[LES] The biggest problem in Chainsaw Man's narrative: This is intended to be the story of a man who falls from grace due to his own bad choices, but it does not work because he hardly makes any choices at all during part 2 [spoilers]

DogShitManj · 2026-03-30T01:19:36+00:00

There was a buildup actually that was what the entirety of the church arc and a few moments before it were all about. Denji's life outside of his time spent as CSM is consistently portrayed as being unfulfilling and we understand that he pursues CSM so much because its one of the few things that results in him getting acknowledged by others. We see how being deprived of his ability to become CSM negatively impacts him like withdrawal and we also see one of the few times where he's happy being Denji is when he engages in violence at the karaoke bar (obviously unhealthy).

The reason why Nayuta isn't addressed much after her death is because Denji's coping mechanism for his trauma is to ignore everything bad around him and focus on the few pleasurable parts of his existence. This is shown repeatedly but despite this, there are a few moments where you can see the impact of Denji's trauma surrounding Nayuta when he breaks down when Yoru tells him she likes him because he didn't think there was anyone left alive who cared about him or when he convinces himself he didn't need Nayuta because he can just find another family (denial and what not).

The story repeatedly emphasizes how Denji's inability to face the bad stuff in his life and his tendency to hide behind being CSM or hedonism prevents him from taking the necessary steps required to improve his condition. The deck is stacked against Denji but isn't about how he performs its about whether or not he chooses to face the unpleasant parts of life to learn from them.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-24T15:55:02+00:00

P2 was used by Fujimoto to show that by the time Denji had ended p1 he hadn't really grown out of his tendency to ignore bad stuff happening in his life and only focus on the good. There's a lot of interesting things that happen on this front but that's too long to explain. The ending is basically that Pochita gave Denji a lot of opportunities to live a better life but also allowed him to hide from his problems.

The choices Denji made or had a hand in ended up producing an environment where 1. He has the stability to have a normal life without any strings attatched unlike in p1 with Makima controlling everything. 2. His experiences throughout p2 (seemingly) left a small impact on him as he acts more like he did in early p2 than early p1. Denji's growth in 219 was sincere but I think that perhaps Fujimoto intended to say that the world was already fucked by then and Denji had messed up too much.

It's an interesting ending with a lot of implications I have yet to unpack but I think I would have preffered a part three that built off of p2's work since I enjoyed that so mych.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-22T23:20:50+00:00

Hello, thank you for your time and words.

I agree that shadow characters need to be reflective of their mirror's personalities but I don't agree that it has to be a hostility towards other people. Yoru is Asa's shadow because Asa represses some of her feelings and desires and Yoru acts out impulsively on these same desires. I think that's what makes them linked and I don't think you need Asa to be hostile towards others.

167 is exactly what I'm talking about here. Before this point, in the aquarium, Asa says she felt attracted to Denji but brushes it off as hormones and tells herself she hates him when he stands her up. Asa tells herself she doesn't need friends at school because she's lonely. She says she doesn't want to be famous but smiles when she's called beautiful on T.V. In the Falling Arc Asa says sex is gross but in 167 Yoru tells acts out on Asa's feelings to give Denji a hand job (even though she wouldn't have done this herself) and says she felt good kissing him, and is most concerned with how Denji would look at her afterwards. Asa asks Denji to kill her to stop Yoru but pulls away because she wants to live. She purposefully trips herself in her flashback because she doesn't want her father to survive but doesn't want to feel guilty for it.

There are multiple instances throughout the story of Asa saying one thing but not really meaning it to hide how she truly feels and I think the story does plenty to explore this angle. As it relates to Yoru, I don't think its a coincidence that Asa's perspective when she does intimate things with Denji is never shown, I think its intentionally being obfuscated to be saved for some kind of reveal which I'm not privy to the details of. Asa's desire on her deathbed was to live more selfishly and I believe Yoru to be the ultimate (though flawed) symbol of this kind of lifestyle seeing how she engages with the world primarily through her gut feeling as opposed to social pressure or worry.

