Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man has hardly let-up on the action as of late. Asa’s mission to rescue Denji was characterized by endless fights, shocking moments and non-stop hilarity at every turn. That's what makes Chapter 164, "Charred Remains", hit just as hard as a punch from any Devil.
"Charred Remains" gives fans a moment of reprise to sift through the rubble left behind from an action-packed arc. From the moment Denji was taken prisoner by Public Safety, he was separated from Nayuta, the one person who accepted him for who he was. In Chapter 164, Denji finally has a moment to catch his bearing and address the elephant in the room: where is Nayuta? It's a mystery that fans have been just as concerned with as Denji himself, and Chapter 164 finally begins to do the leg-work in the search for Denji's little sister.
Denji's Search For Nayuta Begins
Denji Finally Has a Moment to Look for Nayuta -- But It May be too Late
Denji has slept throughout the majority of the past ten or so chapters of Chainsaw Man, but he's hardly gotten any rest. The last time he was awake, Denji nearly had a breakdown when he realized that Nayuta was missing, and he never got the chance to look for her before he was taken into the Tokyo Devil Detention Center. Then, as soon as he woke up in Chapter 163, "Dream Balls", Denji was immediately attacked by both Katana Man and Yoru. When Yoru attempts to pull Denji's chord in order to force Chainsaw Man out of him, he stops her, telling her "if Nayuta's safe, I'll fight you all you want."
Whether due to a moment of empathy from Yoru, or Asa's sheer emotion at that moment of vulnerability from Denji, Asa switches places with Yoru and the group accompanies Denji to the last place he saw Nayuta. What makes the scene so powerful isn't Denji's desperation, as that’s something fans have grown more than accustomed to at this point. Instead, it's Asa and Yoru's reaction that really drives home how tragic Denji's situation has been.
Asa & Yoru's Situation Is More Complicated Than Ever
Asa has several character flaws that make her an awful match for Denji, yet she's also the most potentially healthy romantic relationship he's ever had. This juxtaposition of the good with the bad is something Fujimoto has made clear from the very beginning of Chainsaw Man, and few characters embody that theme as perfectly as Asa. She is quite literally a devil and a regular girl combined in one person, which forces both parts of her to come together in accepting those opposing aspects of themselves. At this point in the series, Asa and Yoru are more acclimated to one another than they've ever been, yet they’re still just as conflicted as when Yoru first possessed Asa's body.
This is shown when Asa and Yoru trade places back and forth throughout Chapter 164. Fujimoto spent a lot of time showing the inner conflict Asa goes through with Yoru in previous chapters, so even though it’s not explicitly shown in this chapter, it’s implied through Asa's dialogue. When Denji says to Asa "first you randomly kick me in the balls, now you’re being nice to me?! You make no sense!” Asa's first inclination is to tell him "that wasn't me!" but she catches herself mid-sentence, likely due to the influence of Yoru inside her mind. This spurs Asa to tell Denji "turn into Chainsaw Man and fight me! Once we fight, you’ll be able to live an ordinary life!"
While these two statements seem to oppose one another at first, Asa has good reason for suggesting this. Asa's main goal has always been to find Chainsaw Man for Yoru so that Yoru will separate from her and leave her alone -- that was always their agreement. Additionally, Fami suggested to Asa that if Chainsaw Man were killed, it would free his human form up to live a normal life. Now that she realizes Denji is Chainsaw Man, killing Chainsaw Man would mean freeing both herself and Denji from their burdens. The fact Asa is heading in this direction shows that she can actually care about Denji himself as a person, instead of just Chainsaw Man.
Asa's acceptance of Denji for who he is will be important, especially in the place of pain he’s in over Nayuta's disappearance. It’s a great setup for future chapters to explore Denji’s relationship with Asa, especially considering how up-in-the-air things were left off between them after their second date. The plot has definitely thickened as Asa's awareness of Denji's secret identity will undeniably have a strong impact on her own situation with Yoru going forward. In only the course of two chapters, Fujimoto made the situation infinitely more complex between Asa and Denji, even as many of the initial problems between them were simultaneously cleared up.
Even when Asa is her characteristic narcissistic self when she does things like tell Denji that she accidentally killed someone she cares about too, or refuses to eat sushi when it's the one thing he says he'd eat, there's something endearing about how hard she's trying to help Denji. The fact she even shared her darkest moment -- her mother's death -- with Denji (albeit in a characteristically awkward way), shows that Asa is trying her hardest to empathize with Denji. Asa-Denji shippers are sure to have a field day with Chapter 164, as it really solidifies how much Asa cares for him despite the difficulties they went through in the past.
Is Nayuta Alive Or Dead?
Nayuta Was Last Seen Being Attacked By An Angry Mob
Chapter 164 revolves around Denji's feelings about Nayuta being missing, and offers some headway into whether she's alive or dead. The group goes to search for Nayuta at the last place she was seen: in front of her and Denji’s apartment building before being attacked. Denji searches through the rubble for any sign of her, but can't seem to find anything. That should be a good sign, but the rest of the group doesn't think so.
Yoru suggests that the fact Nayuta was about to be attacked by a group of armed adults should be all the proof Denji needs to know that she was killed. Fans, and Denji, know it's not that simple. After all, Nayuta is the Control Devil, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and one of the strongest Devils in existence. That being the case, Nayuta being attacked by adults doesn't imply that she is dead at all. In fact, the Control Devil can't technically die, as all Devils are just reborn in Hell after their physical bodies are destroyed. On the other hand, if the Control Devil's body were destroyed, that would mean the death of Nayuta herself and the rebirth of a new version of the Control Devil.
That would ultimately be the worst case scenario for Denji, but all hope isn't lost. Nayuta's body not being found at the scene at the very least leaves the possibilities open. Still, it doesn't do much for fans who were hoping to definitively have all their questions answered. Nayuta's whereabouts are just as ambiguous as they were when she first went missing, perhaps even more so now that her death at the scene of the initial conflict can't be confirmed.
Chapter 164 Gives Denji New Friends in His Corner
While Asa and Fami's group all came together during the Tokyo Devil Detention Center rescue mission mostly out of random necessity, they've shown signs of becoming a tight-knit group. Everything they've gone through together inadvertently brought these people with conflicting beliefs closer, to the point that they've almost become something akin to friends. When Asa is shown in the last panel with Samurai Sword, the Devil Hunter Club, and Fami standing behind her, it's a powerful image that speaks a thousand words.
All these people only came to look for Nayuta for the practical purpose of bringing Denji out of his funk, but seeing how emotional he has become over Nayuta's absence, they couldn't help but empathize with him. Even Katana Man, who was once a villain who saw Denji as his worst enemy, calls Asa a "bitch" when she tells Denji she doesn't want to eat sushi. Despite how emotional Denji is throughout this chapter, it's extremely heartwarming to see how much Asa and the rest of the group rally behind Denji.
The search for Nayuta was always a mystery that fans were hoping to see addressed, so seeing that Denji has so many people by his side to potentially help him get her back is a rare reassuring thing for him. Chapter 164 is a much-needed moment of introspection that gives fans, and Denji, a chance to look back on the fast-paced events from previous chapters to see what was left in the aftermath. What fans will find is that Denji lost (for now) the most important person in his life, but gained several more allies in the process.
