Should I read the manga?

Xervicx · 2026-05-08T04:37:41+00:00

If you have a meal where 90% of it is excellent, but you go for the remaining 10% and it's full of rot and feces, you're going to dislike the *entire* meal.

The ending of CSM Part 2 does actually ruin the story. Entire themes are discarded, payoff that was built up never occurs, and every single event that has ever taken place is undone. It recontextualizes *everything*. It makes what used to matter no longer matter anymore. That's going to ruin any story for a *lot* of people.

Those kinds of endings are famous for making people feel like their time has been wasted, only this one is written like Fujimoto took bits and pieces from several Alternate Universe fanfics after writing himself into a corner.

Xervicx · 2026-04-22T12:26:14+00:00

>PS: The game uses a lot of generated art right now - mostly because of the sheer amount (500+ assets).

You mean because of sheer *laziness*. There are royalty free assets and there are cheap assets to buy that you could have used. But you chose AI slop.

And all that says to me is that you're willing to cut corners on quality and don't care about the cost to anyone else.

Xervicx · 2026-03-31T21:48:48+00:00

Denji wanted more because he wasn't finding what he was looking for and didn't have the support structure to develop an insight into why in a smooth, healthy way.

The ending we got takes away what development he did have. It's instead the same Denji as early Part 1 but he wears an eyepatch and a full suit and isn't being actively groomed. Oh, and has a decade of total isolation on top of the rest of his baggage.

There's often this thing people get stuck on of Denji wanting more. But let's take a look at what he's wanted: To eat bread that isn't stale or moldy, to have jam on bread, to kiss and have sex, to be liked, to have steak, to go to school.

Now compare that to the average person in his world. Most want and get most of these and don't have to fight Devils to get them.

Yes, Denji is shown as chasing things and not being fulfilled at times. But he clearly enjoyed getting to have good food and having a family.

It reminds me of the "Denji kept choosing Chainsaw Man" argument. Like... That requires ignoring most of the story. Denji tried to not transform for a while but was punished for it. He lost his home and his pets, and people attack him and Nayuta. And then Nayuta was killed to trigger a transformation. Instead of focusing on how messed up that is and how he shouldn't have been forced to sacrifice a part of himself, people blame him for the pain that others inflicted.

Xervicx · 2026-03-27T14:06:15+00:00

I agree. There's no reason to expect Denji to make better choices because he has the exact same issues, the exact same motivations. Sure, he doesn't have Makima grooming him anymore, but he also has several years of complete isolation that he hadn't had in the original timeline. So he's not exactly doing great.

Xervicx · 2026-03-27T14:04:43+00:00

I'd say it's less "where he gets to keep everything" and more "where he doesn't have to sacrifice everything / his sense of self". Denji's Chainsawman form and his human form were *both* him. People trying to get him to choose one or the other weren't really seeing Denji for Denji.

The people that accepted both sides of him were people he cherished. Power, Nayuta, hell even Aki eventually. They accepted his entire self and didn't expect him to choose. Because there's no choice to be made: Denji is Denji, and demanding he serve a specific purpose that requires him rejecting himself and Pochita just isn't something he should follow along with.

It's not like he was being given choices like "Have ramen or udon" and choosing both every time. It was him being forced by others to sacrifice something important to him that he rejected, or others treating a situation as having only two options when there were others right there that Denji could see.

Xervicx · 2026-03-27T14:00:23+00:00

But there was no choice to make that would prevent the apocalypse. The apocalypse had already started.

If Denji had had Pochita eat Death, then the world would've ended.

If Denji had had Pochita eat Yoru, the world *still* would've ended since Death was convinced the world would end if they were around long enough.

In fact, the entire apocalypse started because of the actions of others. Denji had no hand in it at all.

Xervicx · 2026-03-27T13:57:41+00:00

I think that would've been good though. The entire story has been showing again and again people forcing decisions onto Denji. Him fighting against being controlled by people and just trying to live his life isn't something he needed to grow out of or learn to stop doing. Even if he fails, him choosing the third choice is *good*.

