#csm 146

[sugar-grigri]

Fujimoto has never talked so much about love as in this chapter 

This chapter is incredible, not only for the multitude of answers it offers but also for the beauty of its writing on first reading alone. 

It opens with a man who appeared in chapter 101 of CSM, as passers-by passively walked past him, this stranger was actually right: humans, one of whose major causes of death are demons, are leading to a cold war (ironic to talk about a Cold War for a manga set in the 90s)

But it's as if the whole of society refuses to notice, that everyone hides behind Chainsaw Man and consumes all these derivative products like lucky charms. Chainsaw Man embodies a demonic anomaly, a demon at the service of the people who make them forget this war. 

And that's exactly why Yoru has a grudge against him. Chainsaw Man is an instrument of peace, wielded in times of peace and sacrificed in times of war. Chainsaw Man is there to make us forget the conflicts or become the scapegoat, in either case, he is there to make us forget the war in which humanity is trapped.

A machine into which all hopes are projected, cries of suffering directed, whose childlike quality is seen only by the predators who exploit him constantly. 

What we need to see in this dialogue between Nayuta and Fumiko is a struggle for domination. As we have seen, Fumiko is someone who, despite her aggressions, drowns them in a constantly contradictory protection: she wants to protect a child, but moleste Denji, plays a game in which she places him as older in order to hide her predation, and has saviour syndrome.

Fumiko thinks she's easily understood the nature of weapons, she's sensitive to Quanxi's bodily sacrifices and only repeats to the one she's abusing like an unrestrained fan of a child. Fumiko is the symbol that even when she belongs to the same camp as those she intends to protect, she still can't understand them.

She thinks it's either Nayuta who finds humans weak, or the fact that Barem supports Denji's demonic quality, that they are threats to his well-being when they are the ones who know him best. This is normal, because the strategy of public hunters is to bank on Denji's human side, but this strategy is not enough.

In chapters 136 and 137, Denji is mistreated when he's playing as a human being, getting into fights at school, being treated badly by his teachers, molested when he was thinking about a date at the cinema, and the closer he gets to normality, the more he suffers.

She symbolises not only Denji's sexual trauma, but also the paradox of the hunter system: a system that intends to offer Denji a family framework, but which is not only failing but also traumatising.

Nayuta says she wouldn't kill humans because they're weak compared to demons anyway. It would be as boring as killing ants! It's a continuation of Makima's point that the demon of control isn't interested in things that can be mobilised or easily controlled, it's powerful demons like Pochita that she wouldn't be able to control. Because the only way to establish a link for this demon is to find a demon as powerful as her, of her rank. Nayuta's superiority complex is always balanced against Denji's inferiority complex.

While the demon of control is only interested in demons, the demon who was martyred by humans cannot conceive of himself without them, but we'll come back to that later. 

I just want to point something out: isn't it paradoxical to reproach Denji for the education he gives Nayuta when Fumiko is supposed to regard him, as she claims, as a child? Once again, Fumiko is in constant contradiction, protecting by controlling and attacking, conceiving of a child as an adult, she is the hold over a child she can't help but see as a weapon while vouching for his condition. 

What's more, Fumiko's thinking is purely human, not universal like Denji and Nayuta. For them, feeding the dogs and their cat is a mission of the utmost necessity, it's like acting to protect one's family, whereas Fumiko refutes this.

Denji has been considered a dog for part of his life, and has bonded and merged with a demon in the shape of a dog, which is the first form of love he received: it was not humans who first gave Denji love, but animals. In the same way, the demon of control likes to form a relationship with dogs who take pleasure in their domestication, either as a form of denunciation or as a clearly established hierarchy. 

Fumiko proves that human sensitivity only stops at their peers, while the rarer demonic sensitivity is more universal and intense, whether it's treating animals as precious beings or forgiving unforgivable acts like Denji's continued love for Makima.

The fact that Denji and Nayuta appear to have no moral barriers is what allows them not to be prisoners of their own, and to conceive of love more extensively, whether it be harmful or inter-species. 

All this just goes to prove Barem's point that, as a weapon, he has a very good understanding of the different species and what they have in common: death is what binds us together.

When humans no longer find interest in a figure, it is destruction that attracts them. In other words, it's intrinsic to them. Even when they have been spared the demon of fire, they intend to spread it. Isn't it ironic, then, that Fumiko intends to protect two demons at the expense of their animals? Humans only see the world in terms of hierarchy, whereas demons and animals recognise that there is more to it than just a food chain. 

Nayuta's emphasis on the exhilaration that comes from abusing and killing demons is spot on. In chapter 137, Denji had fun beating up all those men, even concluding that "this" normal life wasn't so bad. Why was that? Because it's the daily life of a demon.

