Chainsaw Man Episode 9 review: The episode you’ve been waiting for

❘ Updated: 2022-12-06T19:49:25

Crunchyroll

Chainsaw Man kicks into gear in the action-packed Episode 9, with some plot and character twists worth waiting for.

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 9 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 really starts to bring the show up to an interesting level, and we can’t wait to get into it. So first, spoiler warning for Chainsaw Man ahead…

Chainsaw Man has a nine-episode rule

Anime generally goes by the three-episode rule. That being, you need to watch the first three episodes of a show before you decide whether or not you like it.

However, when it comes to certain anime, it can actually take a bit longer for the plot to really start gripping you. For example, I was grimly disinterested in Attack on Titan until Eren was revealed to be a Titan himself. And now, the same can be said for Chainsaw Man. While so far it has had some cool moments and fun characters, I was starting to wonder if this show just wasn’t for me.

However, I can safely say that while this episode didn’t have quite the big reveal as AOT did, it has finally gotten me invested in the show’s story.

After last episode ended with almost all of our known characters on deaths door, and multiple other agents shot dead, this episode was no doubt going to raise and change the stakes.

And it did just that, as it seems like the Gun Devil is trying to get Denji captured, for who knows what reason. There’s also been hints that there are more chainsaw people out there, which creates some interesting lore. This added to the fact that some characters are still kicking the bucket (unlike Makima, who we will get to in a bit), and you have the beginning of an actual driving plot.

The only thing that has yet to take precedence is a real enemy presence. We know that the Gun Devil will be a big antagonist, and we’ve now met enemies with devil powers. But we have yet to see a big bad truly take up space onscreen as a major character, which is an issue that the show will hopefully rectify soon.

The action is speeding up

There’s more chainsaw action in this episode, and the choreography is starting to speed up, what with Denji fighting against someone with similar abilities. The CGI does still make the action a tad stilted, and there is yet to be a fight that has really wowed, but it seems like we are still getting used to everyone’s specialized skills.

For example, the scene with Makima is really something interesting. Her demon contract, and the way she is able to so calmly take out her enemies, is truly intimidating, and she’s not even a villain. Not only that, but the way the camera holds on characters’ reactions hints that there is far more to her notoriety and abilities than what we know.

And, thank the heavens, it can finally be understood why Kobeni is in this show. While overly cowardly characters are still an annoying trope, she was able to actually show off her skills this time around, and she was really something to behold, creating a true bait-and-switch scene.

The show also seemed to have some restraint surrounding its depiction of her anxiety, portraying something understandable, rather than unbearable. It’s a shame that she may be quitting the division after she finally became someone worth watching.

But with what remains of the specialised divisions being thrown into one group at the very end of this episode, it seems like next episode will an introduction to a bunch of new characters, and potentially new plot points. Let’s just see if they can keep this intrigue going.

Chainsaw Man Episode 10 premieres on Crunchyroll on December 13.

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