Chainsaw Man – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Chainsaw Man

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2023

74%

WISE Score

4.9

Amazon

Blood, chainsaws, and existential dread. It's a masterpiece of weirdness that your 12-year-old is definitely not ready for.

Chainsaw Man

book

2023

74%

WISE Score

4.9

Amazon

Blood, chainsaws, and existential dread. It's a masterpiece of weirdness that your 12-year-old is definitely not ready for.

4.9

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Screenwise Verdict

Tatsuki Fujimoto is the 'mad genius' of modern manga, and this 2023 collection of his early work is like looking at a car crash in slow motion—you can't look away, but it's definitely gruesome.

For an adult or an older teen who loves high-concept storytelling and can handle the gore, this is a 10/10. For a parent looking for a fun comic for their middle schooler? This is a nightmare. It’s brilliant, weird, and deeply unsettling.

If your kid is asking for this because they saw the 'cute' orange dog (Pochita) on TikTok, be warned: that dog turns into a chainsaw-headed murder machine pretty quickly.

Age Fit

This is strictly for the 16+ crowd. If they aren't old enough to drive, they probably aren't old enough to handle the visceral body horror and nihilistic themes in Fujimoto’s 'raw' early work.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While Fujimoto explores deep human connection and the desire for a simple life, he does it through a lens of extreme trauma, nihilism, and visceral messiness. It's not 'feel-good' in any traditional sense.

Imaginative

Fujimoto is a legitimate disruptor in the manga world. His early stories feature world-ending sisters and killer mermaids that defy every standard genre trope. It is pure, unadulterated creativity.

Safe

This is heavy R-rated territory. Expect extreme body horror, sexual situations, and psychological manipulation. It is absolutely not for children or sensitive younger teens.

Enriching

Beyond the gore, these stories are masterclasses in character study and existential philosophy. They push the reader to think about empathy, sacrifice, and what it means to be human in a broken world.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

It represents the 'raw' evolution of one of the most influential manga artists of the decade.
The stories tackle complex themes like survival and loneliness without the usual sugar-coating.
Visually stunning and unpredictable—it’s the opposite of 'formulaic' storytelling.
Great for older teens who appreciate dark, high-concept art and aren't squeamish.

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What to Watch For

Severe body horror—limbs being lost or transformed is a regular occurrence.
Sexual references and 'gender swapping' plots that explore mature curiosities.
A generally bleak worldview where characters often suffer for very little gain.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the characters are so desperate for affection that they'll make dangerous deals for it?"
"Is Denji’s dream of just 'eating jam on bread' actually more relatable than wanting to save the world?"
"How does the artist use 'monsters' to represent real-world fears like poverty or manipulation?"

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