Chainsaw Man Chapter 39 features a rather baffling scene that seems even more confusing in retrospect. In it, Makima and Denji watch a movie in the cinema, and Makima ends up crying, which seems contradictory to her character. So, why did Makima cry in the cinema?
RELATED: How Old Is Makima?
Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers for the Chainsaw Man manga and anime below.
Why Did Makima Cry in the Cinema?
The manga doesn't really reference the movie scene again in later chapters, so we cannot be 100% sure as to why Makima cried in the cinema.
However, there are two main theories about this scene and, even two years after the end of the Public Safety arc, fans are very vocal about their opinions.
READ MORE: How Much of Chainsaw Man Will the Anime Cover?
Was Makima Trying to Manipulate Denji?
Back in 2020, a Reddit user noted that while Makima cries while watching the movie, her face remains expressionless. Removing her tears through photoshop results in a completely neutral face that betrays no hint of emotion.
This leads some fans to believe that crying was just part of Makima's wider plan to manipulate Denji.
Remember that Denji himself cried in the movie, and also that he's so desperate to connect with a girl -- especially one like Makima -- that he'd seriously take any indication that the two of them could be together.
In that sense, Makima's crying could mean that Denji would identify with her more easily and believe that they have something in common -- not that he needed such signs, given how infatuated he already was.
With that being said, such behavior on Makima's part would be plausible.
On several occasions, she has already been shown to manipulate the inexperienced Denji.
For instance, by invading his personal space, asking him to behave like a dog for her, promising to cover his basic needs in exchange for obedience, and even implying sexual favors to get him to do her bidding.
ALSO READ: Does Makima Actually Like Denji?
Could Makima's Tears Be Genuine?
Despite the reasons mentioned above, many fans believe that Makima's tears were genuine. Later manga chapters reveal that Makima is the Control Devil, which means everyone around her has no choice but to do her bidding. However, this also means she could never have a real family and genuine love.
Makima turns out to be absolutely evil, not only because of the many people she has murdered but also because she sought to give Denji the life of his dreams, only to take it away and completely break him.
Part of her motivation was her obsessive love for Chainsaw Man. This led her to an elaborate plan to subjugate Chainsaw Man and have him completely under her control so that she could get him to destroy the devils she didn't like and create an ideal world without fear or evil.
In the Control Devil arc, it is explained that Makima could not form equal human relationships.
Her status as the Control Devil means that everyone is drawn to her and no one can avoid doing her bidding.
Makima's desire was to have a family and genuine love, as well as the complete devotion of Chainsaw Man.
These are understandable desires, but her means were evil, as she destroyed Denji's found family and took many lives to achieve that.
Some fans still find Makima's twisted personality and motivations interesting and feel that she might have genuinely cried in the cinema because she knew that she could never have the family and love she hopes for.
Others would refuse to entertain this possibility, thinking that such a twisted character is unlikely to feel so deeply or have such a natural, spontaneous reaction.
Ultimately, we can't know for sure if Makima's tears were real or fabricated, but both theories have merit and are interesting to contemplate.
Discover more of our insights and the latest anime news by following us on Twitter @epicstreamanime.
READ NEXT: Does Aki Like Makima in Chainsaw Man?
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!