‘It’s nuts or nothin’’: Grotesque, carnival and postmodernism in Chainsaw Man

This article examines the first arc (named the ‘Public Safety’ arc) of the anime and manga Chainsaw Man , focusing on the print version written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Although the series apparently lies on the more juvenile extreme of shonen works, this article applies Bakhtin’s carnivalesque approach, including manifestations of the grotesque, to show that the gore-splattered hero is engaged in a postmodern critique of society. Whether mocking the promoters of traditional values by kicking them in the groin or depicting grotesque amalgamations, the manga attacks the structures and norms of the modern world while elevating ‘simple’ desires and values.