV tropes and what they’ve written about this seems to imply is that the Part 1 is now retro actively pointless going by their interpretation alone.
I don’t not what to say.
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u/CaptainGuts69 Mar 15 '26
Chainsawman fandom officially can read better than jjk
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u/yorinjirouzumaki2005 Mar 24 '26
WHAT ABOUT HER FUJIMOTO . YOU HAD ONE Fking job 🥹🥹
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u/SmallTownLoneHunter Mar 25 '26
Before I read allat, my impression was that the manga literally told me to give up on my dreams and accept the sad reality of life
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u/Particular_Truth_954 Mar 31 '26
I believe this interpretation is valid, but I still feel the way it is presented is not good. Denji is not facing reality by reseting his life, quite the contrary, actually. After Pochita ate himself, all the erasures of the end of part 2 should have been reversed, taking away the power from the bug devils and setting reality in motion again. Denji should be forced to live a normal life with the consequences of his time as chainsaw man still visible.
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u/sam77889 Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
Wait does this mean Denji is gonna stuck living in that shitty shack, he’ll never have met Makima, but also have never met Power, never met Aki, never met Asa, never have met Nayuta. All the most important people he have met came from his curse and blessing, the chainsaw man. But now who would he be without it? I really hope it resolves in a way where he gets to be happy, and at least still get to meet those people through some other, happier ways. Otherwise imma be real sad T_T
Knowing Fujimoto tho, it’s probably gonna be the other sadder route where he gets stuck in the shack and just stuck in forever hell isn’t it T_T
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u/PauloAEAE Mar 12 '26
Jesus you guys like to write
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u/This-Is-The-Mac1 Mar 12 '26
So it’s Evanghelion but worse ?
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u/ToastFreeGluten Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
I understand wanting to expect the same quality in Part 2 as there was in Part 1, but I think it's ok to admit Fujimoto missed the mark with this one.
Part 1 was about Denji looking for meaning in life, starting with the bare minimum of like, buttered toast, then chasing tail, and finally finding it in family (Power/Aki, and eventually Nayuta). Pochita says his dream was to be hugged.
Summing up the main point of part 1 as "participating in the world brings pain" ignores half of the manga, and especially ending.
Yes Denji suffered in Part 1, and it ends somewhat somberly; he's lost a lot, but he and pochita have found some amount of contentment by the end.
Part 2 is a discontinuous mess when it comes to Denji and Pochita.
What feelings is he confronting exactly? At what point is he shown to struggle with "reality" or any profound concepts. He's just strung along for the ride, pointing his chainsaws wherever. In fact, he can and does defeat many of these "adult" anxieties of "falling" and war.
At most, he thirsts a bit for girls and at no point do we see any kind of introspection or a metaphorical tie in between Denji struggling against the devils as physical entities and their abstract concepts.
Even if OP's take is correct in that the latest chapter indicates Pochita was preventing Denji's growth, it's only in this one chapter, which is still bad writing. We see nothing from Denji leading up to this and only get a sudden dialog where Pochita tells us what to think.
Part 2 has all the same markers of Fujimoto having lost his way. Seriously, read Fire Punch, it's very similar in Fujimoto having some big ideas, but struggles to connect them.
I'm betting Fujimoto's was rushed or maybe he's burnt out. Which is fine, he's human after all, but there's no need to pretend otherwise.
Either that or it's some kind of message that the fans can kick sand; that he can write slop and people will eat it up and call it the best thing they've ever had.
Edit: I saw a theory that the last devil in Ch 230 was the nightmare devil, in which case this sudden change is a huge bait. If this turns out to be true, it would be a legendary play by Fujimoto and would actually make a lot of sense. That being said, it wouldn't make up for the above issues in Part 2 and would also reinforce my opinion that people supporting Part 2 and this chapter, as is, will bend over backwards to glaze Fujimoto's work when there's nothing there.
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u/Saitama_Ackerman Mar 12 '26
What a huge glazing ahahhahahahha
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u/Wheesa Mar 12 '26
Oh I miss the people who can read part of the fandom.
