Chainsaw Man - Ch. 150 - Dream's Next Stage

[Big_Boss]

It's really weird how this series feels like it is simultaneously rushing and dragging its feet. So much is happening, but at the same time, nothing that feels particularly relevant has happened yet. One-note characters are introduced and killed off with zero development, by nothing villains that appeared a couple chapters before, with nonsensical plots that achieve nothing but kill some faceless mobs. What even is the plot at this point? Whether or not Denji becomes CSM again? To what end? To clear up the non-mystery about the fake/black CSM?

A bit of speedreading?

Spoiler

Plot is Devil of Hunger wants War and Chainsaw to be get stronger, so they can kill an apocalyplse level devil of death that will soon come down to earth.

Thanks for translation, those poor dogs and cat =(

 

[StandFab]

It's really weird how this series feels like it is simultaneously rushing and dragging its feet. So much is happening, but at the same time, nothing that feels particularly relevant has happened yet. One-note characters are introduced and killed off with zero development, by nothing villains that appeared a couple chapters before, with nonsensical plots that achieve nothing but kill some faceless mobs. What even is the plot at this point? Whether or not Denji becomes CSM again? To what end? To clear up the non-mystery about the fake/black CSM?

Take a break from the series and come back when you can read more chapters together.

 

[the_legendary_klobb]

How can you claim nothing relevant is happening when the literal end of the world was recently confirmed as being just round the corner, which means that now half the world is trying to turn Asa and Denji into superweapons, and the other half wants them dead? Not to mention this chapter Denji finally saw his lifelong ambition realized. Literally his dream since chapter 1.

I'd understand the slow plot criticism if this was another cafe or cinema visit chapter, but when you comment it on this kinda chapter I really gotta wonder if you need to just read slower or something.

The plot I get, and I don't feel it's particularly slow. But at the same time you can't deny the evident dip in quality of writing, pacing and artwork when compared to part 1. This part feels way more incohesive, erratic and pointless at times, rather than slow. And I'm guessing Fujimoto had a big help from his previous assitants, because the current artstyle looks wacky and less polished than usual. Sometimes it feels like panels are missing in between, because it's getting harder to understand what's happening during the more dynamic scenes like the apartment fight between Asa and Yoshida (didn't have that problem for part 1)

 

[SilverArrow]

Bro thinks he Araki

 

[dowiet]

it's all fun and games until the dogs go up in flames

 

[luigiymario2]

Poor dogs Nayuta's bound to become super angry now too...

 

[CatLife]

Denji and Nyayuta probably

 

[Beraudo]

Time to John Wick everything and everyone.

 

[Makenai]

It's really weird how this series feels like it is simultaneously rushing and dragging its feet. So much is happening, but at the same time, nothing that feels particularly relevant has happened yet. One-note characters are introduced and killed off with zero development, by nothing villains that appeared a couple chapters before, with nonsensical plots that achieve nothing but kill some faceless mobs. What even is the plot at this point? Whether or not Denji becomes CSM again? To what end? To clear up the non-mystery about the fake/black CSM?

This is my biggest problem with the series right now. I feel like it would've been perfect to just stop after volume 11 at the end of part 1.
Don't get me wrong, it's still good but not as amazing as before. I feel like Fujimoto just writes on the go instead of the tight plot we had before.

 

[readersRequiem]

[Hawatari nioku centi starts playing ominously]

 

[geistchevalier]

May you suffer

 

[Mira995]

I must say, idgaf about makima's nameless dogs. They didn't individualize or develop them as characters so they were always more like accessories and inanimate things.

Meowy... Meowy is with them !!! you can't not care about Meowy !

 

[zeever]

U know what shorter than my dick? Yes, this chapter

 

[Eighty-six]

I must say, idgaf about makima's nameless dogs. They didn't individualize or develop them as characters so they were always more like accessories and inanimate things.

I don't think you're supposed to care about them (and Meowy) as characters in their own right, but rather in terms of what they meant to Denji: animate vestiges of his old friend (and Makima, who he did love despite her transgressions and apathy for him, Denji).

At that point it's the plot moving the character, not the character moving the plot isn't it.

...and?

I know you interpret this as a "bad thing" in its own right, but it doesn't mean anything if it isn't contextualized. A character being moved by "the plot" can serve a meaningful purpose-- like in most of part 1, where Denji was practically a dog on a leash with nearly all of his agency in the hands of someone else.

 

[K_Takuya]

A character being moved by "the plot" can serve a meaningful purpose-- like in most of part 1, where Denji was practically a dog on a leash with nearly all of his agency in the hands of someone else.

It's different back in Part 1 though. Back then everything Denji does was for the sake of "living a normal life". Being Makima's dog was (in denji's train of thought) a way to reach said goal for him. It was interesting to see Denji learn throughout his journey in the 1st part.

