Chainsaw Man Proves Why it's So Revolutionary With One Incredibly Sad Quote

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man chapter #165

Summary Denji's tragic past and life as Chainsaw Man is a unique take on the "zero to hero" trope in shōnen manga.

Denji's motivation isn't saving the world, but having a "normal" life.

Chainsaw Man questions humanity through Denji's empathy and unique character traits.

Chainsaw Man is one of the most unconventional shōnen manga to release in recent years. Although it's rooted in a very classic battle shōnen structure with some horror elements, in Chainsaw Man, Tatsuki Fujimoto gives a twist to the story with a more dark and mature nature and depiction of human psychology with a protagonist like Denji, who’s quite far from the figure of the typical selfless shōnen hero.

Denji's past before becoming Chainsaw Man is filled with pain and suffering. He was killed, only to get revived in exchange for his heart and losing his only friend in the process. But as Chainsaw Man, Denji’s life became even more brutal and violent, being manipulated by Makima and taken by Public Safety as a tool to hunt down and kill devils.

Denji has experienced a great deal of trauma and loss throughout the story, but in chapter #165, one new quote from Chainsaw Man confirms why the series is so revolutionary.

Related This Underrated Shonen Jump Manga Was Chainsaw Man's More Hardcore Version Fire Punch is the manga series that made Tatsuki Fujimoto famous, and it is even more brutal than Chainsaw Man.

Denji's Tragedy Makes Him a Unique Shōnen Hero.

Denji’s Motivation Isn't Saving The World, It's Having a Normal Life

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Denji's life is an endless cycle of loss. In Part 2, Denji lost his pets, his home, and the memories he had built there. He was abducted and dismembered, and he doesn't know where Nayuta is. This is reinforced in Chainsaw Man's chapter #165 by what Denji tells Asa:

"Poop paper, you know... Toilet paper. Have you ever eaten TP? When I was hungry as a little kid, that’s what I’d eat. From the park’s public restroom. But, like, once I stopped going hungry... I stopped being able to eat toilet paper. Do you get what I’m saying? I can never go back to the way things used to be." – Denji

This reminds how tragic Denji's past was and how, despite everything he went through as Chainsaw Man, he doesn’t want to go back to his old life. The main motive that drives Denji is sustenance; he fights not to save the world but for his desire for a 'normal' life.

"When you said 'normal'... What does that even mean?" – Denji

Chainsaw Man is groundbreaking for the subversion of tropes so common in shōnen. Edward Elric wants to restore his brother's body, just like Tanjiro to Nezuko, but Denji doesn’t know what normal is. Fujimoto constantly reminds fans that Denji can't be normal while being Chainsaw Man, as when it seems like he can achieve happiness, he always loses everything. Denji’s past had led him to think that being Chainsaw Man would give him a better life, but the world constantly reminds him that Chainsaw Man's existence only brings chaos, like the Chainsaw Man clones destroying the city.

Chainsaw Man is About Denji’s Humanity

Denji Shows More Empathy Towards Others

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Chainsaw Man's chapter #165 shows how humanity has become an antagonistic force in society. The 'everyday scenery' depicted is one filled with violence and carelessness towards death in general, as proved by Denji being the only one reacting to the corpse lying in the station. Denji, ironically, has the most humanity out of all the characters in the series, showing more empathy towards others and expressing his emotions. Denji's quote shows he is questioning his identity, and that makes him truly human. Denji’s unique character is what makes Chainsaw Man so revolutionary and the best new shōnen anime in years.