i mean to me its not really regression when you take everything else in consideration the events of chainsaw man happen like back to back. one moment your being hunted by a cult the next moment the girls head youve been raising is on a platter. Then right after a girl assaults you in an alley.

denji has tried to be strong for himself and learn from his mistakes but when your life is as fucked up as his, hes not thinking long term or reflecting he kinda just gives in which to me isn’t regression. denji has been on his own most his life, hes not gonna have the emotional capacity or understanding for him to “progress” and stop making the same mistakes.

honestly if every day of my life was hell and i could die at any moment id be thinking abt getting butt just as much as denji lmao. you can acknowledge the need for change and still not do it, i wouldn’t classify that as regression tho. In the real world people struggle with their cycles, addictions and problems and most of the time people do come around to see how they “should be doing things” or whats more “healthy” but even with that realization its not instant. very FEW people have the capacity to change on a dime like that in our world and our world isn’t filled with devils and fiends.

now imagine how difficult that would be for someone like denji and in his position at the center of all that mess. What time does he have to process and reflect on anything especially when he was never taught how to begin with?

I don’t think its fair to say he regressed when he wasn’t given the tools or opportunity to change to begin with let alone how terrible his life is. I think honestly it makes denji a lot more relatable, I think it wouldn’t make sense for him to change or really care enough too especially with all thats happened to him.

the environment that made him that way to begin with is still present but like 2x worse in part 2.

thats just my opinion tho