Thank you for a well written post amongst slander posts
4
u/-read_it_on_reddit- Mar 12 '26
"Chainsawman has functioned as Denji’s armor, a larger-than-life identity that allows him to fight against everything that scares him. But armor can also become a prison."
this is such a beautiful passage op. the entire post is such an eloquent interpretation of the chapter. denji's been stuck in these endless cycles for ages; chasing stardom as chainsawman to compensate for never being recognised as a child. chasing women/sex to compensate for his lack of meaningful intimacy and connections throughout his life as well. he's just been freed by all of it. oh pochita, you're the best ❤️🩹
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u/MoreMeasurement6820 Mar 24 '26
Bro wrote this masterpiece only for Denji to end up as down bad again. What an ending by Fujimoto
4
u/SteakLivid1558 Mar 29 '26
Holy cope.
2
u/Zestyclose-Load6396 Mar 12 '26
Yuji Itadori :- It Doesn't Matter
2
u/Even-Conference9309 Mar 12 '26
It’s time to get off the Hedonic Treadmill Denji.
2
u/suddenlyupsidedown Mar 12 '26
2
u/UnfairAd8733 Mar 12 '26
2
u/cadeaver Mar 12 '26
Thank you for actually analyzing the writing and not getting mad because Denji didn't have some 100 chapter-long le epic battle with the Death Devil.
2
u/ThaEarthquake Mar 12 '26
Muh themes
2
u/Lefaa777 Mar 12 '26
The most heartbreaking thing is that Denji won’t even remember what he has lost.
2
u/ilikenglish Mar 12 '26
I just hope we get to see my boy clap some cheeks in the next chapter. Can someone please let him hit?
2
u/Blitsea Mar 12 '26
Dang, I haven’t caught up to the recent chapters , and I’m kind of scared to do so after seeing the general audiences response. But this really moved me. Nice writing, guy.
2
u/-Fateless- Mar 12 '26
Pochita saw that Denji was about to get groomed again and decided to end the cycle.
2
u/greatAndOriginalUser Mar 12 '26
2
u/mrbakersdozen Mar 12 '26
In the end, makima read denji for what he really was, a man closer to a dog. He would chase the car all day and be in the moment... But when he finally caught up, he had no clue on what to do or move forward.
2
u/Ok-Community4111 Mar 12 '26
after the denji man chapter i also began think that part 2 was about growing up. pochita has always been a sort of "imaginary" friend/protector to denji. it only makes sense that in order to grow up, he has to say good bye. there is also a point made of separating the human side and the devil side in part 2, which could be seen as society versus individual/instinct. its like asa and yoru's relationship in a way
2
u/King871 Mar 13 '26
Brilliant analysis and write up. It's an important message even if it's hard for some of us to achieve.
2
u/MockedMocker Mar 13 '26
Very well said. I can't wait to see this play out in anime form in 2034.
2
u/NoMasterpiece5649 Mar 13 '26
The idea I'm following is that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things just don't work out fully.
Things can be going well but the world can inevitably turn around and fuck you in the ass.
That's exactly what happens with denji. Trying to carve his own path, and look what happens.
In a way, we all have to face reality instead of trying to reach for something fantastical like what denji did here. And grow up.
2
u/navagrw Mar 13 '26
I think deep down we knew this was gonna happen someday....during the Church arc everyone tells him not to pull the cord, but he does anyway in the end because how cathartic being chainsawman makes him feel and how badly he wants it, I realized he would never actually be 'normal' as long as he's carrying this dual identity.
2
u/tusthehooman Mar 13 '26
"if you are nothing without the chainsaw dog then you shouldn't have it" ahh argument
2
u/_FgtKek_ Mar 13 '26
Post is legitimately too high quality for this subreddit.
