Throughout Part 2 of Chainsaw Man, Tatsuki Fujimoto spent a lot of time introducing an entire cast of new characters who would become important in Denji's life. This was partly out of necessity, as the majority of Part 1's cast was killed off or went MIA by the time Part 2 began. Denji has grown accustomed to losing it all and having to start over, after all, he didn't really have anything to begin with. CSM Chapter 164, "Charred Remains", shows Denji learning to deal with losing the things most important to him in a more healthy way, and that's partially thanks to that new cast of characters who are willing to stand behind and support him.
Chainsaw Man always had the underlying theme of chasing dreams and finding out that they aren't what they seem, and Part 2 highlights that more than ever. In Part 2, Denji tries to start the kind of new life he always dreamed of, but Chapter 164, "Charred Remains" sees Denji struggling through the utter and complete loss of that dream. As Denji searches through the ashes that remain of his ideal life with Nayuta, the one thing there to push him through is the support of his new -- mostly reluctant -- group of allies.
Denji and Yoru Make a Deal
Yoru Agrees to Help Denji Look for Nayuta
As soon as Denji woke up in CSM Chapter 163, "Dream Balls", he was met by Katana Man and Yoru attempting to fight him. Yoru then climbed on top of him, and attempted to provoke Chainsaw Man to come out of Denji. However, in Chapter 164, Denji stops Yoru from revving his engine, instead making a deal with Yoru: if she helps him find Nayuta, Denji will fight her all she wants. Yoru then leaves the rest up to Asa, who immediately empathizes with Denji's plight.
Notably, this could potentially show that Yoru empathizes with Denji’s plight, as she never had to actually listen to his request to begin with. After all, Yoru's entire plan was always to kill Chainsaw Man, so her desire to fight him fairly and take his requests into consideration is an entirely new development. Upon Asa switching places with Denji, she asks him "what happened?" Again showing her interest in his feelings beyond furthering Yoru's goals.
Notably, part of the reason Asa understands how Denji feels may have to do with the fact that Asa has actually met Nayuta once before during their second date. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Asa remembers who Nayuta is, because Nayuta caused her to forget her date with Denji at him and Nayuta's apartment. She may still remember him talking about his little sister to her before their date, though, as he took the time to warn her that his sister had some extremely stringent rules set up for their household -- and breaking them could result in death. Additionally, during their first date at the Aquarium, Denji told Asa all about his little sister and how he was saving money for her College Fund. That prior knowledge of Denji's relationship with Nayuta was likely more than enough to cause her to feel for Denji, even if she didn't have any romantic feelings for him anymore -- which she almost certainly does.
Denji's Search for Nayuta Highlights The Weakening Separation Between Yoru and Asa
Yoru and Asa are Becoming More and More Integrated Whether They Like it or Not
When Denji and the group show up at the scene of Denji's old apartment, it's been completely burned down to ashes. No trace of his past life was found, including his dogs or Nayuta. The absence of Nayuta is something of a sign of hope, though, as he, at the very least, can't confirm her death as yet. However, Yoru believes it to be otherwise.
In the midst of Denji's search through the debris, Yoru takes control of Asa, and assures Denji that Nayuta must be dead. According to her, "When you escaped, this "Nayuta" was attacked by armed adults. She's obviously been killed." Interestingly, as cold as she came off in that moment, the fact Yoru even said anything almost takes on an air of compassion. Fans can't help but notice Yoru's look of pity at Denji sifting through the rubble of his old home. This is interesting because the first time Yoru met Denji, she acknowledged that Asa's feelings had an influence over her when she questioned how she could personally ever feel such a way toward a boy like Denji. This showed that, even though she didn't want to, Yoru was being forced to feel the same things Asa felt by virtue of sharing Asa's brain.
As time went on, Asa's feelings for Chainsaw Man replaced her feelings for Denji, even though she didn't realize that the two were actually one and the same. It's undeniable that Asa is still learning to reconcile those feelings for Chainsaw Man now that she knows that he's also Denji, but there were several panels in Chapter 164 that showed her getting much closer to Denji than ever before. At one point, the two even hold hands, though it's really more of Asa clinging to Denji as he pulls her forward.
Of course, Denji has trouble understanding how Asa really feels, because she is constantly trading places with the War Devil who treats him horribly. He expresses this clearly when he laments to Asa, "First you randomly kick me in the balls, and now you're being nice to me?!" It's clear that, if Denji and Asa are ever going to have a real relationship, Asa will need to share her true identity as the War Devil's vessel with Denji. On the other hand, Yoru warned Asa from the very beginning that if she ever does that, she'll kill her.
Why Does Asa Want to Fight Denji?
Yoru Always Wanted to Fight Chainsaw Man, but Asa's Desire to Fight Him Takes on Different Meaning
The biggest draw for Yoru in finding Chainsaw Man and rescuing him from the Tokyo Devil Detention Center was so that she could fight him and get her revenge. On the other hand, Asa developed feelings for Chainsaw Man after he saved her life multiple times, so her end goal was always to rescue him. This disconnect between Asa's feelings and Yoru's has always been a source of conflict between them, but it has a new level of drama now that Denji is in the middle of it. That's what gives it such significance when Asa tells Denji "Turn into Chainsaw Man and fight me!" This seems like it's antithetical to Asa's true feelings for Denji at first, but the truth of it is clearer in her next statement: "Once you fight, you'll be able to live an ordinary life!"