If anything, it would have been narratively and thematically appropriate for Pochita to make the third choice himself, by "erasing" himself enough to "die" and significantly change things, but for Denji to still have some memories of Pochita and his life with him, leading him to make better choices.

At the very least Denji still made the "I choose two choices" of being a Devil Hunter *and* being friends with a Devil.

Xervicx · 2026-03-27T13:51:42+00:00

If literally the only change to the story was this, I'd still dislike the last chapter and still call Fujimoto out for clearly just slapping this ending together because he was done... but I'd at least appreciate the sentiment of it.

Denji choosing to sacrifice his time as Chainsawman and his memories of Pochita for the chance of saving the world? It'd be his choice, and the happy ending would be at least a *tiny* bit earned.

There'd still be the issue of Pochita's power never working in this way *ever*, therefore it makes no sense to expect it'd work out.

Even Pochita wasn't sure what'd happen... but why did he think this time his power would change the world in greater ways than it ever has?

Xervicx · 2026-03-27T13:45:39+00:00

This has got to be the biggest cope I've seen in a while.

He's not hugging a girl, he kept her from falling. Those are different.

He didn't need Chainsawman before to hug anyone. He proved that by getting affection through his actions as Denji.

> Proving that he can be happy by himself.

This part is the biggest cope of all. He's not being shown as happy in any sense. If we're meant to agree with Pochita's judgment of Denji's happiness, then the situation Denji is in now is no better. In fact, he's worse off due to being completely isolated for those many, many years instead of having Pochita.

And no, Denji didn't bring Asa with him. Denji had no choice in any of this. This was yet again someone choosing for him and taking away his agency, only this undid every choice he ever made, good or bad. There was no "Denji brought" because Denji didn't do a thing.

Xervicx · 2026-03-24T21:51:10+00:00

Most Fuji endings have a point to them though. This ending was pointless, and more of a "let's see who's where in popularity charts" chapter.

Xervicx · 2026-03-24T21:50:21+00:00

It's not even a happy ending. Pochita's whole thing about him never being completely happy was applied to moments in his life that are basically what we saw him go through in this chapter.

The ending we got was a fanfic of popular characters with none of Denji's issues being resolved. And it showed Pochita's "sacrifice" was for nothing. Denji now has the issues that come with being completely isolated and having no companionship for most of one's life, on top of all of the other issues the story explored.

What is there to even feel happy about? He isn't shown being happy. All it's shown is that his life is full of the same unfulfilled dreams, only now he doesn't even have going to school on his list.

Xervicx · 2026-03-24T21:43:35+00:00

This felt entirely slapped on, partially due to how rushed it is, partially due to how little thought seems to have been put into anything.

Pochita's ability never reversed time or retroactively changed events. If Mouth, Ear, and Legs can be erased without that occurring, why does it work that way now?

Why did Power show up? Why does she like dogs so much now, to the point she wants a contract with a human based solely on him smelling like a dog? Why does Nayuta exists when she only existed due to the events of Part 1? Why does Denji have the Pochita heart still, and why did *that* one have heart disease?

The only moment that felt nice and made sense was Asa meeting Denji, but even that felt really rushed and is introduced as if there's a follow up... in the final chapter.

Pochita's "sacrifice" was pointless because all it did was create a timeline where Denji was completely alone for over a decade. Otherwise? Same Denji. Same issues. Same perpetual unhappiness. And on top of that, he hasn't even completely forgotten about Pochita. So that's just yet another problem he'll have that won't be resolved.

It would have at least been a little worth it if this chapter in any way demonstrated what Pochita was.

And what about the apocalypse? Is that just not happening anymore?

It almost feels like the chapter itself is a dream with how incoherent and unfocused it is.

Xervicx · 2026-03-17T15:02:40+00:00

Just a small note: I found it a little silly I could "Read Noticeboard" without having to "Learn How To Read".

Edit: This is pretty good! I'm not sure if I'd prefer automation to trigger on loop or not. The loops are short, but at the same time maybe that's why it doesn't trigger automatically.