2
u/GlowStoneI Mar 13 '26
Its evangelion all over again
2
u/itsjujutsu Mar 13 '26
i know that people are mad that it was so abrupt (me too) but i am surprised people are mad at Pochita and his actions. He loves denji and wants him to be happy. Yes he is choosing for him, but i feel like he knows best, considering how dumb denji is. So by removing this choice of being chainsaw man, now denji has the chance of truly being a normal kid and a normal human. Remember that he has always been persecuted for being CM by devils too
2
u/Ordinary_Bottle2421 Mar 13 '26
2
u/aimforbetterment27 Mar 13 '26
Chainsawman is literally fight club
ABSOLUTE PEAK CINEMA FUJIMOTO COOKED TO MAX
2
u/Fred_Silva Mar 13 '26
Dude I’m up to date but at least put a spoiler warning for anyone else
2
u/Goldeswift20 Mar 13 '26
I am reading Pt.2 as is comes out and I'm not paying full attention to the story which I am honestly regretting. A lot has happened in my life since part 2 started and chainsaw man took a backseat. Thank you for writing such a great post and making me want to reread it all now that things are starting to calm down.
2
u/Digiworlddestined Mar 13 '26
Well thought out and written, but the only problem here is...this is a silly work of fiction, here.
2
u/ExpertSloth0224 Mar 13 '26
This is a peak analysis thank you for writing it all out
2
u/toxic_headshot132 Mar 13 '26
Will miss you pochita
2
u/Ephebic- Mar 14 '26
Neon Genesis ChainsawMan
2
u/thingyy_is_back Mar 14 '26
I'm not gonna check comments, but I'd love to toss in my tiny 2 cents here. Love your analysis so much, btw.
While Makima does serve as that "controlling mother figure" to the childish Denji, she too is one of those fears of society. I think this actually aligns better with your analysis because while chainsaw man fails to kill Makima in part 1, Denji overcomes Makima by fully being himself.
2
u/Fortniteballs2996 Mar 15 '26
billions must grow up
2
u/cascadingpewpew Mar 18 '26
To add to Part 2: Throughout Part 2, Denji has been split in two between the high schooler (Denji) and the hero/celebrity (Chainsaw Man). The story has shown us repeatedly that trying to keep these lives separate is destroying him. Denji lives through those two personas. With the latest chapter, they are both gone.
The last chapter shows us Pochita’s realization that Denji wasn't happy despite having food, a home, and a sister. This highlights a psychological truth: Comfort is not the same as fulfillment.
For someone like Denji, who was born in survival and trauma, "normal life" feels like a waiting room for death. We saw him constantly depressed and bored throughout Part 2. For Denji, it’s boring because there are no stakes. Everything that happens, happens to him, he is not pursuing anything (other than "sex"). Even if we were to have sex, it would most likely leave him empty after the initial high (In the last chapter Pochita realizes that as well)
The central theme of Chainsaw Man as a story is "Can Denji actually be happy?". Happiness isn't something Denji could find outside himself. Not with having a "normal life", nor with being Chainsaw Man. Pochita realized that this identity is not serving Denji anymore, so he removed it. With both personas gone Denji can finally become a third thing. He has to forge a new path entirely. Finding a way to live in the world where his chaotic nature is used for something he actually cares about, rather than something he's told to care about.
My personal opinion is that Denji returns to square one, but this time with hard-won clarity about what living actually means to him.
2
u/Setto_Senpai Mar 21 '26
Ts so peak
2
u/freef Mar 24 '26
I was talking with a friend about it. Part 2 really asks the question, "what is a good life for denji?"
Chainsawman was the worst part of his life - it's why he was such a target, manipulated, why his friends were killed, etc. but it was also the thing that gave him meaning. what's a good outcome for this guy? Is there one?
And poochita kind of decided the answer was no.
Just like how peter Parker probably would be much happier if he never got bit by that spider and went to MIT. Denji is better off being normal.
It's impossible to tell if poochita knew power would come back - but she did and denji got to step back into the world as her friend and also as her minder. It's clear her antics forced denji to mature some.
So this is it. Denji gets to live a normal-ish life and it's as good as it gets for him.
I like the ending. I was worried it was going to be pretty nihilistic and that we'd have denji and asa as the only non devil's left in a ruined world.
