The following contains spoilers for the Chainsaw Man manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, available now in English through Viz Media's Shonen Jump imprint, as well as Season 1 of the anime, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
After many instances of Makima taking advantage of Denji, as well as other favorites in Public Safety Special Division 4, it would be realistic for Chainsaw Man fans to despise her. The Public Safety Devil Hunter leader is no doubt a villain of the highest order, so it would be easy to dislike her for her crimes and amoral approach to getting what she wants. Even so, Makima is still a highly likable character in many ways.
After everything Makima has done, the audience is often torn by how much they enjoy her presence in Chainsaw Man. As the story's evilest character, most takes on her imply that she should be disliked, especially after her true intentions are shown in a shock reveal. This disregards the idea that Makima was designed to be liked since the anime's events are seen through Denji's eyes, and in spite of everything he is put through, he holds his mentor in the highest regard.
Denji’s Circumstances in Chainsaw Man Must Be Understood
Makima is a well-written and complex antagonist. To truly understand her, it's crucial to put the protagonist's situation in full context. Due entirely to his upbringing, Denji has over-simplistic goals. Not once in his life has he experienced genuine love, especially neither parental nor motherly, and on top of this Denji was poor, lonely and starving. He is defined by poverty, and the teen's experiences have tainted his character so much that he's relatively amoral. Without the guidance of Aki Hayakawa later in the series, he would have remained this way.
Shonen protagonists tend to experience trauma early on as it acts as a trigger to their next decision. For example, in Jujutsu Kaisen Yuji Itadori's grandfather died at the start of the series, which acted as his integration into Jujutsu society. Similarly, Denji was destined for a life of nothingness with dreams that were only skin-deep until Makima asked him to show her his dreams. This was Denji's merge into a new life -- one in which he saw Makima as his savior.
Denji Craved Maternal Love From Makima
Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto stated in an interview that despite Denji's many sexual urges, what he really sought in Makima was motherly love. The boy is extremely naive and confused by feelings he's never had before; Makima caught onto this early and made good use of these traits. She used the power imbalance between them in exchange for Denji's complete obedience, and he complied because Makima knew she was what he wanted.
From the audience's view, it's easy to see Makima is taking advantage of Denji, but he, unfortunately, lacks the same awareness. She casually mentions making the devil hunter her dog, has a clear lack of respect for his agency, and consistently dangles herself as the maternal figure he craves over his head. The red flags are prominent to the viewers, but this story is about Denji from his point of view.
The Audience Sees Makima Through Denji’s Eyes
Despite everything, Denji looks at Makima through rose-colored glasses, and therefore so does the audience. The hunter's view of his mentor is fogged by her manipulation, so he still idolizes her and sees her as exceptionally beautiful. This is why Makima remains so likable -- fans are supposed to view her through the same skewed lens as Denji. Even to the bitterest end, when she had effectively robbed Denji of everything for her selfish gain, he still admired her, cared for her and craved her approval, despite his newfound self-awareness and knowing how wrong it was to feel this way.
Makima made it so Denji idolized her, and for reasons he can't wrap his head around, he does and always will. She planned this from the beginning, so the same confusion Denji feels when he realizes he still likes her translates to fans. Chainsaw Man is written from the young boy's perspective, thus the audience empathizes with him deeply, often feeling the same things as Denji. Makima needed to be liked in order to get control over the Chainsaw Man in the first place and orchestrate her entire evil ordeal, so the point of her character is to be admired.
Makima was kind to Denji while appealing to the part of him that yearned for admiration, praise and approval. The reason she could commit such deep atrocities was because the devil hunter liked her. Every moment the audience views Makima from Denji's eyes, she is portrayed as beautiful and unobtainable. She does everything in her power to make sure it stays that way, giving him a reason to need her.
Right from Chainsaw Man's beginning, Makima is relying on her likability to get everything she'd ever wanted. This is why suggesting she is written to be hated is a controversial take, as she is always meant to be the one person Denji reveres. The audience is supposed to empathize with Denji and feel the full extent of her betrayal, which is why Makima is admired until the bitter end.