Chainsaw Man Episode 8 review: Shots get fired

❘ Updated: 2022-12-22T04:20:04

Crunchyroll

Chainsaw Man once again sets up a conflict in a mysterious and dramatic way, making for an engaging episode that literally ends with a bang.

Chainsaw Man has been one of the most hyped-up anime in recent years, and its first season has finally arrived on Crunchyroll, with Episode 8 now here.

The plot is described as Crunchyroll as: “Denji is a teenage boy living with a Chainsaw Devil named Pochita. Due to the debt his father left behind, he has been living a rock-bottom life while repaying his debt by harvesting devil corpses with Pochita. One day, Denji is betrayed and killed. As his consciousness fades, he makes a contract with Pochita and gets revived as ‘Chainsaw Man’– a man with a devil’s heart.”

This episode brings another myserious conflict, and lots of shocking moments. So first, spoiler warning for Chainsaw Man ahead…

Chainsaw Man Episode 8 starts action with a bang

Chainsaw Man has a knack for starting all of its big action scenes with a twist. Either there’s a betrayal, a reveal, or a shocking revelation, and this makes the action in Chainsaw Man a cut above the rest, as there is always some form of intrigue or emotional conflict tied with the bloody fighting.

And this action has plenty of shocks, as it is apparently a massacre. Due to the Gun Devil being after Denji’s heart, it seems like a number of civilians – or disguised agents – now have it out for the Demon Hunters, procuring illegal weapons and committing mass shootings on all of the characters we currently know.

The action is still rather slow, bogged down by its need for CGI, but there’s still always an intense feeling of dread. Right now, it’s hard to tell who’s alive and who’s dead, and with Himeno disappearing after an emotional internal confession to Aki, it’s starting to look like the next episode will be a tear fest. You can feel that all of the characters are growing closer in the little calm moments that they share, so it’s gleefully cruel of the show to start ripping them apart now.

Chainsaw Man will either turn you on, or turn you off

The episode begins with Denji and Himeno in bed with each other, and boy do the camera angles love to focus on the, um, assets of the situation. Chainsaw Man has been seemingly upping its sexual tension every episode, and this opening is no exception.

But while the scene isn’t completely pointless, we do get some poignant dialogue from Himeno, if you’re not into fan service and raunch this scene will likely be the last straw for you, as it seems to go on forever, at an infuriatingly drawn-out pace. It is a shame if this does turn you off to the show, as the action is tensely satisfying and the characters all have potential, but anime can have a tendency of letting fan service override its own plots.

But hey, if you’re someone who enjoys that kind of stuff, you’re going to have an absolute blast with this episode, even without the guns.

Chainsaw Man Episode 9 premieres on Crunchyroll on December 6.

Want more Chainsaw Man reviews? Check out our other episodic reviews below