Fujimoto addresses the Chainsaw Man fanbase once more with Denji’s newest low

The current installment of the Chainsaw Man manga has brought a new level of complexity to Denji’s persona from the previous part. It follows his decision to abandon his role as Chainsaw Man and instead pursue a regular life with Nayuta and his beloved pet canines.

Despite this, the Chainsaw Man fanbase may not always view Denji in a positive light. In fact, they have a tendency to ridicule his character for his seemingly absurd and often selfish desires, rather than sympathizing with him.

Therefore, the mangaka, Tatsuki Fujimoto, frequently uses the manga to showcase this characteristic of the fans by portraying certain characters who declare themselves as devoted followers of Chainsaw Man.

How Tatsuki Fujimoto Addressed Fans in Chainsaw Man Chapter 166

Denji, known as Chainsaw Man, has amassed a huge fan base, resulting in the formation of high school clubs and even a church dedicated to him. Although he initially enjoyed the attention and recognition, a series of unfortunate events and threats from the Devil Hunters of Public Safety led him to renounce this life and move on.

Despite Denji’s initial attempt at leading a normal life with Nayuta and his dogs, it was short-lived as things quickly spiraled out of control. In fact, the recent chapters of the manga have shown Denji hitting rock bottom multiple times, from almost losing Nayuta forever to enduring the gruesome fate of being dismembered alive.

Despite being saved by Asa Mitaka and a few others in the end, Denji faced another setback in the recently released chapter 166 of the manga. In an attempt to regain his strength, Asa and the others took Denji to a sushi restaurant. However, on their way there, Denji became distracted by his other desires and lost sight of his main goal of saving Nayuta.

Denji and Pochita as seen in the anime (image via MAPPA)

Denji’s priorities hit him hard as he came to the realization of how much he had lost track of them. He crumbled and held himself accountable for constantly making incorrect decisions and succumbing to his desires over sound judgment.

Despite beating himself up for his poor life choices, Denji received no comfort or sympathy from those around him. In fact, one individual even laughed at his situation, causing Denji to angrily declare that it was not a laughing matter.

It can be argued that Tatsuki Fujimoto was indirectly criticizing a large portion of the fanbase who, despite their admiration for Chainsaw Man, often fail to recognize Denji as a human being. This is further evidenced by various characters in the manga, such as Haruka Iseumi, Nobana Higashiyama, Barem Bridge, and Fumiko Mifune, who show little to no affection for Denji as a person beyond his identity as a wielder of the chainsaw.

It was without a doubt that Denji had endured an incredibly sorrowful existence, where each passing day seemed to bring him to a new rock bottom. The people he held dear, such as Pochita, Aki, Power, Nayuta, and even his beloved pet dogs, were all tragically taken away from him. Despite this, Denji never allowed himself to properly grieve, resulting in his eventual mental breakdowns and frequent questioning of his own existence.

Despite the hardships and suffering that Denji had to endure in his life, many fans of the series only ever admire his alter-ego, Chainsaw Man, and fail to recognize the true struggles he has faced.

Fujimoto seized the moment to address these fans in the most recent chapter of the manga. Through the actions of Haruki and Nobana, who showed no concern or empathy towards the person they had been fixating on, he subtly highlighted their behavior.