Neon Genesis Evangelion's original TV ending is a legitimate masterpiece. Evangelion Episodes 25 and 26 more or less abandon the story the anime was building up to, as the Human Instrumentality Project is triggered off-screen and the main characters are forced to dive into their psyches, examine who they are, and come to terms with life. It's a confusing, chilling, sad, and at times unsatisfying ending that's also profoundly human and beautiful – much like Chainsaw Man's recent manga ending.
Like Neon Genesis Evangelion before it, Chainsaw Man's ending pushes its story to the wayside to critically break down who Denji is and ruminate on the manga's main themes, while tying back to how Tatsuki Fujimoto feels about his magnum opus. Both Evangelion and Chainsaw Man's endings have a metatextual layer to them, as if the authors are talking directly to the audience. Not every fan will be able to appreciate Chainsaw Man's ending, but those that can will see how the manga is the closest thing modern audiences have to reliving Neon Genesis Evangelion Episodes 25 and 26.
Chainsaw Man Officially Ends & Seals Part 3's Fate
The Chainsaw Man manga has come to an end, and unfortunately, there will be no Part 3 for the series.
Chainsaw Man & Neon Genesis Evangelion Both Cut Off the Main Story to Focus on Themes
The original ending for Neon Genesis Evangelion has no action whatsoever, instead focusing exclusively on the effects of the Human Instrumentality Project. There is no final angel to fight or big showdown between NERV and SEELE. While End of Evangelion is fairly action-packed and a more traditional conclusion (at least for the first half), Neon Genesis Evangelion's original final two episodes are purely cerebral and introspective.
Rather than picking up where NGE Episode 24 left off – Shinji killing Kaworu – the story takes a bold pivot into a confusing, somber, and chilling endgame. Similarly, Chainsaw Man Part 2 doesn't feature a proper conclusion to Denji and Yoru's final battle, or a resolution to Hell opening up and Devils now running amok on an Earth where no one can die. Instead, Denji is killed off-screen and the second to last chapter is entirely a conversation between Denji and Pochita where Pochita breaks down the series' main themes, criticizes Denji's character arc directly, and offers him an unconventional chance at happiness.
In many ways, Chainsaw Man's final chapter feels like Evangelion's original "congratulations" ending, albeit framed very differently. Both endings are about examining how Denji and Shinji have changed for the better since the beginning of the series, even in spite of horrible things and the seemingly cruel fate of Denji having to live life without Pochita and Shinji going through Instrumentality as the world effectively ends, respectively. They're bold, thought-provoking endings that raise as many questions as they answer, but they're tied together by both series paying great respect to the themes and arcs that defined the story – whether fans like it or not.
Chainsaw Man's Ending is Metatextually About Tatsuki Fujimoto Feeling Unhappy With the Series' Success
In the same way Neon Genesis Evangelion was about Hideaki Anno dealing with his depression, it's clear that Chainsaw Man Part 2's ending is about Tatsuki Fujimoto dealing with his relationship with fame. In Chainsaw Man Chapter 231, Pochita point-blank tells Denji, "Unfortunately, you must have noticed too. You were far happier starving and suffering, fighting Devils... ... and eating spoiled bread in that run-down shack."
So much of Denji's arc in Chainsaw Man Part 2 is about chasing the fame of being Chainsaw Man, and how it simply leads to him wanting more and being unsatisfied with what he has. Choosing Chainsaw Man over Nayuta is ultimately what results in her death, and ends up being the point where Part 2's story turns for the worse for Denji. There has always been an autobiographical quality to Tatsuki Fujimoto's works, especially in his one-shots like Look Back and Goodbye, Eri, so it wouldn't be out of the question that Fujimoto is really talking to himself through Pochita.
5 Manga That Had Better Endings Than Chainsaw Man
While Chainsaw Man's ending is by no means bad in the grand scheme of things, it pales in comparison to other manga that pulled off similar endings.
While writing Chainsaw Man originally made him happy, it didn't fill the void in his life. If anything, Fujimoto was happier writing his one-shots, and more experimental series like Fire Punch – building his career before finding explosive fame with Chainsaw Man. Eventually, the pressures of fame, and feedback loop of wanting more and more became too much, hence Chainsaw Man's seemingly abrupt ending. The healthiest thing for both Denji and Fujimoto was to end the story here and now.
There's also something to be said for the burnout of being a mangaka, and the drop in art quality in the latter half of Part 2. It wouldn't be out of the question to assume Chainsaw Man Part 2 was taking a negative toll on Fujimoto, just like being Chainsaw Man was to Denji.
Time Will Be Kind to Chainsaw Man's Ending & Part 2's Storytelling
Chainsaw Man Part 2 will naturally always be compared to Chainsaw Man Part 1, which might very well be the greatest shonen battle manga of all time. Part 2 opts for a very different kind of story, sidelining Denji for Asa in its opening arcs before deconstructing Denji's entire character arc and what it means to be Chainsaw Man as his world – and the world around him – falls apart into pure chaos, before there's nothing left to save.
Even with the art degradation in the final chapters (which, if nothing else, feels thematically in-line with the story Fujimoto is telling), there's a lot of genius storytelling in Chainsaw Man Part 2. Part 2 is unconventional, and the dichotomy between Asa and Denji is downright outstanding. Denji almost moves like an addict throughout Part 2, abandoning all the good things in his life just to get his fix as Chainsaw Man. And unlike Part 1, Part 2 is quick to knock Denji down and actively punish him for still wanting to be Chainsaw Man.
At the same time, Denji does grow and learn. He never willingly turns into Chainsaw Man again after Nayuta dies, and the depression he carries with him (throughout the whole part, really) is painfully real and human, just like Shinji in Evangelion. As fans re-read the series in full, it'll be easier to see what exactly Fujimoto is doing in Part 2. This is a story about the world ending and a young man falling victim to his worst vices, only learning in increments.
The end of Chainsaw Man Part 2 shows that Denji can learn. He symbolically abandons his Chainsaw Man to save Asa for no reason – he doesn't think she'll kiss him or have sex with him. He's doing it on pure instinct. For the first and only time in the series, Chainsaw Man behaves like a real hero, if only for a moment. Just like with Evangelion, time will vindicate Chainsaw Man Part 2, as audiences analyze the manga's themes more deeply and the initial shock of the ending wears off.
Is Chainsaw Man Part 2's ending unsatisfying? Yes, in more ways than one. Is it poorly written, though? Not even remotely. Just like Neon Genesis Evangelion before it, Chainsaw Man's ending is a genius stroke of writing that'll keep fans thinking about it for years to come.
-
Chainsaw Man
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2022
- Network
- TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingChainsaw Man is an action-heavy shonen anime that follows Denji, a guy who fuses with a devil called Pochita. The show is based on a manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto.
-
Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Release Date
- 1995 - 1996
- Network
- TV Tokyo
- Directors
- Keiichi Sugiyama, Masahiko Otsuka, Tensai Okamura, Shoichi Masuo, Minoru Ohara, Seiji Mizushima, Tetsuya Watanabe, Ken Ando
- Writers
- Akio Satsukawa, Yoji Enokido
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
