Yoru the New Makima. Chainsaw Man Chapter 193 Review

In the previous Chainsaw Man chapter, Yoru helps Denji escape Yoshida and they spend some alone time, leading to Yoru sitting on Denji’s lap.

Chainsaw Man Chapter 193 is titled, “Burning Kiss”.

This chapter has 13 pages.

Quite short.

The title’s meaning also fits due to the Fire Devil burning buildings (whether the fire is from the Devil itself or the “fire” of the people in the Chainsaw Man Church, we are left to interpret.)

The chapter begins with Yoru pitying Denji for having no friends and being driven by his sex drive, all the while we see Fujimoto’s paneling as usual, with Denji’s flustered face next to Yoru’s responses.

Yoru also brings up how even though Denji knows he will be weaponzied by her, Denji is still easy to play with for her.

Yoru kisses him on the right cheek, enjoying how pitiful Denji looks as it also makes her want to cheer him up

However, Yoru refuses to wiggle more on his Denji’s lap, wanting him to feel pitiful.

Denji asks if Yoru hates him, which leads to her saying that Asa does like him.

And by sharing a brain with Asa, Yoru likes Denji too, which surprises Denji as he cries and tells her that he is glad there is still someone who likes him.

Yoru gives Denji a kiss on the lips and asks if he wants to have sex with her.

The last page shows us Yoru in a similar position to Makima in Chapter 13: “Gun Devil”, where she told Denji that she would kiss him if he defeats the Gun Devil.

Here, the consequence is more apparent

Are We Seeing a Story Regression?

This short chapter seems to bring Denji back to his old position, a poor, purposeless pup who is the pet of a dominating female.

Some fans have reacted to this quite negatively, pointing out not only the repetition but the undermining of both Denji’s victimhood and the messed up implications of his position.

Denji may be enjoying the sexual drive he is feeling around Yoru, who is now taking Makima’s place more directly than ever, but nothing here should diminish his victimhood.

However, the longer Fujimoto leaves Denji to his suffering, the more some Chainsaw Man readers will view the situation as written for the sake of “gooning” or arousal.

This criticism is more directed towards Chainsaw Man fans or readers who say they are “winning” because of the stimulation from the pages.

Another reading can be that Denji having a manipulator like Yoru be the only genuine connection he has left is a meaningful tragedy for readers to experience and go through.

Yoru does seem to care about Denji, whether or not she accepts it.

The problem is how she positions herself to Denji.

Chainsaw Man explores the dynamics of power between someone in misfortune and poverty like Denji and someone with more privilege like Makima, and to an extent, Yoru.

I say to an extent because Yoru, for all her power, is also alone and in danger like Denji and even with her strength, she does not have the means to conquer or be comfortable.

The story does not deny the realities of the patriarchy or classism but instead zones in on Denji’s particular experience, which young men nowadays can relate to.

It is this same relatability hook that puts Chainsaw Man in a controversial position because by Part 2, Denji has engaged in some questionable sexual activity that further blurs the seriousness of his victimhood.

Obviously, he is still exploited but there is nothing wrong with his desire to find love.

There is also nothing inherently wrong with someone like Yoru developing feelings.

It has nothing to do with her nature as a Devil but her personality and power over Denji.

Perhaps these sets of chapters will be the jumping point from which Yoru and Denji will slowly begin to act as equals, which will make the moral dilemma of weaponizing Denji to save the world or saving Denji so he can live more palatable.

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