Chainsaw Man (2022)

[チェンソーマン]

Director: Ryu Nakayama, Masato Nakazono
Studio: MAPPA
Starring: Kikunosuke Toya, Tomori Kusunoki, Shogo Sakata
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A young Devil Hunter fuses with his Devil companion to gain the power to realize his dreams.

Impressions:
From what I gathered from the buzz, this was easily the most anticipated series of the season. I honestly didn't think much of the pre-release hype, but I was going to give it a shot. I was quickly won over by this stylish little gem packed with bloody action and fun humor. On a very superficial level, it bears some resemblance to Jujutsu Kaisen (a fellow Shounen Jump series), but it definitely has its own identity. There's a lot of interesting stuff going on with the character dynamics with the simple and straightforward protagonist Denji playing off the brooding Aki, the kindred spirit Power, the expertly manipulative Makima, etc. The production values are through the roof. If you're like me and appreciated what MAPPA's been doing with Attack on Titan, you'll find even more to love here, mixing 2D and 3D rather well and flexing their skills even in what should be mundane scenes. The OP is very slick and we get spoiled with unique EDs for each episode. I enjoyed this loads, to the point I could almost overlook the weekly dose of pain that was Shinobi no Ittoki. If you're in the mood for a bloody good time, this definitely warrants a place in your collection.

Rating:
Own It