Chainsaw Man Chapter 115, High Schoolers These Days Review: Can You Eat Death?

Chapter 115 of Chainsaw Man, “High Schoolers These Days”, is a short one compared to others in Part Two, yet it is far from short on important character moments.
My biggest criticism of Chapter 114 was that it felt like we were retreading old ground with a repeat of the Eternity Devil Arc but this chapter offered plenty of interesting build up for the characters, which made me more interested in them.
The first of these characters is Haruka, as he is supposedly revealed to have actually been a red herring for the fake Chainsaw Man.
He reveals this to Asa in the opening few pages of the chapter, stating that the starter on his chest is just a surgical implant he got because he styles himself as one of Chainsaw Man’s biggest fans.
Back when Haruka first showed up, and supposedly revealed himself to Asa as the fake Chainsaw Man, I wondered if he was a red herring but I dismissed this after a bit because I figured it made sense due to his proximity to Fami.
Well, turns out my earlier insticts were right, unless Fujimoto is going for a double red herring, setting Haruka up to be the fake Chainsaw Man, only to reveal he is not, only then to reveal that he is.
Would not put that past Fuijimoto to be honest.
A character who is more interesting than Haruka, though, is Yoshida, who became even more suspcious with his dialogue in this chapter.
As Haruka screams and wails for Chainsaw Man to save him, Yoshida tells Denji that is his cue but Denji explains that he can’t kill the Eternity Devil without knowing where it is.
Yoshida then reveals that he has a flip phone like Asa but he cannot get a signal.
He then states that everyone has given up, although Akoku does seem to be training for a fight so I don’t know about him.
As for the Kobeni clone, he is licking the aquarium glass, much like Kobeni tried to drink out of a toilet in the Eternity Devil Arc, so Yoshida is right about most of them losing hope.
But then he says something highly suspicious.
Claiming that he has accepted death, Yoshida wonders aloud if Chainsaw Man could eat the Death Devil so they would not have to die.
Given the focus on the Four Horeseman in Part Two, with Yoru and Fami’s appearanes leaving only the Death Devil to be revealed, Yoshida’s casual mention of having Denji eat it makes it seem like he knows more than he is letting on.
This paints both him and the mysterious organization he is working for in an incredibly suspicious light.
The answers to the questions this scene poses will probably not arrive for a long time, however, as we then cut to to the final scene of the chapter, which sees Denji talking with a depressed Asa, who is resting in the the star fish tank.
Denji seems to think Yoshida has lost it, based on what he tells Asa, and asks how she is holding up.
Asa says she is hungry but cannot eat fish, before apologising to Denji for asking him on this date, even revealing that she wanted to turn him into a weapon, although Denji probably does not get what she is talking about.
Asa says she could not transform Denji into a weapon because she has no idea what’s right and wrong, as her life has just been one long string of attempts to avoid making mistakes.
She says this is why she is a bore, depressingly accepting Yoru’s criticism of her back in Chapter 113.
Instead of agreeing with her, however, Denji aims to cheer her up, jumping into the tank with her and offering her a starfish to eat.
This final act in the chapter is pretty important, not only because it shows Asa and Denji growing closer but also because it shows that, despite Asa admitting that she is a bore, her earlier boring lecture actually had an effect on Denji, since he clearly remembered her saying, “Fun fact, there’s an area in Kumamoto where they eat starfish.”
Another interesting connection to Chapter 113 is that Asa’s comment that she has, “no idea what’s right or wrong,” perfectly matches up with Fami’s description of Denji: “Denji’s someone who doesn’t know the first thing about right and wrong.”
The similarities between the two keep piling up.
Denji and Asa’s conversation serves as the chapter’s ending and it is definitley my favourite interaction of theirs yet, as it made me look forward to the two growing closer even more, although this will probably end in tragedy knowing Fujimoto.
Overall, “High Schoolers These Days” is a brief yet great chapter of Chainsaw Man.
It supposedly reveals Haruka as a red herring, makes Yoshida incredibly suspicious, and builds up Denji and Asa’s friendship/eventual relationship(?) perfectly.