Chapter 179: Alright, All the Emotions Are Back
Date: 2025-04-05
Author: Xian Ge
The eighth day of the Lunar New Year.
Finally.
Today.
Chainsaw Man Chapters 23 and 24 were set to drop.
At noon, Su Deqiang sat at his computer, gritting his teeth. “It’s here at last! Third-Rate Thief! You stopped there over the holidays! If this update doesn’t satisfy me, I’ll roast you alive!”
Emotions have a shelf life.
What feels unbearable in the moment often softens with time.
Especially during the New Year, with its flurry of joyful distractions.
When Su Deqiang read that plot twist, the lack of follow-up made him feel like he’d explode.
But by New Year’s Eve, he’d calmed down.
As days passed, the frustration faded, leaving only a faint memory.
Now, he wasn’t so much angry as he was chasing that old spark—the anticipation for what’s next.
No helping it.
The holiday, plus a week-long break, had dulled his fervor.
“…Wonder how this week’s update holds up.”
He knew this feeling well. With beloved works, a long gap could dim your passion.
The fix was simple: flip through it, and if you truly loved it, the characters and story would come rushing back.
But Chainsaw Man… well, it was tricky.
Su Deqiang lacked confidence. The last chapter’s sudden death was so jarring, and he vividly recalled readers’ heated debates about the story collapsing.
Though his emotions had cooled, those discussions stuck with him.
He feared opening the update to find the plot veering into his worst nightmare—like a funeral for Makima, her death permanent, with no satisfying explanation, just killed off for shock.
Opening ANF, he zoned out, lost in thought, but his hands moved on autopilot, navigating to the manga section with ease.
He was too familiar with the site.
Since ANF’s acquisition, he’d spent more and more time here.
The “heroine’s death” drama at year’s end, plus nearly six months of improvements—buying anime licenses, enhancing user experience, setting community guidelines—had visibly transformed the site. It was growing, drawing crowds.
He loved this platform.
Clicking into the manga section, Su Deqiang snapped back, spotting the Chainsaw Man page. The update was live.
Chapters 23 and 24 sported bold “New” tags.
He gripped the mouse, hesitated, then clicked Chapter 23. “Just hope the site keeps improving and the manga doesn’t tank,” he muttered, eyes on the screen.
Chapter 23.
The plot didn’t pick up from the last chapter. Instead, it shifted perspective.
The focus swung to the protagonist team—some eating at a diner, others handling devil sightings, a few asking for directions…
Hm?
Su Deqiang blinked, surprised.
Was this deliberate? Had Third-Rate Sensei had a holiday epiphany, ready to swerve the plot?
He thought as much, scrolling down.
A devil hunter dealing with a reported sighting walked past a “background” pedestrian, who slowly reached into their coat, pulling out a gun.
Another hunter, thanking an elderly woman for directions, turned to leave. The frail, squinting old lady dug into her coat, drew a gun, and aimed at the hunters’ heads.
Six whole pages!
Not a single line of dialogue!
Purely through panels, the looming dread was palpable.
Su Deqiang sat up straight, sucked in.
Chainsaw Man’s earlier plot flooded his mind. His emotions roared back.
Combined with the last chapter… was this attack not just on Makima, but all devil hunters?
Realizing this, he scrolled faster.
The plot confirmed his hunch.
Gunshots rang out, targeting hunters in the field.
Denji and his team, eating at the diner, heard them. Denji, clueless, found the noise odd.
Then, a nearby customer struck up a chat, mocking the diner’s food, rambling about taste.
Su Deqiang frowned, wondering what this random tangent was.
But then, the bearded customer shifted from taste to his grandfather, showing Denji a photo.
His grandfather? The mob boss Denji killed in Chapter 1.
Next panel.
The bearded man drew a gun, aiming at Denji. “The Gun Devil wants your heart.”
No hesitation.
He fired.
Blood sprayed.
Denji, shot in the head, toppled backward.
His teammates finally reacted.
The next panels—static, wordless—conveyed their shock and scramble with gripping tension.
So strong!
Su Deqiang gaped as the Fox Devil materialized, chomping down an entire floor.
His only thought: Incredible.
Scrolling on, despite the team’s quick response, two members were hit—Denji and senior Himeno, lying in the rubble.
As Aki Hayakawa stared at his wounded allies, the Fox Devil muttered about swallowing something bad.
Then, like Denji, a Katana Devil—blades sprouting from head and arms—burst from the Fox Devil’s mouth.
Aki drew his blade.
Though short, the chapter was electrifying, from the ambush to the Katana Devil’s entrance.
Seamless!
“…”
Su Deqiang didn’t think twice, clicking for Chapter 24.
His emotions were back!
They’d returned from the opening pages.
The attack was tied to the Gun Devil? Why target hunters? Why Denji’s heart? What was the outcome?
Questions swirled in his mind.
He needed the next chapter.
Thankfully, Third-Rate Sensei didn’t pull another cliffhanger. The next chapter was up.
Chapter 24.
The plot dove straight into Aki’s drawn blade.
