While it’s no secret that Chainsaw Man pulls much of its inspiration from horror cinema, it also blends this background together with comedy and action to produce an innovative work that straddles numerous genres. In order to navigate this balancing act and still do its horror heritage justice, the latest episode of the hit anime has its vocal cast bring their best to show what their characters are like in a number of circumstances.
Chainsaw Man Episode 6, “Kill Denji,” sees the Devil Hunters of Public Safety Special Division 4 trapped in an endlessly looping hotel. With no clue on how to escape, the crew must confront the possibility that they may be stuck forever. However, when the Devil behind the phenomenon presents them with a pernicious choice, their personal inner demons quickly become the easiest path to salvation, though it comes at the expense of at least one of their own rank.
Throughout its current run, one of Chainsaw Man’s greatest strengths has been its ability to alter its pacing to convey different atmospheres. Previous episodes often slowed things down to bring intimate or somber moments to life, while others shifted gears into a rapid-fire slew of action and gore. Though certain episodes contained both, these scenes were typically compartmentalized from each other in some way. By contrast, even though Episode 6 starts off slowly and silently in both its visual and sound direction, allowing the audience to experience the encroaching fear that steadily overtakes its characters, it gradually transitions into a fast-moving race for survival, all within the same setting, making this episode one of the strongest yet.
This carefully orchestrated escalation is backed by a number of solid artistic choices, including both the blocking and audio production. It is the voice acting, however, that best captures the vast tonal shift from creeping paranoia to absolute panic. Karin Takahashi provides the voice for rookie Devil Hunter Kobeni Higashiyama, perfectly capturing the frenetic dread that drew many fans of the manga to her character in the first place. Even with her total sense of terror being present right out the gate, Takahashi manages to create a whole range of sounds to convey her transformation from meek and cowardly to frenzied and demented.
Similarly, Mariya Ise’s portrayal of the group’s senior member Himeno gives the character a nuanced depth that betrays her outward demeanor. Ise delivers many of Himeno’s lines with an eager sense of mischief, showing off the levelheadedness required for such a cool character. Of course, this does not prevent Ise from giving a more melancholic version of her during flashback scenes, which truly sells the idea that this character is someone who underwent years of growth behind the scenes. Ise’s talent is further showcased when the otherwise composed Himeno devolves into sobbing helplessness after seeing her partner in mortal danger.
Voicing aside, the animation itself also took a slight turn in the episode. Up to this point, Chainsaw Man’s anime adaptation has done its best to consistently depict its world and characters with a sense of stark realism, evoking a sort of grounded dynamism. While this afforded it a cinematic feeling, it was definitely a departure from some of the visual eccentricities that were present in the original manga, which frequently leaned into some over-the-top illustrations for dramatic or comedic effect. The gritty aesthetic still pervades the anime as a whole, especially in the gruesome designs of its Devils, but there is a slight resurgence of more exaggerated detail, such as in the hail of sweat drops that certain characters have whenever they are overwhelmed.
Regardless, even though the animators at Studio MAPPA seem to be unsure of how closely they wish to stick to the manga’s imagery, their decisions have consistently benefited the suspenseful ambiance that the anime regularly employs. That said, these homages to the horror genre are only part of what Chainsaw Man is known for, as much of its reputation lies in its intense and graphic fight scenes. Despite a general lack of such high-flying action this week, Episode 6 moves the series in an intriguing direction and suggests that the next installment is sure to kick things off with plenty of hard-hitting carnage to make up for it.
Chainsaw Man streams on Crunchyroll weekly, with new episodes airing every Tuesday.
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