This was a perfect mix of funny and suspenseful. Also Loid Forger (maybe not Twilight though) canonically 32 got an age for the fanfics
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART
This is one of the only panels of him being interrogated where he isn't thinking about his response, and the only panel where we don't see his thoughts immediately before or after. His face right now reminds me of earlier in the series where Nightfall was looking at his face and saw his true feelings for his family, the eyes look similar. No Twlight eyes here.
Endo I'm sorry for doubting you that is on me I apologize keep up the fantastic work
Spy x family lovers! I've been pondering this for a little, so I figured I wpuld ask the collective. At one point in canon do you think the story might end? At the end of this year of Anya's studies? A few years later? When she graduates Eden? The plot has been progressing quite fast in the last few chapters, so I think it will probably be at the end of this school year, but what do you think?
I need everyone to understand that I am the biggest Arthur Morgan and Mary Linton supporter. They're so beautiful and tragic to me, both in love with each other but their paths pulling them apart. Being on the theatre date with Mary and Arthur trying to put his arm around her but being too nervous. Mary dreaming about them running away together.
I cried for multiple reasons during this game but they were absolutely one of them.
Just finished the show Pantheon from AMC and...wow. Mind absolutely blown. One of my favorite things about it (though there are many!) is that they answered the big question of "What makes us human?" with "Other people." How absolutely beautiful.
(Also, it took me a second, but I couldn't help but find Maddie x Caspian cute!)
I genuinely cannot recommend the Little Thieves Trilogy by Margaret Owen enough. The first book gripped me when I read it years ago (and continues to), the second book made my heart clench, and the last book of the series is still something I think about even almost two months after finishing it.
It's about this gremlin of a girl named Vanya, who really resonated with me and still does. She's for the girls who aren't soft, who are scared but live anyway. She's also demisexual with her love interest, who is as well! There are also other queer characters in this fantastic medieval German-inspired fantasy world.
If you love your thieves with an (eventual) heart of gold, this book series is for you!
We read in the last chapter that Nuclear weapons have come back into play in the world Chainsaw Man is in, and in this chapter, we learn that it’s not because Denji puked the Nuclear War Devil back out, but because America reinvented nukes. Wow.
Yoru then can control the Falling Devil, effectively turning her into clothing. While the reason why she can do this isn’t explicitly clear, I have a few theories. It’s probably because people fear war more than falling at this point, especially right now in their world. Maybe it also has to do with FakeFami/Death Devil having a contract with Falling or being able to control her as well? War and death are so intertwined right now that maybe there’s not a difference. And speaking of intertwinement…
These three panels are the most fascinating to me in this whole chapter. We understand that Asa’s emotions for Denji have been absorbed into what Yoru feels about Denji (in a very disgusting way), but not only do we learn that she had her feelings for Denji apart from that, but no, she didn’t.
“I don’t love Denji! I’m in love with America!” are two sentences that have a lot to unpack. The next panels talk about how Yoru loves America because it’s made her attractive and terrifying, which in itself packs a punch. She’s right, after all. But maybe that’s the reason she thought she loved Denji, too. The whole plan was to get people to be terrified of him, and I might be wrong, but the effects of Chainsaw Man in the previous chapters of Part 2 were part of the reason the war with the U.S and Russia started. Denji/Chainsaw Man is this destructive force that also increased Yoru’s strength as well, not to mention that he made her feel attractive, definitely fit what the War Devil wants.
But what she loves is the United States of America, loves that the U.S.A. is the powerhouse of war. A friend once put it eloquently that the U.S.A. is like an international police force, sticking its nose in other people’s business. The U.S was the one who dropped the first atomic bomb. With that in mind, I think it’s very interesting that Chainsaw Man’s story is set in Japan with this character who loves nukes so, so much. But why wouldn’t she? It is the weapon of war.
And seeing the devastation, the destruction, while the lyrics of the U.S.A’s national anthem are written in the panels? So gripping. I guess I never realized exactly how much war is in the Spangled Banner. “Rockets’ red glare/bombs bursting in air.” And then we see the line of bodies, one with a hand to their chest.
And a cut to Yoru with a hand on hers. She looks like she’s staring up at a flag, pledging allegiance to it. Her new outfit also has a lot to analyze. We see traces of Asa’s school uniform, and the buttons on the torso are reminiscent of Falling Devil’s chef uniform, but what stood out to me the most is that those two themes combined with the cap make it look like a general’s uniform. Or at the very least, a very militarized look. But also one that is incredibly ornamental, not to be fought in, only to be shown. It goes with something I’d said about Yoru for a while now, about war in general. Yoru does fight, yes, but the people who decide to wage war are never the people fighting it.
