Okay, the wider community is freaking out and I as well was. I mean, completely out of nowhere, Denji gets one shot, eaten and essential reset to pre-Part 1. Worst off is he will literally have no memory of anything since it all started from him meeting Pochita. Literally “it was all a dream” energy.

Now, this got me think, “why would Pochita think this will be best for Denji?” Because, really, Denji previous life before becoming Chainsaw Man was not influenced by any devil related to Pochita (that we know off) so he is still homeless and broke. Now, I think it’s going to keep the age he would have being in Part 2 but with a different back story but still, very odd.

But… if this is truly the end of Chainsaw Man, this actually the best ending Pochita could have given Denji. I mean, look at the state of the world Part 2. The literal apocalypse is upon the world, there is a nuclear war, death does not exist and bugs are eating people and they can’t die so it’s endless suffering. How could Denji possible have a normal life after this? And people are saying “Pochita is a devil so he wouldn’t understand Denji was happy and bringing him back to the start was cruel” but like logically, Pochita had no choice. Pochita can’t rewind time, Pochita can’t beat all those devils since despite Pochita been strong as fuck, fear is what fuels devils and being eating alive by bugs in the middle of the apocalypse makes chainsaws or Chainsaw Man look pretty nice. Part 2 is just something that can’t be recovered from.

Now, I think if next chapter is the End of Chainsaw Man, I think what I saw on the r/Chainsawfolk says it best. I forgot who wrote it but they said ending it here is a reflection on how Tatsuki Fujimoto sees Chainsaw Man. Something that helped him get popular and be taken out of his unknown life into the public but now he has lost the same drive he had before making it big. Pochita has technically led to all the problems Denji has faced expected for the Yakuza trying to kill him. Denji life gets better only for it to get ripped away by another woman/devil wanting to take his heart (figuratively and literally). Maybe Chainsaw Man was at first great for Fuji only to slowly whittled away at him. I mean, the art quality is very noticeable as Part 2 progressed. His longest serialized story, Fire Punch, didn’t last as long as Part 2 alone. The story feels sometimes like it has so much going on and nothing really ending. There is still great stuff and overall feels like a good story but it get bogged down and often doesn’t resolve things in a satisfying way. Now, this all my personal opinion and I am no Fujimoto but that’s what I can extract from it. Just a straight forward ending of “yeah, story ends here, I’m tired. Go home.”

Now, if there is a Part 3, I think not only would it make the ending of Part 2 less abrupt (I mean, it still would be but it won’t leave us hanging with little to no wrap up) but can best set up as way to see Denji live a “normal” life. I think would be cool if the first chapters of Part 3 show a basically new Denji with a different live and seeing what changed if Pochita was never there. I think if devils still exist, maybe Power (or rather, the blood devil) can show up and in a way reconnect with Denji, mirroring Part 1 in a less forced way (forced as in forced to be together by the Public Safety). I think it would be even cooler if Asa somehow still exists or if she still is the War Devil. I mean, the idea of Asa now being the protag is great with her origin being similar to how Denji died before becoming Chainsaw Man. How would this be put together without feeling disjointed or disconnected from the other Parts? I am not sure.

Okay, enough rambling.

I do hope Fujimoto is able to deliver on a conclusion to Denji’s story that satisfying. Even if Denji doesn’t have sex or still poor but in a way where it’s not “Denji is magically now happy being poor and in debt”. I have been reading this manga since the start of Part 2 and hope it pulls a better ending then Fire Punch. Hopefully is more of like JJK where the story of Yuji ended and a new series in the same world continues the series. Welp… all I can do is wait and see.