#chapter 134 spoilers

[bubblesthemonsterartist]

WELCOME BACK SORATA 🎉🎉🎉

God there's so much politics in this chapter, y'all, but I got RESPONSIBILITIES so HERE'S SOME CANDY IN THE MEANTIME

She's peaking at his wristtttttttttt. The wrist she GRABBED. HOW SCANDALOUS. 😳

Sir. SIR. You are going to cause a riot.

[s30620]

Chapter 134: Deadly Magic Object

Everything we have learned about Zuma so far points to him being a good guy, despite being a delinquent. He's so young, but has a great sense of justice, he wants to protect everyone from evil and corruption. Thinking about his backstory makes me sad again...

[sugar-grigri]

Chainsaw Man only exists through you

The principle is simple with Chainsaw Man: there are no revelations. The keys to understanding are to be found in the previous chapters. That's why, to get the most out of your reading experience, you need to keep rereading this work. 

This chapter is just a condensed answer to the question that Part 2 sets out to answer:

Who is Chainsaw Man ? 

Let's take this chapter apart, because nothing is left to chance. 

First of all, Fujimoto reminds us that Denji is a spectator of his own reputation, that he doesn't use or instrumentalize it, unlike Fake!CSM, which relies on it.

Since the beginning of the manga, Chainsaw Man has been a controversial figure, but this point is shown more clearly in part 2, notably through the adoration young people have for him, making him a hero, and the fact that he is a dangerous demon for older people. In just two pages, this framework is recalled. 

He's not only a scapegoat (he's blamed for actions for which he's not responsible = the buildings are the result of the falling demon, and the disappearance of the aquarium is Asa's doing). 

But young people also trust him blindly. The two high-school girls don't take Nostradamus's prophecy seriously, to the point of mistaking the man of the cloth for a demon, as if they'd been passively listening to the news, not taking the threat seriously. 

This shows that Chainsaw Man is a figure, a reference point for society, on which it holds its balance. An image that fuels debate while channeling concern. 

Moving on... The next pages are just as interesting for their staging. Because TV is never shown. Denji focuses solely on the Nayuta he looks after, as if convinced that she is his sole objective. 

Nor is it insignificant that Nayuta, Makima's reincarnation, is the one who challenges this dream of normalcy.

For symbolically, her former self was the one who exploited this dream to manipulate for Denji. For me, the closer focus on Nayuta, who repeats her question, serves to emphasize that her very existence is the answer. Not only did Makima dream of normalcy too, but it was Denji's realization that he could afford to raise her standards that enabled him to fight her while saving her.

Let's go forward two more pages. Once again, not a single detail is insignificant. Meowy and the toilet make sense because they refer to a specific scene.

Power had promised Denji to touch her breasts if he saved her cat, the fulfillment of a venal dream that Denji had defended to the bat demon as a valid dream. However, it was at this point that Denji experienced his first existential crisis.

A dream is a way of projecting oneself. The more little things you dream, the quicker they come true, and the more aimless you become. This is what follows Denji throughout Part 1, the absence of meaning. What he finds in the love of his peers. 

Denji also confirms his dream in the way he zaps TV shows. Banalities bore him, and magnetically, he can't help but follow the shows that are about him. Once again, Chainsaw Man is on the other side of the TV, a spectator. 

But the page I find ABSSOLUTELY brilliant is here, the clearest answer to who Chainsaw Man is, or rather how he came to be, is here. 

These are the people who created Chainsaw Man. When Denji fights, he simply follows his instincts, not pursuing great causes. It's the people who decided to make him a scapegoat for everything that's wrong with him, the people who decided to make him a hero.

Chainsaw Man is just a machine that constantly dies and suffers, scaring away demons and bringing humans closer together. He's a figure who can't make up his mind by choice, because he's diffuse. These are the people who made Denji Chainsaw Man. In other words, the choice is not his to make.

That's why fake!CSM is profoundly an imposter.

Becoming an actor with his face uncovered, instrumentalizing the attention of humanity, speaking to it orally as such, is not Chainsaw Man.

