Even when things are bleak as hell, Chainsaw Man finds a way to fire on all of its cylinders. With Nayuta dead, Denji goes full-blown Black Chainsaw Man on every devil and demon he can get his jaws on. Meanwhile, Asa is having a conundrum with her War Devil Yoru, as both seek to find some sort of meaning in what they’re doing. Dang, Volume Twenty of Chainsaw Man is just one crisis after another, huh?

Thankfully, the mental breakdowns are padded out with Tatsuki Fujimoto’s trademark violence. The battle between Yoru and Chainsaw Man is a bloody one, as the two take their powers straight from the most violent country in the world: the United States! They attempt to cut down that violence by stealing the trigger finger of over 300,000 American gun owners (which is as close to a political statement you’ll find in a Chainsaw Man manga), and proceed to tear each other apart in the process.

If that’s not enough, the Aging Devil is begging for Chainsaw Man to eat him. While the reason isn’t exactly clear, the concept of no more aging leading to overpopulation, leading to famine and other nasty things certainly makes for an evil plan. But for now, Denji’s not having any of it, even when he’s sent to a world where no one ages. Thankfully, he’s got Asa there to keep him company.

The problem: there’s no way out of this world. Its inhabitants slowly grow mad, with one guy acting like a koala bear due to insanity taking over. Alas, the only way back is to wait a thousand years and turn into a tree. But thanks to his stupid way of thinking, Denji figures out a plan to get out and be the Chainsaw Man he and Pochita should be. All it takes is some exercise and some yummy tree organs!

At this point, Chainsaw Man is trying to figure out its identity. More importantly, its characters are attempting to find a purpose in life. For Denji, it’s about never being alone, having a family, and a little sex from time to time. Yoru initially wanted to kill Chainsaw Man, but now she seems to want to settle on being stronger than him. But what about Asa? Does she have a dream? Why put up with this level of craziness if she has no purpose in life? Would it have been better if Yoru didn’t bring her back to life?

I never expected Chainsaw Man to be as thought-provoking as it’s become. Yes, the chaos and the violence are the star of the twentieth volume, but Denji and Asa have some mental luggage to deal with. It’s good seeing Denji have some sort of breakthrough, but who knows how long this spiel of optimism will last. Knowing how much Fujimoto loves to torture his characters, I wouldn’t be too surprised if the next volume brings our good boy back into a terrible funk.

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media. Click here to read past reviews of Chainsaw Man!