Just as Denji (Kikunosuke Toya) is the relatable everyman that teens can identify with, so too does little Pochita (Shiori Izawa) pull at our heartstrings. Chainsaw Man is really a story of a boy and his dog when the two meet at the beginning of the anime. Though only a teenage boy, the Yakuza has charged Denji with the debts of his father, putting him in dire straits. Barely able to feed himself, Denji is all alone until he meets Pochita. With the adorable form of a dog but with a chainsaw protruding from his face, Pochita becomes Denji’s only friend.
Denji pays no mind to the fact that Pochita is a Chainsaw Devil, one of the many entities wreaking havoc in their world. The dog is weakened, and when Denji feeds him his blood to save him, the two form a lifelong bond. The duo work for the Yakuza hunting Devils to pay off the debt from Denji’s father. But when the ruthless gang decides that Denji has outlived his usefulness, that is when the ragtag duo comes to an end.
Pochita’s heartbreaking sacrifice
Pochita and Denji have lived together, starved together, and even shared dreams. But it all comes to a devastating end when the Yakuza decide to end Denji for good. They have been taken over by the Zombie Devil (Kôki Miyata), which is intent on turning the gang and their associates into the walking dead. Led into a trap, the Zombie Devil kills Denji and leaves him in an abandoned building. If it were not for his best friend, that would be the end of Denji.
Instead, Pochita makes the ultimate sacrifice and brings Denji back from death by making a bargain. Denji will become the new Chainsaw Devil, and Pochita will become his heart. Not quite dead and not quite alive, Pochita will always be with him and be able to see his dreams. There is no friendship truer than that and is the entire conceit of the series. Denji, who was too young to die and was born into the wrong circumstances can have a second chance at life. And finally, accomplish his dream of getting with a girl.
Denji accepts and after rising from the dead, completely decimates the Yakuza with his terrifying chainsaw powers. From then on, Pochita is typically only seen in flashbacks and dreams. Becoming Denji’s heart is more literal than supernatural; Denji can’t talk to him unless he is dreaming. This fact makes Pochita’s sacrifice mean even more. Even though he would be ending his own life and Denji would never be able to see him again, it would be worth it. Pochita isn’t like the other antagonistic Devils running amok. He has affection for Denji and shows his love in the most meaningful way.