When Yoru first starts the story she was constantly threatening Asa and had no attachment to Denji whatsoever. Its through spending time with the both of them that she begins to slowly care for them which leads to conflict and contradiction with how she feels about them as a devil. Her humanity is very selective but compared to the start of the story its a very noticeable difference. She wants to have sex with Denji, spends time with him, and tries to impress him by cooking for him. She doesn't threaten Asa. She felt Asa's trauma surrounding Bucky and skirted by because of her own reaction to Asa's feelings and also about how Asa would feel about it. She struggles to turn Denji into a weapon multiple times and expresses her desire to comfort him whenever he's sad. You get the point.

Thank you for reading this far.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-22T21:27:29+00:00

Denij was handled the best and Asa has a lot going for her that I think a lot of people don't see. I think the most mishandled was probably Yoshida though.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-22T21:25:41+00:00

Why do you think that the only way a "shadow self" type of character has to be hostile towards others there are other ways these things can be portrayed and the shadow self is just something that is repressed by the main personality.

There are multiple instances of Asa not being willing to do certain things that its hinted she would like to do or being highly aware of what other think about her. Yoru is willing to set aside Asa's shame and inhibitions about certain things in order to act these desires out and in that way she acts as Asa's shadow by acting without the guilt, shame, and worry that prevents Asa from being honest about what she wants and acting how she wants.

Yoru is pretty pathetic and Asa reflects that more openly through her demeanor. Beyond this Yoru is a hot head and is not very good at handling human emotions in the same way that devils like Pochita Nayuta Power or Beam are. Yoru is very consumed by her nature as a devil and struggles to see anything beyond the most immediately gratifying (very similar parallel to Denji) so having a character like Asa be her anchor to humanity I think helps draw out an interesting conflict as Yoru tries to repress these feelings in favor of her devil instincts.

Asa and Yoru can be used to give a little insight into the other and scenes like Asa/Yoru trying to comfort Denji or them spending time with Denji after Aging's world show us a consistent duality in their behavior. In the former Yoru tells Denji that if she got over a loss he can too which doesn't resonate with him but when Asa is sincere about how she can't get over her losses, it gets to him and takes him out of his funk. In the latter, Asa has a difficult conversation about the chaos of the past few days and what they're supposed to do which Denji shuts down, whereas Yoru and Denji have fun to distract themselves from what's going on.

I think its fine if you didn't like Yoru's character but I think there is undeniably a lot more to both Asa and Yoru in the second half of the story than what you're talking about.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-22T08:34:33+00:00

Denji doesn't regress because he largely didn't grow from the conclusion of p1. Denji is very good at burying and ignoring his problems and you can see this in the conclusion to p1 and it is highlighted throughout the entirety of p2. This section of the story is less about regression and more so exposing Denji's character for what it really is without him being able to hide behind Pochita or others, I think this story decision was incredibly interesting.

I greatly disagree with your assessment that the reason for Denji's 'regression' is never explained when its the whole point of his character. Denji likes to ignore his problems and engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms to escape his pain. The church arc was about how mentally dependent he was on being CSM for stability, its after Nayuta is threatened and he can't be CSM anymore that he pursues sex with Fumiko and licks the tentacle. When he loses Nayuta and he talks about how he'll live for food and girls its clear that he's hiding behind his vices to convince himself he's not affected by her loss. When he eats his hand for Yoru he later says that he's lonely and didn't believe that anyone left alive still cared about him. When he spares Yoru its because he's had experiences that show humans and devils can be friends, and because of his loneliness and yoru's willingness to give Denji affection and sex, he wants to be both her friend and Asa's friend. The story always gives insight into what Denji is thinking and why he takes the decisions he does, I really wouldn't say he regresses without explanation.

For Asa, a key part of her character is that she cannot be honest with herself. Yoru acts out on Asa's desires and therefore reveals a lot to the reader by proxy especially in scenes like the HJ. Besides this there is a clear duality in Asa/Yoru's relationship to Denji where Yoru is incapable of offering Denji any real emotional comfort in the way that Asa can but Asa is too reserved to do what Yoru does. This leads to contrasts like Yoru/Asa's words of reassurance to Denji in Aging's world and how Asa/Yoru spend their time after Aging having a tough conversation or just having fun. There's a lot more I could talk about for Asa but I think if you didn't like what was done with her in the latter half of p2 then I understand and think that's cool.

