English Dub Review: Chainsaw Man: “Arrival in Tokyo”

Overview: Denji (Ryan Colt Levy) meets his new superior, Hayakawa (Reagan Murdock), who has a different motivation than him for becoming a Devil hunter that will create strife between the two. Later, he meets his new partner in the high-spirited Fiend, Power (Sarah Wiedenheft). 

Our Take: If Denji chainsawed his way into my heart with his first thundering outing, it would be accurate to say he speaks to the primal urges men experience down south this time around. Men want one thing and it is disgusting…ly amazing and those sexual desires act as the relatable basis for his goal in one beautiful redhead. Denji is not shy about it either, even going so far as to take pleasure in acting like the dog that she enjoys personifying him as. It is equal parts endearing but also warped in how submissive he is, making for a twistedly sweet amalgamation of a relationship. Besides the obvious physical implications, Makami is someone who does not discriminate based on status or wealth, establishing a pure kindness between them that serves as the foundation. 

She introduces him to his newest boss, Aki Hayakawa, with them off to the greatest of introductions in his senior officer challenging his dedication to the job and ideals overall. With how deadly serious he is to the job, it makes Denji’s ballbusting antics, literally and figuratively, a joy in their chemistry with how much he treasures his own sensual aspirations, despite how they appear on the surface.

Despite how much Makami has helped Denji, he would be remiss not to question her own morality in sentencing him to a life of servitude up until his death should he choose not to be a Devil Hunter. The crux of the matter is delineated with complexity in it being ambiguous in the eye of the beholder with Hayakawa and him hailing her as she helped both of them when they needed her. They bond over more than just their shared love of women because their roomies! Denji’s childish indulgences are a hilarious treat in him getting to experience the luxuries he never did, like spending too long in the bath, clogging the toilet or making a mess at breakfast. Despite how irritable he may be, Aki is a respectful guy who is easy to like. A prime example of that is rather than ridicule Denji after finding out he didn’t attend school, he fills him in on their commonly known Devil called Fiends. 

Although it may serve as amusing comedic value, Hayakawa and Denji’s clashing ideals, conversely, makes for a compelling internal struggle. Hayakawa’s thirst for vengeance, after the death of his family by Devil’s hands, is, by all accounts, a justified response to the horrific cards life dealt him. However, the beauty of their divide is that so too is Denji’s in his compassion and openness towards anyone, despite whether they are Devil or human, in understanding, through his sole friendship with Pochita, that there can be more to Devils under the surface. It also brilliantly extends to his more erotic dreams as, despite how trivial and lustful they may seem, they are validated in the the poverty he faced and the intimacy he desired but lacked. His desire for natural pleasures of life do not feel devalued, progressing beyond the juvenile stigma that can surround it in the eyes of the masses. What makes their differences so special is how similar they are in being two sides of the same coin. 

Denji is not done making new friends though because a rational Fiend by the name of Power makes her booming introduction as his new partner. She screams charm in how boisterously quirky she is. Within mere moments, a fun and lively dynamic between her and Denji is established with his irritation but clear arousal. She will no doubt prove to thrill with her bombastic thrashing that stuns with gorgeous flowing aerodynamics and blood arts with MAPPA greeting her with a pulpy, purple, Devil-intestine explosion that leaves me wanting more.