The following contains spoilers for Episode 5 of Chainsaw Man, "GUN DEVIL," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
It's safe to say Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man is quite a divisive property. With the anime in its early stages, fans are soaking in the gory scenes of Denji on the warpath, killing devils/demons in Japan for the Public Safety Unit. He's harnessing the abilities of his own devil, Pochita, after a unique bond, with Power as the team's other rookie as they go about graphic missions.
However, as his trainer, Aki Hayakawa, has noted, Denji doesn't seem focused, with his perverted mind locked onto something quite juvenile. This is unfortunately his adolescent urge to fondle the ladies in the series, making Denji a really creepy character. But following a quirky revelation from one of Hayakawa's associates, Chainsaw Man wasted the chance to actually subvert this aspect of the manga into something more palpable and respectful.
Chainsaw Man Has Denji Achieving His Naughty Dream
Denji's been obsessed with groping the bosoms of both Makima and Power, akin to Naruto's Jiraiya. After helping rescue Power's kitten, Meowy, he gets his way with her in the toilet, and later on in the office, Makima gives him permission as well. It's admittedly a warped purpose, which does point to how immature Denji is.
But let's be honest: given the stigmas associated with anime/manga, and the optics of the world at the moment, Denji's main goal just isn't wholesome. Even if he doesn't like saving the planet, the fact he's making money to kill devils should suffice. But to include him ogling, lusting and craving after these women so vociferously doesn't resonate in an era where pop culture is trying to cut back flagrant depictions of predators and toxic males as something cute. Not to mention, the hyper-sexualization and objectification of females -- especially as Power is a teen -- does promote rape culture in a sense.
Chainsaw Man Could Have Reduced Denji's Goal
Notably, when Chainsaw Man's crew undertakes another job in Episode 5, Himeno jokes with Denji how she'd be up for a kiss. But he's got to be efficient in killing their target devil at a hotel, which results in Denji going all out. It's playful and nods to the teen romantic comedies over the decades like Trojan War, Can't Hardly Wait and the ilk.
Those films did have some disturbing arcs in retrospect, but overall they're far more digestible than say, American Pie, which seems to be the testosterone-filled energy Denji matches at the moment. As for Himeno, she's playing Denji and her colleague Arai, leading to them scuffling over who'd get the prize in the end.
Again, it's cheeky, nodding to Zack and Slater from Saved By the Bell, which could have seen Denji simply trying to get his first kiss -- whether it be Makima, Power or Himeno. It would greatly reduce his ambitions to something more respectful, while honoring how he's a misguided teen now thrust from a world of poverty to a corporate world where he's either liked or manipulated. Ultimately, it's a softer stance and a trope used in rom-coms for some time, shifting away from something right now that's very uncomfortable to watch as Denji stakes his claim on these ladies.