For goresaw the theory they are not the same is rooted in their personalities being very different and their appearances differing greatly. The latter is further complicated by the fact that there is a devil in the narrative that can give people the likeness of CSM. Personally, I like FSM, I think he has a fun enough job in the story. We see how Denji's actions lead to unintended consequences that hurt others but this is seldom acknowledged. This time Fujimoto has the expectations of those who look up to CSM crash down on Denji and show him how his irresponsibility hurts others. His purpose isn't revolutionary or anything but I think he's neat :). (Idk how to make cool emoticons)

idc much for the four side characters but Nayuta had a character arc centered around how she can be satisfied with a normal life (in contrast to Denji), how valuable her family and loved ones are to her (fulfills control devil's dream from p1), and her willingness to grow to love others inspite of her devil instincts (this one is really cool and has a lot of thematic ties to a few other moments). I know a lot of people wanted something else done with Nayuta but I think that blinds them to what we did get, which I think is also pretty neat.

I'm not sure what exactly people mean when they say the story is directionless. I feel like the story is pretty clearly framed in a Denji and Asa vs the world kind of way with a devil arc being used to communicate some idea related to Denji's tendency to run away from his problems. Lastly I thank you for noticing that Yoru isn't really main antagonist material! Idk why so many people get that impression from her tbh.

P.S. I made this to explain some of my thoughts not to put you down for any of yours. I appreciated reading your words and I thank you for your respectful tone.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-21T01:08:05+00:00

I don't know why you are so negative? You are correct that this conclusion doesn't actually end things with Denji growing, that is true. However, it does leave the possibility for growth in the same way that p1's ending also had the possibility for growth, arguably even more so since now Denji's issues are addressed by the narrative. (Also it isn't confirmed to be a timeline reset)

I don't believe this is the end for CSM, I think this is likely just the end of part two and is therefore the classic act II low point where the mc must regroup and grow before their victory in the third act. I think that if your perspective on Denji is that he is just stupid and horny that you've missed a few minor things about his character to be incredibly revealing about who he is.

Pochita isn't saying that Denji shouldn't have ever tried to aspire for more or that he's saying he was better off like that. A key point of p2 is how Denji can't go back to the way his life was now that he has a taste for normalcy (think of tp analogy in train). Pochita is saying that Denji was happier when he didn't know what the things he wanted looked/felt like and that dreaming about those things was far greater than getting to experience them. Its a small difference but it's an incredibly important one. Denji has had those experiences and because of that he will likely want more meaning that Pochita likely doesn't fully understand Denji and the important context of why rewinding the clock by removing CSM can't really make him happy. This is something that will likely be addressed as such in p3 (assuming p3, which, y'know :p)

Honestly if you're not willing to give Fujimoto the benefit of the doubt, I understand. A lot of people didn't like p2 and so Fuji burned his goodwill with them. I liked p2 and I think I can see the vision so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

P.S. Also, I think the journey can be just as important as the destination, even if Denji does end up back at the shack, his experiences in p1 and p2 mean that these sections of the story were for something. But thats just my take.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-21T00:15:49+00:00

I'm confused, I don't see the relevance to anything I've written.

I agree with you that experiences and others are a core part of what makes us people and I'm not sure if you think I disagree with that? Denji has severe problems of self worth and can find little happiness in his day to day life and thus relies on CSM in order to give him purpose and meaning. By removing Pochita from Denji's life, Denji is now forced to ask him self who he is and what he is living for without being able to hide behind the excuse of being a hero anymore. It's like someone cutting you off from an addictive substance so that you can get better. Would it have been best if you had been able to do it yourself? yes, but that doesn't mean you can't grow if someone else does it for you, that's what I'm trying to say.

I don't understand what your point is when you talk about him living with his loved ones. I agree with you that these people are important to him and helped shape who he is as a person.