The reason she says this is twofold. First, Yoru originally told Asa that if she finds and defeats Chainsaw Man, she'd let Asa have her body back and leave her alone. If that happens, Asa could finally be with Denji like a normal person. Not only that, but Fami told Asa that if Yoru kills the "Black Chainsaw Man" (aka Pochita), then Denji will be free to live as a normal person. What she didn't divulge to Asa, however, was the fact that Pochita is actually Denji's heart. That means that if Pochita dies, Denji will die as well. It's a cold-hearted example of Fami's manipulative nature, and it's a truth that Asa would be better off not learning the hard way.
Denji is Having Doubts About Being Chainsaw Man Again
Prior to his being captured by Public Safety, Denji finally became Chainsaw Man for the first time in quite awhile. Denji was hesitant to turn into Chainsaw Man throughout the majority of Part 2, because Public Safety threatened Nayuta's life if Denji ever transformed again. After watching his apartment building being burnt down by Barem Bridge and the Chainsaw Man Church, Denji snapped, and turned into Chainsaw Man.
While he became Chainsaw Man again to protect Nayuta, he also did it for selfish reasons as well. A part of Denji always liked being Chainsaw Man, and finally having a reason to pull his engine and transform again was like a cathartic release for him. Unfortunately, it didn’t really change anything, it may have even made things worse. His becoming Chainsaw Man gave Public Safety the perfect excuse to capture him, and that's ultimately what caused Nayuta to be left behind and at the mercy of an anti-Chainsaw Man mob.
Denji is clearly associating Nayuta's disappearance with the fact that he became Chainsaw Man, even though he really didn’t have much of a choice either way in that situation. Nevertheless, when Asa tells Denji to fight her, he turns her down, claiming “Whenever I become Chainsaw Man… everything around me turns terrible.” After fighting within himself for so long with his desire to into Chainsaw Man, only to then suffer his greatest loss yet, it’s understandable that he’d be disillusioned by the entire prospect of ever becoming Chainsaw Man again.
Denji Only Wants to Eat Sushi
Denji's Choice of Food is Far From a Random One
In her desperation, Asa begs Fami to help her find a way to pull Denji out of his funk. In true Fami fashion, she suggests "Maybe he can't fight because he's hungry. Hunger makes you negative." While this sounds like a ridiculous statement at first, Denji's stomach ironically growls at just that moment. Asa tells Denji to name anything he wants to eat, and the one thing Denji wants is sushi. Even when Asa protests, telling him "anything but that!" Denji just repeats the word "sushi…" in a defeated manner.
Interestingly, when Asa tells Denji she doesn't want sushi, Katana Man interjects: "What a bitch!" It's a simple statement that likely reflects what every fan was thinking of Asa as they read her response to Denji, but it nonetheless says a lot about Katana's changing feelings toward Denji as well. Now that Katana Man is getting to see Denji for who he is as a person instead of as a Devil, he can't help but empathize with the boy who just lost everything. After all, the only reason Katana ever wanted to fight Denji to begin with was to avenge the death of his beloved grandfather. Seeing Denji lose the person he loves undoubtedly humanized him in Katana's eyes, which makes Asa's refusal to eat sushi all the more egregious. In the end, Asa seems to swallow her pride, as she visibly bites her lip in acceptance of the fact that she'll do whatever it takes to make Denji feel better.
As rude as Asa's anti-sushi sentiment may seem at first, it's not without precedent. When Denji and Asa were trapped in the Aquarium on their first date, they were forced to eat Starfish. When it was first suggested that Asa eat fish, she said she couldn’t because it reminded her too much of a dead animal. Later, Denji got her to eat starfish, and he even got her to eat dried fish after that. While she thought it was disgusting, her reaction made Denji laugh, and that ultimately brought them even closer together.
Denji knew that Asa hated fish, but he still asked to eat it anyway. This was likely a purely selfish request, as he’s far too depressed to have anyone else but Nayuta on his mind. However, it also says something about him and Asa’s relationship. While she told Denji she hated sushi at first, she ultimately bit her lip and accepted it. Asa has always been a selfish person, and that’s part of what makes her such a loner who doesn’t open up to people. Denji is the one person who pulls Asa out of herself, and forces her to interact with the outside world to try new things.
Another interesting thing about Denji requesting to eat sushi is that it's a generally expensive food item. In Part 1, Denji would have been happy eating sliced bread, and Nayuta was largely the same, even asking for sliced bread the first time the two ever met. However, as time went on, Denji grew more accustomed to a good life, having people he cared about around him and eating anything he wanted. This became his new normal, and him requesting to eat sushi proves that. Sadly, it's a reminder that Nayuta, Denji's apartment, and their dogs were the biggest reason for that change.
With Nayuta now gone, Denji lost everything that seemed to make him happy. However, there is a sense of hope in his request for sushi, as it shows that even without Nayuta, Denji has still changed as a person. It wasn't the apartment, his dogs, or even Nayuta who made Denji who he has become, even if it was them who brought a new side out of him initially. Those experiences he shared with Nayuta have become an inseparable part of Denji, and that's something that can't be taken away from him by Public Safety, or anyone else.
