Chainsaw Man Chapter 183’s title, “Barf, Head, Perv”, combines three seemingly disconnected words that could only make sense in the context of the ridiculousness of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s masterwork. The first two words, “barf” and “head,” pertain to Denji vomiting out the heads of Pochita’s victims as he did with the Snow Devil in Chapter 182, “Cute”. Similarly, the third word, “Perv,” is a subtle reference to Denji’s relationship with one of the series’ most popular characters, Reze.
Chainsaw Man Chapter 182 ended with the most unexpected of cliffhangers yet, namely the reappearance of Aki and Powe. It turns out, this was a memory that the reappearance of snow brought out for Denji. This week’s manga chapter brings back yet another beloved character who fans have been theorizing about returning for years in the same vein. However, CSM 183 isn’t about how bringing back characters from the past might make the series better. Instead, it’s about how losing them actually made Denji into a better version of himself.
Chainsaw Man Chapter 183 Finally Brings Back Reze, & It’s Bittersweet
The Chapter Brings Back Many Beloved Characters, but Not in the Way Fans Hoped
In Chapter 182, Power and Aki finally returned after hundreds of chapters of absence. Unfortunately, Chapter 183 confirmed what fans hoped wasn’t exactly the case: Power and Aki are truly dead, and the only way Denji will ever see them again is in his memories. The appearance of Aki and Power in Chapter 182’s final page was a flashback to Denji’s trip with them to the grave of Aki’s family in Chapter 72, “All Together”. This was a memory that was called to mind by Denji after he vomited up the Snow Devil, causing the concept of Snow to return to the World.
Even more than Aki and Power, a character whose “return” has been so frequently theorized about that it has become a meme among fans is the bombe devil, Reze. Since her death “death” at the conclusion of the Bomb Girl arc early in Chainsaw Man Part 1, fans have been theorizing about how Reze might come back. After all, even though she was killed, as a Devil Hybrid, she never really died. This was confirmed when Makima took her under her control in the finale of Part 1 alongside the other Weapon Hybrids, but she was never seen again after that.
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In Chapter 182, Power and Aki finally returned after hundreds of chapters of absence. Unfortunately, Chapter 183 confirmed what fans hoped wasn’t exactly the case: Power and Aki are truly dead, and the only way Denji will ever see them again is in his memories. The appearance of Aki and Power in Chapter 182’s final page was a flashback to Denji’s trip with them to the grave of Aki’s family in Chapter 72, “All Together”. This was a memory that was called to mind by Denji after he vomited up the Snow Devil, causing the concept of Snow to return to the World.
Even more than Aki and Power, a character whose “return” has been so frequently theorized about that it has become a meme among fans is the Bomb Devil Hybrid, Reze. Since her “death” at the conclusion of the Bomb Girl arc early in Chainsaw Man Part 1, fans have been theorizing about how Reze might come back . After all, even though she was killed, as a Devil Hybrid, she never really died. This was confirmed when Makima took her under her control in the finale of Part 1 alongside the other Weapon Hybrids, but she was never seen again after that.
Chainsaw Man Chapter 183 Is a Lesson in Moving Forward for Denji & the Readers
The Chapter Offers a Surprising Yet Sincere Moral Lesson
Ever since Deni saw Nayuta’s head on a sushi platter, it seemed as if he had truly given up all hope of chasing his dreams as Pochita wanted for him. No one would’ve blamed him if this were really the case. But then, Chapter 183 shows an interesting aspect of Denji and Pochita’s relationship, especially after Pochita takes over as Black Chainsaw Man. As Denji comes to realize, the reason Pochita devoured Devils like the Bitterness and Snow Devil was so that he could force Denji to remember these important moments in his life after he eventually threw them up. It’s a characteristically ridiculous conclusion for Chainsaw Man that’s ultimately quite sweet in hindsight.
Denji’s realization also gives even greater context to some of Pochita’s actions in the past, as he seems to have always had the intention of protecting Denji whenever he came out as Black Chainsaw Man, even if his actions seemed brutish and destructive. As savage as pochita’s method was, it ultimately succeeded in reminding Denji of what he always kept on living for: his friends. This is a surprisingly basic spin on the classic shōnen “power of friendship” trope that would ordinarily seem out of place in the dark and subversive works of Fujimoto. This message of hope and finding a meaning for life contrasts the apparent nihilism in previous chapters, offering a potential way forward for Denji despite all the pain he has suffered.