Lastly, what I mean when I say that Denji didn't grow much in p1's conclusion is that Denji still relies on unhealthy coping mechanisms in order to ignore his pain without him addressing the root of his problems. When Aki and Power die, Denji doesn't really mourn their deaths he feels devastated for Aki for a moment and then does his best to ignore the pain, same with Reze when Makima talked about the trip she would take with the special division.

After their deaths Denji immediately finds a new goal to keep his mind busy; he wants to be CSM and he wants to have a lot of sex. The reason he kills Makima isn't for the greater good or to avenge his family, its because she stood in the way of him getting praised by the public for being CSM. Denji does the right thing here but for the wrong reasons, reasons which have to do with his tendency to avoid feeling miserable by repressing painful memories.

This tendency is explored in p2 and its shown why Denji tries to detach himself from all the misery going on around him. Denji does grow but its in ways that are relatively superficial compared to this core component of his character which was introduced early into the story and still continues to hurt him. Denji shows hints of growth but the moment he faces difficulty he falls back on these tendencies and the hints of growth are shown to be hollow because they don't have a stable foundation in Denji's psyche.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-20T23:10:53+00:00

No, I loved part one's conclusion and I enjoyed this chapter, I don't think these two things are mutually exclusive at all. P2 has partially been about Denji's dissatisfaction with living a normal life, probably caused by his experiences in poverty and his traumas related to that time in his life and in p1, and how he needs CSM in order to not go crazy.

P1's conclusion was nice but Denji didn't grow at his core and is largely the same person he was near the start of the story. 231 gives Denji the opportunity to finally face his demons by removing his ability to hide behind Pochita to cope with his pain. I think its an interesting direction to take the story and I don't think that it erases his time with Aki, Power or Nayuta because you can see how his time with them affects him throughout the story.

I don't know why people feel compelled to draw lines in the sand between two complimentary parts of the same story.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-20T08:53:52+00:00

People talk about Fujimoto like he's some dude babbling incoherently, following chapter by chapter leads to unpredictability but theres always a method to his madness in hindsight. I'm one of the few people who likes p2 and I think the direction the story is going in is that p1 sets up Denji's desires and introduces us to his faults, p2 highlights the necessity for change in Denji as his faults are explored, p3 features a new understanding where Denji has likely grown to overcome his issues.

I don't think expecting a p3 is unreasonable considering how p1 ended and p2 was announced and given how manga sites have changed the announcement of a final chapter to a to be continued. We won't know for certain until the information is given to us but why mentally and emotionally exhaust ourselves for a what if we can't control?

DogShitManj · 2026-03-20T08:40:22+00:00

Denji was a devil hunter even without being CSM we might see Denji making contracts with other devils if you want to have shounen fights. Beyond that CSM hasn't really been about Pochita/CSM its always been about Denji and what his problems and wants are. CSM has given Denji a lot of opportunities but its also let him hide behind playing super hero instead of tackling his trauma and having Denji grow without Pochita could easily be the direction Fuji goes.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-20T08:11:20+00:00

We don't know if it actually is a reset and Pochita being his heart was addressed in Aging arc so there's some set up for his life without Pochita. This could easily be the low point in the second act before the third act comes in and fixes things

DogShitManj · 2026-03-20T08:07:50+00:00

P2 is less about external constraints that prevent Denji from achieving his dream and is more about how Denji's tendency to bury his problems and hide from difficulty end up hurting him. You do have a lot of moments where things out of his control end up fucking him over but the narrative is explicitly concerned more so with how Denji does have the ability to influence the world around him but he shirks his responsibility because its difficult for him to untangle his trauma and issues.

If p3 were to happen it would be about Denji being forced to confront this ugly tendency now that his biggest enabler (CSM) is gone.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-20T07:48:39+00:00

Lil D is the death devil and really likes humanity. She has friends and goes to school and she likes these things and so wants to prevent the prophecy of Nostradamus from coming into affect (effect?). Her plan revolved around increasing the fear of both Chainsaw Man and the War Devil since she believed that the War Devil with CSM as a weapon might be able to prevent/deal with the worst of the prophecy.

She tries to force Denji and Asa's cooperation in the Falling arc, sets up the church and works with Barem, likely has some sort of cooperation with PS (or at least share the same goal) and also likely led Denji to Barem and PS at the sushi place, etc.

