Aki Hayakawa from Chainsaw Man has always been a fan favorite. Since his introduction at the beginning of the series, his stoic, mature, and sometimes blunt yet soft-hearted personality had viewers gushing over him. Added to this, his relationship with Denji, Power, and Himeno were ones to be envied.
Another face that drew fans in was a certain Angel Devil. He is part of the Public Safety Devil Hunters, and unlike other devils, he harbors no hostility towards humans. Extremely laid back and averse to combat, he prefers to take a backseat in almost all situations.
These two very different individuals' fates were intertwined and they ended up becoming partners. Given their respective attitudes, the pair strangely were able to gel very well together.
Chainsaw Man: Relation between Aki Hayakawa and the Angel Devil
Aki Hayakawa and the Angel Devil developed an interesting relationship as the series progressed. With Aki's aim to kill all devils and Angel's extreme aloofness, this was considered nearly impossible. Yet, to everyone's surprise and delight, they worked really well together and many were of the opinion that they might be more than just work colleagues and friends.
However, this is not the case. Aki Hayakawa and the Angel Devil are not in love. The biggest reason stands as them being straight males. It has been proved at points in the series that they are solely interested in the opposite gender.
How it started
Aki Hayakawa, a Public Safety Devil Hunter, is serious about his job. Stoic, mature, and duty-oriented, he does what it takes to protect those close to him. Due to unfortunate accidents with devils in the past, he hates them and wants to exterminate them all.
Meanwhile, the Angel Devil is sort of the opposite of him. Also a Public Safety Devil Hunter, he is very easy-going, immature and shirks work where he can. He prefers a sideline of the action rather than being part of it. He bears no hostility towards humans but believes that human lives must end in suffering. He claims to be a devil and then an angel.
Aki and Angel first met in Chainsaw Man while working together to subdue a group of terrorists. Blood splatters all over Angel and he asks the former for a handkerchief. However, he is surprised when Aki does hand him one. This first interaction ignites the spark for a popular ship, AkiAngel.
The Angel Devil then reveals that he is avoided by all as he takes away life spans when touched to gain strength. But Aki replies saying that he was certain that the thin cloth between their fingertips was enough to protect him. This moment shows that he is not afraid of Angel like most.
A beautiful friendship
Following this encounter, the two are repeatedly paired up and sent on other missions. Watching them develop a high level of communication and camaraderie, Makima orders Aki to work with Angel and compels him to follow orders regardless. She reveals the truth of how Angel joined Public Safety and Aki surprisingly shows no disdain.
Previously, Aki has been successful in working secretly while fulfilling missions. But this time he was unable to and spills the beans to Angel when the pair argue on a park bench during a mission.
As time passes, the two get closer and discuss many things such as Angel's countryside dream, Aki's aim to kill the Gun Devil, and others.
The Chainsaw Man world grows more chaotic but the two stay by each other's side. A common point between them is a death wish, but one always encourages the other to go on living.
They even go to Hell and back, quite literally! Each is the exception to the other's staunch belief - Angel hates humans but cares deeply for Aki and the latter despises devils but always protects Angel.
In conclusion
Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man has developed a reputation for having sharp and impressive writing. Each character is unique and has a personality of their own. Aki Hayakawa and Angel are no exception.
Two very different individuals yet so similar. The bromance between them is what is so alluring and adds life to the series. There is no romance between them, rather a deep brotherhood, understanding, and care that made AkiAngel so popular.