Denji's Basic Character Motivations In Chainsaw Man Make For A Hilarious Protagonist

While your typical shonen or seinen protagonist might be motivated by revenge, a desire to save the world, or a rivalry with someone else, Denji's goals are much more simplistic in "Chainsaw Man." Financially strangled by the Yakuza debts of his father, Denji struggles to survive despite his lucrative devil-hunting gigs.

Denji is so poor that he lives in a dilapidated shack at the start of "Chainsaw Man" and can barely afford to share a piece of toast with his devil-dog, Pochita. In the first episode, Denji dreams of a wonderful life where he can afford as much toast as he wants, along with a plentiful collection of different jams to smear all over the bread.

Surprisingly to Denji, he achieves this goal instantly once he's taken on by the government branch of Devil Hunters in "Chainsaw Man." From there, an overjoyed Denji sets his sights on a new goal: touching boobs. Though this is a hilariously basic goal for an anime protagonist, it's one that might be relatable to the viewers of the series as it is more realistic than the goals of other anime protagonists. For instance, an average person cannot become a superhero like Deku or King of the Pirates like Luffy, but taking things further with a woman is attainable. 

While Denji might not have the lofty goals that the typical anime protagonist has, his realistic desires make him likable while often setting up some of the silliest and weirdest scenes to show up in any anime from the fall 2022 lineup.