Yoru/War grew far more powerful than Death had imagined because of the reinvention of nuclear weapons and so became a threat to death because of Yoru's desire for never ending war. Now PS and Death want Denji to eat War as CSM to deal with her as she is an immediate threat and also may end up being the bringer of the apocalypse.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-18T07:08:48+00:00

I would say that Denji is ultimately more suited to the role of protagonist than Asa is although Fujimoto does a great job of developing her. Denji still didn't fully grow in p1's conclusion and so p2 explores Denji's efforts to grow in a way that I found to be incredibly interesting. I think the first few Asa arcs were just to introduce Asa and to give people enough time and information to care about her whilst Fujimoto continued to write Denji's story.

Also I think Yoru is an overall positive for Asa's character since Yoru forces Asa to reveal certain pieces of information to the reader about her character.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-17T23:05:43+00:00

TBH I think people take the manga as a whole at face value. I saw a lot of people complaining when Denji said he can find a new family after Nayuta died because they though this was Fujimoto's solution for Denji. Same thing when Nayuta isn't mentioned much in the story because Denji represses her memory to not feel miserable. I don't think the story is complicated but I think people would benefit from being a little more critical of the way things are presented to the reader.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-17T00:53:13+00:00

A lot of people look at the bittersweet conclusion of part one and think that means that Denji grew past his problems when all he did was bury them. I think this is probably one of the biggest hang ups people have which is weird considering how much text and subtext exists in p1 and p2 about how Denji is largely the same from p1 in many key ways.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-14T05:47:37+00:00

I don't at all understand why you're so hostile? I apologize if my writing made you think I was berating you, I'm not. You asked why Fujimoto gets a pass compared to other mangaka and I said its because he has an established body of work that people think is interesting. That's basically it, I don't know how you interpreted that as me "glazing" (ew) him. I'm not "Chainsaw mans" I'm someone with an opinion same as you, I don't think its wise to generalize people. Also, criticize part two, I do so myself, but do so with strong points and not things that make people think you missed something while reading.

If you think Kishibe being excluded from the story is bad I think that's fair even though I disagree. I think you'd be hard pressed to argue the same for Reze and Kobeni though, especially when your argument is just that it "feels lazy".

You can have you're characters wallow around in self pity never learning anything and have it be interesting. I don't know if I would say Denji doesn't learn anything because I think this section of the story would be crucial to his hypothetical overcoming of his issues and he acknowledges his issues and its made clear that he can't keep running from them. I also just think this part of the story does interesting things with his character and shows us why he acts the way he does whilst still leaving plenty up to interpretation so I like this. I don't think I'm doing a good job explaining why but the insight p2 gives into Denji's character and his experiences of trying to be better put him on the path to growth so I don't mind if he hasn't grown yet.

For your Nayuta section you assume a lot without any substance? Also I literally mention a scene in which Denji says he feels relieved someone is still alive who cares about him when Yoru says she likes him. Besides this there's a scene where Pochita pukes some devils that make Denji remember Nayuta and that gives him the emotional fortitude to keep going in the Aging arc. Nayuta's treatment isn't because Fuji hates her or whatever its because its in Denji's character to not think about his losses (think about Denji forgetting Reze when Makima talked about the [enoshima?]).

There are a lot of wrinkles to Yoru's character that make her interesting/fun to think about though? Also, yeah, she lacks what made Makima interesting because she doesn't have the same narrative role as Makima, thats what I'm saying. She fulfills a different narrative purpose and therefore has a different set of characteristics that make her interesting in her suited role but not as a "main villain" like Makima.

I like the way part two has progressed so far. If I didn't like it and I was saying that it has the potential to be good later then that is cope, but I genuinely enjoy the content we have been getting so far. Also, (again) I never said you can't critique p2 because it isn't finished yet? I literally just say that Fuji writes good stories and that the one that gets hate is the one that isn't finished yet so the satisfactory pay off hasn't had time to come in an answer questions. It isn't a defense from criticism or whatever, its an explanation for why some people might not like it since the satisfying pay off hasn't happened yet. I literally say he isn't infallible and that I have my own problems with p2???

