Chainsaw Man episode 8 recap & review: Gunfire

Chainsaw Man episode 8 sees an important character meeting a tragic end while Devil Hunters all over Tokyo become victims of a coordinated attack carried out by guns.

Recap

Chainsaw Man episode 8 opens with drunk Himeno imposing herself on the heavily inebriated Denji. Before the problematic situation moves past the point of no return, Denji manages to dodge it, while Himeno passes out as well.

The next morning, Himeno apologises for her actions the previous night and later makes a deal with Denji. She’ll help him get with Makima if he agrees to help her with Aki; Denji agrees, even though he doesn’t understand what she sees in Aki, akin to how she doesn’t see what he sees in Makima.

Meanwhile, Makima is killed by people with guns while en route to Kyoto. A grim montage reveals a number of undercover assassins in civilian clothes sneaking up on Public Safety Devil Hunters and shooting them dead.

At lunch, Denji is targeted as well, and shot in the head, followed by Himeno who gets shot in her stomach. The attacker is the grandson of the Yakuza guy that Denji killed early on in the season.

Aki moves swiftly and has the Fox Devil eat the attacker. However, he turns out to be a hybrid akin to Denji, slashing his way out of the Devil and revealing himself to be a hybrid with the Katana Devil.

While Power tends to Himeno, Aki pulls out his sword and manages to defeat the enemy with the help of the Curse Devil. However, that’s when Akane Sawatari, another enemy and the friend of the Katana Man, arrives on the scene and revives the hybrid.

This time, Katana Man emerges a victor, inflicting brutal injury upon Aki who is momentarily saved by Himeno, who gives her all to the Ghost Hand, making the devil materialise and overwhelm Katana Man.

However, Akane intervenes again and summons the Snake Devil, having him defeat the Ghost Hand while Himeno’s entire body disappears, leaving only her clothes and eye-patch behind.

Chainsaw Man episode 8 ends shortly after Aki beholds at the horrific and tragic site of her superior having sacrificed herself to save him.

Review

• Chainsaw Man shifts gear in ‘Gunfire’ in a way that genuinely reinstates one’s belief in its overhyped reputation.
• After a slog of unimpressive and hollow instalments, episode 8 feels leagues apart from the diatribe that preceded it.
• One of the best changes this episode exhibits is the animation, which is absolutely beautiful in the way it reflects the personality of the characters prominent in a scene. Himeno’s drunken POV after the moody edit of her house is a delight to watch.
• What follows is a solid episode that for the first time thus far, exhibits a sombre and tense tonality befitting of a world like Chainsaw Man.
• Himeno’s departure is both subtle and therefore, immensely impactful, efficiently conveying a grim event where the gore and guts often fail to.

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Also Read: What is a Fiend in Chainsaw Man?