Fans of theChainsaw Manmanga were finally given the chance to experience its anime adaptation on October 11th. It’s apparent that MAPPA placed a great deal of effort intobringing the story’s characters to lifeand, though some have yet to be seen, it can be assumed they receive the same treatment.
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With the first episode ofChainsaw Manalso came the debut of its incredible opening, directed by none other than the legendary Shingo Yamashita. To some, the intro may appear as nothing more than an amalgamation of nonsensical imagery, but most of the shots featured are used to reference different movies, comics, and pieces of literature. Though some are less known than others, it is hard not to appreciate how respectful each reference is.
10Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The first shot of the intro depicts Denji. Makima, Aki, and Power walking across the Scramble Crossing in Shibuya. The camera pans from right to left, highlighting the faces of the story’s main characters while also alluding to the work of Quentin Tarantino.
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Besides the scene where Mr. Blonde dances to Stealers Wheel’sStuck in the Middle with You, the opening ofReservoir Dogsis arguably the most iconic scene in the entire movie. It documents the lead characters while they walk in slow motion toward the camera, just like the intro toChainsaw Man.
9The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The second shot inChainsaw Man’s intro features the most suited movie reference in the entire opening.Denji is pictured cradling Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil, in what appears to be a graveyard. It seems to be a sweet moment, but the movie it references uses this scene to convey a completely different message.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacreuses this shot to depictthe brutality of Leatherfaceby highlighting how he treats his victims. Instead of Denji and Pochita, this scene features two mangled, decaying corpses. It is a terrifying image, butChainsaw Manuses it to convey a sense of comradery.
8Pulp Fiction (1994)
The third scene in theChainsaw Manintro features a shot of Captain Kishibe pointing a pistol toward the left side of the screen. This image is used to present him as an intimidating figure of authority, similar to how it was utilized in the movie it was sourced from.
Pulp Fictionfollows the story of two hitmen who pride themselves on the power they wield. Jules Winnfield, played by Samuel L. Jackson is as arrogant as he is dangerous, evident through his dealings with other people. The way he points his firearm in this Tarantino flick is mirrored by Kishibe inChainsaw Man’s opening.
7Sadako Vs. Kayako (2014)
Sadako vs. Kayakodocuments the life of Natsumi, a young woman who doomed herself by watching a sinister videotape. She is given two days to outwit the evil spirits that pursue her, eventually coming up with a strange solution involving a different, less threatening demon.
The fourth shot ofChainsaw Manis brief, but its reference toSadako vs. Kayakois hard to dispute. It pictures three individuals jumping into a well in the same vein as the cast ofSadako vs. Kayako. Unlike the movie, however, this interpretation features characters fromChainsaw Man.
6No Country For Old Men (2007)
The fifth shot of the opening is a clear reference toNo Country for Old Men. It portrays an unknown being wearing a mask while perched on the edge of a bed. The way they remove their booth is reminiscent of Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh who does the same thing while hunting Llewelyn Moss.
Shortly before this scene in the movie, Chigurh mounts an attack on a group of unsuspecting individuals residing at a motel. He believes they stole from him and decides to punish them mercilessly for their actions. Upon disposing of the group, he calmly sits down and begins removing his socks. GivenChainsaw Man’slove for gorey imagery, it’s no wonderNo Country for Old Menmade the cut.
5Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
By the sixth scene inChainsaw Man’s intro, fans will likely begin to see a pattern.Aki and Denji are both pictured inside a cardriving to an unknown destination. It may not appear to be a direct reference to anything at first, but the second viewing ofOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodwill cement it as one of the best.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,directed by Quentin Tarantino, follows the story of the actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth. Though the two have their own lives, they spend much of their time together and are commonly seen driving around Hollywood in Cliff’s car. Not only is the angle of this shot the same, but the car’s surroundings are nearly identical.
4Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes (1978)
Like its title implies,Attack of the Killer Tomatoesdocuments what befalls a small town when tomatoes become sentient. The movie was created to poke fun at B movies for how laughably bad they usually end up being, gaining somewhat of a cult status among fans of the unique genre.
The overall movie is a barrel of laughs, but one of the most comical moments sees a group of officials struggling to hold a conference in a tiny room, with one even attempting to climb over a table. This scene is mirrored perfectly inChainsaw Man’s opening, injecting some much-needed humor into the intro.
3The Big Lebowski (1998)
As if incorporatingAttack of the Killer Tomatoeswasn’t comical enough,Chainsaw Mangoes a step further by reanimating one of the most ridiculous scenes inThe Big Lebowski. The scene pictures Denji polishing a bowling ball whileAki hurls his ball down a nearby lane.
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Though the shots aren’t exact replicas of the movie scene, disputing the source of this reference would be pointless due to how similar both scenes are. The silly manner in which Denji prepares his bowling ball is a clear homage to the Dude’s polishing methods.
2Thor: Love & Thunder (2022)
TheThor: Love and Thunderreference doesn’t openly refer toa scene from the film, but rather the logo used to advertise the movie.Love has been shown several timesthroughout the intro by this point, but this shot allows her to take center stage.
The logo forThor: Love and Thunderwas heavily influenced by bright and vivid colors while the font mimicked the original comic on which it was based, but that didn’t stopChainsaw Manfrom using it for its own purpose. It’s a subtle reference, but a reference nonetheless.
1Fight Club (1999)
Towards the climax of David Fincher’sFight Club, a group known as Project Mayhem devises a plan to ruin a local landmark. Their target happens to be a giant golden ball that, when interfered with, begins to roll down a nearby street into a coffee shop.
The most notable portion of theChainsaw Mantrailer sees the protagonists utilizing a similar golden ball in combat, with Power even striking the ball with a mallet before sending it in the direction of an enemy. The collision results in an explosion and, though it’s far more impressive than the explosion inFight Club, it’s an obvious reference to the movie.
