Makima, Makima, Makima. Mentioning that one name is enough to send chills down Power’s spine. She is a high-ranking Devil Hunter in the Public Safety Services on a mission to bring down the Gun Devil. A mere whisper renders her fans bark like mad. She is beautiful, witty and confident.

Or is it that simple…?

Chainsaw Man Episode 9 will have you even more intrigued by Makima’s enigma than you were before. There is something unsettling about her unfazed demeanour, which is full of smiles and confidence even in the face of a potentially lethal ambush.

But how the heck did she even survive that swarm of gunshots? She was literally shot in the freakin’ head! THE HEAD!

I’d definitely be treading on Manga spoilers if I answered that question without hesitation, but for now, keep in mind two things:

• Katana Man saying “Even Devil Hunters are only human! They can’t win against guns!”
• Madoka reporting to Makima that “Aside from the non-humans, almost everyone died”

So does that categorize Makima and Kobeni as non-humans?

Do they have some crazy powers that is used to regenerate their bodies? Why is Makima lying by saying she wasn’t shot at all? Is she trying to hide something?

Keep in mind that both Makima and Kobeni flatly refused to discuss the Devils they have signed contracts with. What’s interesting for me is, they are indeed hiding something that will inadvertently reveal their true nature.

The thing is, manga readers know who Makima is but Fujimoto still hasn’t spilled the beans about Kobeni so far. Maybe she’s too shy or too scared that someone might attack her and take the contract away. But that pretty much goes for any Devil Hunter who has a contract with a Devil.

Kobeni has not exactly been splurging on a lavish lifestyle. Her parents had her choose between joining the Devil Hunters and becoming a prostitute. It informs me that her parents also pushed her to make a deal with a Devil since she needed one to make it out there.

Kobeni does not appear to harbor any resentment against her family, as evidenced by the fact that she helps her brother pay for college with money she earns and often serves as a personal chauffeur for her parents.

She may seem feeble and annoying at first, but like Zenitsu in Demon Slayer, she possesses incredible powers if guilt and a sense of impending peril come to the front. When Kobeni morphs into her monkey mode, she becomes so fast that she can even avoid being shot at. Her suspiciously immense power forced even Akane Sawatari to take off with the injured Katana Man.

Himeno, in the Eternity Devil arc, could kick her to the ground and knock her out when required but Kobeni shooting the Katana Man while scaring away Akane, two people who gave Himeno and Aki a run for their money? How is this possible?

The fact that Himeno described Kobeni as shy yet very talented seems to have some significance. Her words to the 20-year-old were not meant as a consolation, but rather as a signal that the former may be of great assistance to the squad in times of crisis.

So those who still think Kobeni is some useless brat who whines like there’s no tomorrow, I guess Episode 9 would have changed a mind or two. There is a mysterious element hiding behind that cutesy face (maybe even more than Makima).

Speaking of Makima, did you notice her “crucifix” like pose amongst the various hand symbols while killing the bad guys? This seems to suggest, even more so, that she is, to Denji, akin to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It says a lot about her “emotionless state” that she can smile after mercilessly murdering her targets and the detainees as if nothing had occurred.

Himeno talked about crying for the death of loved ones but unlike her sympathetic and soft nature, Makima’s is more artificial. She’s putting up a façade just to trick those around her into thinking she’s a good person. But there’s a whole forest of darkness hiding inside her heart…

That’s what I love about this episode. Fujimoto conveyed so many things just by showing and not telling. This is the kind of story telling mastery that people like him and Akira Toriyama achieved. And that’s what makes me hooked onto their works.

Chainsaw Man Episode 9 was more action oriented and less on the lore drops. But what was more vivid in my memory (apart from the characterizations) are the animation and music.

Episode director Takahiro Kaneko & the others on the team are clearly experienced as they’ve worked on numerous visually taxing projects like Attack on Titan (the Final Season), Mob Psycho, Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece Wano arc, Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure and so forth. (You can take a look at the entire animation staff for this episode along with their earlier works by peeking into this Twitter thread!)

The right amount of color contrasts along with the smooth finishing of each frame is clearly visible. It’s so crisp and clear that you can almost count the number of scratches on Chainsaw Man’s head (the orange-red portion) or see the 2 red circles and a dot on Makima’s eyes.

However, there were some jarring frame rates during Chainsaw Man vs Katana Man wherein Denji’s movements aren’t as smooth as what I had seen in Episode 7.

The music during Makima slaughtering her targets sent me chills down my spine. It was pretty frightening. And I couldn’t be more excited while hearing Maximum the Hormone’s songs during blood-pumping action sequences. That band and Chainsaw Man really blend well.

Overall, I loved the characterisations and mystery elements in Makima & Kobeni. Absolutely adored Denji’s and Katana Man’s voices and Makima’s ass shots while she dressed herself make me diligently follow DDD.

Chainsaw Man Episode 9 rating: 8/10

So what do you think of Chainsaw Man Anime Episode 9? Let me know in the comments below!

CHAINSAW MAN © 2018 by Tatsuki Fujimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.