Chainsaw Man’s first episode hooked me with its gorgeously gory action

Over the past weeks, my social media accounts have been filled by people who are excited about an anime series with a man using a chainsaw to make a face. It’s called Chainsaw Man. Not being familiar with the original manga, written by Tatsuki Fujimoto, I didn’t quite get what the excitement was about, but I was certainly intrigued, especially with anime studio MAPPA involved (that’s the team behind, among other things, Yuri!!! Ice). And now that I’ve watched one single episode, I totally get it — the adrenaline has me feeling like I just downed a six-pack of Red Bull.

Chainsaw Man is a story about Denji, a poor kid saddled with his father’s inherited debt, who is forced to extreme measures to earn some cash. Sometimes he sells organs — that’s why he wears an eye patch — but most of the time, he uses his pet, a cute little pup named Pochita that has a chainsaw wedged in its face, as a money-making tool. The chainsaw can be used to log wood, but more often the two of them work together to cut up dangerous monsters and earn a bounty. Denji is a devil hunter, meaning that monsters in this world can be called devils.

It’s not much of a living, though. The two live together in a tiny shed and spend so much repaying the debt that there’s barely anything left over to even eat. Denji dreams of living a normal lifestyle, which for him means that he can afford jam to spread on every piece of bread. Things get even worse when Denji’s yakuza boss lures him into a trap that involves being torn to bits by a group of zombies.

But then something strange happens — I won’t spoil all the details — and Denji and his chainsaw-wielding pup essentially merge into one. Denji pulls a string on his chest. Then his face and arms transform into chainsaws. He then uses them to dismember the zombie hordes.

It’s kind of like a superhero origin story, only extremely gruesome. And it helped me understand why everyone seems so hyped about this show — it’s just so freakin’ cool. Things start out a little slow as the show builds up Denji’s tragic backstory, but once the action kicks in, it’s a beautifully balletic, bloodstained spectacle that’s just a lot of fun to watch. The monster designs are especially great, including Denji’s chainsaw look, which reminds me a bit of Pyramid Head. I love how the chainsaws melt back to their original forms.

Although a 25-minute episode is not sufficient to evaluate a show in its entirety, it was definitely enough to hook me. The perfect balance between drama, silliness and overwhelming violence gives the show its unique flavor. The first episode ends with Denji joining up with a team of monster hunters, promising plenty more action as we go — and, just maybe, a chance for a proper piece of toast.

Chainsaw Man Crunchyroll streaming begins on October 11th.