Denji, who belongs to both camps, has human needs just as much as he has demonic needs, so Nayuta has a point. But just as living solely as a human doesn't satisfy Denji, acting solely as a demon doesn't work any better. 

Denji works through the concrete, through sensations, and what he materialises through his senses, the fact being that he's had at least one kiss without any major damage with a human his own age.

Just a harmless touch is what allows Denji to connect with humanity as a whole, to be sensitive to their plight, even though he has no morals and takes pleasure in human suffering.

It wasn't until Denji struck up a relationship with Aki and Power for the first time that he was able to feel human and stop feeling like an animal. We are empathetic to the fate of those who resemble us, Denji is a universal being, animal, human and demon, he is the one who brings these different worlds together. Barem is right: death is what binds species together. But Pochita and Denji are the symbol that love can also be a common denominator. 

The fact that he thinks of Asa is symbolic because, without knowing it, she is the one who understood the plurality of species in Denji. She began by dehumanising him, Denji's animal phase, placing him below the cat (proof that she too places animals before men), then she had budding feelings for Denji before being disturbed by Chainsaw Man. 

That's why Chapter 101 is so important to understanding this chapter: because in it, Asa makes friends with both humans and demons, getting to know Yuko just as she does Yoru. She is not outraged by the idea of killing, as Yoru asks her to do, having put aside her human nature and accepted the world as it is, which is ruled by death.

But she is no fatalist, and in the face of a demon, she protects Yuko, continuing to love despite her mistakes "as long as her heart is in the right place". What matters is not so much our actions as the cursor through which we place ourselves to apprehend the world. 

Relationships are full of mistakes, imperfections, misunderstandings and a game of dominance. Denji doesn't realise it, but the one who kissed him wasn't Asa but Yoru, and it was for a bad purpose: to turn him into a weapon. Paradoxically, in wanting to make Denji a weapon, Yoru conceived him as he was, a hybrid being, a weapon. It was the first kiss in which he was seen for what he was.

But not only that, just as Asa loves the different natures of the multi-species being that is Denji, so Denji loves Asa's dual nature, what holds him together is as much the memory of the human in the aquarium as the physical contact with the demon inside her.

While Asa, in her desire to protect Denji, was distancing herself from him, hurting him and making him doubt himself, it was paradoxically the demon, with evil intentions, who gave him some peace of mind.

The chapter is called Devil's choice, an expression which means that we only have two choices, that we can't have everything. In this case, that would mean choosing a species, a side. But what Asa and Denji still represent in this Shakespearean symbolism is not belonging to any side, but loving in a universal way.

The rejection of men has opened up other perspectives for both of them, be it the animal or the demonic connection. 

Once again, the answer lies in plurality, in what begins with two: Asa and Denji decide, on the contrary, to have it all, there is no Devil's choice. 

By deciding to bond with animals rather than humans when they lost their parents, Asa and Denji forged a destiny guided by love without barriers.

Their bad experiences - sexual harassment for Denji and bullying at school for Asa - at the hands of adults have naturally created a distrust of humanity that is rekindled by contact between the two of them. It's when Denji and Asa come together that they regain hope, because they are the definition of loving each other fully.

Those who stand in the way of this universal love are the public hunters who avoid this natural crossing.

The public hunters are there precisely to fuel the fight against humans and demons, the link they carry is not love but the other common denominator, death, destruction. Even if it means crossing the moral barrier to exploit children with Yoshida by forcing them to harm other children like Asa, Fumiko being once again the symbol of this danger.

Denji has both human and demonic needs, so he's destined to love Asa because she's both human and harbours a demon with a thirst for violence. Chainsaw Man was used to make us forget the war, but by loving the demon of war, they both unravel.

Only Chainsaw Man and the demon of war can conquer death, because love is the second common denominator that links the species. Why? Because everyone has a heart. Even demons. Who not only have one, but become one.

[lexieloo28]

CSM 146 be like:

[csm-ships-ruined-my-life]

if i was katana man i would just kill myself on the spot and leave the rest up to nail

[rakruined]

And with 146, it all falls into place

So much of part 2 has finally clicked after this latest chapter. The reason behind the Chainsaw Man Church, the reason Fami approached Asa and Yoru, the Justice Devil's true identity... everything's definitely starting to make sense.

While I'm not entirely positive why fire can transform people (something to do with forging things in flame?), the fact that it gets more powerful the more people it transforms, in addition to being less controllable in greater numbers, definitely reflects wildfires. Maybe the transformation reflects how large scale fires transform landscapes and burn away the old and dead to make way for the new?

