Chainsaw Man Season 1
Episode 3 Recap And Review
Episode 3 of Chainsaw Man begins after Power destroys the algae demon with his blood power. Some gentlemen clean up the mess while Power and Denji discuss matters with Makima.
Makima warns them not to kill the devil of a civilian hunter, because Public Security will be blamed for obstructing their work. Makima explains the Force’s nefarious roots to Denji, who thinks the Force isn’t cut out for this job. Surprised, Power blames Denji for the situation and they get into a heated argument. Makima informs them that she only wants them to get together.
Denji and Power visit several drink machines. Denji thinks it’s best to mention his admiration for women’s chests and his complaints about working with a liar. Power confirms that he only hates humans because it feels like a demonic instinct, but he enjoys the company of cats. His hatred of demons stems from a demon holding his pet cat Meowy hostage.
Power discusses how Makima got caught while trying to recover Meowy. He is willing to follow any human rules if it means he will get a chance to save his pet. Power makes a deal with Denji. If he can help bring Meowy back, he’ll let you rub his chest. Denji accepts and plans to kill the demon responsible for holding Meowy hostage.
Power gets permission to go with Denji at the Public Security Headquarters. Power informs Denji about the devil’s location and tells him that he is the only one who can fight him. They discuss pets. Denji brings up Pochita, but the Force states that he is dead. Denji worries that he will never get along with Power. Meanwhile, Makima meets some eligible gentlemen who are not happy that other nations are not happy with Japan.
They ask Makima how the recruits are doing and he gives them a vague answer. They warn him not to get attached to them and send him away. Makima brings up names and devil possibilities. Hayakawa disagrees because he doesn’t like Denji’s goals and friendly stance with demons.
The Force directs Denji to Meowy’s captor’s house, and the two accidentally walk towards it. Power is confused, but thinks Denji is bluffing about having supernatural abilities.
As they approach the devil’s house, Denji stops because he finds the situation suspicious. He catches Power’s lies and tries to attack him, but Power knocks him out. Power praises Denji for his keen instincts and drags his body home.
At home, they encounter a bat demon who has captured Meowy. Bat mocks the demon Power for being late, complaining that it’s taking so long because he needs someone to get his freedom. He reveals that he promised the bat devil a human in exchange for Meowy’s freedom. The bat demon informs Denji that he has been wounded by a demon hunter, forcing him to hide.
Satan requires human blood to heal himself. He accepts Denji’s blood, but finds that it tastes disgusting, even though it revives his body parts. The bat devil plans to cleanse his taste buds with the blood of some of the children in town. Denji recalls Hayakawa’s confusion over Denji wanting to befriend demons. Power orders the bat demon to release Meowin, but the bat demon refuses because it doesn’t like Denji’s blood.
Power reminisces about his time with the cat as the bat devil eats him. One night, Power and Meowy are resting on the roof – the bat devil appears bloody and beaten. This is when Power and he make a deal for Meowy’s freedom. Power comes to terms with Denji’s feelings about losing Pochita as the bat devil eats him. A bat devil heads into town to find a child, a virgin, a muscular man, and a pregnant woman.
Denji somehow managed to grab the bat devil’s leg. Before they argue, Denji reminisces about the time he spent with Pochita as a child, and attributes it to Power’s attachment to Meowy. Denji becomes Chainsaw Man when he and the bat devil crash into a building in the city. Denji and the Bat Devil hit the streets. Denji spots some walkers and warns them to run.
Denji discovers that his chains can retract during battle. After blasting Denji with a sonic boom, the bat devil thinks he’s won. However, Denji appears from the wreckage scaring the bat demon. The episode concludes with Denji delivering the final blow to the bat demon while striking a heroic pose.
Episode Review
This was another fun continuation from last week. Viewers learned more about Power’s past reasons for joining the Public Safety team. We also get to see Denji become Chainsaw Man, and the fight he’s involved in in this form feels better than what we got in the first episode. That said, this chapter was somewhat predictable.
When Anime Power was about to betray Denji, some fans expected that he had an ulterior motive and used the cat as an excuse to trick him. Despite this, it plays as you’d expect, which may be a disappointment to some. Makes you wonder why the Force didn’t attack the bat demon when they first met.
Even though his powers didn’t affect the bat demon, he could easily find a way to kill it and save Meowth. He may be a liar, but he’s not a pushover. Some scenes in this episode didn’t feel necessary or were rehashing similar ideas. Makima’s discussion with his supposed superiors raised many interesting points about the Japanese government’s concern about getting into trouble with other nations and more so with demons.
However, the scene also sheds light on Makima’s attachment to Denji and why he shouldn’t be attached to his staff. It was a great sequence, but it made everything with Hayakawa feel pointless in return. Another thing that stood out was Denji’s fight with the bat demon. Denji’s Chainsaw Man model looks a bit better here than in the first episode, and the animation seems to have received a similar improvement.
Unfortunately, it does not maintain solid visuals and animations. Sometimes Denji’s model looks stiff or the way he moves around the screen looks weird and jarring. Some of these patterns may throw viewers off the experience. Otherwise, it was an epic fight with enough carnage and slick footwork to keep action fans happy.
Overall, Chainsaw Man continues to deliver fun fights, stunning visuals, and hilarity. It gave fans more to think about this world and its characters. By defeating the bat demon, Denji is confident that he will earn the Power’s trust. Whether the Force will continue to lie after this exchange remains to be seen.