Many viewers of Chainsaw Man Episode 2 were misled into thinking that caressing boobs is Denji’s only motivation in life, and that Episode 3 was simply an application of this motivation. Therefore some folks find it annoying and thought “Isn’t there anything to his character aside from that?”

I won’t go into much depth, but I’d like to utilize the phrase “The Shinjification of a Main Character” to explain his outlook.

Most people are aware that Shinji, the protagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion, almost quit NERV due to the extreme stress he endured. A heavy burden (war and debt, respectively) was placed on the shoulders of both protagonists by their fathers, which led them to the brink of despair.

They were both seeking fulfilment, but in different ways. In Denji’s mind, satisfying the “basic” requirements of people was akin to a utopian ideal. This should make it clear that the Chainsaw Man is currently being held against his will and on a leash.

Like many MCs, he longs for freedom, but he may be disappointed if he looks to Makima to guide him in the way he envisions.

Yeah, sex and all is cool but have you ever tasted true friendship?

That’s exactly what Denji desires and is the highlight of Chainsaw Man Episode 3.

Denji running all over town to look for Pochita and later hugging him to sleep parallels with Power desperately trying to find a sacrifice for the Bat Devil in exchange for Meowy. Both of these scenarios drive home that notion.

Sad backgrounds, but heartwarming all the same.

Episode 3 sailed clear from the past mistakes occurred in Episodes 1 & 2 by giving us exactly what was needed and more.

One is that the scriptwriters stuck to the source material. There were no sequences cut from the manga, and the dialogue was on level with the original, unlike in Episode 2. Transitioning smoothly from one frame to the next gave the impression of watching a motioned manga.

Next is the Animation. A complete sakuga fest throughout the episode! Animation Director Hironori Tanaka gave us smooth, crisp and crystal clear shots.

Movements of the Chainsaw Man in Episode 3 are not sluggish or shaky like they were in Episode 1. Dodging the Bat Devil’s attacks and moving towards it to pierce its limbs were done in a seamless fashion. I’d definitely like Mr. Tanaka to handle more episodes in the future!

Last but not least is Makima’s zoomed in ass shot the ending theme due to its sheer level of insanity.

I was so excited when I first heard that Maximum the Hormone would perform for Chainsaw Man Anime. This series is on a whole other level of crazy, and the visuals and soundtrack did a fantastic job at capturing it.

The chaos in the middle portion reminded me of Death Note Opening 2 titled “What’s up People?” which was done by the same group. Then the song nicely transitioned to a more softer tone with Makima viewed as an Angel from Denji’s POV, giving the notion that a suffering Devil reaching out to a shining Angel to be saved and be happy.

Talking about the visuals, most of the shots are from the cover images of the Manga chapters so that was a neat little thing to observe.

All in all, I’m one hundred percent satisfied with this episode. So much so I didn’t find any flaws with its adaptation, resulting in the best episode of Chainsaw Man so far in my eyes.

Chainsaw Man Episode 3 rating: 10/10

So what do you think of Chainsaw Man Anime Episode 3? Let me know in the comments below!

CHAINSAW MAN © 2018 by Tatsuki Fujimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.