At any rate, the emphasis on marriage with the CSM Church now makes total sense, as it would ultimately be a form of contract stealthily made with the Fire Devil. With those numbers, Fami's true goal may be well within grasp.

And that's to kill the Death Devil!!! I guess anyone who was theorizing the eldest sister was already in the story was way off the mark, given that she's now (presumably) the big bad. Of course, this being Chainsaw Man I doubt it'll be that simple, but still. It also now makes total sense that Fami's been messing with Denji and Asa all along, as well as why Nayuta went along with most of it.

This is such a great way to shift the whole meaning of the story. Suddenly our two protagonists, who've been unknowingly at odds for so long, are the last hope to defeat Death. Heh, that's funny. Remember when Yoshida asked Denji if he could erase Death? I wonder what he's up to right-

Oh. OH. And Yoru is about to get a massive power boost from all that fear. Oh.

Well, RIP Octopus Boy. I'm not gonna lie, unless you have some way of escaping real fast, I don't think you're surviving this one.

[littleholmes]

Thanks Nayuta for reminding me in such a chilling way that you’re a devil, and not just a regular kid (it’s easy to forget your origin sometimes despite those eyes)

[ddenji]

im soooo beyond excited. loving the setup of sisters fighting with and against each other, especially bc family/found family is such a big theme for fujimoto. really excited to meet death just in general cuz if theres one thing fujimoto can and will do it's create a fleshed-out, nuanced, sadistic female character that you hate to love and love to hate, but who knows, maybe she'll be different than i think. this does feel like setup for the final arc and we're not there yet, but they did say there was half a year until she showed up so hopefully there are some juicy arcs in between.

[iridescentscarecrow]

Weapons and War: The Chainsaw Man as a Produced Image

i've been building this theme analysis up for a while with a variety of posts but csm 146 actually entirely validated what i Think the narrative of csm part 2 is trying to do, so i'm attempting to collate the main thread of my thoughts in one post.

iconography in part 2:

the symbol of chainsaw man appears throughout part 2 in various instances. it's so ubiquitous. a lot of the story has denji attempting to claim this identity for himself:

this identity which found its origins in part one but really comes into its own in part 2.

the commercial use and the production of this image is what is poignant here. from the symbolic use of CSM related products, to the church's more actively malicious utilisation of this image to aid their own activity, to barem's confession in this chapter which underlines

how and why this icon is being produced as a separate entity. devils strengthen themselves off fear, off their perception and a molding of that perception Means things.

the role of the protagonist: asa and denji

what's more interesting here is how the story's narrative hinges on dispossessing denji from his identity as chainsaw man. you see him grapple with this identity at various points. you see yoshida actively attempt to turn him away from it.

it's a little meta, in how the role of the protagonist transfers from denji to asa simultaneously as denji's presence in the story dissolves into what chainsaw man is. his disenfranchisement collides with asa's occupying of the protagonist role.

the weapon hybrids being brought back is relevant here. asa / yoru's power is quite literally turning people into weapons. denji's image represented form is as a weapon. the infamous promotional art has asa wielding a chainsaw.

both denji and asa parallel each other in wonderful ways but war situates itself on How it uses its tools, its people in systems to propogate this violent reality. one which pushes what seems to be an Ideal outcome. that sounds familiar, doesn't it? (psst. it's fami's plan)

fami and yoshida

war thus functions as a mechanism which weaponises the chainsaw, or the icon of the chainsaw. war is the stage upon which weapons are utilised, and weapons further emphasise a state of war.

that's fami's plan as of csm 146. that's its literal quality (and fjmt loves literal metaphors in his stories. think the darkness devil and its arc's theme of ignorance).

meanwhile yoshida's actions here are ones opposing asa's (his personal ideologies are interesting too but in this chapter he functions as an agent, as the actor of Another force). his targeting of asa's limbs is purposeful on both an in-world level (functionally disabling her from making weapons) and a narrative level (arms = weapons. he's disarming her.)

yeagh. excellent chapter and i feel very very validated.

links to a few of my older thoughts:

iconography re: denji and asa

denji's struggle with this image of himself / more of the same thing but in context with part one

more asa and denji parallels, this time re: their desires and the metaphor of the screen

some thoughts on the first hints of this as in yoshida's suggestions to denji

EDIT (25/10): long meta on part one's metanarrative which seems relevant here

i am so, so ill actually.

[artillatron]

Katana Man surviving just to see everyone turn into the guy that cut him in half and played kickball with his nuts

[zombieboyfailure]

HERES HOW ASADEN CAN STILL WIN

[chainsawmanthoughts]

Trying to tell your lil sis the boogieman isn't real only for her to be like "actually it's 100% real also I can sense her and we are related"

[sugar-grigri]

I was thinking about this and I said to myself, wait a minute, it would be crazy to imagine that death.... didn't appear in CSM.

