Chainsaw Man Episode 8, “Gunfire,” was amazing. The episode took a distinct turn partway through, flipping all our emotions upside down. When it ended, it took a moment to process everything that happened. This was the best episode in the anime so far, and reveals why the manga is as popular as it is.
Himeno was definitely the MVP of this episode. Her voice acting was phenomenal and sold all the different emotions she felt from beginning to end. And kudos to the animation used on Aki, which truly sold me on the horror he was feeling at the end.
This Chainsaw Man Episode 8 review is for anime-only viewers. There will be spoilers below. For the latest Chainsaw Man news, subscribe to our email list, choosing the “anime” category.
The Episode Had a Slow, Uncomfortable Start
The episode had a slow, uncomfortable start that left viewers vulnerable to the sharp turn it was going to take later. We began by replaying some scenes from the end of last week’s episode, this time from Himeno’s point of view. She tried to get Denji to sleep with her, but he ultimately turned her down because his heart is with Makima.
In the morning, she said she was black-out drunk and thankful that Denji turned her down. She and Denji had a lighthearted conversation, where they decided to be friends. She would help him get together with Makima, and he would help her get together with Aki. It was a cute scene, which really should have clued me into the fact that I was being lulled into a false sense of security.
Makima’s Trip Kicks Off the New Plot
Makima is on a trip to Kyoto for an important meeting. She’s uncomfortable with the whole ordeal, telling the man with her that these guys always leave her feeling so intimidated. On their trip, she and her traveling companion get ambushed, and we see Makima shot in the head.
While it looks like she’s dead, I can’t help but think that appearances are deceiving. We don’t know if she’s a Fiend, like Power (based on how her eyes appear) or — in the alternative — what kind of contract she might have with a Devil. She looks dead, but I don’t believe it.
Everyone in Division 6 Is Targeted
After this, a lot of people on the team are taken out by gunfire attacks. We see the guy with the glasses and his partner, whose names we didn’t learn last week, and a different scene with Fushi (who apparently has an unnamed Fiend partner.) We also see Kobeni and Arai in a scene of their own. Everyone is targeted at the same time by people with guns. Though we hear gunfire, we’re not shown if they were actually killed or not.
Chaos Happens Fast
At this point, the plot gains more and more moment, hurtling so fast that it’s tough to keep up.
In the next scene, we see Denji, Himeno, Aki, and Power enjoying a ramen meal together, but we know the respite is going to be short-lived. An older man begins saying really weird things, revealing that his grandfather was a “sweet man” with the Yakuza. If you recall, Denji contracted with the Yakuza to pay off his dad’s debt before they betrayed him. He and Pochita merged after they attempted to kill him.
“You loved him too, didn’t you Denji?” the man asks. He then reveals that the Gun Devil is after his heart. (Based on what the Eternity Devil said before, I’m going to guess there’s a huge bounty on Denji.) That’s when he shoots Denji in the head and manages to shoot Himeno too before Power reaches him and punches him.
(Because Denji was shot in the head and we know that won’t kill him, I’m using this to assume that Makima won’t die also.)
Aki calls on the Fox Devil to eat the man, but the Fox Devil can’t do it. There’s something weird about him, and he’s not quite demon or human.
He’s another Denji.
Apparently, the Yakuza have a “Denji” type of their own, only this guy has combined with some kind of katana or sword devil. He’s really powerful. Assuming Denji is even more powerful, I don’t think we’ve seen even the beginning of Denji’s abilities yet.
This man is just like him, with a sword in his head and swords for hands. There’s apparently a Denji “type,” just like there are fiends of varying abilities.
The introduction of this Denji-like being was shocking. We were told before that it was just a rumor that Denji types could exist, and now we see someone just like him.
Aki can only take him out by calling on the power of the Sword Devil he’s contracted with, because KatanaMan is too powerful for the Fox Devil.
Aki’s Sword Devil is creepy AF. It has a super huge hand or finger that appears when he spears someone, and Aki has to spear a person three times before the Devil swallows that person.
What IS this?
According to the blonde who shows up, Aki’s Sword Devil is actually the Curse Devil. This blonde person appears to be the trainer, kind of like Aki is to Denji, except she can bring her partners back from the dead.
KatanaMan can move really fast, and ends up spearing Aki in the back when he’s brought back to life. Now it looks like Aki is near death too. I think he can only come back from this if Power can save him.
Himeno loves Aki so much that she ends up giving her entire body over to the Ghost Devil so that it can use its full power to kill KatanaMan. Even that’s not easy, but the Devil-Human is taken out in the end.
It’s heartbreaking though, because Himeno’s gone. Her body has just disappeared. Is she dead? Or a ghost now? It’s hard to tell, but she’s definitely gone. The entire scene, where she gave over more and more of her, was gut-wrenching. And her final words about wanting Aki to cry for her… It was so perfectly done, I just can’t say enough about that scene.
Now she’s gone, and we’re left wondering who could have possibly survived that Yakuza attack.
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