The following contains spoilers for Chapter 167 of Chainsaw Man,"Super Smooch", written by Tatsuki Fujimoto, translated by Amanda Haley, with lettering by Sabrina Heep, available to read via VIZ Media.

The release of Chainsaw Man Chapter 167 yielded strong opinions at all ends of the spectrum from the series' fan base, regarding what could be one of Tatsuki's Fujimoto's most graphic and extreme offerings yet. While Fujimoto is no stranger to controversy, given as seen in the abundance of provocative content in his body of work, even beyond Chainsaw Man, this time, things may be a bit different.

From pointing out a potential reference to a cursed moment from the End of Evangelion movie, to questions about how both Denji and Asa could ever move past what happened, there was no shortage of discussion around Chainsaw Man Chaper 167. With this in mind, here is a look into why this chapter was so controversial, and what it could mean for the series going forward.

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The Build Up To Disaster

So far, Part 2 of Chainsaw Man, which consists of the ongoing Academy Saga, has gone through many ups and downs in its story during the lead up to the current conflict with Public Safety and the Chainsaw Man Church. The latter event was a major turning point in Denji's character arc after the relative stability he had found following the conclusion of Public Safety Saga.

When forced to become Chainsaw Man once again after being barred from doing so for a long time, Denji lost virtually everything he held dear — his home, his dogs, and above all else, Nayuta. This is not the first time Fujimoto has pulled the rug out from under a plateau of relative calm in the narrative, as the deaths of Aki Hayakawa and Power had a similar effect in Part 1.

Fujimoto has never shied away from pushing things into gray areas undefined within the scope of conventional morality, and it is through the exploration of scenarios that are both ambiguous and extreme, that Chainsaw Man really shines best. In this case, Denji was once again at rock bottom after Nayuta's disappearance, and it was at this moment that he gave into his baser desires for instant gratification.

Denji's Issues With Intimacy

Since the very beginning of Chainsaw Man, Denji's desire for intimacy has often clouded his judgment, pushing him to make decisions that can range from being ill-advised to catastrophic. He has often lamented that every woman he has fallen for has tried to kill him, and so far, this has sadly been the case at every step of his journey throughout the series.

While he generally expresses this desire in fairly lewd and superficial terms, what Denji really wants is a genuine connection, which makes the events of Chainsaw Man Chapter 167 even worse. From his horrific first kiss with Himeno, to the recent ill-fated encounter with Asa — whom he seemed to be developing a real bond with — Denji has been nearly as unlucky with romance as he has been with the various people he has called family, and that is really saying something.

Needless to say, the way in which Yoru initially took control of the situation without Denji's consent will likely bring up a lot of past trauma that Chainsaw Man's original protagonist has been struggling with, especially with regard to what he endured with Makima, Reze, and Fumiko, among others. It is clear that Denji already has major trust issues, as seen in how he has participated and then withdrawn consent partway through intimate encounters with women in the series. Unfortunately, the incident in Chapter 167 will only add to the conflict that plagues his psyche.

How Can This Encounter Be Interpreted?

The driving force behind all the controversy here, is that neither Denji nor Asa explicitly consented to what happened in Chapter 167 of Chainsaw Man, and it was Yoru who was dictating the course of the encounter. Initially, Yoru lured Denji into the alleyway under the pretext of performing a penectomy to relieve him of the urge to make choices motivated solely by lust.

However, after Denji swatted away the instrument she intended to perform the procedure with — a rusty nail turned into a knife by the War Devil's power — Yoru proceeded to grab Denji inappropriately, which is hard not to interpret as sexual assault. She then proceeded to force herself on to him, after recalling a prior instance where they had kissed.

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What is interesting, is that this could be a sign of Asa and Yoru's minds fully melding together, since the latter could clearly sense and act on Asa's complicated feelings towards Denji. Moreover, even though the kiss initially began in a fashion that was not consensual, it did not take too long for Denji to reciprocate enthusiastically — yet another instance where his desire for intimacy overshadowed his judgment. What complicates things here is that Denji was likely unaware of Yoru's presence, and he thought this was all Asa's doing.

In the moments that followed, things heated up, and at the climax of this encounter, Denji violated the terms of consent even further, since he provided no prior warning about the fact that he was about to climax. It was at this very moment that Yoru relinquished control of Asa's body, which concluded the encounter in a truly bizarre and downright horrendous fashion. Currently, only Fujimoto really knows how each of the three parties involved in this encounter will perceive it, although Asa's reaction, in particular, is what most of Chainsaw Man's fan base will be eager to see.

Asa's Perspective On This Mess

On the face of it, what Yoru did to Asa is likely the worst violation of consent in the entire incident, since the latter was forced to engage in a sexual act without any agency over her own body. In addition, Yoru's choice to return control to Asa immediately after the encounter concluded, was also deplorable, since she shirked all responsibility for what she had done.

This came at a time when Asa and Yoru were finally starting to develop some sense of trust and mutual appreciation, and it remains to be seen whether their relationship can ever be repaired after this incident. Since Asa is someone who already has a negative view of sex in general, this event could reinforce her disdain for Denji and Yoru, since they were the ones who used her body against her will.

Presently, there is a lack of clarity about how much Asa will remember about the entire encounter, although both her and Yoru generally seem to be aware of what their shared body is doing when they are not in control of it. While it is easy to dismiss the content of Chainsaw Man Chapter 167 as something used for shock value, Tatsuki Fujimoto has repeatedly demonstrated a flair for using provocative situations to drive significant character development and there is little doubt that this incident will hopefully fulfill the same purpose for Denji, Asa, and Yoru.

Chainsaw Man is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Chainsaw Man

Action

Supernatural

Chainsaw 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.

Release Date

October 12, 2022

Studio

MAPPA

Creator

Tatsuki Fujimoto

Number of Episodes

12

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Hulu