Chainsaw Man Part 2 proves once again that no Devil is a match for true human evil, and it might be worse than Part 1

Modified Aug 14, 2024 04:30 GMT

Chainsaw Man Part 2 proves once again that no Devil is a match for true human evil, and it might be worse than Part 1 (Image via MAPPA Studios)

With the release of chapter 174 earlier today, Chainsaw Man Part 2 once again hammered home that in the world of mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto’s series, humanity is the true evil present. While this has been touched on throughout the series at large and the second part specifically, the latest events in the series have truly driven it home.

Likewise, although this theme was present in Part 1, Chainsaw Man Part 2 seems to be elevating it to new heights and truly placing it at the narrative center of the story. Both chapter 174 and prior installments in the second part help to illustrate both the presence of this theme and how much more intense and pervasive it is.

Chainsaw Man Part 2 continues to use humanity’s evil as a core, pillar-like theme for the series

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The latest release in Chainsaw Man Part 2 serves as the best example of how Devils are simply inferior to humans in-series in terms of their evil and sinisterness. Essentially, the Japanese Prime Minister and his advisors are seen accepting a deal in which they trade the lives of 10 thousand children for the erasure of the Primal Devil, the Aging Devil. While they argue that they’re doing it for the safety of Japan, the full context of the scene suggests otherwise.

For one, most of the government members seen in the issue discussing the contract are of an older age. Likewise, the youngest among them seems to be Miki Takanashi, suggested by nature of his having four children who are implicitly threatened as a part of the 10 thousand. This can be inferred via the fact that the Aging Devil restricts these ten thousands in the age range of infancy to nine years old.

Given this inclusion of Takanashi’s hesitation, both as a father of young children and the youngest of the group, it suggests that the others are acting with their own self interest. This is further supported by the fact that the one who actually agrees to the deal, Tadashi Hasegawa, is clearly the oldest, weakest, and feeblest of them all. Chainsaw Man Part 2 is clearly emphasizing here that it’s their own self interests motivating them rather than Japan’s safety.

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In turn, this emphasizes how evil humanity can be when presented with such omnipotent and unworldly opportunities at power and longevity. Whereas it’s publicly and socially accepted that adults are meant to protect children, Fujimoto is showing that the leaders of Japan view themselves as those worth saving. In a way, this mirrors Makima’s original contract with the Japanese government, which sacrificed random citizens to grant her effective immortality.

There are also many other moments in Chainsaw Man Part 2 which drive home that humans are the truly evil ones when compared to Devils. The character Takagi serves as a good example of this, initially claiming that he’s never done anything wrong in his life. However, he then admits to cheating on his wife for six months. While it’s obviously not to the same degree as the above, it nevertheless also shows how evil and delusional humanity can be at times.

Barem Bridge’s recent cruel manipulation of Denji and manner of revealing to him that Control Devil Nayuta was killed serves as another great representation. As a Hybrid, it means that Barem is just as human as Asa Mitaka and Denji are. Likewise, his cruel, evil, and unjust actions can be referred to as reflective of humanity rather than Devil nature. Again, it drives home the idea that humans are truly evil, whereas Devils are, relatively speaking, just plain bad.

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As mentioned above, these themes are also present in Part 1, but to a much lesser degree. The aforementioned contract Makima had with the Japanese government serves as one example. There’s also the United States president’s sacrificing of the American people’s lifespan to contract with 20% of the Gun Devil. Like the above, both of these show that there are those in humanity who’d sacrifice others’ lives and happiness in order to achieve their own desires.

With this in mind, Chainsaw Man Part 2 feels like the culmination of these themes. Denji is constantly suffering at the hands of other humans rather than Devils. Likewise, Asa Mitaka’s most painful moments in the series have been shown to be caused by humans rather than Devils. There’s little to no doubt that, as Chainsaw Man Part 2 continues, Fujimoto will continue to use various characters and events to drive home this message.