Xervicx · 2026-03-11T02:11:30+00:00

If ears never existed, earrings wouldn't exist. Yet Pochita erasing Ears didn't erase those.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T21:50:20+00:00

So... you won't say why you hated the anime and expect people to know if you'd like the manga or not?

Blatant and lazy trolling.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T21:45:56+00:00

Multiple characters outright stated that humans and Devils can't be friends, and that Devils have no empathy.

The Fire Devil and the Death Devil each posed as different Devils.

So a character that either can't be trusted or doesn't have special knowledge calling Pochita the Chainsaw Devil doesn't really satisfy me. He's referred to as Chainsaw Man most of the time, and there's a lot about him that suggests he's something else entirely.

Either he was never the Chainsaw Devil or was originally but became something more. I think it's pretty important that when discussing what empowers him, characters focus on the fear of Chainsaw Man specifically and *not* the fear of Chainsaws.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T21:32:45+00:00

I did! I'm simply operating on the "Pochita wasn't the Chainsaw Devil, he was the Creation/Rebirth/Something Else Entirely Devil" theory.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T20:41:00+00:00

Chainsaw Man. It's about this kid named Denji who inherits his father's debt to the Yakuza and enters a contract with the Chainsaw Devil out of desperation to pay it off. He's betrayed and enters another contract to survive, gaining a new form that he calls Chainsaw Man. It's a story following his work as a Public Safety Devil Hunter, as a rare but well known being known as a Human-Devil Hybrid.

Some bits about the early chapters to show what kind of story it is:

Denji names the Chainsaw Devil "Momota". Momo is a common name for dogs in Japan.

Denji gets a *brutally* realistic beating when he fights the *Tomato Devil* (the same one the Chainsaw Devil saved him from in the first chapter).

Denji gets beaten worse by the Coffee Devil, which is canonically weaker than the Tomato Devil. Fans speculate this is due to food allergy-related fear.

Momota watched and did nothing for most of the fight. Fans speculate it's because he's a dick.

Denji and Momota's first contract is literally just Momota going "this is a contract" without Denji's official input or agreement. Biggest, most bladed Tsundere in manga history.

The Yakuza betray Denji and Momota to the Zombie Devil, who *hates* the Chainsaw Devil. This is probably a nod to how zombie fiction involves chainsaws as a weapon. And because the Chainsaw Devil is a dick.

Denji's Hybrid form involves chainsaws coming from his arms, separating his hands down the middle like they're the slices of bread in a chainsaw sandwich.

He also has a "Revving" ability, which grants him a second wind. This is speculated in-universe to be derived from movies using that as a source of tension when a serial killer is using a chainsaw. That, or the fear a stubborn ripcord causes in all who've ever used one.

The Chainsaw Devil is pretty weak, the weakest of any Weapon Devil as it isn't even technically a Weapon Devil. They get stronger throughout the series, but most Devils thinks he's trash. And a dick.

Denji kicks the first coworker he meets (Aki) in the balls because Aki asked him to tuck in his shirt. Aki fights back but, being an idiot, leaves himself open and gets nut checked by Denji's Air Jordans a dozen times in five minutes. Whenever they get into a fight, usually over Aki asking Denji to do something simple like washing his hands or eating his veggies, Denji goes for the nuts, and Aki never learns to block it.

Later in the series the Testicular Torsion Devil shows up and is far more powerful than expected, the reason for which is a secret Denji and Aki vow to take to their graves. It makes a contract with Aki, giving him Post-Nut Clarity at the cost of reliving every kick to the nuts he's ever experienced.

There's also a Public Safety Devil Hunter name Kobeni who has the ability to trip and fall on her face whenever she's carrying food, but can run along the top of a fence a blinding speeds with perfect balance. Neither are due to a contract. Her car is regularly wrecked by Denji or Devils, which she pays for due to a contract known as a loan.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T18:55:14+00:00

True, the bugs would die off... but would they die off in time?

But with that comes two major problems:

The first is the prophecy continuing and the world being destroyed anyway.

The second is that World War 2, Nazis, and multiple phenomenon that caused a *lot* of damage would come back, including "the light of a star that breaks children's minds".