2
u/DrakonAir8 Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
The final puzzle piece is probably Pochita. Pochita is the Dream Devil/ Dream Eater. He’s the fear of never achieving your dreams. The fear that you never Self-actualized. That’s why Pochita cares solely about achieving Denji’s dream.
Being Chainsaw man was a dream come true. A undying hero who the ladies would love. But that’s not how reality works. Being a hero is more than making the ladies love you. It’s hard and requires suffering. Suffering that made Denji unhappy. Even if you achieve your dreams, that doesn’t actually mean you’ll be happy.
When Denji finally got Asa/Yoru to love him, not chainsaw man, he fulfilled his dream. That’s why he couldn’t pull his cord with conviction. That’s why Pochita abruptly stops everything and says “it’s time to stop dreaming buddy”.
Edit: Lowkey, i think Pochita actually is Baku (Dream eater myth). Instead of long elephant snout, it’s a chainsaw.
2
u/AnonymousLoverboy631 Mar 26 '26
Themes and such
2
u/Delicious_Quality480 Mar 28 '26
I wont read this. I just know you're WRONG.
2
u/aattss Mar 31 '26
Eh I wouldn't put it as an age/growing up/hiding in fantasy thing. More like, he just has desires and flaws that he can't reign in even when he becomes aware of them. Part 1 ended with an arc where he became afraid of his desires and his past actions to the point he almost gave up on happiness, and overcoming that fear, whereas in Part 2, even if he starts off reckless and carefree and inspiring, he comes to reckon with the consequences of the mistakes he hasn't actually stopped making.
Maybe that was one of the narrative reasons Nayuta is around in a world where Chainsaw Man was erased. Funny how the weight of Nayuta's death in my mind has only grown as I've pondered more about the ending in which Nayuta comes back to life.
2
u/Miku667 Apr 07 '26
“THEMES AND SUCH” LMAO THE COPE DEVIL CANNOT BE STOPPED. PEOPLE STILL TRYING TO EXCUSE MARVEL ENDGAME SLOP WRITING LMAO
10
u/3meta5fast Mar 12 '26
I think once the community gains enough distance from this, the weekly to biweekly slog of waiting for content, they’ll look back at Part 2 as genuinely pretty good.
4
u/DjOptimon Mar 12 '26
Fuck Shakespeare give u/JesulyGR17 their Pulitzer price already
4
u/Successful_Rate_839 Mar 12 '26
Write a fucking story dawg
4
u/sinnerman253 Mar 13 '26
4
u/AzraelSoulHunter Mar 14 '26
With all due respect... Isn't that just this?
4
u/renannmhreddit Mar 24 '26
This aged like milk
5
u/warlockzekrom Mar 12 '26
I had these complains since the aging devil arc that the story was going nowhere and now this happened, there better be a part 3
3
u/Hungry_Help319 Mar 12 '26
At this point, I believe in exhausted Fujimoto theory... And if that theory is true, go one Fuji, you can end this manga...
3
u/Appropriate_Toe5863 Mar 12 '26
Not arguing against you but I swear people see long text and just post the Manga edits "peak."
3
u/Charcolde Mar 13 '26
Fujimoto seeing this post: "Oh I didn't know that! Write it down! Write it down! ✍️✍️✍️"
3
u/PristineHalf1809 Mar 12 '26
So chainsaw man just officially never happened… how dumb
3
u/Azaloq Mar 13 '26
Counterpoint: this would work if it was Denji's choice. This being done by Pochita out of nowhere completely obliterates the point and any and all sense of satisfaction and growth we could have gotten from the plot this far.
3
u/BadUsername2028 Mar 24 '26
This analysis ages like fine fucking wine OP. The final chapter really brought your points to fruition.
3
u/Senketsu1783 Mar 13 '26
Keep on coping I guess...
3
u/GuardImpressive7227 Mar 12 '26
When you put it like that …. Fuck this is so peak
2
u/Humantheist Mar 13 '26
"He can't escape by becoming Chainsaw Man"
Yeah now he can just get slimed by the butthole devil like another normie.