Chainsaw Man chapter 156: Asa's reappearance teased as Denji's horrific fate is sealed

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 released on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, bringing with it the incredibly exciting continuation of the series’ Chainsaw Man War arc. However, the issue opens up with a more tranquil focus, continuing on from Denji’s reawakening in what appeared to be a hospital during the previous release.

Unfortunately, fans’ worst fears are confirmed in Chainsaw Man chapter 156, as it’s revealed that Denji has indeed been taken to a medical facility run by Public Safety.

Likewise, the consequences of his recent actions come back to haunt him and seemingly seal him into a horrific fate as a result.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 reveals Public Safety’s plans for Denji as a rescue is set up

Chainsaw Man chapter 156: How the mighty fall

Expand Tweet

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 began with Denji looking out the window near his bed at a helicopter and a plume of smoke rising in the distance.

Seemingly waking up fully, he begins to have a horrified look on his face as he calls out to Nayuta. Someone then asks him if he’s awake, revealed to be Hirofumi Yoshida who had been watching over him.

Denji asks where Nayuta is, but Yoshida doesn’t respond, prompting him to ask what happened to her again. Yoshida responds that he doesn’t know as Denji tries to get out of bed while asking where she is.

However, he immediately falls to the floor and cries out in pain, as Yoshida leans down and seemingly pats him on the head while revealing Denji has been asleep for an entire week.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 sees Yoshida claim he won’t be able to walk right away as a result, while Denji asks why Yoshida didn’t wake him up earlier. With a stoic look on his face, Yoshida gets back up and turns away, before saying that he thought he was clear enough even for Denji to understand that if he became Chainsaw Man again, he’d lose his normal life.

With Nayuta's location and status unknonw as of Chainsaw Man chapter 156, Public Safety could already be turning her into Makima 2.0 (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Yoshida says that as Denji broke the rules with his latest transformation, there’s nothing more he can do to help him.

Yoshida leaves the room as Denji passes out, revealing that he used a sedative on Denji when he was seemingly patting the boy’s head. Fumiko Mifune tells Yoshida he did a good job by doing so before looking solemnly at the ground.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 sees her ask if Public Safety seriously intends to dismember Denji, which Yoshida confirms. With a cheery expression, she asks if she can pluck out some of his hairs or nails before they start so she can add it to her collection.

Yoshida comments how he thought she was a Chainsaw Man fan, which she confirms by adding she’s a collector, seemingly contradicting her prior claim that she’s a Denji fan.

The issue features a few black panels, before Pochita’s feet appear. A close-up shot of just Denji’s mouth then appears, telling Pochita he has to get up. Pochita asks why, to which the former responds that he has to go save Nayuta.

Pochita questions how Denji can save her without his legs, as it’s revealed that he’s currently unconscious and being operated and tested on by Public Safety with his right leg already cut off and being bandaged.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156: War or Bomb?

Expand Tweet

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 sees a doctor call for the preparation of suction before using what appears to be a bone saw to cut off Denji’s left leg at the midway point between the ankle and knee. Denji stays asleep throughout this, as the doctor calls the amputation of “right leg 26” successful, before saying they’ll start on right leg 27.

It’s then revealed that a Special Division agent is also present after being asked to leave the room due to smoking during the operation procedures. The Special Division agent responds that he can’t leave, as he’s under orders to kill Denji if he flees.

It’s then revealed that they’re at the Tokyo Devil Detention Center, a place no Devil has escaped from since its founding.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 sees the agent elaborate that armed personnel are on-site 24/7, and that the Center is prepared for any contingency, including this latest Chainsaw Man incident.

He comments that it would “take a war” to compromise the facility’s safety as someone is teased to have arrived outside at the issue’s end. While the author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto is clearly teasing Asa, given the above final line of dialogue, the socks and shoes shown suggest that it could also be Reze.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156: In summation

Expand Tweet

While certainly a distressful issue, Chainsaw Man chapter 156 is nevertheless of an extremely high quality and likely one of the best installments to the series in recent memory.

Likewise, both the issue’s quality and the distress it offers fans are heightened by knowing that Denji did this to himself, breaking the rules which were so clearly laid out to him.

The issue also does a fabulous job with its final tease, seemingly setting up either Bomb Girl Reze or Asa Mitaka and War Devil Yoru to rescue Denji from the Detention Center.

While the dialogue suggests this unknown individual to be Asa, the design of their socks and shoes very closely matches that of Reze’s own outfit, suggesting that it could be her as well.