Im sure this has been talked about before but like I recently saw a review that someone left for Chainsaw Man on some anime website that made me roll my eyeballs so hard it almost gave me a headache. The rating was really low and one of the reasons- according to the reviewer- was that csm should be labeled as ecchi because of all the “unnecessary fan service” or something like that. And I’ve heard other similar complaints as well where people complain about Denji being a pervert or a gooner or whatever the fuck the term is these days.
And man… did y’all just not even read/watch the series?? Like idk but I feel as if the majority of the nudity, raunchiness, and all of Denji’s pervy thoughts all serve a storytelling purpose, not just as fan service.
The main purpose I think is to remind the viewer that Denji is just a teenager! He’s literally just a very normal teenage boy with very normal thoughts and feelings. Which can be sort of forgotten in a lot of shonen, what with all the action and violence and revenge and training and superpowers and whatever other larger-than-life events might be going on for the protag. Especially in csm, where Denji never even had a chance to be a normal kid. But throughout the story, we are constantly reminded that Denji is in fact just a teenager, because the way he initially reacts to certain things is usually very immature and goofy and yes, even perverted.
He sees a hot girl? He gets excited and nervous! And yes he wants to touch boobs, yes he desires physical intimacy… just like damn near every other teenage boy. And so what he sees and thinks and feels is exactly what we as the viewer also experiences… until reality comes crashing in, and suddenly what he sees—what we see—is just a woman, an average person. And I mean that in the best way possible!
Like, touching Power’s boobs? Hell yeah let’s gooo! Until he realizes she’s gross (affectionate) and wears bra pads because she likes the way they make her look and feel. And suddenly the illusion is shattered. Like that whole scene starts off with Denji’s original point of view, looking up at Power as this sexy angel granting him the opportunity of a lifetime! She’s leaning back and her chest is perky and she’s luring him in.
But as soon as the bra pads fall out and the camera pans back to her… she’s no longer this glorious sexy angel on a pedestal, but instead just a girl. Baggy shirt, flat chest, sitting a little more awkwardly.
Then kissing Himeno? Hell yeah let’s fucking gooooo! Until she pukes in his mouth. And later that night when she tried to sleep with him? Again, he sees this sexy half naked woman who’s seemingly interested in him
but it all shifts when he realizes he doesn’t actually want to do that with her. It then shows her hogging the bed and snoring. And the next day, she’s still half naked.. but it doesn’t even register to Denji because he’s so focused on the food and the view from the balcony. Plus, Himeno is sitting “unladylike”, slouching and legs crossed in the chair. She’s now shown as an average woman chillin at home on her day off.
Then there’s hanging out with Reze and seeing her naked?? And she’s flirting with him?!? Well hot damn, that’s his dream come true! She’s cute and he’s freaking out at seeing her start to undress, focusing on her underwear and coy smile
But then they get in the water and there’s ZERO sexiness, just silliness! They’re kids having fun! And suddenly the nudity is just natural, just them existing as human beings.
Now, I don’t think all of the nudity and so-called “fan service” serves this one sole purpose, because eventually we do start to see Denji maturing as the story goes along and he’s reacting this way less and less as time goes on. But! I still don’t think it’s ever “unnecessary”. There is still always a more meaningful reason for the nudity and suggestive/sexual content.
Makima enticing Denji with a nibble of his finger, a grope of her breast, and a promise to grant any wish he has? Denji constantly fantasizing about Makima? This is obviously meant to show the severe control she has over him. Out of all the women he meets after becoming Chainsaw Man, she’s the only one where his rose colored glasses don’t shatter until it is far, far too late. And so he continues to have these immature and perverted thoughts about her much longer than he did for Power, Himeno, or Reze. And I mean, I could sorta maybe see how an anime-only fan would think this was all just unnecessary fan service at first, because it does take until you get further into the episodes before things start clicking into place. There’s a scene in like the second chapter of the manga though, and it’s one of the only scenes I can think of that didn’t get animated, but it was a brief moment of clarity for Denji where he clocked that something wasn’t right about Makima, that maybe he should actually run away. But since this wasn’t in the anime, I think it takes a bit longer to realize that everything she says and does to Denji is definitely not a good thing.
Reze’s nakedness as the Bomb Devil? It’s never actually portrayed as sexual in my opinion—no one is ogling her, she’s never stopping mid-fight to stand in a hyper feminine sexy pose, and I can’t think of an instance where it ever zoomed in and focused on her naked parts. She just… is. And honestly the nudity only emphasizes the fact that she’s actually just like Denji - a CHILD who has been taken in by the government, controlled, and turned into a weapon. Being the Bomb Devil is not something she wants. And this is made even more apparent when she and Denji wash up to shore after their fight… because even though she was naked as the Bomb Devil, Denji has dressed her in his shirt when she transformed back into Reze. It highlights the stark contrast between the animalistic weapon Bomb versus the average teenage girl Reze.
Power and Denji in the shower together? I’m sorry but if you seriously think that whole scene was nothing but “unnecessary fan service” then all I can say is literally what is wrong with you. Nudity in that scene was meant to show their vulnerability, the care they have for each other, the important shift of Denji’s feelings from “I definitely wouldn’t cry if she died” to willingly helping her bathe because she’s too afraid to be in the bathroom alone. And even when they’re in bed together and Power insists on the physical intimacy and the blood drinking, Denji flat out admits to himself that he no longer views her in a sexual way anymore. The moment is very much portrayed as Power’s desperation to feel present and safe in their home and not like she’s still about to die in hell, and Denji’s determination to make her feel safe again. Plus, despite his immaturity, he’s also a chronic people pleaser, so of course he gives in to Power being clingy.
“OP this is all fine and dandy but what about the scissoring lesbians??”
Ah yes! Even the scissoring lesbians serve a greater purpose than just fan service! The way I see it, it’s just another example of the overarching theme of control. Makima and Quanxi are actually pretty similar in that they tame and control their fiends through honeyed words and the promise of protection, food, and a generally comfortable life. The only difference is that while Makima may tease with a boob grope, a date, and a promise of granting a wish (and also being ya know.. the Control Devil), Quanxi is out here putting her whole pussy into pleasing her girls. Literally.
So anyway there’s a reason Chainsaw Man isn’t considered ecchi and I will die on this hill.