And her absence wouldn't even contradict anything, because in any case... death is supposed to happen, isn't it? We'll all meet her!

The apocalypse is simply the existential crisis of mankind and demons when they realize their finitude.

Death doesn't have to intervene, she's already here.

[shin-thalia]

Okay so this upcoming arc is going to be insane.

Let's fill out my thoughts here.

First off, The FIRE DEVIL. This is pretty bad news due to the new Chainsaw zombies running around, but also- the fear of fire. Who benefits from that?

Who do we know that relates to fire?

Who introduced the contract???

Barem. AKA, the Flamethrower Devil.

Not only do we have a key player hybrid relating to fire, but the Fire Devil's contract just created 30'000+ Chainzawmbies (Chainsaw Zombies) that are now running wild through Japan, Canada, and I believe Mexico. These people are going to WILDLY boost Denji's power due to the fear of Chainsaws, and more specifically Chainsaw Man, which they embody.

These Chainsaw People have the same saw placement as Denji does, and by extension Fakesaw Man. Could Fakesaw Man have been a progenitor/test for these? I think he was.

Now, that's not all. We have Chainsaw Man growing in strength because of the Chainzawmbies, who are in a war against humanity, therefore benefiting the War Devil.

Let's take a look at the Horsemen's Plan, however. They plan to have a Chainsaw War against humanity in order to boost their respective Devil's power levels up enough to combat and defeat The Death Devil themself.

But, surely you all remember, in Part 1 it was stated that every Devil hears the revving of Chainsaws before it dies and before it's born. If this fear of the chainsaw is instilled into every being, an army of killer drones will certainly grow this power.

What Fami and the others fail to realize, however... people are going to die. Chainsaws Kill. War Kills.

This "plan" is only going to make the Death Devil stronger, possibly infinitely. The more people are scared of Chainsaw Man and War, the more they'll be afraid of Death by association.

Fami and Barem aim to Kill The King, that being the Death Devil, but their plan is only going to make their situation worse.

How many people are going to die in the span of six months?

What the hell can any of them even do against the most primal fear known to humanity?

They're Fucked.

[add1rall]

Nayuta reminding me she is a powerful devil just to say

[possiblylando]

Chainsaw Man 146 'Early' Thoughts

GIRL IS IN DANGER ! ! GET OUT OF THERE GIRL ! ! So we finally get the trigger pulled on the final arc of Part 2.

The Fire Devils reveal signals we're in the final stretch of Part 2 as it directly correlates to the plan to kill the death deeeeeeeeeeeOHHHHHH SHIT Hey wait a second why did Yoshida want to kill the death devil all the way back during the aquarium im just putting two and two together because the horsemen knew because they're all related of course.

There's obviously a reason for them to know about it know because Fami told Yoshida and by extension the rest of public safety. So Yoshida both knowing about the Death Devil and bringing it up so close to her arrival is setting off flags. I'm pretty confident in saying Yoshida Isn't the death devil. I've gone over deeper reasons in my Yoshida Part 1 Post, But the simplest are now; 1. The other Horsemen would recognize him on sight. 2. Okay wait I was gonna say "No T-Boy Swag" but he kinda does in some panels. But what I am saying you should look out for;

No further comment.

GODS STRONGEST HATER FINALLY HAS 350000 PEOPLE TO HATER ALL OVER THEY'RE FUCKED THIS IS GOING TO BE A MASSACRE Additionally it seems we now know by extension that Chainfraud Man gained his powers through the Fire Devil instead of like- A Chainsaw Man Devil. It's possible this backfires majorly and creates it's own new devil because the fear is now of Chainsaw Man and not specifically Chainsaws. But it also didn't seem to create one earlier so probably not. This seems to be the equivalent arc to the international assassins. The chapters even sort of align. Part 2 Started on Chapter 98. So we're currently on Part 2 Chapter 48. International assassins was chapters 53-70. So its likely we'll be seeing the Death Devil's appearance as an equivalent arc to the Gun Devil. Hey Yoshida bud you're not really- Youre looking like you've got more death flags flying man. Hey man are you sure you wanna kill the death devil hey man maybe yo

I don't think Yoshida is making it to the end of the series the same way he entered.

[fenixfuego15]

this is how I’ve been feeling about all these new chainsaw man chapters

[galaxynajma]

YOSHIDA LEAVE MY GIRL ALONE

DONT HURT HER PLEASE

I DONT NEED A OTHER CHARACTER I LIKE TO DIE