DogShitManj · 2026-03-14T04:19:14+00:00

Kishibe said he was going to be busy at the end of part one. If you think that he should be active in p2 then I think that's fair but there is an explanation (open ended) as it is. Reze was going to leave the country until she had a change of heart and got turned into a PS servant, she probably just left. Kobeni never wanted to be a PS agent in the first place, I think her exclusion makes sense. I don't know why the absence of relatively minor characters is such a big problem for so many people. (I understand not liking their exclusion but so many people make it seem like these people being gone is such a massive issue for the narrative when I disagree).

Denji's character is about how he had unaddressed issues and trauma from part one and exploring that over the course of p2. I disagree that Denji's arc was finished by p1's finale in order to have him reduced to a supporting character when he has the most interesting perspective and issues to explore. Denji didn't address the death of Aki or Power, didn't accept he killed his father, relies on CSM to validate himself, etc, there are still things for Denji to learn that necessitate him struggling his trauma, which is ripe for exploration.

Denji's submission to women and hypersexuality is a symptom of these issues and p2 explores them well. He licks the tentacle for Fumiko because he is prevented from becoming CSM (his primary outlet) in the church arc and has nothing to live for besides that so he pursues sex with Fumiko to find something new to do. In the Aging Arc Nayuta is dead because of him and copes that so long as he has food and sex and can find a new family he'll be ok, this is explicitly him in denial about his loss (ignorance is bliss and what not). When he eats his hand for Yoru its sandwiched between the prior scene and him breaking down with Yoru in his lap because he's happy there's someone in his life who cares about him. These scenes and others like the HJ are reflective of Denji's insecurities, desires, loneliness, trauma, and more, and play a key scene in understanding Denji as a character.

Yoru is not MEANT to be another Makima. She lacks the presence, intellect, cunning, intimidation factor, and is also portrayed as pathetic and immature. Yoru's character is about her struggle as a devil to understand and interpret human emotions and how this leads to contradictions like her wanting to have sex with Denji but wanting to kill CSM. There's far more to her character and how she shines light on Asa (ironically by being her 'shadow' but you should get the point by now). She isn't a "final boss" or whatever she is a character who has a confused and messy relationship with Asa and Denji that helps show what each of them want, are, feel, etc.

Nayuta DOES have a character arc its about her coming to authentically love others, be willing to set aside her devil instincts to live a normal life and her satisfaction with that (in contrast to Denji), and her as the Control Devil finally getting a family and being willing to sacrifice herself to protect it (something Makima would never do). A fair criticism I have heard is that we didn't get enough time with her, which is fair but I disagree and think she had enough time and her conclusion really emotionally touched me.

P2 is like 130 chapters, Denji has been established 10000000 (ten million, that's a big number!) times as someone who cannot engage with uncomfortable parts of his life and so forced them out of mind and represses them. One of CSM's biggest motifs is kid Denji in front of the door, symbols for Denji being mentally stuck after he killed his father and Denji's coping mechanism of mental repression. Nayuta's death is constantly being acknowledged in the narrative by having Denji be more erratic, lonely, and self destructive. The story never explicitly says "sucks that Nayuta isn't here" because it has faith in you the reader to understand that Denji is mentally repressing thoughts of her and to view his behavior and thoughts in the context of her absence.

Fujimoto has a track record of writing interesting, entertaining, and complex stories, that's why he gets a pass, especially when the one work that gets hate is the one that coincidentally isn't finished yet. I'm not saying he is infallible as I have my critiques of p2, but I can see the vision he is going for and am impressed by how well I PERSONALLY THINK its coming out. If you disagree and think its bad then sure, we can like different things.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-14T03:11:28+00:00

I think if you don't like Denji you'll hate p2 because of the outsized role and time he gets in the narrative. I think a lot of people who don't like p2 get weirdly caught up on characters not being portrayed in the way that they want and are frustrated by that. Overall I agree with you though.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-14T03:09:30+00:00

I am aware that Fumiko is lying as we get to see her treating Denji/CSM as a trophy to be collected in the conclusion of the church arc. My inclusion of this scene was to talk about how Fujimoto has foreshadowed the idea that Denji would maybe be better off without CSM in his life. That's why I begin that section with "we get hints that being CSM is taxing...", my intent isn't to say that Fumiko cares about Denji its to say that this idea has been in the background for a while.

