Chainsaw Man chapter 174 was pretty heavy in terms of the content. Fujimoto hasn’t held back for quite a while when it comes to writing the manga. It is bleak, it is dark, and in the latest chapter, he just showed us it isn’t essentially devils that are the most sinister beings in the universe.
Also, Chainsaw Man chapter 174 had a lot of info dump. And it shows that a lot more players are involved and pulling the strings behind Denji turning into the Chainsaw Devil.
The Public Safety’s Involvement:
There were suspicions that Public Safety had been manipulating Denji and the Chainsaw Devil for its own reasons. And Chainsaw Man chapter 174 confirmed these suspicions about the organization’s true intentions.
Alarm bells were already ringing when the Public Safety exhibited nonchalance as the Ear Devil was devoured by Chainsaw Man.
Instead of panic or defensive measures, their reactions suggested a calculated response, as if they were anticipating the entire event. Not only did they send the Ear Devil to fight Chainsaw Man on purpose, it was as if they were betting on the devil getting eaten.
Come Chapter 174 we understand that the Ear Devil incident was a carefully staged demonstration of Chainsaw Man’s power for the Public Safety’s higher-ups.
While it is a big reveal, Fumiko’s direct report to Japan’s political elite shouldn’t really come as a surprise. The public safety is, after all, the government’s lapdog. At the end of the day, they would require the higher-ups to sign off on whatever plan they are cooking.
And it’s not as if the higher ups are oblivious to the games the Public Safety plays either. We are talking about the same government that kept a formidable devil like Makima under their control.
However, despite all this, the most intriguing development was the subsequent discussion where Fumiko outlined Public Safety’s goal: human evolution through the Chainsaw Man’s power.
This involved eradicating concepts deemed detrimental to civilization, from harmful substances to entire nations, using Chainsaw Man’s powers.
On paper, this is reminiscent of what Makima aimed to do with Pochita. However, the implications of this plan are catastrophic to say the least.
The part where Fumiko talks about eradicating nations is important. It opens a pandora’s box of international politics and war. We already got a glimpse of it in part 1, when America, threatened by what Makima would do with the Chainsaw Man’s heart, let loose the Gun Devil on Japan.
If other nations were to know that the Public Safety is once again intent on using the Chainsaw Man as a means to an end, they will come up with more stringent measures to counter it.
Another assault by the Gun Devil on Japan? That won’t be a far off assumption.
But then, question of who is orchestrating this plan remains unanswered. Fumiko is merely presenting the proposal to the higher up, the mastermind behind this scheme is shrouded in mystery, though we have the liberty to make some assumptions.
Now, the way Public Safety presented their plan makes me feel that they were involved in Denji being transformed to the Chainsaw Devil. Does that mean they were secretly in league with Fami and Chainsaw Man church?
There are theories that speculate that Barem and Fami are colluding. The whole Fire Devil fiasco and Nayuta’s death alluded to this assumption.
And if that is true, are Fami and the Weapons working with the Public Safety, or are they manipulating the Public Safety into doing their bidding? Fami’s goals aren’t clear either.
She talks about defeating the Death devil and saving mankind, however, there are instances which make us wonder if that’s really true!
A lot of questions arise thanks to the information revealed in the latest chapter. And as the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yuki Tomoda said in the latest chapter – It is a freakin’ mess!
Old Men and the games they play:
The next part of Fumiko’s plan involved the introduction of the Aging Devil and the proposal for a world without aging.
Note: The fandom has pointed out that the aging devil might not be an entirely accurate translation. The devil in question could actually be the senescence devil, which is the condition of deteriorating with age.
At first glance, this development seems like just another move in the Public Safety’s broader strategy. But there’s probably more that meets the eye in why the Public Safety brought up the Aging Devil in their proposal.
And it becomes apparent when you consider the context of the meeting.
Take a moment to observe the room where Fumiko is making her pitch. It’s filled with old men—individuals who stand to gain the most if Chainsaw Man consumes the Aging Devil.
These are the very people who would benefit from halting the ravages of aging, allowing them to maintain their grip on power indefinitely.
