Chainsaw Man Wasted One Of Its Best Relationships, And The Author’s Early Work Proves It

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Of every criticism leveled at Chainsaw Man part 2, the biggest is probably the handling of Denji’s relationship with Nayuta. There are many arguments for both sides of the discussion, but with the release of Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 and how it relates to Chainsaw Man, it’s easy to see Denji and Nayuta’s relationship as little more than a waste.

How Chainsaw Man Part 2 Completely Wasted Its Best Relationship

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After Denji killed Makima, Makima reincarnated as a child named Nayuta, and Denji was put in charge of raising her. Pochita told Denji that Nayuta wouldn’t grow up to be like Makima if he could teach her what it means to be loved, and their relationship was set up to be one of the major hooks of part 2’s story.

Surprisingly, though, Chainsaw Man part 2 ended up not doing much with Nayuta; not only did Nayuta not appear until the Falling Devil arc, but Denji’s teaching her about love already happened by the time of her introduction, meaning there wasn’t anything for Nayuta to do besides be Denji’s little sister.

Even that wasn’t used as much as people would have thought, as Denji and Nayuta only did a few things together before the events of the Chainsaw Man Church arc separated them and, much more egregiously, Nayuta was killed off-screen in the Aging Devil arc to force Denji to give Pochita control in his Hero of Hell form.

The few times Chainsaw Man focused on Denji and Nayuta’s relationship, it was clear that they had a close bond that made them both change for the better. Unfortunately, those moments were frustratingly scarce, and with how little Nayuta appeared, it comes across as her existing more to facilitate Denji’s growth than she did to be her own character.

Why Chainsaw Man’s Worst Relationship Worked Better In Its Original Story

Prime Video / Crunchyroll

It’s hard not to see Denji and Nayuta’s relationship as anything but a waste, and that’s especially true when looking at 2025’s Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26. The series adapts Fujimoto’s one-shots from before Chainsaw Man, including Nayuta of the Prophecy, a story about a boy named Kenji taking care of his sister, Nayuta, whom everyone fears will destroy the world.

Nayuta of the Prophecy is fairly short, but it does a good job of developing Kenji and Nayuta’s relationship, with Kenji struggling with Nayuta’s chaotic nature, but ultimately making the effort to love her and discipline her when she gets out of line, showing that love is the deciding factor between Nayuta being a menace and just a normal girl.

Nayuta of the Prophecy perfectly showcased the idea of someone needing to teach a demonic little girl about love, and originally, most people assumed Denji and Nayuta’s relationship would be written similarly. Unfortunately, Denji and Nayuta’s relationship was incredibly underwritten, and it ends up being that the story their relationship was based on had far more depth than theirs.

Chainsaw Man’s Worst Relationship Highlights The Biggest Problem With Part 2

Viz Media

The worst part about Denji and Nayuta’s relationship is how it highlights a major problem with Chainsaw Man part 2’s story. While part 1 found time to give most of its cast something to do and a reason to care about them, part 2 often neglects both returning and new characters, leaving everyone besides Denji, Asa, and Yoru feeling incredibly hollow.

Very few characters in part 2 are used in a way that makes them worth caring about, and unfortunately, Nayuta was also a victim of this, as while her relationship with Denji is supposed to be part of the story’s emotional core, it’s hard to feel invested in it when so much of it happened off-screen, including her unceremonious death.

Denji and Nayuta’s relationship is woefully underdeveloped in Chainsaw Man part 2, and that’s made even worse by how great the inspiration for their relationship was in Nayuta of the Prophecy. At this point, there isn’t anything Chainsaw Man part 2 can do to fix that, and if anything, that just makes the situation even worse than it already was.