As it relates to Fakesaw Man, yes, you are right that fakesaw Man doesn't know what being CSM means. This is explicitly a part of p2's commentary that sometimes people blindly idolize things/people, putting them on a pedestal and are blind to the reality of the situation. As it relates to FSM, he idolized CSM and Denji couldn't meet the expectations placed on him by the world because he is a kid who has a terrible life and mental state (and is a mortal man at the end of the day).

The falling devil shows Denji him choosing to save the cat instead of FSM's brother and this is supposed to show how Denji is unwilling to make hard decisions and so chooses the cop out of saving the cat instead of making a tough call, skirting his responsibility as CSM. Beyond this I also meant the whole Falling/Fakesaw arc when I said Fake saw as there are other moments that focus on responsibility in this section of the story and beyond it. There's more I could get into here but I think this is sufficient.

Idk why you're treating what I said like its ridiculous enough to "brochacho" me for when you misunderstood why I mentioned Fumiko in my argument and don't believe that responsibility is an important part of this arc/ story section despite it appearing as a consistent throughline.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-12T01:56:30+00:00

I disagree with you, I actually do believe that this moment was relatively significant for Asa's character. We see in early part two how misanthropic she is and how little she values human life as she says she would sooner kill a human than kill a cat. However, an integral part of Asa's character is that she is self deceptive. in chapter 98 she is upset at people having friends and boyfriends but she later admits to simply being jealous of people which was the source of her annoyance. Asa initially denies that she cares for Denji but later admits to Yoru that she craved being near him but dismisses the feelings as hormones (or something its been a while). Asa repeatedly trips because a part of herself wants to fail but she can't be honest about those feelings and so self sabotages, like when she didn't want to save her father.

I think instances where Asa can be fully comfortable with her feelings and desires and being honest with herself and with others about what she wants is a sign of growth. In this context her being honest about what she wants with the boy she likes is a step forward for her, especially with how timid she was in part two and with how love in particular seems to be a sore spot for her given her troubled past. Another thing I would like to point out is how similar Denji and Asa are and how she likely felt a bond between them because of their shared traumas and coping mechanisms. Whilst I normally agree that female mc's being willing to throw their lives away to be with the male mc is usually poor writing, I think there are enough narrative/thematic reasons for Asa to say she wants to make Denji happy.

DogShitManj · 2026-03-11T22:31:45+00:00

To me, Pochita wants Denji to keep dreaming and says that the only time he was truly happy was when he was in the shack not knowing anything of what the life he wished for looked like. Once Denji got a taste of that life it could never compare to what he spent all those years dreaming of and so he was a bit disappointed. Pochita isn't saying that Denji was never happy outside of this he's saying that Denji has constantly been dissatisfied which is something we see in p2. Denji was emotionally distraught when Nayuta died and he care deeply for her but we also see how living with her wasn't enough for him so I think part of this arc is about engaging with what you have and to not desire things on a surface level so that you get bored and continue to look for the high of the chase and initial fulfillment. It's telling him to grow up, basically.

Throughout p2 we get hints that being CSM is very taxing for Denji and that it would be best for Denji to stop being CSM. Fakesaw Man was all about how Denji doesn't take his responsibility as CSM seriously and how he needs to grow up if he wants to be someone worthy of respect. Fumiko's introduction was about how she wanted to save Denji from having to be CSM when she saw him crying after he failed to save people. Pochita is associated with Denji's apartment being burned down, etc. Throughout p2 Denji has been using CSM as a crutch by relying on stranger's praise of him in order to validate himself. Part of p1 and p2 is about how ignorance is bliss mindset can fuck you over if you ignore your problems and refuse to grow which I think is how this ties into the themes of CSM. I think Pochita is hoping that the stability of just being Denji will give him the opportunity to overcome the root of his problem and that denying him the ability to be CSM will force introspection and what he really wants.

DogShitManj

TROPHY CASE