Review – Chainsaw Man: 9 Reasons to Watch
A broke teenager, a chainsaw dog and twelve episodes that swing from crude jokes to real grief in a single scene.
Chainsaw Man is loud, gory and often very funny, and underneath all of that it is about a boy who has never been given anything. Here are nine reasons it lands, one on each slide.
Reason 1 – A hero who wants almost nothing
Denji is a teenager working off his late father's debt to the yakuza by hunting devils. His dreams are bread with jam, a warm bed and, one day, a girlfriend.
Most shonen heroes want to be the best in the world. Denji wants a normal day, and the show makes that small wish hit harder than any grand one.
Reason 2 – Pochita, the heart of the show
Pochita is a small devil dog with a chainsaw sticking out of his head, and Denji's only friend. Their bond is set up in minutes and carries the whole first episode.
When things go wrong for Denji, Pochita is the reason he gets back up, as Chainsaw Man.
Reason 3 – Devils made of fear
In this world, devils grow stronger the more people fear what they are named after. A devil named after guns is a nightmare. One named after something harmless barely gets noticed.
It is a simple rule, and it gives every new devil an instant, often darkly funny, logic of its own.
Reason 4 – Power and Aki, the odd household
Power is a blood fiend who lies, brags and refuses to bathe. Aki Hayakawa is a serious devil hunter with a grudge. Denji ends up sharing an apartment with both.
Their bickering at home is some of the funniest material in the series, and it is also where the three of them slowly become a family.
Reason 5 – Makima, the boss you cannot read
Makima recruits Denji into the Public Safety devil hunters. She is calm, kind and in complete control, and Denji would do anything she asks.
The show lets you notice, scene by scene, how little you actually know about her.
Reason 6 – It looks like a film
Director Ryu Nakayama and studio MAPPA went for a grounded, cinematic look: natural light, quiet rooms and camera work closer to live action than to most TV anime.
That calm makes the devil fights, when they come, feel even more violent and strange.
Reason 7 – Twelve episodes, twelve endings
Kenshi Yonezu's “KICK BACK” opens every episode, and each of the twelve closes with a different song and its own ending animation.
It turns every episode's last minutes into something to wait for rather than skip.
Reason 8 – Fujimoto's tone, intact
Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga is known for jumping from a crude gag to a moment of real loss without warning, and the anime keeps that whiplash.
You will laugh at something ridiculous and, a minute later, feel the floor drop away.
Reason 9 – A season and a film
The first season covers the opening stretch of the manga in twelve episodes. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc picks the story up from there.
It is a short commitment for a story this wild, and the season ends at a natural place to breathe.
Where to watch
Chainsaw Man was listed on Crunchyroll and Hulu in the USA when we last checked, in October 2026. Catalogues change by country and by month, so check the service where you are.
Shop the Chainsaw Man collection
Liked Chainsaw Man? This is where it leaves the screen: every Chainsaw Man design we carry, in one place.
Chainsaw Man Chibi Acrylic Keychain$8.99
Pochita Chainsaw Man Plush Keychains$14.99
Chainsaw Man Power Cosplay Wig and Hair Clip$12.99
Chainsaw Man Himeno Cosplay Wig and Eye Patch$13.99
Anime Manga Makima & Power Nurse Cosplay$12.99
Chainsaw Man Kobeni Cosplay$10.99
Source: the Anime Crush Anime Guide.