Chainsaw Man Season 1
Episode 5 Recap And Review
Episode 5 of Chainsaw Man begins with Denji feeling Power’s chest, and Power congratulates him on his achievement. Power promises to help Denji with his duties and leaves the room.
The next day, Denji and Power resume their daily activities. Denji is still stunned by what happened. While sealing the documents, Makima asks him what’s bothering him. Denji confirms that he doesn’t know what to do after fulfilling his short-term wish, and worries that if he completes another, he’ll end up with the same result.
After a sensitive exchange, Makima asks Denji to run an errand for her. He asks her if she can defeat the Weapon Demon and shares information about her past and how difficult it was for previous demon hunters. He tells Denji that if he can neutralize this demon, he will grant him any wish. Denji is stunned as Makima shares more information about the Weapon Devil.
Makima says people have tried to make a profit from the gun as a countermeasure against the devils, but it has increased crime and conflict in the area. On the day and time of the attack on America, the Gun Devil appeared. At the same time, we watch two brothers having a snowball fight outside. The brothers stop the game after the little boy feels numbness in his hand.
Big brother tells him to go inside to get gloves. Suddenly, a strong snowstorm blows the house away. Makima continues to tell his tale. 1.2 million people were killed in less than five minutes. Since that day, the Gun Devil has not been seen. As a result, Gun Control and the severity of news censorship increased.
Denji promises to erase the Gun Demon to Makima. Makima informs him that they need to track down where he is first, and shows Denji some bullet fragments falling from there. He explains that consuming these bullets will make any demon stronger. He takes one and tells him that once they reach a certain size, they will be attracted to the original body.
If they zoom in on the piece, they can track down the Gun Devil. Meanwhile, Hayakawa and one of his companions defeated the sea devil and learned that it had eaten one of the Gun Devil’s bullets. Hayakawa tells him that it doesn’t matter how he eats the bullet because it’s more important that they keep killing them until there are none left. We get a brief confirmation that Hayakawa is the big brother in the snowball fight.
That day, Denji, Power, Hayakawa and his friends go to a hotel where a new devil is wreaking havoc. He had killed several civilian demon hunters. Makima believes it might eat one of the Gun Devil’s bullets, so he sends them all there to investigate. Hayakawa gives Denji and Power some gum to calm them down.
One of Hayakawa’s men asks if these two can be trusted. Hayakawa says they need to focus on the mission and if they try to escape or switch sides, they can be destroyed. A shootout ensues between Denji, Power, and Hayakawa, and one of the agents decides to appease everyone by offering a deal. Whoever can kill the devil in the hotel will get a kiss on the cheek from him.
Denji thinks about it. He remembers the moment he had with Makima and tells her that he has his eye on someone else for a first kiss. He vows not to flatten anyone until the Gun Demon is dead. The girl approaches him and whispers that if she wins, she will add more action to the kiss. Denji wanders around the hotel reluctantly.
This infuriates the male Public Safety agent. A male Public Safety agent corners Denji for carelessly patrolling her. Himeno is the name of the girl with the eye patch who made a bet with Denji. Power joins in on the joke as the brown-haired agent tries to calm them down. Meanwhile, Hayakawa asks Himeno about her thoughts on newbies.
We learn that the male Public Security agent is named Arai. Himeno says that she is not super talented, but she is highly motivated. Himeno says that Kobeni has athletic ability but can be very timid. Himeno asks Hayakawa if he thinks they will continue. Hayakawa answers vaguely. Himeno tells him it’s better not to die.
In a flashback, we see Himeno standing in front of her previous partner’s grave. A mysterious man arrives, introducing his new partner, the young Hayakawa. Himeno tells Hayakawa that she will be his sixth partner because the others died because they were useless. Presently, the group reaches a door, and Himeno senses the presence of a demon behind that door.
Satan comes out of another door. A man has a head and walks on his hands and feet. He attacks Kobeni, but Himeno stops him with her telekinetic powers. Power slices him and brags. Himeno confirms that he was the one who killed Ghost because he made a deal with the Devil. He says that the ghost sacrificed his right eye in exchange for the use of his right hand. It is an invisible and powerful hand.
As they head upstairs, Power tells Himeno that it’s unwise for Himeno to reveal her abilities to anyone. Himeno says she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Power asks Himeno what she would do if she tried to kill Kobe, causing Himeno to grab Power’s neck with her ghost hand. The gang laughs at Power, who doesn’t take kindly to Himeno’s action.
They keep looking for the real devil as man’s arch-creature, don’t they? When he reaches the next floor, Arai sees the same pool of blood from the previous floor. He thinks there is something wrong with this place and goes down another flight of stairs. According to him, the gang is trapped in a repeating cycle.
The episode ends with everyone looking confused.
Episode Review
Episode 5 of Chainsaw Man gives fans more to think about in this anime world, threats and characters. Properly introduced three new characters and shared more context with the pre-existing ones. This episode sheds light on a possible arch-enemy of the series regarding the Demon of Weapons, leaving the door open for speculation.
This chapter also fleshes out Hayakawa’s character nicely. Some will like to know that he trained to be the giant he is now. It is interesting to know that the Weapon Devil also played a role in Hayakawa’s hatred of demons. This adds more of a personal edge to Hayakawa’s quest to kill him, which many may find more compelling than wanting to defeat Denji for sex.
Denji’s character feels like a mixed bag. His goals don’t carry as much weight as other characters. While it’s funny that his quest is motivated by sexual desires, the first episode implied that Denji is more than a typical criminal. Although Denji has shown some determined traits, I fear how he will turn out at the end of the season.
Overall, this episode was an interesting follow-up to last week’s chapter. It didn’t do much action, but it did give us more world-building, which is always appreciated. While Denji’s goals have met with mixed reception, he has enough fun features that keep him from feeling bland. Hopefully, the next episode can deliver an epic payoff with this hotel devil, as his powers create a great sense of menace.