Chainsaw Man chapter 181: Denji gives up as he and Yoru learn the rules of Aging's world

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 was expected to give significant focus to Denji following his return to the series after a very long absence from the series. Officially released on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the episode did give some focus to Denji but not nearly as much as fans were expecting or hoping for.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 instead spent most of its time focusing on Asa Mitaka and War Devil Yoru, who learn a shocking truth about the Aging Devil’s world. While this information does highlight one way out of the Aging Devil’s world, it doesn’t make this great escape any easier to pull off.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 sees Asa and Yoru learn of their millennium-long punishment in this world

Chainsaw Man chapter 181: A shocking discovery

Expand Tweet

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 begins with Asa Mitaka walking through the forest she and Denji were in while holding what appears to be a cloth of some sort. She’s telling herself not to panic and that she can figure this out, adding that she’s fine since this has happened before. She likens it to her experience with the Eternity Devil, adding that she knows how to escape.

Her plan is to perceive this space as hers, using her weaponization ability to then transform it into her own weapon. She assumes that this will return her and Denji to the real world. However, War Devil Yoru then appears, attempting to use the Gun Devil’s powers on herself. Asa is shocked by this and asks what she’s doing before realizing nothing happened and being shocked.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 sees Yoru explain that she was unable to use the Gun Devil’s power twice now, before trying to make a Twig Sword. Unfortunately, nothing happens, leading Yoru to point out that this is a different scenario since Devil powers seemingly won’t work here. Asa asks what they should do now, with her being in the backseat and Yoru now in control of their shared body.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 sees Yoru confirm that Devil powers won't work in Aging's world (Image via Shueisha)

Yoru admits that her strength is no match for the Aging Devil’s abilities as Asa asks her what the plan is. However, Yoru just scowls before angrily punching the tree she’s leaning against and cursing. She then hears someone say “ow,” revealing that what seems to be a woman is stuck inside the tree and speaking via the manifestation of her face on its trunk.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 sees Asa terrified to the point that she regains control over their shared body, then prompting her to scream and run away. She runs until she returns to and trips over Denji, at which point the Devil Hunter she met in chapter 180 reappears. He welcomes her back, now calling her Sanae rather than Ritsuko while asking if she saw a tree person.

The Devil Hunter reveals that once someone has lived in this world for a thousand years, they “can” turn into a tree like the others. The Devil Hunter specifically says can here, suggesting that some agency is involved in this process. Likewise, this may explain why there are people who’ve gone mad in this world; their sanity didn’t last for a thousand years, and they’re now unable to turn into trees.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181: A way out…?

Expand Tweet

In any case, Chainsaw Man chapter 181 sees the Devil Hunter further that becoming a tree is the key to returning to one’s body in the real world. After turning into a tree, it must rot away into soil, which will allow the minds and bodies of those trapped here to fully become one with nature. Once this happens, they’re able to return to reality.

Various shots of the forest are then shown, with almost all of the trees seen in these panels having some sort of face in their trunk. This would likewise suggest that almost all of, if not the entire forest is made up of people who’ve become trees. However, this doesn’t track with the idea that only one person has ever escaped from this world, suggesting that the tree path may not be as simple or straightforward as it seems.

Regardless, Chainsaw Man chapter 181 returns focus to Denji and Yoru, where the former is still sleeping and the latter is standing over him. Yoru definitively says that this is all his fault, repeating this while beginning to punch him despite the fact that he’s sleeping. She calls him chainsaw here, saying she’s stuck here because he always gets involved with weird and powerful Devils.

Denji seemingly gives up on life in Chainsaw Man chapter 181 (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Denji awakens with tears in his eyes and blood running from his nose, immediately beginning to apologize. He starts off by saying that everyone who gets involved with him winds up miserable and that he’s incredibly sorry likewise. He says he’ll stay “right here” in this world and reflect on his mistakes until he turns into a tree as his punishment.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181 sees him say that this punishment is for following his carnal desires without putting any thought behind them or the actions they force him to take. He’s sobbing continuously as he says this, clearly believing what he says and thinking that he is truly the problem in his life and in those of the people around him.

Yoru, now seemingly feeling bad for hitting and yelling at him, tells him to stop crying or else she’ll hit him again. However, Denji keeps sobbing while apologizing, with Yoru’s expression further suggesting that she has a legitimate emotional attachment to Denji. As she seemingly prepares to hit him again, she instead goes in to kiss him and is seemingly happy to do so despite the tears running down her face as the issue ends.

Chainsaw Man chapter 181: In summation

Expand Tweet

Rather than focusing on Denji, Chainsaw Man chapter 181 instead prioritized explaining the rules of the Aging Devil’s world via the lens of Asa and Yoru’s experiences. However, this also leads to the discovery that there’s no easy or quick way to escape the Aging Devil’s world. The issue then ends by further teasing that Yoru does have genuine affection for Denji.