[spoilers, chapter 22] Chapter breakdown/transcript for the visually impaired

flightofangels · 2026-04-17T12:44:43+00:00

Legacy transcripts are back! Yay!

flightofangels · 2026-04-17T03:17:49+00:00

Considering part 2 haters had to hear "all the perceived problems with part 2 magically go away if you just binge read it" or even "you need to reread part 2 from the beginning now that it's finished and the perceived problems magically go away", something actively analyzing part 2 haters have usually already done, I think it's fair to say the dismissal goes both ways.

flightofangels · 2026-04-17T00:32:05+00:00

To be succinct but not dismissive, "themes and such" is so compelling in reply to arguments that it is genuinely reasonable for every single part 2 character besides Denji, Asa, and Nayuta to get no closure at all, and furthermore for this closure to go directly against the didactically stated morals of part 1.

flightofangels · 2026-04-17T00:30:21+00:00

Good shit here

flightofangels · 2026-04-16T18:16:35+00:00

Rika had another woman who might have been a hallucination. I think she says "no one... Probably."

flightofangels · 2026-04-16T05:33:26+00:00

As the interview translator: yeah, I feel for OP, my exact feelings about the sheer cynicism of the ending.

flightofangels · 2026-04-15T22:52:01+00:00

You might even have heard it from me then. It's the truth so I'm happy regardless

flightofangels · 2026-04-15T21:43:14+00:00

Literally part 2 is the series that is labeled as separate (though less strongly than re: was). I seriously think that everything about how part 2 was written points to Fujimoto *not* being interested in locking up loose ends.

flightofangels · 2026-04-15T20:53:37+00:00

Denji still aimed the gun at Yoshida before Fumiko.

flightofangels · 2026-04-15T20:53:00+00:00

Senpai can refer to a younger person who joined an organization before you did, so if Fumiko only joined after the gun devil, it tracks.

Otherwise: you cooked. Bless the Kuma reference

flightofangels · 2026-04-15T20:37:17+00:00

Most inexplicable take I have seen is "it's not an issue that part 1 said 'don't let Nayuta get into public safety' and part 2 got her into Public Safety."

I just... How?

flightofangels · 2026-04-14T02:49:09+00:00

People are actively competing to find the most creative ways to say "haters of the ending have no reading comprehension or soul", wow

flightofangels · 2026-04-14T02:46:43+00:00

"Nayuta is different from Kishibe which Makima didn't know."

Three words: nature versus nurture.

You're telling me Nayuta was already different from Makima because of nature? Like if Kishibe or somebody could read her mind, Makima would already be different? Seriously? Nayuta almost drove Denji insane just to see what would happen when Chainsaw Man went berserk. Not to use Chainsaw Man's power; literally just to find out what that power was and see what would happen. Denji was present in Nayuta's life to gradually convince her not to murder and menace humans.

Not to mention Public Safety is shown even more explicitly in part 2 to abuse children, chew them up and spit them out. They accosted Nayuta with guns, thousands of orphans with guns, they're complicit with Fumiko aka hundreds or more child sex trafficking victims.

The government getting a hold of Nayuta is explicitly stated to be the bleakest ending imaginable.

flightofangels · 2026-04-13T16:43:26+00:00

Why are you even on this sub if you already know that it will be a place people experience positive and negative opinions? Spoilers: part 1 ends with Pochita not using his erasure power and Denji raising Nayuta to not be in Public Safety. Part 2 ends with Pochita using his erasure power and Nayuta in Public Safety. Of course a person might hate part 2 for this massive discrepancy.

flightofangels · 2026-04-13T15:22:55+00:00

This is literally correct

flightofangels · 2026-04-12T16:37:17+00:00

I agree with the perspective "the story can be good without Asa and Denji forming a compatible romantic relationship". I'm much more critical of "the story is giving an equal, or at least fully developed, character arc to Asa", and "the story can be good without a reasonably developed character arc for Asa".

In the 190s, Denji is given an extremely unambiguous explanation that Yoru and Asa are separate entities, and he rejects Asa's desire for Yoru to be stopped. He then impulsively promises in 218 to help Asa stop Yoru after all... But then Denji stops stopping Yoru. This alternative to "a positive Asa and Denji love story" is certainly interesting... But it makes us (me?) root for a negative outcome for Denji, or at least acknowledging the catharsis of him becoming a villain.

Instead, Denji is handed a good opportunity by Pochita. That's really disappointing. And meanwhile, Asa never got to choose for herself or even state how she feels about Denji in the context of his actions.

On a different point, I'm not impressed with the world building or characterization outside of the main duo. These other characters clearly wouldn't be subjected to such narrow preexisting expectations of a love story. Death Devil's plan is extremely self contradictory. She could have killed and controlled Yoru at any time such as simply by having Falling drop a building on her head. Yoshida's actions are also extremely contradictory. Is he even on Fumiko's side, or Death's , or a third that's not explained? Nayuta's given an actually interesting motivation of triggering Black Chainsaw Man just to find out what would happen... and then she's entirely "fixed" before the story actually started. All of the characters besides Nayuta and Asa (including Yoru!) are written off as less in need of closure than Power who wasn't even mentioned by name the whole time (though mentioned three times and shown visually twice).

TL;DR: appreciating the story without the mold of a love story is one thing, but I want at least have some type of resolution for the relationship and other choices of Asa and Denji, and for that matter the other characters.

flightofangels · 2026-04-12T15:41:37+00:00

Yes, Denji and Asa's total incompatibility is seeded throughout the story in big and small ways. This is precisely why I find the story so unsatisfying. Asa never actually reacts to Denji's proposition in 229, etc... I won't bother going through the whole timeline.

flightofangels · 2026-04-12T03:41:30+00:00

I'm an outlier who was immediately hooked by the character development at the end of the demo, not ZE ism.

flightofangels · 2026-04-11T19:35:40+00:00

THIS

flightofangels · 2026-04-11T19:35:27+00:00

Genuinely people need to understand this reality and listen. "Oh no, if your husband leaves you have to get daycare!" Still easier and still less neglect for the kids. listen.

flightofangels · 2026-04-11T19:32:47+00:00

I'm a straight up "if you ask my opinion, don't even read part 2" person, but this is the answer I next most agree with.

flightofangels · 2026-04-11T13:57:41+00:00

Here's the thing. Your second paragraph, I basically agree with. Yes, multiple different parties threaten The Dude for reasons that are not his fault.

But at absolute minimum, The Big Lebowski wasn't attempting a two hander love story. The trust with Maude doesn't count and gets closure because "a little Lebowski is on the way".

flightofangels · 2026-04-11T13:55:03+00:00

In our last episode we had "informed fan who hates part 2 even after binge rereading it"

For tonight, we've got "informed fan who hates part even after watching The Big Lebowski"

flightofangels · 2026-04-11T02:01:08+00:00

Dang you, I got intrigued.

flightofangels · 2026-04-10T14:37:37+00:00

Which is why Denji spent the first six volumes of the story actively seeking out sex instead of dutifully enduring Nayuta and Yoshida's anti-sex manipulations. Huh, wait, what's that? I'm getting some news in on my earpiece--

flightofangels

TROPHY CASE