Chainsaw Man fully explains Asa's plan to save Denji, and it's as bonkers as Fujimoto's every other creation

Modified May 14, 2024 23:38 GMT

Chainsaw Man fully explains Asa's plan to save Denji, and it's as bonkers as Fujimoto's every other creation (Image via MAPPA Studios)

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 saw the Chainsaw Man manga finally and fully reveal Famine Devil Fami and Asa’s plan to save Denji via the separation of him from his powers. While fans had very specific expectations of what the issue would cover going into its release, Fujimoto once again subverted these expectations and went in a very different direction.

Likewise, Famine Devil Fami and Asa’s plan to save Denji and kill Chainsaw Man was finally and fully explained, with Denji the the titular Devil being identified as two separate entities. While not the direction fans were expecting chapter 165 to go, most readers are nevertheless thankful for this explanation finally being given in the series.

However, some readers are taking issue with the plan, arguing that it doesn’t fall in line with Fujimoto’s typical style (especially in the context of how Part 2 is written). In reality, it does match the mangaka’s modus operandi, and harkens back to a setup of this approach in the final chapters of the series’ first part.

Famine Devil Fami’s plan to kill Chainsaw Man, explained

Expand Tweet

In chapter 165, Fami finally explains her plan to kill Chainsaw Man fully to both Denji and Asa Mitaka. She does this via establishing her intricate knowledge of how Denji is able to access his powers in the first place, claiming it’s his heart’s power which makes him the titular hero. In other words, it’s the power of a contract, specifically the contract he made with the Chainsaw Devil Pochita.

She asserts that the terms of his contract with Pochita require him to live a normal life, and that if the contract is broken, then the heart’s owner will emerge. This is, of course, the true version of the titular hero, seen fighting Makima in the final arcs of Part 1 after she forcibly broke Denji’s contract with Pochita.

In other words, this plan has already been confirmed as being able to work via this scene from the series’ first part.

However, Fami takes it a step further, alleging that if they’re able to defeat the real Chainsaw Man and transplant a human heart into Denji, he’ll become an ordinary human again. This does, of course, also mean that he can no longer become the series’ titular hero since he’ll be unable to access Pochita’s powers once his current heart is removed.

How Asa’s plan to save Denji perfectly fits Fujimoto’s writing style, explained

Expand Tweet

As mentioned above, one of the biggest reasons why Asa Mitaka and Fami’s plan does indeed fall in line with Fujimoto’s writing style is the setup for the plan which was achieved via Part 1’s final fight.

The specific moment which set it up was Makima pulling “Denji’s” heart out of his stomach and revealing it to be a Pochita-shaped mass. In reality, however, this was Pochita and not Denji, with the real Denji having separated himself from Pochita to set up an ambush.

Combined with Makima breaking Denji’s contract just before this final fight and bringing out the real Chainsaw Man, it’s clear that Fujimoto’s writing style does indeed fall in line with Asa’s plan. This is further supported by how violent the plan would be, also fitting Fujimoto’s ultraviolent approach to the series’ fights and deaths.

There’s also the fact that the plan revolves around Denji’s heart, or in other words who he is as a human. With the narrative of Fujimoto’s series being a character driven one, this plan falls in line perfectly with Denji’s character development and the distinction of who or what he is.

In nearly every meaningful aspect, Asa and Fami’s plan to save Denji falls perfectly in line with the series’ themes, genres, motifs, and of course, overall writing style.