When an anime’s main character’s every waking moment is spent thinking about "touching boobs," it wouldn’t be surprising if its female audience felt slightly alienated. Denji’s fixation with women’s bodies is as exasperating as it is ridiculous -- and off-putting. Is Chainsaw Man just another sexist anime, then? Interestingly enough, as the series develops and its characters and world are fleshed out, it becomes painstakingly clear that Chainsaw Man isn’t misogynistic. On the contrary, its female characters are more empowered than in many other anime series.

One of the most anticipated anime of the Fall 2022 season, Chainsaw Man doesn't disappoint -- as it stands, it holds the second-top spot on MyAnimeList for currently-airing anime. The premise is simple enough: 16-year-old Denji, forced by debt to work as a devil hunter, is saved from death by the chainsaw devil and turned into a half-devil himself. When the Public Safety Devil Hunters find him, he is asked to work for them in the experimental Division 4 in Tokyo. Despite his responsibilities, Denji seems to be only interested in the female body, and the women around him often indulge him. Rather than prove the anime’s sexism, however, these women’s actions can arguably be read as acts of empowerment.

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Denji’s "Simple Dreams"

Power lets Denji fondle her in Chainsaw Man

At first glance, it seems impossible to look beyond Chainsaw Man’s objectification of women. As soon as Denji meets Makima, the head of the Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division 4, the fixation starts -- he allegedly falls in love with her, but in reality, he is mainly interested in her body. While his affections stay with Makima, this happens with every other woman on his path, be it the half-devil Power or his superior Himeno. Denji is only ever driven by his base desires, the women around him mere objects for his sexual fulfillment.

The anime’s attention to women’s bodies only adds to the feeling that their role is to be looked at and lusted after. Denji’s -- and the audience's -- eye always falls on Makima or Power’s breasts, as well as Himeno’s lips later on. What’s more, the women have to continuously resort to their sex appeal in order to get what they want, especially if it’s from Denji. Himeno promises him "a kiss," while Makima swears she will give him "anything he wants."

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Chainsaw Man’s Women Hold True Power

chainsaw man, makima and denji

As one gets past the initial aversion to Denji’s obsessive thoughts and the women’s complicity, however, a different picture starts to emerge. When Makima and Denji first meet, her gaze is as dispassionate and as exploitative as his -- she spares his life only on the condition that he works for her, becoming her "dog." Denji is as much of an object for Makima as she is for him. His body is a weapon to wield for her own ends -- and this becomes clearer the more viewers learn about her. Similarly, Himeno doesn't hesitate to take advantage of Denji’s desires in order to motivate him.

The way these women freely use sex and lust says more about their psychology than about the show. For them, sex is just another weapon to be exploited as needed and when appropriate. For instance, both Makima and Himeno understand that while sex can be used on Denji, it would never work on Aki. Makima’s authority and Himeno’s seniority are enough for them to get what they want from him. Their uninhibitedness and sexual freedom are rather refreshing -- instead of being either sexless or overly sexualized like some shonen heroines, they live their relationship with their bodies very naturally. Arguably, it seems to reflect their characters: for Power, sex is a game; for Makima, a weapon; for Himeno, perhaps a needed distraction from the harrowing thoughts of her lost partners.

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In other anime, where sex is hidden or absent and might therefore make them appear less misogynistic, women are often overlooked and relegated to the sidelines. They are rarely in positions of power, they are dressed in revealing outfits even when it doesn’t make sense for them to be and they are often saved by men stronger than them. Here, Makima is the head of the Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division 4 and Himeno is Aki’s superior; everyone wears the same bland uniform; and finally, in the very first episode, Denji lies in Makima’s arms as she decides to spare him.

If anything, it seems that men are as objectified as women commonly are in anime. Himeno comments more than once on Aki being "pretty," Makima treats Denji like a dog, effectively exploiting his naiveté and Himeno toys with Denji’s desire for a kiss for her own entertainment. Whenever a scene seems to turn into a sexist farce, a jarring twist will turn things around -- for example, Denji’s disappointment after touching Power’s breasts and her total lack of embarrassment, or Makima taking Denji’s hand to show him what intimacy should be like, effectively exerting control over him. And, of course, who can forget "the taste" of Denji’s iconic first kiss?

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A Surprisingly Nuanced Show

Denji hugging Pochita in the Chainsaw Man opening.

The mistreated character of young Kobeni, who isn’t sexualized at all, only goes to show that the women in Chainsaw Man are actually as nuanced and rich as their male counterparts. Power’s deranged actions are countered by Kobeni’s pitiful cries for help; Makima’s cold management is contrasted with Himeno’s gleeful leadership. Just like the men in the series, they are following their own set of rules, as crazy or outlandish as they may be.

Going back to Denji’s "simple dreams," they now seem more indicative of his character’s life journey than of misogyny or sexism. Lacking experience and education and forced to fend for himself since he was little, Denji is still just a child -- an overgrown child who is only now starting to settle into society and his body. Chainsaw Man is certainly crude, loud and brash, and evidently humorous. However, under all that, it hides a nuanced core that speaks to the audience’s base instincts as well as their fears, desires, small joys and anxieties.