Chainsaw Man: Denji's shallow facade hides one of the best new-gen shonen protagonists

Following the first few episodes of the Chainsaw Man anime, many fans had deemed Denji’s character to be one of the shallowest in the story. Seemingly obsessed with his carnal desires, fans critiqued how childish a protagonist he appeared to be, even going by shonen manga standards.

Although Chainsaw Man fans saw the beginning of Denji’s maturation in the series’ first part, these are mere inklings of what’s to come. Meanwhile, the manga’s second part has shown Denji’s gradual character development as a result of many events.

Follow along as this article fully breaks down how Denji’s shallow facade in Chainsaw Man hides one of the best new-gen shonen protagonists.

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Denji’s carnal desires represent where he comes from and how much growth potential he has in Chainsaw Man

Why Denji is one of the best new-gen shonen protagonists

When fans first met Denji, it was revealed that both his parents were dead by the time he turned 10 years old. Since then, Denji and Pochita managed to survive on the measly income they made by working as Devil Hunters for the Yakuza, as seen in Chainsaw Man episode one.

It is evident that Denji has a life which is far from luxurious, let alone one which fulfills all the basic needs of survival. These factors invariably shape his mindset at the beginning of the series, wherein simply receiving three meals a day and a proper bed to sleep in prompts him to call it “the good life.”

Similarly, his carnal desires had a strong hold over him at the beginning of Chainsaw Man. With his basic needs for survival fulfilled, Denji turned to see to his almost primal needs, since happiness to him is what many would call a part of their everyday life. As a result, he doesn’t feel a need to chase things like love or friendship, being content instead with fulfilling physical desires such as the need for food and s*x.

Admittedly, it makes the first part of the series somewhat difficult to get through. Those who watch the anime may find it hard to relate to someone who can’t see beyond their most basic needs and wants. Furthermore, Denji is someone who often confuses his needs and wants, having been familiar with little apart from a poor life, thereby further confusing, infuriating, and alienating viewers.

However, this is his character only at the beginning of Chainsaw Man, and by the fifth episode, fans can already see a change underway. Despite being so excited to feel Power’s chest, he goes into an almost existential crisis over how underwhelming the feeling was. In the same episode, fans see him discover that what he wanted was to do it with Makima, whom he has emotional feelings for.

Denji himself even says as much to Himeno while rejecting her at the end of the episode, despite being goaded into playing her game after being offered a French kiss. However, this is done more to the effect of showing that despite being on the right path, Denji still has a long way to go. He is, after all, a teenage boy.

There’s another instance later on in Chainsaw Man where Denji yet again proves he’s on the right path, rejecting s*x with Himeno due to his love for Makima. Thus, he begins to realize that what he desires isn’t purely physical, but rather based on his own emotions for the person who saved him from his previous life.

This depicts a noteworthy change and instance of maturation from the first episode, which sees him simply say that his dream is “to score with a girl.” It also implicitly deepens Denji’s character, showing that as his needs are met, his wants will change. This allows him to be a character who is constantly growing and moving forward, whereas other shonen protagonists remain fixated on one goal.

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In summation

While other series will set one major, overarching goal for their characters at the beginning of the story, Chainsaw Man has its protagonist continuously evolving and longing for more. While this depth is hidden under an incredibly shallow facade, this is done to the effect of showing readers his journey from a seemingly two-dimensional protagonist to the malleable, ever-changing character that he is.

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