Waifu Wednesday: Makima (Chainsaw Man)
The spooky season is upon us and there is nothing more frightening than a woman in control. Wait, did I say frightening? Because I meant “arousing.” (Nurse! He’s at it again, get the meds – Ed.) Makima from Chainsaw Man is sure to be one of the most talked about characters from the current anime season, so it is high time we take a look at what makes her so fascinating and why she’s going to cause the entire internet to explode for the next few months.
This week’s Waifu Wednesday is Chainsaw Man’s Makima. We’ll be delving into some minor spoilers from the manga, so if you’re wanting to go into the anime completely fresh, here is your chance to bookmark this page and come back when you’re all caught up.
Who is Makima?
Chainsaw Man is debuting during an already stacked anime season, but much of Makima’s story has already played out in the manga. She is presented early on as a high-ranking Devil Hunter, serving as the head of the Fourth Special Division which includes Power, Denji, and Kishibe.
At first, it seems like she is merely very good at what she does; Makima presents a cool, controlled personality to the world, incapable of being flustered even during a crisis situation. This makes her a powerful asset to the Public Safety Devil Hunters that she works with, but it soon becomes clear that there is something else playing out just beneath the surface.
Everything that Makima does is part of some grand plan or scheme. The events of Chainsaw Man, from Denji’s first interactions with the Devil Hunters all the way through to the final chapters of the first arc, are all down to her manipulation. The manga especially does a great job of always making you feel like she has something up her sleeve, even when she is being outwardly kind toward Denji.
Why we love her
There is a deep, disturbing element of control in everything that Makima says and does. She never comes across as truly evil, yet she strings Denji along with fanciful ideas of a romantic relationship in ways that we, the reader, know to be cruel and heartless. She is calm and smiling, almost carefree even, as she seemingly eviscerates humans and devils with a thought. She is, in a world full of frightening creatures, the most unsettling person in Chainsaw Man.
You never really know what it is she wants. Even when the big twist comes and her previous actions seemingly make sense, there are moments when Makima contradicts herself. That makes her all the more compelling, allowing readers to wonder if literally anything she has said is true. Even what she claims is true seems to have a hint of a lie in it.
Why you’ll love her
The most frightening characters aren’t the ones that take control by force – those are easy to spot and avoid. No, the scariest characters are the ones that politely ask for control because we see, time and time again, characters like Denji give it willingly. Makima manipulates, coerces, and occasionally threatens Denji into doing what she wants, but there is always an element of him giving her control of his own free will. It is frightening and fascinating all at the same time and that makes Makima so compelling as a character.
Sometimes, we will make the worst possible decision simply because a cute girl asked nicely. For all her powers and skills, the ability to know how to get what she wants without taking it is the most frightening thing about Makima.
Not caught up with Chainsaw Man? The anime is currently tearing through Crunchyroll, and you can read through Makima’s story in the manga on the Shonen Jump app.
Header art by Matsu Homura. Original source here.
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