Chainsaw Man works because Denji’s goals are so small. He doesn’t want to save the world; he wants food, a bed and a girlfriend. Fusing with his devil dog Pochita drags him into a world of devil hunters where life is cheap.
The action is bloody and chaotic, the humor is crude, and under all of it there’s a sad story about someone who never had a childhood. The direction is cinematic and moody, closer to a film than a typical action show.
Watch the film after season 1; it continues the story directly.