Declaring one's goals and demands is not Chainsaw Man, since it's the public that finds them (which is also what I literally do). Involving the demon of justice when Yuko is the first to understand that having nice ideals isn't enough to become like Chainsaw Man is dishonest. Fake!CSM is Yuko's assassin, the first to understand CSM is ironic. 

Fake!CSM is there to sweep away the essence of Chainsaw Man, who is not an embodied being. Chainsaw Man is a feeling, whether of anger or admiration. He's something more diffuse and immaterial than he appears, transcending Denji himself.

Chainsaw Man is at once this television, this audience, these arguments, these demonstrations, this gossip in the corridors.

So Denji is more Chainsaw Man than impostor.

[nokaru]

hate your cut g that 12yo haircut is not it but those eye bags dead fish eyes and a mole enchanted me

[a-forbidden-detective]

This is the Pride issue, Akira Amano style.

This cute symbol is most commonly used to discuss romantic relationships, friendships, or passions when texting, tweeting, or posting. Someone may use a <3 to replace the word “love” in a sentence or to convey warm feelings for someone or something.[1]

[numbmontezuma]

This probably the most emotionaly exausted denji has been since the end of part 1, life really gives him so little and it continues to take alway so much more.

[chainsawing-time-wha]

He thought the people on TV would call him to speak. I found this weirdly endearing, even if it makes perfect sense

[kumapillow]

😣❤️😭

[notreallythatactive]

Yeah, no homo

.

Also does toto have the latest iphone?

[akane-kurokawa]

Chapter 134 thoughts!

Frill! I’m always happy to see her, she’s still one of my favorites despite her small role in the series. It’s interesting to know more about her acting perspective, and she easily fills in the role of explaining acting industry knowledge to Ruby that I suspect Kana will no longer be doing.

It hurts to see that Ruby can’t see what Kana is doing there, but I figured she wouldn’t. Ruby could tell if Kana was outright lying, I’m sure of that, but her telling her suppressed truth is a lot harder to read otherwise.

(Honestly the only people that I expect will understand is Aqua and the Director. Maybe Akane but she’s not knowledgeable enough on the inner workings of old B Komachi to see the parallels believably imo)

Like I said though, I’m still pretty worried about how this is going to affect Kana’s career, especially her exit from B Komachi. I still don’t see death flags for Kana, but I think she will suffer for this.

But also this has pushed Ruby’s character forward in such a good way to me. I always felt like it was her role specifically to understand Ai entirely, rather than how Aqua is interpreting her through his own trauma. After the unofficial Ai rehearsal I was sure of it, but then her character… kind of went all over the place for a minute. Still, I really like this present direction for her and it feels very earned. Excited to see where it goes.

God this arc is going to make me even more sad about Ai.

[jjingureum]

[bubblesthemonsterartist]

Poor Zen. He may, in fact, be the only short person in this entire family 🪦💐💐💐

It's okay, tho, he got a FIRE chapter cover 🔥🔥🔥

[pttucker]

Yoo Joonghyuk scolded me, "You dragged out time and the ones hiding escaped." I couldn't have a conversation with this jerk. We decided to follow the trail of those who ran away. I asked, "…By the way, are you going to keep going with me?" "…" "Are you perhaps looking for your chance to hit me?" Yoo Joonghyuk watched me with his uniquely fearsome eyes and slowly opened his mouth. "You are the one who reminded me. Thanks for letting me know." "…I would be more grateful if you kept forgetting about it."

I swear we're going to get to the last page of the novel and these two are going to be, idk, lovingly decorating a cake together or some shit and Dokja is STILL going to be going on about "Why is Joonghyuk here? Why is he looking at me? Why is he talking to me? Is that a fond smile? Oh no, it must be because he's finally decided to take his revenge."

[laugtherhyena]

I think about this panel too much for someone who doesn't even properly read part 2

The amount of trauma this dude has experienced is so much he can hardly even grasp, and it all happened in such a short period of time too. And his expression, the way the sentence is worded is just, ouch man :(

[jestin-my-liege]

poor dennis

[a-forbidden-detective]

The me becomes a we. 134 chapters and so much have happened.

Ron switching on the speaker option so Toto could listen.

Ron finding ways to include Toto all the time.

Little details that fuel Ron and Toto have become inseparable.

Am melting.