Title: Chainsaw Man Vol. 3
Author: Tatsuki Fujimoto
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
The Story
The third volume of Chainsaw Man continues the battle of the Eternity Devil while our gang is trapped inside of the time-locked hotel. All of it will end if they just kill Denji and feed the devil his heart; however, none of them really want to do it… at least those who are of sound mind and body. As the food is running low and minds are breaking, Denji comes up with a reckless plan. His plan ends up defeating the devil and setting them all free. In the process, they end up with a small piece of the Gun Devil.
With Makima heading out of town on assignment, they all gather for some drinks. Himeno keeps her promise to kiss Denji; however, she won’t do it when she’s sober. I won’t spoil how it ends up but Denji will never forget it… that’s for sure!
We switch gears as we see Makima riding the train. A situation on the train occurs and we see that it’s not an isolated incident. Similar situations are occurring all over. This brings us to a café where Denji, Power, Aki, and Himeno are sitting down and having a discussion. A man next to them starts talking about the Yakuza and recognizes Denji. Suddenly, he transforms into a being just like Denji except instead of chainsaws, he has swords coming out of his body. He goes on a full rampage causing Aki to use his forbidden sword and Himeno to fully assume her Ghost form. Denji eventually joins in by going into Chainsaw form and the fight…
….will continue in the next volume.
Argh! It felt like a good episode of anime that ends right when you’re fully absorbed! There were some insanely shocking moments throughout this entire volume… moments that will have an impact later, for sure. It’s quite apparent that a new story arc has begun centered around the yakuza and the Gun Devil. There is an obvious connection between the two so it’ll be interesting to see how all of that ends up getting expanded upon. To be honest, with Denji’s past with the Yakuza and his pursuit of the Gun Devil, I had a feeling the two would cross paths again. I just didn’t think it would be this soon. Good way to keep the interest high and the story flowing, though!
Characters
I, honestly, cannot think of any huge developments for our characters. Himeno and Denji did; however, officially become friends. They formed an alliance where Himeno will help set up Denji with Makima if Denji promised to help set up Himeno with Aki. So, in a relationship form, there was some development there, even if it is minor. The fact that Himeno and Denji are friends is also another big step.
Indirectly, that also strengthens the bond between Aki and Denji. Aki seems to be warming up to him more and more as time goes on and with Denji and Himeno becoming friends, that can only help their own friendship as well.
Final Thoughts
Three volumes in and I’m hooked on this series! They haven’t let their foot off the gas and things continue to remain highly interesting. There were even some plot points that happened in this volume that I cannot believe that they pulled the trigger on… at least this early. It is a bit unconventional but sometimes, doing the unexpected can yield positive results and I believe that this is one of those times where it was needed.
Lots of action in this one, some great story progression, and enough intrigue to make you want the fourth volume immediately. Even though this set up a brand-new arc, it didn’t mess around when it came to getting right into things. We’ve got a couple of new villains without a name but I’m sure we’ll learn more about them next time around. All we know is that the yakuza still hasn’t forgotten about Denji and that this is about to turn into Bungo Stray Dogs on an entirely different level!
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This item was provided for review by Viz Media
