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It’s hard to push away bottled up feelings for someone who’s no longer with you anymore. Himeno wasn’t just Aki’s mentor and senior but also a friend whom he could count on. Her influence on the young Devil Hunter was strong enough to reduce him to tears.
When reading her letters, he found out that she wanted to shift to the Civilian Sector so that he doesn’t have to die fighting a hopeless battle. If he accepted, he wouldn’t have to go through the same pain he felt when the Gun Devil interrupted his playdate with his little brother…
For the first time in the series, we witnessed the stubborn poker-faced individual let go of his emotions for someone he thought he never would have feelings for. These emotions will become the reason and foundation of the decisions he’ll take in the future…
And this is also the beginning of an iconic trio that will be talked about even after Chainsaw Man is long over.
Denji and Powy have slowly gotten closer and more familiar with each other as the days go by.
Powy. Very sweet of the young punk to keep a nickname for his partner.
But would he cry if she passed away all of a sudden?
As crazy as it sounds, Denji’s self inquisitiveness actually speaks volume of his IQ & EQ. It’s not a coincidence that he too wore glasses just like the one with the “actual” high IQ. To be honest, the way they schemed to tackle Kishibe could be effective if it was someone else.
Anyway, Denji’s needs are plain and simple.
As long as I got 3 square meals a day, a good night’s sleep and a bath, I’m living the high life…
These are the basic needs of any living creature as defined by Abraham Maslow. Only after satisfying these to a considerable extent would people move onto the 2nd & 3rd levels, i.e., security, intimate relationships and love.
Right now, the young Chainsaw man have those basic needs in the bag. Would they be everlasting? No one knows. But it certainly ends at the time of death.
Death.
It means you no longer have access to acquaint with that person anymore. And it could happen at any moment without any prior notice. Devil Hunters know this all too well.
Or do they?
Why else would Aki suddenly start sweating from his eyes? Sure separation is painful. But is suffering everlasting as well? That’s exactly what Denji’s trying to wrap inside his head.
Deep inside, he knows both pain and pleasure are temporary. Is that selfish though? Not crying for others when they die? Himeno wanted such emotions to flow from Aki. Will Denji experience such separation in the future? He wonders…
“Will I cry if Power died? Naaah… Don’t think so.”
What if Aki dies? That’s a nope.”
“What if Makima died?”
There! Denji’s desire for a new experience made him pause and think for a moment or two. But again, he thinks basic needs would make him happy ever after…
“Did I lose not just my organ heart, but my human heart too…?”
I feel the Anime should have retained the exact same way this statement was framed. Not to complain too much though but ‘little’ things like this have a big impact on the characters.
Is this the beginning of Denji slowly loosing himself to the Devil seated inside him? Your guess is as good as mine. But I’d say his maniacal laughter while piercing the Eternity & Katana Devils is a strong indication of that coming true in the far future…
It’s these kind of self-introspective moments is what I love in Chainsaw Man. Another character building moment is Denji and Power answering Kishibe’s 3 important questions.
And all of their answers are directly opposing Aki’s own thoughts. He felt heavy in his heart when Himeno died. He seeks revenge against the Gun Devil for what it did to his family. And the boy sides with the humans because he’s born as one. No questions asked. These are normal answers and that’s why Himeno felt he’d die soon.
However, Denji and Power would seem to live long due to their screws being lose. Their answer to the last question though, seems interesting…
Power is genuinely afraid of what Makima is so that’s why she decided to join her side (the side that is winning). For Denji, he has the favorable company of Aki, Power and Makima. He chose to work for them cause’ they satisfy his basic needs on a daily basis (the side that’s taking care of him).
Most people give an answer based on their emotions or their sense of bodily identity.
I am a Devil so I side with the Devils. I am a human so I side with the humans.
But what impressed Kishibe is that Denji and Power threw those out of the window and gave a completely straightforward answer based on their core characteristics. This is the basis for their character and their growth and fans should revisit these questions and answers after more arcs passes by.
Chainsaw Man Episode 10 was more of expositions and character building rather than shots with great animation or music.
One small misgiving I noticed is Aki’s figure. As he walks with Michiko and Yutaro towards a prison cell, he seems a lot thinner than he is in the Manga. Not to mention his long ass neck and a drunkard-like way of walking. Some bits here and there were off but overall, It was a fine episode.
Can’t wait to see MAPPA adapting Aki’s meeting with the one that denotes his fate as he stares erringly at an eye…
Last but not least, the Ending theme. “Dogland” by PEOPLE1 is storyboarded, directed, filmed, painted, composited, and edited by Yuma Hirai. Word is that he hired a motion actor to produce the scene where Denji runs across an alley.
The whole atmosphere seems so real. It’s like they used actual live footage of those alleyways and applied all sorts of artistic sketches and styles, looking like it came straight out of a black and white film recorder.
It mostly features Denji and a bunch of canines playing and running along. The thematic elements of the series are wonderfully portrayed in the ending themes and I’ve seriously no idea how MAPPA is able to do this consistently. Bravo!
Chainsaw Man Episode 10 rating: 8.5/10
So what do you think of Chainsaw Man Anime Episode 10? Let me know in the comments below!
CHAINSAW MAN © 2018 by Tatsuki Fujimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.
