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And this is what brings us to Chapter 222, appropriately titled “Denji Man” and this chapter can be summed up in one sentence. “I chose me.” Honestly this entire chapter can be summed up in 4 minutes by listening to Kendrick Lamar’s Mirror off his 2022 Album Mr.Morale and The Big Steppers, and honestly this was the spark that created this video. A little tangent I find this extremely ironic considering both Chainsaw Man Part 2 and Mr Morale are both controversial works in their own right.
Chainsaw Man Part 2’s release sparked a lot of debate and controversy within the manga community. Many readers felt that Denji’s character hadn’t changed much from Part 1, arguing that his growth was stagnant or superficial. Others criticized the story for feeling unfocused
The introduction of Asa, a major new character, was also met with mixed reactions. Some fans disliked her initially. This skepticism added to the feeling that the narrative was struggling to find its footing early on.
These critiques mirror some of the challenges that Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers faced upon release. That album, much like Chainsaw Man Part 2, dives deep into trauma, identity, and personal struggle—subjects that can be uncomfortable and polarizing. Some listeners embraced its raw honesty, while others found its themes difficult or disjointed.
The connection between the two works lies in their willingness to explore messy, complex emotional landscapes without easy answers. That can be controversial, with Kendrick it was somewhat a departure from his last studio album and for Chainsaw Man it was a slow burn in comparison to its explosive first half in addition to replacing the main character within its earlier sections.
I think the one song on Mr.Morale that captures Denji perfectly and served as the catalyst for this video was Mirror. A Mirror in itself is a reflection of the person looking into it, and this song is Kendrick doing just that. It’s a deep self exploration, where he sheds the mythos of Kendrick Lamar and communicates to the audience he is only Human, he’s not a savior and he’s tired of trying to live up to the ideas people have placed on him. One lyric in particular not only perfectly describes Kendrick’s Journey from self rejection to self acceptance but also Denji’s.
Denji’s self image has been defined by this one panel in Chainsaw Man Part 1, I’m positive about it.
“So I made a gamble. I bet that the whole time, Ms. Makima had only been lookin’ at Chainsaw Man and not me… That she never saw me even once at the start.”
This burden had defined Denji for most of his life. The idea of swapping places becomes especially on-the-nose when Pochita takes over Denji’s body as the Black Chainsaw Man. In that state, Denji doesn’t just lose his sense of self metaphorically—he loses it literally, reduced to a near-mindless monster incapable of forming coherent speech.
By contrast, Denji Man represents the opposite outcome: a version of Denji who is fully in control of the complete Chainsaw Man transformation. This Denji has accepted who he is, reconciled the human and the devil within him, and no longer needs to become someone else—or erase himself—for validation.
Fujimoto has constantly explored increasingly uncomfortable and real ideas within his stories and Chainsaw Man part 2 is no different,
#chainsawman #denji #kendricklamar