Chainsaw Man is a popular manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The story follows Denji, a young man who merges with his chainsaw devil dog Pochita and becomes the Chainsaw Man, a hybrid of human and devil. He joins the Public Safety Bureau as a devil hunter and faces various threats from other devils and fiends.
One of the most tragic and emotional chapters in the manga is chapter 79, titled “Play Catch”. In this chapter, Denji has to fight against his former friend and partner Aki Hayakawa, who has been possessed by the Gun Devil, the most powerful and feared devil in the world. Aki was a devil hunter who lost his family to the Gun Devil’s attack when he was a child. He dedicated his life to hunting down the Gun Devil, but he was manipulated by Makima, a mysterious and sinister devil hunter who controls Special Division 4 of Public Safety. Makima showed Aki a vision of his future death by Denji’s hands, and convinced him to seek the ultimate power by making a contract with the Gun Devil.
The chapter alternates between two perspectives: the reality of the brutal battle between Denji and Aki, and Aki’s fantasy of playing snowballs with Denji in a peaceful winter day. The contrast between the two scenes highlights the tragedy of Aki’s fate and the irony of his transformation. Aki’s fantasy is actually based on his last memory of his younger brother Taiyo, who died in the Gun Devil’s attack. Taiyo wanted to play catch with Aki, but Aki was annoyed by him and told him to play by himself. Taiyo then initiated a snowball fight with Aki, but when he went inside to get his baseball glove, the Gun Devil struck and killed him along with their parents.
In Aki’s fantasy, he sees Denji as his brother and enjoys playing with him. He is unaware of his real situation and thinks that everything is fine. He even tells Denji that he will protect him from the Gun Devil. However, as the fantasy progresses, he notices that Denji is crying and asks him why. Denji says that he doesn’t want to play anymore and admits defeat. Aki then looks back and sees that Denji has disappeared, replaced by Taiyo. He realizes that something is wrong, but he doesn’t know what.
In reality, Denji is desperately trying to stop Aki from killing him and everyone else. He begs him to turn back into his normal self, but Aki doesn’t listen. He unleashes his guns on Denji, blasting him away and destroying buildings and lives in the process. Denji loses an arm and both legs, and falls into a pile of rubble. He is surrounded by a crowd of bystanders who give him their blood and plead with him to save them from Aki. They say that they saw him on TV and that they don’t want to die.
Denji regenerates his limbs thanks to the blood donation, and stands up to face Aki again. He decides that he has no choice but to kill Aki, even though he doesn’t want to. He stabs Aki with his chainsaws, ending his life. As he returns to his human form in shock, the Future Devil appears and laughs at him. He says that Aki died in the worst way possible for Denji: as an enemy who hated him.
The final pages of the chapter show Aki in his fantasy, playing catch with Taiyo. He smiles and says that he loves him.
Conclusion
Chainsaw Man manga chapter 79 is a heartbreaking chapter that shows the tragic end of Aki Hayakawa, one of the main characters of the series. It also shows how Makima manipulated him into becoming her pawn and how Denji had to kill his friend against his will. The chapter uses a clever technique of contrasting reality and fantasy to emphasize the sadness and irony of Aki’s fate. It also shows how much Denji cares for Aki, despite their differences and conflicts.
FAQ
- Q: What is Chainsaw Man?
- A: Chainsaw Man is a manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. It is published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since December 2018. It has 97 chapters as of September 2021.
- Q: Who is Aki Hayakawa?
- A: Aki Hayakawa is one of the main characters of Chainsaw Man. He is a devil hunter who works for Special Division 4 of Public Safety Bureau. He has contracts with the Curse Devil and the Future Devil. He lost his family to the Gun Devil when he was a child.
- Q: Who is Makima?
- A: Makima is a mysterious and sinister devil hunter who controls Special Division 4 of Public Safety Bureau. She has immense powers that are unknown in origin. She has a hidden agenda and manipulates Denji and Aki for her own purposes.
- Q: Who is the Gun Devil?
- A: The Gun Devil is the most powerful and feared devil in the world. He is responsible for killing millions of people in a single attack. He can control guns and bullets and fire them at incredible speed and accuracy. He made a contract with Aki and possessed him, turning him into the Gun Fiend.
