#csm 141

[mafuyuh]

Give her lots of hugs.

[kozukihiyori]

Denji and Nayuta in Chainsaw Man Chapter #141 

[lazyflower48]

Aww, i love Denji and Nayuta's relationship. It's adorable. Denji is such an amazing older brother. I have a feeling that Aki would have been proud to see how far he has come.

He looks so tired, though, which is sad

[trashbaby92]

Chainsaw Man by Fujimoto Tatsuki

Chapter 141

This has me super emotional.

[add1rall]

It’s so sad that nayuta has to just sit there and watch her older brother fall into depression. How she can tell that denji wants to do something to make himself happy, but knows that he’s unable to in order to protect her. It’s just so accurate to real life and so sad.

[sugar-grigri]

This chapter is an equation 

You: ooooooookkkk Loulou not only are you late but now you see 'plus' in the chapter name so Fujimoto magically becomes a mathematician 

Well, yes, and quite simply because the main theme of part 2 is identity, and what is an identity made up of ? A cluster of facets 

So let's break it down...

Some people interpreted the fact that Denji noticed the curry buns being promoted as a sign that his identity was being devalued 

I find it interesting to bring this up because I think we need to take the analysis further 

Denji's identity isn't devalued, it's literally halved 

Chainsaw Man is part of Denji's happiness, and he starts smiling again the moment his path crosses that of a demon.

But you can take the magnifying glass and see even further, you have to deconstruct each square because there is no dialogue, the message is captured in the image 

Denji smiles when he sees this demon, caught up in his euphoria, he has the reflex of wanting to pull on his cable but stops in his tracks.

Note the cutting, Denji's finger is pointing at himself, and his puzzled look in the third frame signifies a question:

Am I the one who should intervene ?

Am I the man/demon of the situation ?

Am I still Chainsaw Man? Or should I continue to be ?

Let's skip ahead a few pages, this page still brings up Denji's dilemma: should he become Chainsaw Man or continue his normal life with Nayuta? 

Denji can no longer be Chainsaw Man for fear of losing Nayuta, so almost to make up for the half he lacks, he ingests food in his effigy. 

Far from a harmless act...

For one thing. As I've already said, Denji works with the concrete, and with his senses. Not only is food important to him, but it allows him to project himself and think. Whether to measure a proposition or even express a dream (eating steaks), but also in the question of his identity.

Not only did Pochita and Denji rub shoulders when they were both hungry, but their connection is above all sensory, even anatomical. The demon is Denji's heart, and literally ingesting Chainsaw Man allows a semblance of connection, and a re-appropriation of his identity for Denji.

But eating has another, deeper meaning that connects Nayuta and Denji. Once again, follow me into the more complicated part 

I had already analyzed the fact that Nayuta and Denji were more than brother and sister, in the sense that Makima's murder follows the stages of childbirth in reverse.  

The chainsaw, the instrument of maternity, is already busy slicing the joint of Makima's pubic bone, the place from which her power derives, the ultimate anatomical element of maternity. 

Then he becomes one with Makima, devouring her, literally holding her in his womb - the stage of pregnancy. 

These stages merely announced that Denji was pursuing a creative, even salvific act, enabling her to give life to a second version of herself. 

In my opinion, everything in this chapter refers to Makima, from the kitchen in the background to the fact that they're having fun watching a film, and even the bath scene makes sense. 

Makima had a very sensitive sense of smell; Denji had already mentioned in part 2 that he had been told he smelled like a dog.

We can see why, since he literally washes himself with his dogs, which Makima adores and which are predominant in this chapter. 

Let's take the "plus" again, plus is to be understood in a first sense. When Denji had begun to claim his dreams before fighting Makima, he had said that he now wanted more than a normal life (normal life +), that he wanted to be Chainsaw Man. 

He had claimed his full identity as + Chainsaw Man. 

But if Nayuta predominates in this chapter, it's also to evoke two meanings 

Firstly, the normal life Denji imagined had something extra that he hadn't considered when he awoke in front of Kishibe: having a little sister, i.e. + a little sister. 

Nayuta's very existence is a +1, both in Denji's entourage and in the sense that she is the second reincarnation of the demon of domination. 

But the "+" has much more to offer, so let's continue 

When Nayuta says this, the interpretation must be negative, i.e. we must remember what she means, especially in this "be happy too".

For Nayuta, there's no doubt that this normal life is more than just normal, it's a happy life. 

For her, being with Denji is the most important thing, promising to stay with him for life; for her, the fact that he has her (i.e. +1) is the literal equation of happiness. 

Nayuta's answer isn't just in her words and gestures. Despite her sleep, she tries to make the two sign, and ends by reaching out her arms to invite him to embrace her. Because a hug can only be given by two people.

That's why I brought up Makima so much, because the demon of domination pursues the exact same line of reasoning. 

Because a plus isn't just a plus, it can also be a cross (yes, it's twisted, but follow me).

We go straight back to chapters 93 to 95 with the confrontation between the demon of domination and Denji (i.e. before Makima gave birth to her second version). 

When Makima thinks she's done with Denji, she starts talking directly to Pochita. 

The demon of domination had always banked on the only entity she didn't think herself superior to (i.e. her equal, +1). 

Her source of happiness was to find an entourage, even if it was only considered by ONE being. 

I thought Nayuta's gesture was very similar to the way Makima had cuddled Pochita.

And I think her gesture is even more important than we think. 

When Makima cuddled Pochita, she did so with just one hand, whereas when Nayuta contemplates her future life, her future, she places both hands on it as if she were embracing the entity she loved completely. 

Including Pochita and Denji (+)

That's +1 compared to her previous life 

AND IT'S NOT OVER 

Obviously, the chapter isn't over, so we'll continue with this cursed plus 

With the weapons discussion

I'm just going to repeat this dialogue. Not only do the weapons fully evoke the question of their identity, there are several of them, belonging to several overlapping species (+1).

But above all 

Barem says this: 

And this is where the biggest difference lies between what Barem and Chainsaw Man think 

Barem refers directly to God, the creator (the cross is taken up again, Chainsaw Man is full of Christian references), creator also means to create, so +1

The one who creates, as Nayuta's presence literally shows, as well as the domination demon's theory of happiness, is the fact that Chainsaw Man is more capable of creating than destroying. 

Which may seem strange at first glance, given that Pochita had wiped out most of the big demons (i.e. -1). 

Except that, not only is Chainsaw Man made up of Pochita + Denji, i.e. two beings that add up, but if he is capable of eliminating beings, i.e. their death, he can also be understood as the one who dictates their birth, as Angel had pointed out. 

+ is none other than the symbol of creation, but also of connection with others and happiness. 

Barem is content to reason by subtraction; all species exist to subtract, whereas Chainsaw Man works by balance: although he can delete, he can also create.

All it takes is one + to turn this normal life upside down.

[v-3-rdure]

Whip! i love seeing all the hybrids make a comeback, knew their designs were too good to have such a minor role

[benk52]

Loving Whip Hybrid's new look. I had a lot of fun recreating this meme.