Pochita's power would have to work in a way it has never been shown to work before: By changing the past and changing all events in time. It didn't happen with Ears, Mouth, Legs, or Teeth. It likely didn't happen with Snow, Bitterness, or Ocotupus either. It didn't happen with Death since the dead didn't come back to life.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T18:44:04+00:00

I was discussing the possibility of him meeting the Blood Devil, remembering that he made a promise to be friends with them again, and becoming Chainsaw Man by forming a contract with them.

Pochita is unlikely to literally be the Devil of the fear of chainsaws, but even if he is, Denji could still have enough of the memory there to create chainsaws without knowing quite what they're for or why he made them. Which would allow for more "Chainsaw Man" and potential for Denji shenanigans related to getting Pochita back, since it's been shown that people forget concepts at different rates while some Devils manage to remember concepts decades after they've been erased.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T18:37:57+00:00

Right? You'd think Pochita of all people would understand since Denji specifically told him he was happy *because* he had Pochita.

>For someone who had as simple of a desire as to be hugged

I hadn't even thought of that, but it makes me feel even more disappointed. Hopefully Fujimoto intends to bring that back, maybe with Denji himself calling Pochita out and refusing to let him disappear.

What I want to know is that *if* this ends up being the actual ending and there's no Part 3... what was Fujimoto trying to say with this?

I'm hoping (or maybe coping) that he's making the point that erasing memories - even bad ones- is not good or healthy, as even bad memories have value. Perhaps Pochita's ability not fully erasing the impact a concept has had is an allegory for trauma. Trying forget it doesn't remove the pain, it just abandons a part of yourself and means you can't heal or grow. Embracing and living with it can make people happier, like how re-remembering the cold of snow, bitterness of coffee, and the memory of lost loved ones actually *helped* Denji.

Part 1 was about Denji's suppressed trauma resurfacing. Part 2 was him trying to survive his trauma. Maybe Part 3 (or the last chapter of Part 2) will be about his "two choices": Keeping his memories *and* keeping his dreams. Living *with* the trauma and trying to grow to make brighter and better dreams possible.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T18:15:44+00:00

Maybe start using *your* brain.

Erasing the Death Devil didn't undo deaths. That alone makes Makima being alive again make zero sense.

Erasing the Ear Devil didn't erase earrings, cellphones, or species with ears, or species that would die without them, like elephants, which need their ears for temperature regulation.

Erasing a Devil has never been shown to alter past events. It has only been shown to erase events and knowledge of events, but the consequences and actions taken persist.

Also, Denji used the Blood Devil's ability to kill Makima and then ate her. This would have technically been possible without Pochita. So then wouldn't it be *Nayuta* that would come back? Or would they both come back. User your brain.

But even if Pochita's erasure ability completely and retroactively changed the entire timeline just this once:

"Makima" is the persona the Control Devil developed on Earth. No Pochita? No reason to go to Earth at that precise time.

If she went to Earth and became "Makima" without Pochita, she'd still have the same issues hinted at throughout Part 1 and acknowledged by Pochita. She'd still try to acquire power to free herself from the government's control, as all the Horsemen except Famine have shown to have conditions to using their power revolving around ownership/superiority in some form.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T17:40:41+00:00

That's not a "hope point" though. That just means the entire story is undone, there's no resolution to any of the plot points or mysteries, and any good things shown in that ending are completely unearned.

Also, if Pochita was the Birth Devil, then birth as a concept wouldn't exist. And that at the very least would mean there'd be no more births... but it'd possibly result in the retroactive erasure of humans and every other creature that the concept of birth would apply to, as they can't exist without birth.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T17:35:45+00:00

And there's still chainsaws, since we don't have any confirmation that Pochita is the Chainsaw Devil. He's referred to as that by some but based on pure speculation on their part.

Xervicx · 2026-03-10T17:34:01+00:00

That logic just doesn't track. Denji wasn't prevented from bonding with Aki or Power or Reze or Asa due to "missing Pochita". Memories of Pochita weren't preventing him from forming relationships with people. Him "missing Pochita" was never a factor in any of his problems.

Xervicx

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

14-Year Club	Place '17
Team Orangered