The anime Chainsaw Man, which debuts in Fall 2022, exposes more about the devils/demons waging war on Japan and how people are reacting to it. Makima wants Denji to remain focused on the job since The Gun Devil is now active and creating devastation around the country. Although Denji is oblivious to the gravity of the situation and is instead fixated with objectifying his female allies, this is one of their greatest antagonists.
It's important to note that Denji's handler Aki Hayakawa and the other seniors are aware of the Gun Devil's status as a weapon of mass destruction that has to be neutralized.. This leads to more of Hayakawa's history being revealed, bringing fans closer to his ambitions. In the process, he ends up coming off as the more engaging figure than an immature Denji, whose gimmick could quickly grow stale
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Gun Devil Left Aki Hayakawa, a Chainsaw Man, an orphan.
Recent flashbacks showed Hayakawa cutting an insolent figure to his family and little brother. Sadly, a blast eviscerated their home, leaving young Aki alone as a kid. It broke him, confirming why he grew to hate devils and considers hybrid-humans like Denji as abominations. Since then, Hayakawa joined the Public Safety Unit, intent on murdering all devils in revenge, even using deals with other devils to get the job done.
Coincidentally, Himeno also lost her family to the rampage down the line, which is why she and Hayakawa are partnered up in the organization. This immediately creates a unique bond where they could either heal as siblings, or possibly fall in love. Given Himeno has a Ghost Devil that allows her to kill from a distance using this invisible force, there's even potential for them to become lost in abusing their demons as they seek vengeance.
Right Now, Hayakawa's Story Is Better Than Denji's
Thus far, Chainsaw Man has fleshed out Hayakawa more than Himeno, who just cameos. He is the one trying to keep Denji and Power in check, hating them for their power but being a hypocrite as he's using devils, too. Thus, seeing Hayakawa in particular losing himself to the darkness, stepping over the line and even feuding with a Himeno who might call him out feels like the more nuanced arc -- especially if she's to save herself in a potentially toxic partnership.
Honestly, this theme of family has more substance than Denji trying to kill devils, make money and grope women like Power and Makima. Sure, it's nice seeing him eking out a living and fulfilling Pochita's wishes to move out of poverty, but the entire perverted creep arc doesn't make his goal wholesome or interesting. It's all just style as he goes all out to kill in the name of self-gratification, while Hayakawa's motives resonate with more emotion.
Hayakawa comes off vulnerable, human yet manipulative, while Denji is just a testosterone-driven young man. To fix this, Chainsaw Man needs to lean more into Denji's loss in his gangster past, and get him to start accepting the old days rather than live in denial. This way he'll have more motivation, cerebral intensity and dimension -- which is what Hayakawa exudes at the moment with his duality, tragic background and what Himeno represents in the interim.