I would also like to point out here how much I think Yoru looks like Makima in this uniform and particularly in this panel.
Her hair has been tied back in a low ponytail, just like Makima’s braid. The cape is very reminiscent of how the jacket appears on Makima. I couldn’t find any panels or artwork of Fujimoto drawing the coat with it sitting just on her shoulders, but there is a ton of drawings by other artists that have drawn her that way. Throughout this part, Yoru and Makima have had direct panel similarities, so it’s no surprise there’s another one here, but I also think it’s because Makima looks a little militarized, too. She’s a leader, after all (or, she was.)
And lastly, I just want to bring up this panel. Asa and Yoru are wearing different clothing. I don’t so much mean the coloring, but Asa doesn’t have the cape, and she’s just in her regular uniform. It might be a small thing, but that’s still Asa’s body, even if Yoru is controlling it. I believe they’ve always worn the same clothes before. Even when Asa was just in her underwear from making the Uniform Sword in Chapter 108, Yoru was in underwear, too. Just some food for thought, and I could be wrong.
This chapter, as usual, was fantastic. I’m excited for the next one in a few weeks! All credits for CSM and panels go to Fujimoto, of course. Now, I leave you with Li’l D, who completely gave me whiplash when she gave her name to Denji.
HELLO?!? I ASK ONCE MORE, HOW ARE WE DOING TWIYOR NATION?
I want to make an anayalsis post about this chapter and just Yor's character in general, but I had to post about this. Currently internally screaming at the table.
Chainsaw Man is so peak, there’s so much to look at in Chapter 208 that my little analytical heart can barely take it.
*Spoilers for Chainsaw Man 208*
Asa is my favorite character of the series (though, honestly, it’s tough to choose), and one of those reasons is that she’s such an interesting character to look at, especially juxtaposed with Yoru. Not only how they interact with each other, but who they are individually. But I’ll get into that in just a second. First, I want to look at these panels:
I think here we see a mix of Asa being able to consciously push Yoru out because of the strong feelings she has for Denji, but also because of the fear she has about Yoru doing this. Asa is even physically holding her arm, as if that would be able to stop the devil she currently shares a body with. Although not new information in the slightest, this is yet another chapter that shows that they are two competing halves.
I use this to segway into looking at what Asa and Yoru represent. We can distinguish between Yoru and Asa, but I feel as if it’s harder to distinguish who the War Devil is at this point. Yoru’s character being a villain has not been all that villainous. She is someone to be feared, someone who hurts and is only looking out for herself, someone who is cocky, but that’s what war is. War is violent, leaving everything it touches destroyed in one way, shape, or form. War is dangerous, and the people who wage war might be dangerous too, but many are weak, not fit for the leadership they possess, since they are unable to figure out solutions without violence. War is for conquering, and many times, war is used to take and take and take.
But I think Asa shows another side of war. Her comment in Chapter 207 to Denji about them being superheroes made me think of how sometimes fighting is for liberation, for freedom, to save people. War is not good as a whole, but many people fight to do good.
We then see Denji say that it’s okay to turn him into a weapon (he is going through it), and yet, Yoru doesn’t.
We’ve seen how Asa’s emotions have affected what Yoru has done before, and it’s once again reminded me of how close love and violence are to each other. I cannot speak for the ancient Greeks, but I’m sure the decision to make Aphrodite and Ares lovers (only lovers, not married, at that) was not a random decision. Wars have been fought over love, and love has made people so violent.
It’s interesting to see that Yoru is becoming more like Asa than Asa is like Yoru. I don’t mean to say Asa hasn’t become more fierce or hardened, but Asa’s emotions affect the devil in her more than the devil affects her. I wonder what that will mean when (or if) there’s an Asa/Yoru split?
And finally, the last panel. Oh boy. I don’t have any other words for it except I'm sure that man will be turned into a weapon or at least die (sorry, dude!), and I'm excited to see what happens next!
Sorry for my rambling being a little incoherent. I wanted to write this better, but the symbolism and analysis of Asa and Yoru have always been something I’ve never been able to properly put to words. All credits of the panels and Chainsaw Man in general to Tatsuki Fujimoto, of course.
It has been a harrowing and wild time for fans of awkward black haired girl who is good at fighting and has a connection to the name yoru x blonde man who has issues with feelings
I wish I had something deeply thoughtful and analytical to talk about, but just so sad about the end of the chapter. I hope the next arc we get will be Loid's pov about his thoughts about this!
Also, the hand holding panel between the two was glorious haha
