Chainsaw Man

[Ryllharu]

This series is just really not clicking for me.

I get a sense of what they're doing with the story, this sorta feels like the Shoplifters of shonen anime. Rare focus on the downtrodden and abused social strata.

It's not really enjoyable watching Denji get dragged around from one self-serving group to another because he's too ignorant to notice that he's being used. I guess that is "the point," but if I want that kinda narrative, American media is loaded with those stories. Better told at this point in the story too.

You can immediately tell Makima's angle, she admitted it to the audience while it flew over Denji's head. And she clocked him as an easy mark by being even remotely kind to him. Manipulative Women People 101. Denji only sees it as a fair trade, continuing what he was already doing with a higher standard of living that he's had in forever, but it's very obviously not the case from the organization's perspective.

It's also annoying seeing everyone criticize Denji for not taking it seriously. He's done devil hunting as fulfilling the very bottom of Maslow's Needs for himself, and never really experienced any of the parts above it (aside from maybe affection for Pochita). They hunt devils for revenge or the safety of others. Denji has been doing it for survival and still barely making it. He's gotten skilled by necessity, they've gotten skilled by duty. Fire Force definitely handled the balance of duty and care a lot better.

I'll give this one more episode, but currently, I'm ready to drop this series. It's not living up to the disgusting amount of hype it got. It's fine, but it isn't holding my interest since I'm usually getting around to it days later.

[MFauli]

It's not living up to the disgusting amount of hype it got.

This really seems to be this anime biggest problem right now. The obscene hype it received prior to airing. Like, everyone was like "THIS IS THE MUST WATCH!!!1". Turns out it's okay, maybe will become great, but it's certainly not for everyone and it didn't exactly have an explosive start.

[Ryllharu]

This really seems to be this anime biggest problem right now. The obscene hype it received prior to airing. Like, everyone was like "THIS IS THE MUST WATCH!!!1". Turns out it's okay, maybe will become great, but it's certainly not for everyone and it didn't exactly have an explosive start.

Same issues that I have with Kaguya and Komi-san. I'm just on the other side of the fence, since arguably Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute and Spy x Family have the same problem.

[DarthEnderX]

Yeah, people have been raving about the manga for awhile now. So it makes sense the anime would be hyped.

This really seems to be this anime biggest problem right now. The obscene hype it received prior to airing. Like, everyone was like "THIS IS THE MUST WATCH!!!1". Turns out it's okay, maybe will become great, but it's certainly not for everyone and it didn't exactly have an explosive start.

I mean...we're on episode 2 here people.

I would have said the exact same thing about, say, Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen.

[Ryllharu]

I mean...we're on episode 2 here people.

I would have said the exact same thing about, say, Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen.

I'm not slamming the series or claiming it is overrated. It does interesting things thematically and narratively, but not hooking me. It is getting the three-episode test like I said I would from the preview thread.

I just don't expect it to pass.

It's different when you're not watching the first episode the same day. The hype got more severe, like everyone praising the OP as the most innovative and amazing OP ever. Which like...no. It has film references in it. Cool. Moving on.

Jujutsu Kaisen has no hook either and I've never given a single shit about that series despite its huge prominence in Japan. Demon Slayer had a hook in that it proceeds on realistic time frames, then compounded by revealing a setting twist of being Taishō era after leading on in the first episodes that it was set further back, which was enough.

There's some really over-inflated hyped series out there, especially ones that aren't even action-shonen. But Chainsaw Man isn't overrated. It meets expectations.