Summary
In their first solo team-up, Denji and Power deliver a thrilling episode with surprising twists.
We recap the Crunchyroll anime series Chainsaw Man season 1, episode 3, “Meowy’s Whereabouts,” which contains spoilers.
In this episode, viewers learn a lot more about Power (voiced by Fairouz Ai) and how devils work in general. It sets the stage for what is sure to be a promising partnership between her and Denji (voiced by Kikunosuke Toya). Although neither is too keen on developing a friendship, as part of the same experimental squad, finding common ground will only benefit them. Luckily it seems both she and Denji have a soft spot for small, furry animals.
Last week Denji found a goal worth fighting for – touching boobs. While it may not be the most conventional goal, it will surely keep him motivated for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, it’ll be interesting to see how much closer he gets to achieving that goal after this week’s installment.
Chainsaw Man season 1, episode 3 recap
The episode opens with shots of an active crime scene. Barricades and police surround the area where Power killed the Sea Cucumber Devil.
As they look on from the side, Makima warns Power that the killing of a civilian Devil Hunter‘s target is usually punishable by death. She also scolds Denji, saying he will need to keep a better eye on Power in the future. While Power was once the Blood Devil and has admirable skills, she gets worked up easily. When Makima wonders if she’s not cut out for devil hunting, Power immediately blames Denji for instructing her to kill the devil in the first place, and the two begin to argue. However, when Makima tells them to stop, Power is uncharacteristically submissive and assures the boss that they can work together.
At the vending machines, Denji watches Power as he buys himself a drink. He knows that if they cannot figure out a way to work together, he’ll lose everything he’s gained so far, and he tells her as much. Power responds that she prefers the company of cats to both humans and devils. While hating humans is an instinct, she hates other devils because one of them stole her pet cat, Meowy. She was unable to retrieve Meowy before ending up with Makima and reveals that the only reason she really listens is that she’s willing to do anything if it means there’s a chance she may get her cat back.
While Denji thinks it’s stupid to go that far for a cat, he understands a little, as he recently decided he would do anything for a chance to fondle a woman’s chest. Power strikes up a deal with him – in exchange for saving her cat, she will let him touch her breasts. Denji agrees immediately.
After getting leave approval from Public Safety, the two head out to find the devil that has Meowy. Power explains that she knows where the devil is; however, Denji is the only that will be able to fight it, as the devil will likely use Meowy as a shield upon seeing Power. Denji attempts to explain his relationship to Pochita, but Power does not seem to understand. Although he doesn’t think they’ll ever be capable of getting along, he is still motivated to see this play out at the prospect of touching Power’s chest.
At Public Safety, Makima has a meeting with the higher-ups who inform her about rumors that other governments are using devils in their military. They ask about the progress of her experimental squad, to which she replies that she’s picked up an interesting new addition. They remind her not to get attached, as her main job is raising these “hounds” to be ready for the field.
In the car, Aki wonders why Makima has such high hopes for Denji, as he does not seem all that interesting. She explains that a devil’s power is tied directly to how much people fear them. Some devils are more feared than others because their names imply strength or something to be feared. Considering Denji can turn into a Chainsaw Devil, she thinks that’s enough to warrant calling him interesting, but Aki vehemently disagrees.
Power leads Denji to an abandoned house where the devil is holding Meowy. He has an axe with him in hopes that he will not have to use his chainsaws. Having yet to see Denji in his devil form, Power thinks he is joking about his abilities.
He wonders if it’s safe for her to be this close to the house because once he sees her, the devil inside will surely use Meowy as a shield, as she said. Power vaguely recalls saying that before admitting she misspoke. They both pause, and Denji realizes that he’s been set up. Before he can strike, Power creates a hammer from her blood and knocks him out.
Power drags Denji into the house and says she brought a human, just like the devil asked. Here we learn that the devil in question is the Bat Devil, an enormous, terrifying beast that resembles a humanoid bat. The Bat Devil snatches up Denji with the intent to eat him and cure a severe wound he suffered at the hands of humans. He squeezes Denji, who coughs up blood, but when the Bat Devil drinks it, he finds it to be disgusting and tosses Denji aside. While it may have been gross, Denji’s blood is still enough to instantly cure the Bat Devil, who now has the strength to go out and find more human blood to cleanse the gross taste in his mouth.
Before he can leave, Power demands the Bat Devil return Meowy to her, as promised. He brings Meowy out, only to swallow the cat in front of Power as punishment for bringing him such nasty blood.
As the viewers, we get a brief flashback of Power finding and raising Meowy just before the Bat Devil shows up and steals the cat in exchange for Power bringing him a human sacrifice.
In the present, Power looks towards Denji and tells him she finally understands what he was trying to say to her earlier about Pochita.
Chainsaw Man season 1, episode 3 ending
As Denji lies on the floor watching, the Bat Devil swallows Power whole as well and then flies off toward the city to find more humans. While deciding what humans to eat, he realizes that Denji is attached to his leg, drinking his blood. He goes to attack Denji, who already has his hand on his chest, ready to become Chainsaw Man.
Time moves in slow motion here as Denji recalls a time when he thought he’d lost Pochita. He remembers how scared he was and wonders if Power felt the same way without Meowy just before pulling the string on his chest.
Chainsaws explode from Denji’s face and arms, allowing him to cut off the Bat Devil’s arm in midair. The two of them come crashing down into a building, where the two begin fighting. Denji declares he is going to take down the Bat Devil so that he can cop a feel on Power, as promised. It seems to be all the motivation he needs to give his all in this fight.
Despite fighting in the streets, Denji saves several civilians by encouraging them to run to safety. The Bat Devil exploits this weakness by throwing a passenger-filled car toward him. In a move that surprises even himself, Denji realizes he is able to retract his chainsaws at will.
Although he claims not to care about saving civilians, Denji manages to save the man in the car before being hit with the Bat Devil’s sonic blast. The Bat Devil attempts to eat the man on the ground but is distracted when Denji is still alive, screaming about why, despite all of his patience, he has yet to be rewarded with the breasts he was promised. Much to Bat Devil’s fear, Denji brings his chainsaw arms back out and begins advancing on the devil. The episode ends with Denji slicing open the Bat Devil’s insides.
This episode was an unexpected delight, as viewers got to see just how similar Denji and Power actually are. Part devils become a little more humanized in this episode, and it’s a nice touch that makes even wild characters like Power seem more relatable. Here’s hoping she makes it out of the Bat Devil’s stomach alive!
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