Many people have wondered: just why is Chainsaw Man so popular? There are many good reasons the manga is loved by thousands, and the anime is proving to be just as popular and well-received. But what is Chainsaw Man's age rating? Here's a guide for parents.
It is well known that the Chainsaw Man manga isn't lacking in body horror and shockingly violent scenes, but just how bad are things? Here's a comprehensive guide on how age (in)appropriate Chainsaw Man actually is:
Is Chainsaw Man Appropriate For Kids?
In the improbable case you haven't heard of it yet, Chainsaw Man unfolds in an alternative world where some key historical events have happened differently or not at all.
In this world, Devils are born out of human fears, and the power of each Devil is proportionate to the amount of fear they cause.
In walks Denji, a young man deep in debt who works as a Devil Hunter, helped by his Devil pet, Pochita.
When Denji is betrayed and killed, Pochita merges with him, turning him into the titular Chainsaw Man.
Soon after, Denji is approached by a division concerned with hunting Devils for public safety, led by a young woman named Makima.
Thus, Denji's new life begins, in which he tries to balance his newfound Devil powers with living his best life this time around.
So, is any of this appropriate for kids? With the internet being more widespread and easy to use than ever, it's no secret that sometimes, underage fans come across explicit content.
Chainsaw Man clearly has gore as its main theme, however, as is indicated in the manga entry on MyAnimeList, things are a bit more serious.
This means that Chainsaw Man is more violent than other action anime and manga.
On the other hand, you can read Chainsaw Man legally online on Shonen Jump via VIZ, a space focusing on anime marketed toward teenage audiences.
Readers and viewers might wonder if Chainsaw Man is shonen or seinen, but there's no clear-cut answer as it's promoted as a shonen but has decidedly seinen, adult elements.
The anime adaptation doesn't shy away from dismemberment either, with brains and other body parts being all over the place, making this anime inappropriate for very young viewers.
What Is Chainsaw Man's Age Rating?
MyAnimeList rates Chainsaw Man as R- 17+ due to its violence and profanity, but doesn't use the R+ or 18+ rating that is reserved for works with mild nudity and/or mild sexual content.
Amazon Prime lists the anime more strictly as 18+, which means they deem it appropriate for adults only.
Ratings vary depending on how strict different countries are, but most rating systems flag Chainsaw Man as a work suitable for audiences that are at least 17 years old.
All countries that have rated the anime on IMDb so far rate it at 18+ with Korea giving it a 19+ rating.
In Chapter 59 of the Chainsaw Man manga, there was a warning in the Shonen Jump app that the manga is only appropriate for those aged 18+, even though there were no such warnings in earlier chapters.
The reason for that was the depiction of a five-person orgy, which was considered wild, even by Chainsaw Man standards.
Still have questions? Let's break down the content a little bit more:
Is Chainsaw Man Age Appropriate?
Chainsaw Man is not appropriate for very young readers and viewers. The main character is a teenager and many members of the main cast form a dysfunctional but occasionally endearing found family, which muddies the waters a bit.
This trope is popular with pre-teens and teenagers, but parents of minors should at least be aware of the content and be able to discuss it if needed.
- Violence: For Chainsaw Man, violence is almost an aesthetic. Denji has the ability to turn his body parts into chainsaws and this isn't even all you need to know about the manga's level of gore. Body parts are routinely depicted in compromising positions, not to mention the massacres that are mentioned or happen on screen. Even the characters themselves are somewhat traumatized by being constantly exposed to this much violence.
- Sexual Content: Sex and sexuality are frequently referenced in Chainsaw Man as the main character is a teenage boy obsessed with girls.
- Drugs, Alcohol, and Smoking: Given the levels of violence in Chainsaw Man, some characters adopt an uncaring attitude about unhealthy substances. For instance, a character picks up smoking, pointing out that they're aware of the adverse health effects but don't care as Devil Hunters don't live long anyway.
- Profanity: There's a fair amount of swearing in the manga. It isn't the series' more profound or shocking aspect, but it's there.
From the above, it can be concluded that Chainsaw Man is not age appropriate for very young audiences.
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Is There Nudity or Sex Scenes in Chainsaw Man?
So far, the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation hasn't depicted nudity or sex scenes.
The most we've seen is a scene with Power in her early days as a Fiend, where it is obvious that she's naked.
However, she isn't overtly sexualized and her relationship with her cat, rather than her body, is the flashback's main focus.
But as we know from the manga, there are going to be scenes that involve nudity later on, though the manga never quite reaches hentai levels.
Later manga chapters introduce a Devil Hunter named Quanxi, who is followed by four female Fiends, all of whom are her lovers. The orgy scene in question involves all of them.
Moreover, a recent Chainsaw Man Part 2 chapter features Asa Mitaka, a new main character, who is also a Fiend. She is partly overtaken by the War Devil and uses the latter's power to turn her school uniform into a sword. This leaves Mitaka in her underwear.
Once again, this is not a scene of extreme nudity, and the focus is on Mitaka's fight, though the fanservice element is still there.
We doubt that Mitaka's scene would make Chainsaw Man's rating any stricter, but we're less sure about the Quanxi scene.
It has been announced that Chainsaw Man won't be censored. We believe that if they decided to show this scene, Chainsaw Man Season 2 would likely be rated as R+ / Mild Nudity as it isn't unheard of for different seasons to have different ratings.
In conclusion, given how readily available Chainsaw Man content is online, we can't pretend that only those over the age of 18 will access it, but underage viewers are strongly discouraged from reading or watching the series.
Parents should be aware of the content and be prepared to discuss it if needed especially as the anime is a faithful adaptation that will likely feature almost every scene from the manga.
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