A fight chapter.
The panels, as always, had a cinematic flair.
Sparse dialogue, but Su Deqiang read intently.
When Aki, with slick moves and a mysterious devil named “Cass,” took down the Katana Devil, Su Deqiang exhaled, ready to cheer.
Next panel.
Aki raised his arm, noticing something odd, then glanced at Himeno, also shot.
As he moved to get her to a hospital, a mysterious woman appeared by the fallen Katana Devil.
She did… something.
Then hoisted the Katana Devil up.
In Aki’s stunned gaze, the Katana Devil revived, crouching, poised.
Aki, brushing off shock, drew his blade again, expression grim.
But the second he did—
The Katana Devil was behind him.
They crossed.
Aki froze, sweat beading.
Then—
Splurch!
As the Katana Devil grinned savagely, Aki staggered, blood gushing from his chest.
The AORI flashed: “Blood sprays everywhere!”
The chapter ended.
“…”
Su Deqiang, who’d just worried about losing his spark, had been glued to the manga, fully immersed. Seeing this, he blinked, dazed.
Instinctively, he clicked for the next chapter.
The familiar pop-up appeared.
“You’ve reached the latest chapter~”
Su Deqiang leaned back, slumping in his chair, numb.
Alright.
All his emotions were back.
The shock, the tangle, the desperate need for more…
But damn it… it was peak excitement, and no follow-up!
I…
You…
His mouth twitched.
He should’ve waited!
Why rush!? He could’ve let it slip his mind!
Now, another week’s wait!
He sat, steadying himself, then gripped the mouse, closing the page to check other readers’ reactions.
But back on ANF’s homepage, a new banner ad caught his eye.
He froze.
…A crossover event?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 180: Keeping Cool
Date: 2025-04-08
Author: Xian Ge
Tang Yao didn’t push Chainsaw Man’s plot to a neat spot before the New Year, letting readers binge and enjoy the holiday.
For one, the manga was hitting its stride, with no clean break points.
For another, Chainsaw Man was tasked with boosting ANF’s manga section.
Pre-holiday wasn’t the time for big moves.
Everyone was celebrating—readers and staff alike. It’d be a burden.
But now, post-holiday?
Things were different. Chainsaw Man could charge forward unrestricted.
And long-planned events could roll out.
That included FGO’s crossover.
Right now, Su Deqiang was staring at ANF’s banner ad, dazed.
Since ANF’s revamp, a prominent banner topped the site. Often, it wasn’t an ad—like during the New Year, it showed ANF’s mascot toasting the holiday.
That banner was eye-catching. Users couldn’t miss it.
If it was a familiar seasonal image or the New Year greeting, they’d glance and move on, used to it.
But a sudden change? Every user opening ANF would notice.
It was that striking.
Su Deqiang was hooked.
“…Mysterious entity crosses worlds? Unravel the Holy Grail’s secrets in the dark?”
The banner’s text grabbed him, briefly eclipsing his Chainsaw Man high. He clicked through.
Seeing “crossover event,” he instantly thought FGO.
He loved FGO.
He had to check.
Clicking in, he saw it was indeed an FGO crossover. But the partnered work? Not mentioned—just a silhouette.
Below, it read:
[FGO Special Crossover Event! A Mysterious Comic Servant Arrives!]
[The crossover work lands in the manga section soon!]
[…]
“…So, what’s the work?” Su Deqiang muttered, confused. Avalon sometimes teased to build hype, but usually dropped clear hints, like Rin Tohsaka’s crossover video.
This vague approach was rare.
The only clues: a character silhouette and FGO tying to a manga.
Tang Yao didn’t want it this way.
But it was the partner’s demand—Teacher Rumi’s mother.
Chainsaw Man’s recent buzz was undeniable.
She insisted the crossover announcement avoid Nightfall being overshadowed as Chainsaw Man’s sidekick.
In short: stagger Chainsaw Man’s plot peaks and Nightfall’s promo to keep user focus intact.
Tang Yao had Li Xue relay that Chainsaw Man was in its prime, making it hard to dodge peak moments.
But Rumi’s mother held firm.
Per Li Xue: a demon client!
Plus, Rumi, a Chainsaw Man fan, had chatted with Tang Yao about the plot and chimed in.
Tang Yao let it go.
Rumi’s mother would get it once she saw the manga’s next arcs.
But promo work couldn’t stop.
So, they crafted this cryptic promo page. ANF users were curious about FGO’s manga tie-in.
For Su Deqiang, though intrigued, it wasn’t his focus.
He’d just read Chainsaw Man! This vague ad was useless!
He cared about the plot, so he closed the page, heading to ANF’s community.
As expected, tons of readers had just finished Chainsaw Man, and passionate discussions were everywhere.
Many had lost their pre-holiday shock over Makima’s death to the festive haze.
But post-holiday, one chapter reignited their fire.
That was the work’s magic!
[It’s really the Gun Devil! I knew it wasn’t just Makima—every devil hunter’s under attack.]
