In the Chainsaw Man anime, Aki’s topknot isn’t just a fashion statement — there’s a very practical reason behind it.
MAPPA dedicated a chunk of Episode 4 to Aki’s morning routine, letting viewers see what he does as soon as he wakes up, from making himself a cup of coffee to tying his hair up in his customary topknot to get ready for the day. Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto originally illustrated Aki with his hair down, but the final version has him with the topknot, and there’s never been an explanation for it — until an extra in Volume 5 revealed it. TikTok user alli_bugg explains in a video that Aki’s hairstyle is due to the nature of his contract with the Fox Devil.
In order for Aki to use the Fox Devil’s powers in fights, he has to feed the Devil a part of his body. Usually, it’s his skin, which explains why he has bandages wrapped around his forearms, but on occasion, the Fox Devil wants something other than skin, so Aki offers the tuft of hair on his head instead.
Himeno Gets Into Trouble
In the extra, a drunken Himeno cuts off Aki’s topknot while he’s sleeping. After she wakes and sobers up, she begs for Aki’s forgiveness and promises to make his hair an heirloom. Aki doesn’t have much of a choice but to forgive her, only because Himeno apparently has “a lot of other stuff on [him].”
Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man took the world by storm when it first launched in Weekly Shōnen Jump in December 2018. It was unapologetic in its dark comedy, mature themes and gory material, making it a rather unconventional shonen series. Fujimoto took a hiatus at the conclusion of the first part of the manga series before starting Part 2, this time in Shōnen Jump+. The manga has over 20 million copies as of November 2022 and won the Harvey Awards for Best Manga for two consecutive years.
The series follows a destitute young man named Denji who has the power to turn into the formidable Chainsaw Man. He joins Aki as one of the Devil Hunters at the experimental subunit Tokyo Special Division 4. MAPPA adapted the manga into a 12-episode series in October.
Chainsaw Man airs every Tuesday on Crunchyroll.
Source: TikTok
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