The following contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Chainsaw Man, "KILL DENJI," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
A title like "Kill Denji" is one of those blunt titles like "Kill Bill" that doesn't leave much to the imagination, though the same could be said for the majority of the Chainsaw Man's episode titles. Unsurprisingly, Denji's life is once again on the chopping block, but for once it's his allies who will ultimately decide to kill him or not.
Last week, the team found themselves mysteriously trapped on the eighth floor of the hotel they were sent to clear out, with every stairwell leading back to the same floor. Caught in an infinite loop, the team begins this week's episode with a series of trials and errors to test the limits of the loop and assess how screwed they really are.
Trapped in the Backrooms
For the kind of story this episode tells, Chainsaw Man's adaptation arguably couldn't have hit at a better time. The horror of the endless interior space is something that has reached viral status thanks to creepypastas like The Backrooms, and though Chainsaw Man's infinite hotel floor isn't quite as expansive or barren, it's effective nonetheless.
The way that the windows lead into other rooms is especially creepy, robbing the characters of the one thing that could offer the solace that they are close to the outside. The mounting evidence suggests that not only are they trapped in space, but time, and that it's on them to get out. No help is on the way.
The subsequent stress and varied coping methods employed by the characters result in some downtime, and with it, getting to know Himeno and her relationship with Aki. It ends up being just as beneficial for Aki's character as it does her, showing a slightly less experienced and a bit goofy.
Aki's idea of getting revenge on the girl who slapped Himeno was to put gum on her clothes, which is hilarious primarily for how juvenile a form of revenge it is. It shows that for how mature Aki presented himself, he was still a kid - a kid who likely didn't get to mature as much as he should have after his family died.
Himeno asserts that his being weird is a good omen for his lifespan in their line of work, which feels like a read until one remembers that she's been used to losing teammates left and right. Kensuke Ushio's score really pulls through during these flashbacks, bathing the scenes in such warmth that Himeno's smile feels that much more like something she desperately needed.
The use of tobacco in expressing their expanding relationship since the flashback is a nice touch as well. His going from rejecting it outright to borrowing Himeno's last smoke for a puff is such a fitting metaphor that it almost escapes the more literal explanation that he has a nicotine addiction. Please don't smoke.
Kill Denji
Once things have returned to the present, the devil behind the mayhem shows itself and makes a tantalizing offer. They'll let everyone else go if they kill Denji and let the devil feed on him, which they can confirm is the truth because it's a contract, and going back on it would kill the devil. From here, everything gets considerably more stressful.
The elephant in the room that needs to be addressed is Kobeni, a fan-favorite character who is just having the worst time imaginable. In last week's review, the idea was tossed around about what her and Arai's skills might be that will make them useful members of the team. As of now, that is still uncertain, as they are presented to be completely out of their element.
These two give off the vibes of slasher film victims waiting to happen, and it actually works really well in a strange way. Arai tries to play tough but ends up having a panic attack for completely understandable reasons and Kobeni... has a lot going on.
Her initial backstory is exposited by Arai as if she became a Devil Hunter for a completely altruistic reason: sending her brother to college. Instead, eschews it completely, being completely transparent about how she doesn't want to be there. Her awful parents forced her to be there for her brother's benefit.
It's hard not to feel for her, and it makes her panic and attempts to kill Denji darkly comical. Kobeni and the vocal performance by Karin Takahashi might be one of the biggest reasons this episode is so effective at building tension. This is without even touching upon the groundwork being laid for bigger reveals down the line.
One could be forgiven for thinking that Aki's katana was his main weapon and that Kon was just a super move, but Himeno's utter refusal to let him use it is a shock to the system. The idea is enough for her to prefer killing Denji over letting Aki use the sword, which once again speaks to their relationship.
This episode was an all-around win for character writing and the patience with which it sets up the threat culminates in a tense finale that will have fans eagerly awaiting next week's resolution. It's getting hard to pick who the favorite character is with each week passing, which might be a fitting kind of indecision as the risk of characters dying increases.
Ending Theme Week 6
This week's song is Rendezvous by Kanaria. It seems the Vocaloid production crowd flocked to Chainsaw Man's ending themes in droves and while it has borne quite a lot of success in past weeks, this week was a tad disappointing. This might be purely a matter of taste, but the song felt clumsy, especially the opening beat that sounds like it is tripping over itself.
Not to be too harsh, the imagery has a nice array of panels and shots ripped straight from the manga and as a whole, it fits well with the episode. However, coming off of last week's ED, this was a bit of a downgrade that felt like one of those seasonal shonen endings that just get skipped most of the time.