In part 2 he's in limbo not knowing what he wants, and everything that happened was just... pure external force. Just a bunch of jobbers making troubles. The best analogy i can make is that right now, Denji is like if Luffy from One Piece still became a pirate but wasn't aiming to be the Pirate King in the first place. Like, sure he'll face challenges but there's no real goal. No motivation. Just a bunch of villain-of-the-week making his life harder. It's boring. Sure you found joy in part 2 Denji already and I will not take that away from you or anyone who does, but surely you can see the point i'm trying to make here?

At this point I'd rather Fujimoto drops focusing on Asa and Denji altogether and just focus on the War Devil's journey to kill the Chainsaw Man. Like, at least Yoru is trying to do something.

 

[Eighty-six]

In part 2 he's in limbo not knowing what he wants,

The limbo that he's in is specifically choosing whether he wants to have a normal life OR be Chainsaw Man. In Part 1, he "became Chainsaw Man" in order to earn his "normal life", but the circumstances of the rest of the narrative are putting these two things at odds with each other in Part 2.

Obviously, he wants to be Chainsaw Man (as he says in the last stretch of part 1) AND he wants to maintain his normal life with Nayuta and their pets (as we've seen in part 2). His current conflict is that multiple parties want to control him in some fashion for their gains and have the means to force him into a choice of one or the other (thus, the talk that Barem had with Denji in the Chainsaw Man church). This also means they can keep him from freely seeking his desires.

I can't deny you your impression that what's happening is boring, but it's pretty clear that Denji's wrestling with forces trying to control him and prevent him from grasping his goals. Things aren't merely happening to him to push him along, though he is certainly being pushed.

 

[Drunkendeathknight]

Now he has done it, Nayuta will be angry too

 

[Dennis-aka-Denji]

At that point it's the plot moving the character, not the character moving the plot isn't it.

That sounds like creative writing class advice or something, and I'm really not keen on anything that implies there's one, proper and right way to construct a story. Especially when Chainsawman is the success it is precisely because it went against the grain and refused a lot of the tropes which make shonen such a bland, predictable genre.

I get what you mean with the lack of motivation in most characters, and it does get annoying at times, but I don't think a character without clear motivation is a bad thing in itself. It certainly isn't unrealistic, a lot of people just sort of meander through life. At the very least it seems justified story-wise. I mean, Denji is a dumb, confused teenager who has just about the most valuable thing in the world crammed into his chest - of course he's gonna be manipulated by everyone all the time, what chance does he have of moving the plot?

I guess what you're saying is the story would be more interesting if Denji and Asa were more like Kishibe and Makima? Driven and goal-oriented and all that? That may well be true. Might make the whole thing a bit too linear and simple tho? Like an action movie or something, man has a plan, we see it realized, the end. Maybe the whole confused teenagers thing is Kishimoto's attempt to avoid that. Sorry for the essay.

 

[K_Takuya]

Especially when Chainsawman is the success it is precisely because it went against the grain and refused a lot of the tropes which make shonen such a bland, predictable genre.

... What grain? if anything at this point CSM is following the Isekai's grain of "Oh I haven't even formed any goal but everyone is now trying to kill or manipulate me". Did you form your opinion on this series by watching youtubers or something?

It certainly isn't unrealistic, a lot of people just sort of meander through life.

well it's Boring. Who the hell reads a manga about a fucking dumbass with chainsaws sticking outta his head searching for REALISM???? Do you WANT to read about how a guy meander through life and just being pushed around by their environment????

Might make the whole thing a bit too linear and simple tho?

Do you even know what "LINEAR" even means in writing context or are you just throwing out words you don't really understand? This whole series has been fucking linear, everything has been happening in chronological order. What the fuck are you even talking about?????

 

[Dennis-aka-Denji]

... What grain? if anything at this point CSM is following the Isekai's grain of "Oh I haven't even formed any goal but everyone is now trying to kill or manipulate me". Did you form your opinion on this series by watching youtubers or something?


well it's Boring. Who the hell reads a manga about a fucking dumbass with chainsaws sticking outta his head searching for REALISM???? Do you WANT to read about how a guy meander through life and just being pushed around by their environment????


Do you even know what "LINEAR" even means in writing context or are you just throwing out words you don't really understand? This whole series has been fucking linear, everything has been happening in chronological order. What the fuck are you even talking about?????

I'll ignore most of the nonsense you spewed (yes, yes, chainsawman is basically isekai, sure) seeing as you seem incapable of a normal, civil discussion. I will however take you up on your offer to explain what linear means. See, dear angry person with limited knowledge which you're trying to make up for by being abrasive, linear doesn't have to pertain to a linear timeline just because we're talking manga. Anything that neatly follows its building blocks, going A to B to C without much deviation, is linear. If I say a street is linear, doesn't mean I'm talking about time, does it? So a manga being linear could just mean it's very focused on its plot and causality, not caring for anything other than what event caused what. Like an action movie would (really I explained it in my previous post, it's not that tough to understand).

If there's any other words that confuse you outside of the most obvious context, please don't bother me and just ask on reddit or something.