REVIEW: ‘Chainsaw Man’ Episode 5 — “Gun Devil”

Chainsaw Man has been firing on all cylinders and now with Episode 5, “Gun Devil,” we’re getting to the core of the story. Last episode Aki Hayakawa, Denji, and Power started living together. Here MAPPA has been able to capture the banality of life even for Devil Hunters and Devils alike. They eat, they clean, and they fight. But more importantly, Denji got the chance to touch boobs.

So what does Chainsaw Man Episode 5 start with? Well, Denji fondling Power of course. What he expects to the achievement of a life-changing dream ends up just being ordinary. Ant the shock of how normal and non-experiential boobs were leaves him spiraling and questioning if chasing his dreams is more important than actually achieving them. When you first hear about Chainsaw Man our sweet boy Denji’s pursuit of boobs, it’s easy to scoff at it, and dismiss the storytelling element that a little fondling can play. In reality, however, much like the rest of Denji’s dreams (taking a bath, sleeping in a bed, eating a hot meal), touching boobs is simplistic.

Indicative of how small Denji’s life was until he joined Makima’s team, he was so beaten down by the world and sectioned off from it that dreams became simple everyday occurrences. Confronting this helps craft who Denji is and push him to making the meaningful connections he’s been deprived of all his life, thanks of course to Makima’s teasing. This allows Makima to set the stage for the larger story as Denji begins a larger chase: the Gun Devil. The Gun Devil appeared in America 13 years ago and has an unmatched devastating force. The Gun Devil is responsible for wiping out 1.2 million people in one moment and directly led to the devils increasing in power across the world. This request isn’t one easily completed, but Denji is Denji and he pushes forward all in hopes of landing Makima’s touch.

But the Makima and Denji ship isn’t the only thing getting expanded on this in Chainsaw Man Episode 5. While we’ve seen Aki as the resident grump and the polar opposite of Denji, in this episode we get the chance to glimpses of his past. One thing that series has been good at is slowly peeling back pieces of its characters through flashbacks. We saw this for Power in Episodes 3 and 4, and now we get the chance to understand the trauma that Aki’s background at least a little bit. Once happy and looking to play his life was shattered by the Gun Devil. Now, with Makima making the proposition, “If you can kill the Gun Devil, I’ll grant you one wish,” to Denji, Division 4 has their hands full by tracking a devil to a motel, only this demon has eaten some of the Gun Devil’s flesh.

Chainsaw Man Episode 5 is more set up for the series, but at the same time, we also get glimpses into what’s waiting for the team in the motel. MAPPA has found a balance between setting up the story while also making sure that each episode has some bits of action or creative animation to keep fans excited. This decision manages to adapt the chapters at a pace that keeps the story moving, adds exposition, and allows the animation studio to stretch its talents. In this episode, in particular, we get glimpses of exciting grotesque devils that as a manga reader leaves me extremely excited to see how they bring to life the rest of the motel. I’m excited for the grosser things in Chainsaw Man that are yet to come.

Chainsaw Man Episode 5 is streaming now on Crunchyroll with new episodes airing every Tuesday.