Chainsaw Man 182 is finally here after the break and Fujimoto just brought back two major characters.
However, the last panel is likely from Denji’s memories and both Power and Aki are not actually back.
If this part is true, this suggests that Pochita, by erasing devils, might have been trying to help Denji by also erasing painful memories and trauma connected to those concepts.
By removing these devils from existence, Denji’s memories of them would fade along with their presence and concept.
#181 Recap
After Yoru and Asa’s attempts fail to teleport back to the original world, they realize they are stuck in the Aging World and can’t even use the devil’s powers.
Yoru starts beating Denji up to wake him up, saying it is all his fault. When Denji regains consciousness, he reveals his guilt over everything that’s happened because of him, saying he deserves to be stuck in this world as punishment.
Seeing Denji’s breakdown, Yoru surprisingly becomes emotional too, and in a twist, she kisses him.
The chapter ended on a cliffhanger, confusing us fans, why would Yoru kiss him again out of nowhere?
But turns out I was right, she simply wants to cheer him up so he can get back up and help her find a way out of this.
What Happened in Chainsaw Man 182?
After the kiss, Yoru asks Denji to help in finding a way to escape the Aging World and says crying won’t help.
Denji is still confused by that kiss and asks Yoru why would she kiss him at a time like this. She replies it is because she finds him cute when he cries and then she tries to kiss him again.
Denji Sets Boundaries
However, this time around Denji stops her and asks her why she keeps coming at him, it feels like his life constantly shifts between “sexy and terrible”.
Denji after declining Yoru’s kiss, admits he feels hopeless and can’t reflect when he is emotionally stirred.
Yoru Tries (and Fails) to Relate
Yoru tries to reconnect with him by saying that she has lost people who were like a family to her, just like Denji did.
If she got over it, Denji would too, but this does not help much in Denji’s case since Yoru is a devil and Denji knows Yoru is not built that way.
Asa Takes Over the Conversation
After the failed attempt, Asa punches Yoru to regain control of the body and have a conversation with Denji.
She then opens up about her guilt over her mother’s death, her mother got eaten by a devil and since that day she has been living in regret.
Denji asks her how she got over that, Asa says there is no way she can get over something like this, it is just impossible.
She then reveals Chainsaw Man has taught her there is so much to live for still. She has so much to look forward to that she is even willing to eat a crapburger!
Aki and Power Flashback
Then, Denji suddenly coughs up the Snow Devil and the snowfall starts in Aging World, this triggers a memory of Aki and Power, they are traveling in a boat.
Review
This chapter is going to confuse alot of fans. However, as I mentioned above, Aki and Power did not return, it is most likely a flashback, and the black borders in the last panel prove that.
Pochita ate the Snow Devil back in Chainsaw Man Chapter 174 along with Octopus, Mouth, and Bitterness Devil, though War Devil made Pochita throw up Mouth Devil later.
Overall, this chapter had a solid mix of emotional depth and character growth for Denji. He was able to stop Yoru this time, and it seems he is fed up with Yoru’s games now.
If Denji keeps on throwing up devils, we may see more fragments of his past come to light. Perhaps the memory of Reze is next if he throws up Bitterness Devil?
The chapter is available to read on MangaPlus and VizMedia
