Chainsaw Man is one of the newest manga to blow up in Shonen Jump’s weekly magazine. There are tons of other series that are just as popular. Series like One Piece, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Black Clover, to name a few, share its popularity. But there is something so unique, different, and even unsettling to Chainsaw Man that sets it apart from all of these.
Chainsaw Man has a horror twinge to it that really adds to the series’ aesthetic. This overall vibe, combined with the frantic pacing along with the absolutely insane character writing, makes it such a treat to read. Every week, readers look forward to reading a new chapter of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s auteur manga. And this insane energy really makes every chapter feel so unpredictable and suspenseful.
Shonen Jump’s Predictability
Many fans love the manga in Shonen Jump. Some of the internet’s favorite series of all time have been published in it. But in the decades of this magazine’s publication, many storytelling tropes have taken hold of the book. For example, go back to series like Dragon Ball and Fist of the North Star. These are classic series that are beloved by fans. They became inspirations for tons and tons of future manga creators.
But this booming popularity caused many series to become stale. Shonen Jump, as a magazine, is the most cutthroat thing you can imagine. Creators toil for years to get a manga approved, and once they do, they must continue to toil to create the entire story. Many creators have made good yet predictable stories. Some recent series have felt very uninspired. This is what is so incredible about Chainsaw Man.
There is Nothing Like Chainsaw Man
This point bears constant repeating, but Chainsaw Man is just so unique as a story. When you look at the tropes of many Shonen Jump series, it really is all dependent on the action. Jujutsu Kaisen, for instance, is a great series, but it gets to the point where it’s major fight after major fight. I’m not critiquing that series, by the way; it is also incredibly well-written and a fan favorite.
However, Chainsaw Man focuses more on the character writing than the actual action. Chainsaw Man has less action than many major Shonen series in the magazine. It has its fair share of fights, and there are some arcs where it’s nothing but fights, but many chapters of the manga in the last couple of years have noticeably fewer fights than normal. This should be a bad thing, but it actually strengthens the series.
The Slow, Bloody Build
Chainsaw Man is just so special. The first half of the series had a lot of action, but it also focused on slower moments. The main character, Denji, was able to fight demons in one chapter, and go on dates with his boss, whom he had a crush on in the next. It was refreshing to see this type of writing. In the second half of the latest chapters, this pacing has completely changed.
There has been a lot less action. A new main character was introduced. Dozens of new story elements were introduced. In the latest chapters, an integral character in Denji’s life was seemingly brutally killed in cold blood. And the consequences of this death are being felt in the manga right now. It has never been crazier and less predictable. And this chaotic nature is why Chainsaw Man, as a series, will go places.
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