A review by vintovka
Chainsaw Man, Vol. 11 by Tatsuki Fujimoto

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Goddamn did I love the first part of CSM.

I found the most interesting themes the existential ones.
Most characters lead empty lives based on lies, a lot meet cruel purposeless death, and the surviving ones don't have any grand perspectives.
Is it even worth living in this capitalistic exploitive society? What meaning can you find in such existence? CSM's answer lies in love and intimate connection, which is a bit banal, but given in the most heartwarming way. 

It works so well because of CSM's cast of characters. They're all very likeable, mostly because CSM treats all of them as people deserving of sympathy. They also feel overwhelmingly real and close and relatable, which for me is rare in shounen genre. I can easily see myself being any one of them, and I understand why they are the way they are. 

I also want to note CSM's pacing and drawing style. The author takes full advantage of the manga medium in original but also very intuitive ways.

Worth mentioning is deconstruction of a lot shounen tropes in general. The lack of typical "anime bullshit", overload of fanservice and useless filler is also a huge plus. CSM is the manga I would recommend to people who don't like/are not into anime.

CSM p.1 is only the beginning of the whole story, but it stands perfectly on its own too. I am very excited for p.2 and hope it will hold to the high standard set by its predecessor.
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