Tomoda’s question about whether consuming the Aging Devil would eliminate the physical and mental decline of old age is crucial.
If it indeed removes the negative aspects of aging, those in power could continue to wield influence without the need to relinquish their positions. This would enable them to stay at the helm, manipulating events from behind the scenes without the usual limitations imposed by their aging bodies and minds.
This brings us to Tadashi Hasegawa, the oldest and seemingly most frail figure in the room. Despite being an ex-minister confined to a wheelchair, Hasegawa represents the perfect target audience for what the Public Safety is offering.
His eagerness to accept their proposal despite the variables in the outcime, and his ability to strong-arm the others into agreeing to the slaughter of 10,000 Japanese children—demanded by the Aging Devil—speaks volumes.
The joy that the Aging Devil would derive from the deaths of these children is chilling.
This scene perfectly encapsulates the theme of governments dominated by old, senile men who are willing to sacrifice future generations in their desperate bid to extend their own influence.
Additionally, there might be a subtle critique of Japan’s current crisis of low birth rates embedded in this narrative. The decision to sacrifice 10,000 children hints at a societal imbalance, where the priorities of the older generation overshadow the needs of the younger.
More importantly, the whole Aging Devil plan seems to be a red herring. The higher ups have taken the bait and this move could probably end up making them pawns in the Public Safety’s hands.
On top of that, I was very surprised by how Aging Devil agreed to get consumed by Chainsaw Man, on the condition that 10,000 kids from Japan are sacrificed. Which again makes me doubt the devil’s and also the Public Safety’s motives.
Something doesn’t feel right here. If the Aging Devil truly has no attachment to life – then its fine. I’ll stand corrected. But the question is, why would a primal devil even feel so?
What if the Public Safety really intends to make the Aging Devil stronger and in turn make sure that the old higher ups are no longer in a position to dictate terms. I could be totally wrong, but it’s just a thought I am entertaining right now.
Two other small details worth noting are this – the Public Safety actually received favorable terms from the Aging Devil, meaning it was the devil who put forth the terms of the negotiation.
And secondly, there is going to be some sort of contract involved in this case. That’s suspicious because if Aging truly is going to be erased, what good would a contract do?
So yeah, where’s the poop Fumiko?
Chainsaw Man springs a surprise:
Just when it seemed like Fumiko succeeded in pulling off her plan, Chainsaw Man sprung a surprise on her. He had consumed Octopus, Mouth, Snow and Bitterness.
Fujimoto’s paneling right before the reveal requires a special mention, it was very cinematic and impactful!!
While Fumiko and her old men have faced a roadblock, the cliffhanger ending has left us with even more questions. Public Safety’s entire plan hinged on how effectively they could control the chaos that would be caused by the Chainsaw Man.
But with the latest happening, it seems as if a wrench has been thrown in the works. The consumption of the mouth devil should be concerning.
If you observe closely, the Chainsaw Man in the last page too doesn’t have a mouth either, thanks to the concept being erased. That means making him puke out these devils might be a problem.
And if that can’t be achieved, then Public Safety’s guarantee of being able to control the chaos is no longer valid.
On top of that, not having mouths won’t necessarily stop people from needing food to satiate their hunger or water to quench their thirst. While alternative methods will spring up, there is small possibility that humanity will suddenly starve? Maybe.
It is an even bigger mess now.
We can’t ignore the fact that Octopus has been consumed either. That puts Yoshida’s life at risk too.
We would only get the answers in the next chapter, and we should be thanking our stars that we are not facing a two week break this time.
Chainsaw Man manga is absolutely bonkers right now. Fujimoto is probably having the time of his life cooking these chapters, and I look forward to more of such eventful happenings.
I mean, it’s not that the author is just serving us a combination of weird and bizarre. Sure, at this point I have started feeling bad for the elephant. But then, there are deeper political undercurrents that we have been exposed to, and that just adds a different dimension to the story.
And all of this is happening even before the Death Devil is introduced. I wonder what lies in store for us.