Death has given Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man new life. As fun as the quasi-isekai Aging Devil arc was, it ran the risk of getting old quickly. Thankfully, the manga wastes no time getting back to the main event as the big fight everyone has been waiting for finally arrives: the Death Devil vs Chainsaw Man. At least, that’s what Chainsaw Man Chapter 197, “3 Seconds,” is supposed to be on paper. In reality, Chainsaw Man Chapter 197 isn’t the big main event at all, but rather a subversive side-story that makes itself the butt of its own joke.

Back in Chainsaw Man Chapter 195, a new Devil was revealed. This was later revealed to be the long-awaited Death Devil after she threatened to use her powers on her classmate to release him from his earthly suffering “through death.” Luckily, this threat was momentarily avoided thanks to the arrival of a self-proclaimed “Chainsaw Man” who was obviously unrelated to either Pochita or Denji. Just like Fakesaw Man himself, Chainsaw Man Chapter 197 is not always what it first appears to be. Fujimoto continues to play with fans’ emotions in a fun-filled fake-out fight that thankfully proves CSM is still far from its finale.

“Chainsaw Man” Defeats The “Death Devil” in a Purposely a Confusing Chapter

Fujimoto Messes With The Fandom’s Heads on Purpose in Chainsaw Man 197

While fans have theorized, made predictions, and effectively tried to beat Fujimoto at his own game at every turn, Chainsaw Man’s mangaka seems to want to remind readers exactly whose manga this really is with Chainsaw Man Chapter 197. The past two chapters have revealed major characters that fans have been endlessly talking about throughout Part 2. First, the Death Devil in Chapter 195; then, Fakesaw Man in Chainsaw Man Chapter 196. Both characters have been the subjects of fan theorizing, but Chainsaw Man 197 serves as a stark reminder that Fujimoto’s manga will always be unpredictable, and that’s a big part of why his work is so popular to begin with.

Fake Chainsaw Man’s fight with the Death Devil goes nothing like anyone could have guessed. It’s aa rollercoaster that speeds up just when they’d expect it to stop. The biggest initial surprise of this chapter is the fact that Fakesaw Man is an incredibly strong fighter. In a matter of moments, he cuts the Death Devil to pieces in an attack that would render most lesser Devils completely helpless, and any normal human lifeless. With this first attack, there underlies a feeling that perhaps, like Fakesaw Man, this new Death Devil wasn’t who she seemed to be. However, this assumption is quickly disproved just a few pages later when the Death Devil’s hand touches her classmate’s leg, draining the life from himself to restore her energy.

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While the subsequent full-page depicting the Death Devil’s classmate quickly turning into a decrepit skeleton would be horrific in most other manga, it’s hard to take it too seriously in a series like Chainsaw Man, where every other panel contains blood and guts scattering like fireworks. The art in Chainsaw Man Chapter 197 is still not hitting early Part 2 levels of greatness in terms of detail and paneling, but it’s a noticeable improvement over the previous chapter at least. There are some excellent spreads enhancing the action, and Fujimoto’s facial expressions are just as human as ever.

The final leg of the fight between Death and Fakesaw is quite cinematic in its presentation, with a gorgeous panel of the Death Devil threatening Fakesaw, which quickly cuts to a distanced perspective of the two in a cowboy-style stare-down. This sequence ends with an explosive full-page piece depicting Death’s body parts and entrails exploding in all directions around the Fake Chainsaw Devil. It’s an image that is actually very reminiscent of some iconic images of Pochita in his Black Chainsaw Man form, potentially serving as a hint at the true nature of Fakesaw Man’s endlessly mysterious identity.

The Mystery Around Fakesaw Man’s Character Is Solved in Chainaw Man Chapter 197

Chainsaw Man Chapter 197 Confirms Fake Chainsaw Man is Not the Chainsaw Devil

While Fake Chainsaw Man’s identity has still yet to be entirely revealed as of Chainsaw Man Chapter 197, there is a bit more vital information revealed about him. While even the nameless student from the Death Devil’s class can tell that Fakesaw isn’t the real Chainsaw Man, Fakesaw Man does tell a bit more about himself in this chapter. In the midst of the fight, Fakesaw Man begins muttering to himself as though there’s a voice inside his head. He then tells Death’s classmate that the Justice Devil is inside him, and that he’s also Chainsaw Man. It all sounds quite unhinged, but considering the nuances of Chainsaw Man’s power system, it’s not even that far-fetched of a statement.

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This statement seems to indicate one of a few potential possibilities. For one, Fakesaw Man could just be one of the Fire Devil’s contractees who was convinced by the Chainsaw Man Church that he has a contract with the Justice Devil. This would make sense considering he seems convinced the Justice Devil is “inside him”. On the other hand, if what he’s saying can be taken at face value, it’s possible that he’s a Fire Devil contractee who also ended up becoming the Justice Fiend after the Justice Devil’s apparent death during the Falling Devil Arc. The latter case would actually make even more sense, because the Justice Devil would literally be inside him in that case.

