When MAPPA’s adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man was on the cusp of premiering, there were high expectations abound: expectations for the animation, the gore, the action. But I think very few of us expected just how tenderly MAPPA would deal with the series’ characters. Their emotional lives and struggles shine even brighter than all the chainsaw-slashed blood strewn across various streets and warehouses.

The centering and gravitation towards the characters is all the more astounding because half of the main cast—Power and Makima—don’t strike you as average people. The former is a fiend—a devil who has taken over a human corpse—and is inspired by Eric Cartman. The latter is a “girl boss” from icy hell, appearing not to blink or so much as fidget, all while being excellent at manipulating others. How do you pull the audience towards caring about such bizarre characters? That’s where Sarah Wiedenheft and Suzie Yeung, the voices of Power and Makima respectively in the absolutely excellent Chainsaw Man dub, work their magic.

The Mary Sue