REVIEW: ‘Chainsaw Man,’ Episode 12 – “KATANA VS. CHAINSAW”

It’s here. The season finale of Chainsaw Man, Episode 12 “KATANA VS. DEVIL,” closes the first arc of the series and lands intimate moments and striking action. Last episode, Sawatari let the Ghost Devil out, instructing it to go after Hayakawa and sticking her finger in the wound of his grief after killing Himeno. What started as a hopeless fight in Episode 11, this episode adds resolution to Aki’s pain. Before he’s nearly killed before the Ghost Devil stops and hands him a cigarette with a message from Himeno. His mentor and his friend, her message turns the tide of the fight. Meanwhile, Denji heads into his rematch with Samurai Sword, hoping to be more evenly matched after training with Captain Kishibe. 

Chainsaw Man Episode 12 is quick and to the point. At only 24 minutes, MAPPA has a large task at hand. Wrap up each fight, offer payoff for the entire season, and create a bridge into the next arc of the series all in one small episode. To do this, the studio used every tool at their disposal and didn’t disappoint. Chainsaw Man has been marked by its horror, violence, humor, and above all else, brutal deaths of characters we’ve come to love.

From the beginning, Season 1 has made sure that every element of the series works together smoothly, using each component to build on the other, working to offer satisfying moments both in visual style and emotional depth. And none of this is more clear than in Chainsaw Man Episode 12‘s opening scene. We see Himeno through Aki’s eyes, and then, we see her reach back to him through the Ghost Devil. It’s a three-and-a-half-minute sequence that packs a wallop. While we’ve gotten to see insight into Denji and Power, Chainsaw Man Season 1 belongs to Aki. It’s clear from Episode 12 chooses to start and end, not to mention how much insight we’ve gotten into his grief in the past episodes.

But emotional resonance is one reason that Chainsaw Man has become so beloved, the other is action. And in that department, MAPPA doesn’t miss. Each action sequence has gotten larger as the episode number has grown, and somehow you just know that MAPPA hasn’t reached their ceiling. The bulk of the episode is just as the title says, Chainsaw Man versus Samurai Sword. To be honest, it is every bit of exciting as you can expect from a man with katana hands and a boy with chainsaw hands fighting each other can be —very. As one of the most pivotal fights in the manga, seeing it animated by blending 3D and traditional animation style brings an otherworldliness to the scene that offers the audience all of the bloody body horror, high-octane action, and thoughtful location design that we’ve come to expect from this series.

Once again, the animated success of pivotal fight sequences isn’t just because of stellar animation techniques but also the series’ score. The diversity of music used in the series, as well as the moments left in silence, has allowed fights to reach epic proportions and depressive falls land hard. It’s no different in this episode’s main fight and the final moments from the credits to the post-credits mysterious scene.

Beyond the push and pull of the action, the pay-off and implications of the aftermath also lend weight to both Denji’s success in the battle and his relationship with Aki. Additionally, Chainsaw Man Episode 12 clearly marks the ending to one arc while the release of blackbirds cast an ominous shadow over the series, knowing their connection to Makima. But the mystery left at the episode’s end doesn’t overpower the choice to give us the Hayakawas end credits that show just how much Denji, Power, and Aki have grown close to each other. They’re a family, and with that, they live and feel together. That peace is what allows Aki at the episode’s end to sit in his memory of Himeno and ultimately plan for the future, one where you know revenge weighs on his mind.

Chainsaw Man Episode 12 is a perfect end to a perfect season. It offers absolutely every element that makes the series great. A loud and bloody devil fight, humor, and of course, an intimate look at characters beyond their devil contracts. The way this finale builds up character relationships will surely crash us into tragedy in Season 2, but I welcome it.

Chainsaw Man Episode 12 is streaming now, on Crunchyroll and Hulu.