The second episode of Chainsaw Man was released yesterday, and it adapted Chapters 2 to 4 and part of Chapter 5. Given that it adapted quite a lot of material, not everything made the cut. Specifically, a fight between Denji and the Muscle Devil was cut. Instead, the episode reworked the scenes so that the important dialogue was still included.
Why Was the Muscle Devil Not Included in Chainsaw Man Episode 2?
Episode 2’s story began with Denji in a car with Makima. They soon stop for some food and Denji explains how Pochita became his heart. Soon, the two arrive at the Public Safety Devil Hunters HQ in Tokyo. There, Denji is assigned to work with Aki Hayakawa, an experienced Devil Hunter. Denji and Aki go off on the wrong foot as Aki dissuades Denji from becoming a Devil Hunter. They soon get into a fight, with Denji landing some cheap shots on Aki. When they get back to the HQ, Makima assigns them to deal with a Fiend. Soon, Makima reveals that Denji must live with Aki as he is under the supervision of the Devil Hunters for being a Devil hybrid. At the end of the episode, another member of the team is introduced, and it is none other than the fan-favorite Fiend, Power. In the manga, when Denji and Makima stopped for some food, someone approaches them and asks for help against a Devil. Makima orders Denji to deal with this. But in the anime, this scene does not happen at all. Instead, the dialogue during and after the Muscle Devil fight was integrated into the car ride and the eating sequence.
How Did Fans React to the Muscle Devil’s Absence From the Chainsaw Man Anime?
Of course, any change from the source material will be met with some complaints, and Chainsaw Man fans are no exception. On Twitter, some fans did not like that the Muscle Devil was removed, especially as it fleshed out Denji’s inner thoughts. Some noted that the pacing of the episode was a bit unusual given that it was mostly composed of character interactions without much action which was provided by the said devil in the manga. Despite some complaints, it seems that many fans are fine with the change, especially as the Muscle Devil isn’t a particularly significant character in the Chainsaw Man manga. Fans were still happy that most (if not all) of the important dialogue between Denji and Makima was kept. Some fans noted that it was series creator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s choice to cut the scene given that he worked on the anime closely with MAPPA. Chainsaw Man continues in Episode 3 which will release next week.
