REVIEW: ‘Chainsaw Man’ Episode 7 — “The Taste of a Kiss”

Studio MAPPA has met the bloody task of adapting Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man, and none of that is captured better than in these last two episodes. Last episode, Special Division 4 struggled to defeat the Eternity Devil, the devil trapping them in the motel. Having tried to strike a deal for Denji’s body with the devil hunters, Denji has chosen to give himself up and fight like hell until the devil is dead. With Aki stabbed by Kobeni while he protected Denji and the rest of the team incapable of taking on the ever-looping devil, it all falls on our 16-year-old chaotic best boi. In Chainsaw Man Episode 7, “The Taste of a Kiss,” we see Denji’s perseverance and the sweetness waiting before the Gun Devil rears its head.

For Chainsaw Man Episode 7, Denji’s power is on display but the toll that the chainsaws take on his body. Bleeding unceasingly, Denji has to adapt or die. Fading quickly, and with the help of Himeno’s ghost hand, he starts to consume the devil that he’s hollowing out. Losing blood and then drinking its blood and eating its flesh, Denji becomes Perpetual Motion Machine day after day until he outwells the Eternity Devil. Like the other episodes in the season so far, MAPPA’s animation in this opening half of the episode is bloody, gross, and captures the chaos and raw emotion of Fujimoto’s art in the manga.

Denji’s raw power and crazed stance in the fight against the Eternity Devil is phenomenally rendered with a mixture of 3D animation and 2D, done so seamlessly that I put it at the top example of how to blend the unique styles. Covered in blood and bringing to life terrifying and disgusting faces, this sequence shows how the animation studio has embraced the gore and grounded itself in it, so much so that I’m beyond excited for its take on Hell’s Paradise next year.

Of course, the action in Chainsaw Man Episode 7 is sublime but that isn’t the only focus of this episode. While Denji finally gets his first kiss (and a need to brush his teeth), the emotional core of this episode rests assuredly on Himeno’s shoulders. As she watches Denji rip the Eternity Devil from the inside out and devour it to stay alive, she remembers  “The Devil Hunters that devils fear are the ones with a few screws loose.”

This line sticks with Himeno throughout the episode and builds out who she is for the audience. It shapes how she relates to the rest of the main cast, particularly Aki, and how she begins to see Denji as one of the only ones able to beat the Gun Devil. In Chainsaw Man Episode 7, Himeno becomes more than just another woman flirting with Denji. She’s powerful, alone, and scared to get close to anyone. But to overcompensate, when she drinks, she gets as close as she can to everyone.

Overall, Chainsaw Man Episode 7 is really damn good. We got the chance to see MAPPA keep expanding what awesome animation they can showcase as it gets even bloodier. But, we also got the chance to learn more about Himeno, right before a pivotal moment in the manga hits. We get to see the camaraderie, care, and so much more, and as a manga reader, I can’t wait for that painful emotional shoe to drop.

Chainsaw Man Episode 7 is available now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes airing every Tuesday.