Review: Chainsaw Man: The Hype that Fell Flat on its Face

As a fan of anime, I was eagerly anticipating the release of this show, having avoided any spoilers and eagerly soaking up the hype and fanfare surrounding its release. Unfortunately, after watching several episodes, I found myself disappointed and underwhelmed. I had initially hoped that the show would improve as it progressed, but with each episode, I found myself feeling the same boredom and lack of excitement that I had experienced in the first few. The plot seemed to be relying too heavily on gore, violence, and a rather clichéd storyline involving a young, inexperienced protagonist and a more mature woman who seemed to be manipulating him. The characters were weak, the gore was overplayed, and the action was unimpressive. The story was also lacking in depth and substance, relying on the same tired plot devices over and over again. To me, it felt like the show was pandering to a specific demographic, specifically young men who are into gore and are struggling with the transition into adulthood. As someone who was hoping for something more well-rounded and creative, I found myself feeling extremely disappointed. I don't believe that the show is objectively terrible, but it certainly missed the mark for me. If you are a fan of gore and simple, shallow storylines, then you might enjoy this show, but for me, it was a mindless slog of violence and predictable young adult drama.

I personally don't mind tropes and repeated elements in anime, but what made this show underwhelming for me was its lack of emotional impact. It failed to elicit any kind of response from me, leaving me feeling indifferent to the events and characters in the show. I believe that for an entertainment piece to truly captivate an audience, it needs to have a strong plot and evoke some kind of reaction, positive or negative. Unfortunately, this show just didn't do that for me.

My rating is 6/10 as I enjoyed certain moments and I don't consider the anime BAD. it's just...fine 

In my review, I'm going to focus on the negative aspect of that aniame 

(-)

The problem with Chainsaw Man is that it fails to live up to the hype it created for itself. Despite being sold as a chaotic and unpredictable series, the storyline is nothing but derivative and uninspired. The central character is supposed to be a guy from poverty who is learning to adapt to his newfound luxuries, but this is not explored in any meaningful or unique way. The characters around him lack depth and the development of relationships is lackluster. 

The production value of the show is also lacking, with subpar animation and weak comedic timing. The show relies on aesthetical decisions that add little to the overall experience, and fails to deliver the emotional and intelligent storytelling that it promised. 

 Chainsaw Man is a disappointment. It falls short in delivering on its promise of being a revolutionary series in its genre, and fails to stand out among the many other battle shonen anime that exist. The concepts explored in the show are tired and overused, lacking any sense of unpredictability or originality.

Chainsaw Man is a story about a young man who rises from poverty and has to learn how to navigate the new luxuries and pleasures he encounters in life. The people around him serve as sources of learning, and he must understand the distinction between desires and long-term goals. He has to acclimate himself to a foreign social environment and grow as an individual.

 To be honest, I had higher expectations. I appreciate the concept, but it lacks originality and differentiation. This has been a common theme in battle shonen anime and has been done to death. Themes like self-determination, dreams, and frustrations are all present. A manipulative girl who overpowers the main character and is glorified by him, and a girl with drug issues who uses the main character as a source of comfort because of her struggles with love - these are not new ideas. Where's the twist? The only twist is that events happen without warning, but this has been a staple of dark shonen anime for ages, and it continues to work. 

The fact that disposable characters die on screen and the main characters die only once their character arcs are complete is not surprising or exciting. The pace of the anime is sluggish, making for long scenes with nothing happening because it is "cinematic". The slow pace only detracts from the supposed unexpected developments. One minute of watching characters walk with subpar animation, two minutes of watching them talk at a snail's pace about obvious topics, and a quirky character to cap it all off - this is not good storytelling.

 The storyline is unoriginal and the dialogues are terrible. The script directly explains the emotional state and motivations of each character at all times, making it redundant and unnecessary. This also takes away from the emotional impact that could have been achieved through character acting. The script doesn't make logical sense, and it undermines the portrayal of emotions.

The way the emotions and motivations of the characters are portrayed in this anime is simply not up to par. It feels as though the writers relied solely on cliched and overused backgrounds to create depth, instead of exploring their experiences and personalities in more unique ways. The dialogue is also poor, often directly explaining each character's emotional state to the audience, leaving no room for interpretation or nuance. This is a huge missed opportunity, as it fails to capture the essence of what makes a compelling character.

 The voice acting only adds to the disappointment, with the actors delivering their lines in a monotone and emotionless manner. It's as if they're simply going through the motions, instead of truly embodying their characters. It's a shame, because when it comes to voice acting, it's crucial to bring life and energy to the performance. 

The attempts at cinematography are also misguided and ultimately fall flat. The creative camera movements don't add anything to the production, and instead strain an already lackluster presentation. It feels like a pretentious attempt to be taken seriously, but in reality, it only detracts from the overall experience. To make matters worse, it disrupts the pace and comedic timing, making the action feel awkward and out of place. In a world where there are so many other anime that have successfully combined creative cinematography with strong storytelling and engaging characters, this just isn't good enough.

Overall, despite all the gore, violence, and supposed drama, I found myself feeling completely detached from the story and the characters. The show failed to engage me or make me feel invested in the outcome, and as a result, I was left feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled. Ultimately, this was the biggest disappointment for me, as I had been looking forward to experiencing something that would evoke a strong emotional response. Instead, I was left feeling numb and indifferent.