Team 7, consisting of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, provided us with the dynamic and character archetypes we all see now in most modern Shonen animes that follow the same formula. However, Chainsaw Man changes up this formula with its own Shonen Trio, and the dynamic and circumstances that put them together in the first place. Denji, Aki, and Power respectively are the epitome of a Shonen troop that turns heads by unconventional means.
Chainsaw Man is known for its chaotic atmosphere, plot, and characters. As shown with the main lead of Denji, the titular Chainsaw Man, his handler and reluctant superior Aki Hayakawa, and the Blood Fiend Power, whose shenanigans and actions are filled with mischief. However, with these three characters beginning to live under one roof from episode 4 onwards; the audience has enjoyed their interactions and the dynamics which fits to start calling them a Shonen Trio. However, what exactly does this entail for them as a Shonen Trio? In what ways do they exactly change the formula, and provide a different perspective?
The Public Safety Trio
When looking at the trio of Chainsaw Man, one needs to start with their character traits and their dynamics. How they interact with each other, and the role they each play in appealing to the audience and progressing the story are both important factors. Of course, it’s also important to understand why exactly they come across as an outstanding trio for their show. After all, the trio is as distinct as any trio has to be in a Shonen anime, so it never hurts to understand them on a more personal level.
For example, Denji as a character isn’t particularly ambitious or looking to be accepted by everybody. He doesn’t cause trouble for everybody, and often wants to live an acceptably comfortable life, even if he must join the Public Safety to hunt dangerous Devils. Aki Hayakawa, however, joined Public Safety for a far more ambitious, revenge-driven goal that many Devil Hunters share; to kill the Gun Devil, which makes him the strait-laced serious character who sometimes criticizes Denji’s mindset. Meanwhile, Power is only working with Public Safety because she has no other choice. However, her personality is chaotic, posing dramatically, declaring herself to be greater than everybody, and habitually lying when she’s in trouble, which works in tandem with Denji’s rash and at times rude behavior.Their clashing personalities provide a variety of interactions, although at the same time say a lot about their dynamic.
Denji
Denji is juvenile, rude, and childish, with a mixture of dog-like expectations and joy when he gets what he works for and a single-minded determination when working toward a goal. Despite all that, Denji’s rabid fighting style and aggressive behavior when becoming Chainsaw Man remind people that he’s also unhinged. However, he has a sense of empathy and understanding that comes out during rare moments. He’s not like Naruto, and in ways, he has the makings of an anti-hero.
Aki
Meanwhile, Aki Hayakawa is much calmer, and reserved, and often doesn’t show much emotion other than hatred for Devils as seen in his initial disdain for Denji and Power. However, he has empathy for his fellow human Devil Hunters, and when Denji proves himself to have been useful and even saves some people (albeit unintentionally) Aki throws Denji and Power a bone when they would have been in serious trouble. Especially in episode 6, “Kill Denji” where he decided to make sure Denji didn’t die because he needed strong allies to defeat the Gun Devil. Despite not fulfilling the rival archetype that secondary male characters tend to fill, he does fit the mature supervisor who’s still inexperienced and serves well as the straight man to Denji and Power’s shenanigans.
Power
Power, on the other hand, is the female of the group who ironically enough ends up needing more strictness and proper guidance. Her nature as a Devil in a human corpse makes her unpredictable, slightly dimwitted at times, and even more so still prone to enjoy human suffering. Which is usually the theme of her goals and jokes, such as achieving a Nobel Prize and becoming the prime minister to pass a 100% sales tax. However, she wins the audience over by the time they see her connection to her cat Meowy, and the lengths she went to trick Denji so that she could free Meowy from the Bat Devil in episode 3, “MEOWY'S WHEREABOUTS”.
How They Compare
When compared to many other trios in anime, Denji, Aki, and Power strike out as unconventional personalities and an unlikely trio working together via circumstance. Chainsaw Man as an anime premiered on October 12, 2022, and ever since has been turning heads in the anime scene, especially for the audience. Many audience members could see the trio as unique and refreshing considering the clichés associated with Shonen trios aren’t seen with Denji, Aki, and Power.
Of course, there is a possibility that the characters may not resonate or even provide too many fresh characteristics to the audience. After all, the main trio in Chainsaw Man could be seen as too unrecognizable, too gritty, and too unlikeable for some people; and due to the content and subject of the material, they are very much likely to hate Chainsaw Man as much as one can enjoy the story. Denji can be seen as a dimwitted lecherous character, Aki can be seen as a boring Stoic character, and Power could just be seen as an unredeemable character with no positive character traits. Of course, from the way the show has elicited such a positive reaction from the audience and making headway and rising in popularity over the course of this season; it’s safe to say that the Shonen trio of Chainsaw Man turns a lot of heads.