novelraw Chapter 167: Maniac!
Chapter 167: Maniac!
You really couldn’t blame Su Deqiang for losing it.
Because this protagonist—he was just too offbeat. And what’s more, from a storytelling standpoint, this absurd, primitive goal of his... somehow had continuity.
Ever since Chapter 4, when Denji set his goal as “boobs,”
He had never stopped thinking about that B-goal!
But soon enough—
Su Deqiang let go of his forehead and kept reading.
Forget it for now.
Sure, it was nuts.
But damn it… he was actually kind of curious how this was going to play out.
He kept going, and when he reached the next set of panels, he let out a long sigh. Because right after that absurd line, the story cut to a flashback—Denji as a child, running frantically around town when his beloved Pochita had gone missing.
He’d been terrified a devil had eaten him.
When he finally found Pochita, he hugged him tight and fell asleep beside him, relieved.
Back then, he had nothing but Pochita. And Power was the same…
Denji started to wonder: if he had felt that way when he lost Pochita, then what kind of heartbreak had Power felt, sleeping after her cat was taken by the Bat Devil?
That thought—
Suddenly clicked something inside Denji.
Power up! A chainsaw burst from his forehead! He transformed into Chainsaw Man!
The comeback began!
The emotional buildup and pacing were honestly masterful…
Like—
Wasn’t this really well done?
Su Deqiang stared at the final panel, where Denji was in full berserk demon mode, caught between awe and a weird sort of amusement.
If only that ridiculous line hadn’t happened just before this...
So this was… the quirky taste of a middle-aged mangaka?
In any case—
His feelings were complicated. On one hand, it was totally absurd, but on the other… after reading so many righteous, squeaky-clean protagonists, or ones who blushed at even the slightest fanservice, seeing a guy like this?
It was oddly refreshing.
With that thought, he clicked into the next chapter.
This one—
Was pure battle.
But this manga’s action scenes… were a little different from Third-Rate Sensei’s previous work.
How to put it—it just felt more intense.
The whole fight was presented in a really unique way. There weren’t any massive destruction scenes, but the pacing felt almost cinematic, especially in the way the camera angles were “framed.”
And to be fair—
The art was amazing.
Denji’s madness, the eerie and unsettling vibe of the fight, the intense destruction and visible damage—everything was portrayed beautifully. It was easy for readers to get emotionally immersed.
As a longtime manga fan, Su Deqiang definitely had the eye for it.
However…
Even in the middle of a fight, this manga still refused to play it straight!
There were gags.
When Denji tossed a car—with people still inside—back at the devil, saying he didn’t save dudes...
And then followed it up with a wild, deranged expression, shouting like it was a battle cry:“One crappy thing after another—and I STILL haven’t touched boobs!”
Su Deqiang: “???”
What the hell?! What the hell was that!?
You're in the middle of a fight!
Things are heating up!
The panel layout is so dynamic! The art is incredible! And then you drop this line!?
Third-Rate Sensei!! Are you out of your f*ing mind?!**
And yet—for a protagonist who’s fighting with everything he’s got, all for this kind of dream...
Why did he somehow… still look kinda badass!?
Su Deqiang stared at the screen, baffled, then scrolled down.
And after Denji finished shouting, the second half of the chapter suddenly snapped back to normal.
The dialogue dropped sharply.
The narrative shifted to bizarre imagery that carried its own meaning without needing explanation, making the whole battle feel even more disturbing and surreal.
The panels opened up wide, relying almost entirely on visual storytelling—purely cinematic.
It showed, in crystal clarity, how Denji literally gutted the Bat Devil.
The paneling and artwork—absolutely top-tier. It pushed the narrative and the supernatural-action genre to the limit.
Anyone who saw it had to admit—it was damn cool!
At the end—
The final page froze on Denji striking a pose, the Bat Devil ripped open, guts and blood spraying out in a flood.
Below it, bold text stood out clearly:
Bat Devil — DEFEATED!!!
Awesome.
Seriously awesome.
The last three pages were insanely cool!
Seeing that final “Bat Devil Defeated” line lit something up in Su Deqiang.
Of course—
That buzz didn’t last long. Because shortly after, he remembered Denji’s bizarre antics and dialogue from earlier.
And he no longer knew how to feel about this manga.
Su Deqiang scrolled back to the start of the chapter and reread it. After a pause, he let out a helpless, amused sigh and muttered:
“…Maniac.”
Yup. Totally deranged.
Could you say Third-Rate Sensei didn’t know how to write manga? No way—he’d object first.
Whether it was emotional setup, storytelling technique, paneling, or raw draftsmanship—it was all top-tier.
That much was clear just from these two chapters—the entire Power arc, really.
Denji stepping in at the end? It was all logically and emotionally earned.
The action scenes? Brilliantly drawn.
But…
Ever since Chapter 4, when Denji squatted there and blurted out that now-famous boob line—
This story had been throwing readers for a loop. The protagonist’s motivations and some of the plot developments were just downright unhinged.
Su Deqiang spent the whole time ping-ponging between “what the hell am I reading?” and “wait, you can do that?!”
It was weird. This manga had such a distinct vibe.
Honestly, you could call it one-of-a-kind.
Would Su Deqiang keep reading?
Yes. Yes, he would.
Why?
Well—
He opened the comments section.
And sure enough—
Plenty of others were just like him.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA! I’m dying!! What the hell is this plot!? The protagonist powers up FOR BOOBS???”
“Third-Rate Sensei, are you insane!? That was such a serious scene, and you made the MC say that!?”
“It’s seriously both cool and completely nuts!”
“LMAO! I declare: Third-Rate Sensei is the most in tune with us men! He’s officially my bro! Honestly? My dream’s the same as Denji’s!”
“Gross! Delete that!”
“Honestly, this protagonist is totally unexpected. Denji’s obsession with boobs seems shallow, but it’s really a metaphor for survival instincts. He’s never experienced love or basic human warmth, so he fills that emotional void with primitive desires. It’s blunt to the point of being offensive, but it tears through the fake nobility that most shounen protagonists use to justify their battles for ‘justice’ or ‘dreams.’
I’ll be real—Third-Rate Sensei is good. I thought ditching FATE would ruin him, but by Chapter 8 he’s already hitting his stride. Totally different tone, and he’s pulling it off. That said… still nuts!”
“So fun!! Hurry up and update!! I can’t wait to see how Denji chases his dream!!”
“……”
Su Deqiang looked at the last comment and couldn’t help but laugh.
Why did he still want to read more?
Exactly.
As crazy as this manga was, it was interesting!
And that alone was reason enough to keep reading.
With that thought—
Su Deqiang left a comment urging an update.
Only after posting did he notice—there were almost six thousand comments already.
So many?
He was a little surprised, but didn’t think too hard about it. He still didn’t realize what that number actually meant.
…After the insane tone of Chapters 7 and 8 really kicked in,
Chainsaw Man continued its weekly releases, and the plot kept advancing steadily.
The worldbuilding expanded.
The terrifying Gun Devil was mentioned for the first time.
Then came the even more deranged Eternity Devil arc...
And the manga’s popularity quietly began to rise.
Higher and higher.
Higher and higher.
By the time Su Deqiang noticed Chainsaw Man memes popping up everywhere among manga fans—
When it suddenly, almost explosively, barged into the spotlight—
That was when he finally realized…
This manga… had already become the pillar series of ANF’s manga division!
And it looked like it was about to blow up!!
…Huh!?!