The following contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man Chapter 174, “Ayyy Aging,” by Tatsuki Fujimoto, available in English from Viz Media. It also includes discussion of sensitive topics, including violence.
by Tatsuki Fujimoto The man with the chainsaw It's been non-stop action since Denji gave in to his rage and became the Hero of Hell in Chapter 171, “Special Division 5.” Actions have truly spoken louder than words in the manga, which was especially true after Pochita obliterated the Ear Devil in Chapter 172, “Bzzz! Boom! Chomp!.” With Black Chainsaw Man's Devil Erasure ability at the forefront, The man with the chainsaw Chapter 174, “Ayyy, Getting Old,” gives readers some much-needed deposition to help them sort out everything that just happened.
Chapter 173, “Hard of Hearing”, was understandably devoid of much dialogue. With the Devil Ear devoured by Pochita, the entire concept of ears has been erased from the world, thus making conversation extremely difficult. Chapter 174 picks up after Yoshida and the newly revealed Aged Devil successfully force Pochita to vomit out the Devil Ear, effectively returning the ears to the world. That victory is short-lived, however, as Chapter 174 offers a surprising twist of apocalyptic proportions that makes the Devil's Ear look like a joke..
Chainsaw Man Chapter 174 Is Full of Major Revelations
More information has been revealed about how Pochita's Devil Erase works
Chainsaw Man Chapter 174 Credits |
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Tatsuki Fujimoto |
Amanda Haley |
Sabrina Sacco |

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Chainsaw Man manga features an inconsistency with far-reaching consequences
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“In a world without ears, hearing did not disappear, cell phones and radios still existed… and toothpicks were sold as a handicraft.” – Fumiko
Recently, Fujimoto has been slowly leaking new and exciting details regarding his biggest mystery in the lead up to chapter 174. That mystery is Pochita's Devil Erasure ability and how it works. Chapter 174 is a dialogue-heavy chapter that features even more exciting information about Pochita's powers. It is revealed that, While the concept surrounding the Devil disappears, the objects related to it in the world do not.Instead, those objects simply lose their original meaning.
Aside from this new bombshell about Pochita's powers, one of the biggest reveals of chapter 174 is the identity of the new Primordial Devil first introduced in chapter 173. This previously unnamed Devil is revealed to be the Aging Devil, which explains a lot about his overwhelming power and terrifying appearance. The old devil sitting on a throne supported by young men is the perfect metaphor for the weight that aging places on the shoulders of all young people.
Their hands cut off at the wrists could also symbolize humanity's helplessness in fighting aging. Also, it could be a clever pun on “clock hands,” which measure time as each second of a person's life passes. The Aging Devil's obsession with mirrors is another great detail, emphasizing the vanity that comes from the fear of aging. Finally, the Devil's androgynous appearance, with a split male head and high heels for feet, emphasizes the fact that aging is something feared by all people, regardless of their sex or gender orientation.
Even more shocking than the Aging Devil's final naming are the terms of his deal with humanity, as well as the person sharing it. As Japan's leaders question how they should handle Chainsaw Man's power and manage his rampage, a Public Security agent makes a bold suggestion. It is none other than Fumiko, who has not been seen since Denji was first captured by Public Security. With Yoshida's return in chapter 173, fans were already expecting Fumiko to reappear soon, although no one could have predicted that it would happen under these circumstances. Fumiko then makes a truly terrifying suggestion for the use of Pochita's power: rather than stopping him, they should use it to erase the Aging Devil.
The implications of using this power are not lost on Japan's leaders, who wonder what might change if the very concept of aging were erased. This shows the depth of The man with the chainsaw like a mangaas the subtleties of his power system are never overlooked. Instead of just being avenues for awesome combat and power-ups, Chainsaw Man's abilities are used for cutting social commentary and existential terror. Even more terrifying than what might happen if aging were to be erased, however, is the contract the Aging Devil proposes to allow its erasure. The Devil has no attachment to life and does not mind being eaten by Pochita. However, he will only do so if humanity offers him the lives of 10,000 children in exchange.
Is Denji the real villain of Chainsaw Man or is it humanity?
The biggest thing to fear in Chainsaw Man is a human who is afraid
The critical reception of the man with the chainsaw |
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4.38/5 |
8.71/10 |
The man with the chainsaw (Souls) |
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8.49/10 |

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“Ten thousand lives is a small price to pay for Japan's future.” – Former Finance Minister Tadashi Hasegawa
When Fumiko reveals that the Elder Devil is willing to do her terrifying bidding, it is understandably a matter that warrants much discussion among Japan's leaders. The fact that this matter is even being discussed is an interesting piece of commentary on the overwhelming power that political leaders have over the fate of the average person. While Japan's leaders engage in a utilitarian debate over killing 10,000 children for the hypothetical possibility that death by old age will be made extinct, Readers will be reminded that this is exactly the kind of debate that world leaders face on a daily basis. The exaggerated circumstances of the pact with the devil only underline the absurdity of the whole thing.
Ultimately, The one who makes the final decision is none other than former Finance Minister Tadashi Hasegawa. This speaks volumes about Fujimoto’s view of political affairs, which comes to the accurate assessment that money really does make the world go round. Hasegawa isn’t even the current finance minister, but it’s implied that he has just as much power outside of office, if not more, thanks to his “private sector” contacts. Fujimoto has mastered all sorts of horrors in the past, but rarely does he hit so close to home.
Black Chainsaw Man's ability to erase concepts from the world seemed like a terrifying possibility when he first erased the Ear Devil. With Denji's consciousness replaced by Pochita's, Chainsaw Man has become a chaotic anti-hero, erasing Devils without considering the consequences. On the other hand, The fact that humanity's leaders are actively weighing the consequences and are still considering using this power could make the situation even worse. As of chapter 174, there doesn't seem to be any traditional heroes anymore. At this time, The man with the chainsaw It's just a battle between a greater evil and a lesser evil. No matter who wins, Fujimoto doesn't seem to leave much room for a happy ending.
Chainsaw Man Chapter 174's Big Twist Is Literally Ironic
The man with the black chainsaw is silencing all the skeptics with force

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The Chainsaw Man manga received a small last-minute change that has major implications
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Just when Fumiko is about to make the decision to put the plan into action, something completely unexpected happens. In a masterfully excited use of panels, Fujimoto builds anticipation for Fumiko to execute this plan, all while hiding an extremely important body part. This is a twist that no one could have predicted, given the setup of the chapter. In the week leading up to the release of chapter 174, fans expected Pochita to mercilessly kill her captors, but by placing the focus on the debate of the Japanese leaders, Fujimoto gave the impression that the fight was already over.
Fujimoto does an incredible job of building the sense of dread throughout the chapter using dialogue. Then, with a visual cue, he completely turns the tables in a shocking turn of events that probably shouldn't be all that surprising considering this is the hero from hell that Public Safety has to deal with. The final pages of chapter 174 are the perfect callback to the opening pages of the previous chapter.closing the circle with a sadistic sense of humor.
The man with the chainsaw Chapter 174 is so well-structured and structured that it could easily stand up to any one-shot manga story. This shouldn't be too surprising, since Fujimoto has already created some of the most beloved one-shots in manga. In fact, the anime adaptation of his beloved and popular one-shot Looking back is enjoying great critical and commercial success at the Japanese box office. The best way to appreciate chapter 174 is to approach it with a basic understanding of its contents, as is the case with any great cinematic work.
Chainsaw Man Chapter 174, “Ayyy Aging”, is now available to read online.