Return of Asa's bully in Chainsaw Man chapter 196 proves one character's efforts fruitless

Modified Mar 12, 2025 20:00 GMT

Return of Asa's bully in Chainsaw Man chapter 196 proves one character's efforts fruitless (Image via Shueisha)

The release of Chainsaw Man chapter 196 earlier this week also marked the release of one of the most informative and exciting issues in the entirety of Part 2 thus far. Credit for such an achievement falls mainly on the shoulders of the Death Devil’s introduction and the reappearance of and first full look at Fakesaw Man.

However, Chainsaw Man chapter 196 also featured a less obvious return in the form of Asa Mitaka’s bully, affectionately referred to by the fandom as “Cindy” due to having no canon name. What’s significant about the return of “Cindy” is that it proves one character’s efforts, as seen early on in Part 2’s plot, are fruitless, given how her behavior has yet to change.

Behavior Asa’s bully shows in Chainsaw Man chapter 196 proves Yuko’s rampage all but pointless

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Long before Chainsaw Man chapter 196’s release, fans first met Cindy in the context of being one of Asa Mitaka’s bullies at school. She and two other girls were implied to be the ones who put raw chicken in Asa’s shoes after she unintentionally killed the Chicken Devil Bucky. Cindy and her friends were also seen rebuking Asa for, in their eyes, “trying to get a boyfriend so soon after what she did” to Bucky.

Asa met Yuko shortly after these events took place, and Yuko immediately realized that Asa was being bullied. After acquiring powers from the Fire Devil, who was marketed to her as the Justice Devil, she promised to take care of Asa’s bullying problem.

This led to her rampage throughout the school, where she came very close to killing Cindy before Denji stepped in as Chainsaw Man. This saved Cindy’s life, allowing her to reappear in this latest issue.

However, fans immediately pointed out that Cindy’s behavior hadn’t changed at all, thanks to Yuko’s actions. Her bullying of the Death Devil in Chainsaw Man chapter 196 highlighted this: the same vitriol she once attacked Asa with. While it’s a subtle moment unimportant to the plot of chapter 196, it shows that Yuko’s efforts, which ended in tragedy, were sadly in vain due to Cindy not changing her ways.

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Yet it’s unlikely mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto chose to have her return here solely to communicate this fact. This seems especially true given that Cindy has a specific dialogue with the Death Devil, which is clearly intended as bullying.

Rather, this is likely the setup for later developments and the beginning of a larger role she’ll play in Part 2. One of the most obvious potential roles is that Cindy will be the one who causes the Death Devil to begin hating humanity.

This would also make sense, as Death seems to be acting out of a desire to save humanity rather than her hatred for it. Cindy’s actions may give fans the Death Devil they initially expected, lending further credence to the shocking way Fujimoto has introduced her.

It’s also possible that the Death Devil’s rampage will finally convince her to change her ways, setting up a touching moment with Asa, which will full-circle her protagonistic journey.

Final thoughts

Yuko's final act is proven fruitless in Chainsaw Man chapter 196 (Image via Shueisha)

Regardless of what Fujimoto has planned for the canonically unnamed character colloquially known as Cindy, her return here almost certainly has some greater meaning.

At the same time, it’s nevertheless effective as commentary on Yuko’s sacrifice (and in a chapter where Yuko’s potential killer returns). This is unlikely to be its only purpose, but fans can expect to see more of Cindy as Part 2 approaches its end.

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Edited by Joseph Brogan