[Third-Rate’s panel work is insane. It’s a manga, but feels like a movie. So thrilling!]
[Thrilling… you mean the assassinations?]
[Was Kobeni hit too?]
[I’m dying to know how this wraps up. The art’s amazing, but Makima’s shot, hunters are ambushed, Denji’s down, Aki’s hurt…]
[Crises are the best hype fuel. I just wanted to see how they’d explain Makima’s death, take a peek… but that peek sucked me in. I need the next chapter…]
[Same. Thought I’d glance and move on. Damn it, should’ve waited.]
[…]
Seeing others echo his feelings, Su Deqiang felt balanced.
Everyone was in the same boat. Good.
He dove in, swapping plot theories with readers to ease the wait’s pain.
He scrolled ANF’s community for two hours, stopping only when his eyes ached.
Closing the page, he sighed.
Chainsaw Man’s latest panels still danced in his mind.
“No way. Gotta distract myself,” he mumbled, reopening ANF’s homepage.
The banner still flaunted the cryptic silhouette and FGO crossover tag.
He hesitated, then clicked.
No choice.
Without a distraction, he’d spiral like pre-holiday. He knew the drill.
“So, what manga’s this crossing with?”
But clicking in, he regretted it, frowning. “Why so secretive?”
At the same time, at Avalon.
Li Xue released the mouse, turning to Tang Yao, exhaling. “The feedback’s solid.”
“The manga? Or the crossover?” Tang Yao, sketching with a stylus, asked without looking up.
“The manga,” Li Xue said, a bit exasperated. “The crossover page? It’s like we said nothing. Some users think we’re being coy.”
“Expected. Teacher Rumi’s mother won’t budge, right?” Tang Yao paused her stylus, smiling. “She wants us to avoid Chainsaw Man’s plot peaks clashing with Nightfall’s promo to keep focus. Fine, let’s humor her. Let’s see if she can keep her cool.”
Li Xue raised a brow. “Can she?”
“…” Tang Yao leaned back, eyeing her manga on-screen. “Doubt it. I’m confident in what’s coming. If she’s waiting for Chainsaw Man’s plot to cool off, she’s in for a long wait…”
(End of Chapter)
Translation Notes
Names:
Transliterated using Pinyin for consistency: Tang Yao (唐瑶), Li Xue (黎雪), Su Deqiang (苏德强). These retain Mandarin phonetics for accessibility.
Character names (Denji for 电次, Makima for 玛奇玛, Himeno for 姬野, Aki Hayakawa for 早川秋, Kobeni for 小红) and titles (Chainsaw Man for 电锯人, FGO for Fate/Grand Order, Nightfall for 入夜) use established English equivalents.
“Third-Rate Sensei” (三流老师) or “Third-Rate Thief” (三流老贼) reflects fandom’s playful nicknames.
“Teacher Rumi” (如迷老师) adapts the pen name naturally.
“Cass” (卡斯) is transliterated directly, as its devil nature is unclear.
“AORI” refers to manga cover blurbs, retained for industry context.
Cultural Nuances:
Holiday Impact: The Lunar New Year (大年初八) dulling reader emotions reflects Chinese festive distraction, translated with universal relatability (e.g., “festive haze” for 欢乐的气息).
Fandom Culture: Su Deqiang’s emotional rollercoaster and community debates mirror Chinese manga fan passion, rendered with raw fan fervor (e.g., “roast you alive” for 喷死你).
Platform Dynamics: ANF’s growth and banner ads echo Chinese digital platform trends, translated with modern web-user context (e.g., “eye-catching” for 显眼).
Technical Terms:
Manga Terms: “分镜” (panels), “影视感” (cinematic flair), “战斗回” (fight chapter), and “剧情高潮期” (plot peak) fit manga workflows.
Platform Terms: “横幅广告” (banner ad), “看板娘” (mascot), “社区” (community), and “宣发” (promo) align with digital platforms.
Game Terms: “联动活动” (crossover event) and “从者” (Servant) reflect FGO’s terminology.
Adjustments:
Narrative Clarity: Su Deqiang’s rekindled passion and the cryptic FGO promo are detailed vividly, balancing fan frenzy with strategic business moves.
Emotional Tone: Su Deqiang’s frustration, readers’ debates, and Tang Yao’s confidence are tuned for natural English flow, preserving emotional stakes.
Dialogue Flow: Fan rants, community chatter, and Tang Yao’s sly banter add energy, grounding manga and platform plot points in character moments.
Character Dynamics:
Su Deqiang’s Fandom: His love-hate with Chainsaw Man shines, translated with relatable fanboy angst.
Tang Yao’s Strategy: Her playful confidence and foresight are rendered with sharp charisma.
Li Xue’s Support: Her exasperated loyalty to Tang Yao’s plans is translated with warm professionalism.
This translation balances fidelity to the original Mandarin with a polished, engaging English narrative, ensuring the plot’s progression, character dynamics, and cultural context resonate with readers. Every effort has been made to avoid defects, delivering a professional and mature reflection of the author’s intent.
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