One last possibility that could be even more compelling is if Fakesaw Man were a Hybrid of the Justice Devil in the same way that Asa and Yoru are. That could explain why he talks to himself, as he’s actually talking to the Justice Devil just like Asa talks to War. One thing that’s for certain is that Fakesaw Man is not the actual Chainsaw Devil as many fans were led to believe following the previous chapter. His talk of the Justice Devil all but confirms that he has some connection to the Chainsaw Man Church, and potentially even the actual Justice Devil himself.

Fakesaw Man has shifted from being an interesting enigma to being a silly and slightly endearing character over the course of the past two chapters. In comparison, the Death Devil’s personality is such a caricature of an overly empathetic teenager that it’s pretty much impossible for her not to get a smile out of readers with every appearance. Even as she’s about to fight Fake Chainsaw Man, she sheds a tear purely out of narcissistic belief in her superiority. She may have ended the chapter in pieces, but the Death Devil is an excellent character who has hopefully not seen her true end this soon in the story. Judging by her ability to raise herself from the dead, Chainsaw Man Chapter 197 is probably not the end of Death’s 3 seconds of fame.

Entertaining Side Characters Carry Chainsaw Man Chapter 197 Without the Casts’ Stars

Chainsaw Man May Still Be Much Further From its Endgame Than Many Fans Presumed

Chainsaw Man is far from the big final fight between the Death Devil and Chainsaw Man, and that’s both its biggest weakness and greatest strength. On one hand, the absence of the main cast makes the entire sequence feel a bit like a side-story, especially since the true identities of the two main combatants have still only been hinted at. On the other hand, the best thing about this chapter is how it subverts expectations in pretty much every way possible.

The presumed Death Devil is way weaker than she should be, and the Fake Chainsaw Man is way stronger than anyone would’ve thought. Even the somewhat likable classmate introduced in the previous chapter is given a shocking death. The entire chapter feels like a microcosm of Chainsaw Man as a whole. It has the bloody action, ridiculous gags, and sudden character deaths that characterize the series as a whole. And yet, with none of the major main characters present, it all gives the sense that this chapter is more like a parody of itself than it is the biggest villain’s first serious fight.

These characters are fun enough to carry a few chapters entirely in the absence of Denji or Asa, but it’s hard to imagine this could go on much longer without either of them. It’s fitting that, even though the last 50 or so chapters of Chainsaw Man have been building up to the arrival of the Death Devil, she’s not nearly as threatening as anyone thought. That doesn’t mean that Nostradamus’ prophecy was entirely false in Chainsaw Man. In Chainsaw Man, sometimes a Devil being utterly defeated and erased from the world can be an even worse result than them just existing alongside humanity. The Death Devil being eaten by Pochita and erased might actually be the worst-case scenario for humanity.

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Fujimoto seems to be directly attacking shonen tropes by making the ultimate villain of the series the weakest, and having the hero’s victory actually be the very thing that leads to the end of the world. Chainsaw Man is a story about immortal Devils living in the mortal realm of humans, and how humanity deals with their existence. While humanity struggles to fight the Devils, the main character of the series isn’t even a human himself. With all the biggest characters being quasi-immortal Devils, it makes sense that Death wouldn’t even be such a terrifying thing anymore as Part 2 reaches its climax. For someone like Denji, who has died more times than he can count, death is the least of his worries at this point.

The most promising takeaway that fans can get from Chainsaw Man Chapter 197 is that, even though the Death Devil is finally here, the series is nowhere near the endgame it seemed to be when Nostradamus’ prophecy came to the forefront halfway through Part 2. The Death Devil’s weakness further emphasizes the fact that – just as Asa hinted at in Chainsaw Man Chapter 195 – it’ll likely be Yoru who ends up being the major villain of this arc.

With the most terrifying Devil in the series so far being reduced to mere fodder for a fake Chainsaw Man, it seems more likely that CSM will have a sort of “life after death” as the series continues beyond the Death Devil arc that once seemed so final before. That’s the true genius of Chainsaw Man Chapter 197: it serves as a subtle reminder that, while the unknowable mystery of life’s inevitable ending may be terrifying, death is nothing to fear.

The Chainsaw Man manga is currently available to read via Viz Media.

Chainsaw Man Chapter 197, “3 Seconds”

A Devil claiming to be Chainsaw Man arrives to rescue a helpless school student from a girl who won’t stop raving about “death”. While her classmate doesn’t believe she’s a real Devil, “Chainsaw Man” will stop at nothing to cut through to the truth.

Author

Tatsuki Fujimoto

Artist

Tatsuki Fujimoto

Release Date

December 3, 2018

Pros & Cons

• Dynamic art
• Major character reveal
• Entertaining characters
• Subversive plot

• Focuses too much on side characters
• Dead-end conflict