Chainsaw Man Part II have fans confused: who’s the protagonist now?

Chainsaw Man Part II have fans confused who's the protagonist now

After a 2-year long hiatus, Chainsaw Man finally resumed its serialization in July of 2022 with part II. But to the fans’ surprise, part II of the chainsaw man manga features a different protagonist. Because of the character-driven nature of the manga, the change wasn’t welcomed very well by the fans. Everybody was curious about Denji’s whereabouts and where’s he off to. Some fans are still confused about who the main character is. Is it Asa or Denji?

Similarities between Denji and Asa

Asa is a high school girl, with a tragic life similar to Denji. Both the characters had a troubled childhood which shaped them into strange individuals. We also get to have a peek at her traumatic past back at the orphanage. All of this is very similar to what makes Denji so relatable.  They are kind-hearted at their core. Their paths cross when Denji saves Asa from the Bat Devil.

Chainsaw Man Part II have fans confused who's the protagonist now
Asa running away from Bat Devil | Image Courtesy of Viz Media

In the recent chapters, we got to see how relatable Asa can be as a character as she talks about expectations and people rarely meeting them; staying up at night thinking about all the mistakes she has made. The girl also has unclear notions about morality and everything she does is just to avoid making mistakes. 

Chainsaw Man Part II have fans confused who's the protagonist now
Denji and Pochita | Image Courtesy of studio MAPPA

How Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure series had the same problem

Chainsaw Man Part II have fans confused: who's the protagonist now?
Joseph Joestar | Image Courtesy of David Production, Inc

A similar thing happened in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Joseph’s story ended in the second part of JoJo but we still got to see him in Stardust Crusaders. Jotaro is the main character and we see the story from his perspective, but there are Joseph’s moments that are significant in their way. Jotaro and Joseph were shown together with the limelight on Jotaro while Joseph kept being himself.

Similarly, in the latest chapters, we get to see the characters warming up to each other. In chapter 127, we see Denji giving a pep talk to Asa as she’s ready to give up on staying alive. We get a chainsaw-man fight, with the spotlight back on Denji. The characters engage in a fun banter in the middle of a life-threatening situation.

Fans’ Reaction to Asa Mikata

  • The protagonist’s switch was an unexpected change to the story. Denji is a widely loved character and nobody is ready to let him go just yet.
  • Many people have accepted the story from a new point of view which is the perspective of Asa. Denji is still relevant to the story as his story didn’t end completely.

The reluctance in accepting Asa as the main character is the fact that Denji had 97 Chapters to tell his story. Asa’s story has just started. We need to give the story some more time for it to bloom. Denji’s character wasn’t completely thrown out of the way. He’s still a main character, and we still get to see how he gets affected but we’re not seeing the story from his perspective anymore.

Conclusion

Chainsaw Man Part II have fans confused who's the protagonist now
Image Courtesy via IMDb

The recent development in the manga shows how Asa can be an awkward but endearing character. With over 32 chapters with the girl as the protagonist, she has managed to become a likable character. She might progress to become a fan-favorite with how so many fans find her realistic.

From part 1 to part 2 we have seen immense growth in Denji. He has become more fun and confident as compared to his previous version. His growth should be credited to how well his character was explored. It’ll be a delight to see our protagonist Asa exploring her prospects and blooming into a better, more hopeful version of herself.

 

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