Hulu Dark Comedy Fantasy Thriller Is The Bonkers Anime Series You’ll Binge

Released in 2022, Chainsaw Man is based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga of the same name, which was a major hit even before the release of the anime adaptation. While some manga fans were disappointed by the anime, which had less stylized visuals than the manga, the anime became a popular, if somewhat divisive series. The delayed second season has tampered with expectations some, but it remains one of the hottest ongoing anime series. 

Chainsaw Man begins with the story of Denji, a teenager who works for the yakuza as a devil hunter by forming a friendship with a small dog-like chainsaw devil named Pochita. When Denji is killed, Pochita fuses with his heart to resurrect him, and Denji is recruited by the Public Safety Division due to his new status as a devil-human hybrid. Denji and his new team of hunters fight various devils as they hunt for the dangerous Gun Devil. 

Denji and his fellow devil hunters provide Chainsaw Man with its beating heart, bringing a wide range of personalities together, which is where much of the comedy comes from. The impulsive and juvenile Denji is forced to live with his serious, revenge-obsessed superior, Aki, and the selfish fiend, Power, who only values the lives of cats. The cast is rounded out by interesting side characters like the squad’s mysterious boss Makima, the one-eyed veteran devil hunter Himeno, and the rookie who openly hates her job Kobeni.  

While the characters provide Chainsaw Man’s humor, its horror and action come from its setting. It is set in an alternate history version of our world with the primary difference being the existence of devils, supernatural monsters powered by humanity’s collective fears. Giving the show monsters fueled by fear is a great horror premise, and it also allows for fights with a wide variety of themed monsters which is perfect for an action anime. 

A character-driven horror comedy would be enough to win me over, but Chainsaw Man also has a surprisingly captivating thriller plot, with plenty of twists and turns. Strangely, most of the show’s overarching plot is driven by the side character Makima and the off-screen antagonist The Gun Devil. Nearly every character is a pawn explicitly being manipulated by larger forces, with the audience being given some, but not all, of the behind-the-scenes machinations. 

GFR SCORE

I’ve never read the manga, so I can’t weigh in on how Chainsaw Man fairs as an adaptation, but as an anime, I found the show’s blend of genre elements delightful. It’s well made with strong animation that grounds the wacky tone-shifting narrative in a world that feels real despite the supernatural horror elements. Chainsaw Man is one of my favorite ongoing anime and I strongly encourage you to watch the show on Hulu and judge the divisive anime for yourself.