Autopsy of a scene: Chainsaw Man - The Silent Cigarette

This began as a musing on silent scenes in media, but as my shoulder doesn't allow me to write multiple pages per day I have adapted this to be a love letter to my favourite scene in Chainsaw Man. Originally I intended to analyse moments of similar style in both Ripley, and Cyberpunk 2077, but alas they will have to wait for futher posts.

Spoilers for:
Chainsaw Man Season One by Studio MAPPA. Directed by Ryū Nakayama (director) and Makoto Nakazono (chief episode director), with scripts by Hiroshi Seko

Intro:
I'm not much of one for anime, there are great shows and bad shows, to me it's a medium, not a genre. I will eventually make a full post on my issues and praises for anime in general, but regardless of my thoughts on the medium the best scene I have seen in an anime to date is present in Chainsaw Man. It is the first post credit scene in episode 12, Katana vs Chainsaw, the final episode for the season. Lets lay some groundwork first.

THE GROUNDWORK:

Episode 5 - GUN DEVIL
Our main character, Denji, has found himself unfullfilled after finally being given the opportunity to touch boobs. This is strangely a major point of conflict, as up unto this point Denji's entire purpose was for the opportunity to touch a boob. Makima, the head of the organisation all the characters work for, uses the insufficiency of the act, and her sexuality, to manipulate a deal from Denji. Kill the Gun Devil for one wish, which Denji agrees to and plans to use this wish for sex with Makima.

This promise provides an opportunity for Makima to tell of the last sighting of the Gun Devil. It's a tale of a young Aki, the leader of Denji's division, caught in the crossfire of the Gun Devil's last attack. It's explained that Aki's family was among the millions of people killed by the Gun Devil. It's a brutal scene that not only shows the scale of the Gun Devil's power but also the emotional and personal effects the Devil's actions have had upon the world. After this attack the Gun Devil disappeared, though the few remaining pieces, such as bullets from that attack, remain and are all attracted to one another. Makima has theorised of they can gather enough pieces of the Gun Devil together they will begin to be attracted to the Devil, wherever it hides, so the division will be able to hunt it down.

Episode 7 - THE TASTE OF A KISS
During the conflict with the Eternity Devil, in the effort to get a piece of the Gun Devil, a flashback of a dinner from early on in Himeno and Aki's careers as partners is shown. During the flashback Himeno realises Aki is there to kill the Gun Devil. This is told from Himeno's perspective as a memory and we will get Aki's perspective and the rest of this conversation later.

After the Devil is defeated the division decides to go out drinking together. After a long night of fun Denji ends up back at Himeno's house. While this begins as an invitation from Himeno for the two of them to have sex, Denji forgoes that idea as he wants to save himself for Makima's one wish. The honesty and honourability allows Himeno to open up to Denji.

Episode 8 - GUNFIRE
Himeno has a crush on Aki just as Denji has a crush on Makima. This brings into context many scenes from throughout the series so far. Himeno insisting Aki to smoke, them sharing cigarettes, Himeno snuggling with Aki after the Eternity Devil is defeated etc. This theme of cigarettes as a shared experience between two is an important one, and the two are consistently offering each other cigarettes throughout the show.

With hangovers on their mind, Denji, Aki, Power (another member), and Himeno have met for lunch when they are attacked by allies of the Gun Devil. A combination of the surprise, the power of the attackers, and the missing members lead to the team being put in a very precarious position. Himeno can summon a part of her devil, the Ghost Devil, as she has already sacrificed her right eye to do that, but to summon it fully is different and just a part is not enough.

If she were to summon the Ghost Devil fully it takes her entire body, killing her. To save Aki, Himeno is forced to sacrifice her life, which also ends up being her body piece by piece. While this fight occurs the rest of the not present team is hit as well.

Despite Himeno's sacrifice the team still loses, and hard. The only survivors are Denji, who is cut in half but being part devil he will heal in a very short time; Aki who ends up in critical hospitalised care; Power, who ran away; and Kobeni, who was one of the team members attacked nearby and through combined skill and chance is able to rescue Denji from being kidnapped.

Episode 11 - MISSION START
The Division assult the building hiding the people who attacked the crew in episode 8. Aki (intentionally) separates from Denji and finds the lady who controls the Snake Devil that lead to Himeno's death, but it seems she now has a contract with the Ghost Devil. Very quickly Aki is disasbled by the Ghost Devil.

Episode 12 - KATANA VS. CHAINSAW
The episode opens with Aki being choked by the Ghost Devil. As he is dying he remembers his perspective on the conversation with Himeno from Episode 7. The filled in context is Aki agreeing to share a cigarette with Himeno, but with her realising he's underage she puts it away and promises "Once you grow up, and you're ready to develop an addiction, I'll give it back". Aki comes to, realising the Ghost Devil hasn't killed him. The Ghost Devil holds out it's hand, and gives him a cigarette, symbolising the one Himeno owed him with the words "Easy Revenge" written on it. An earlier conversation with Himeno revealed the Ghost Devil can only see things that fear it, and knowing this paired with his fear being replaced with acceptance he is able to walk up the Ghost Devil's back to (temporarily) slay it, and get an opportunity to deal with the lady who killed Himeno.

In the background of the credits, leading up to the scene; Aki, Denji, and Power (who live together) all went shopping, cooked dinner, and started eating together.

THE SCENE
That was alot of context, I'm sorry but it's required to show why I love this scene so much.

It begins at 20:27 of episode 12, and lasts for 1 minute and 39 seconds. The camera, now without any credits on screen, shows a night time shot of the apartment building Aki's apartment is in. A balcony shot of his apartment shows Power and Denji asleep at the table. Aki stands up from the table, walks out onto the balcony, sits in his chair, and pulls out a cigarette. It is the one the Ghost Devil handed him. Aki closes his eyes for a moment, lights the cigarette, and smokes it. Only the sounds of the city are in the background, and only Aki's movements are in the foreground, thats all that plays for the whole scene. No music, no talking, only reflection.

There are 12 cuts total over the 1 minute and 39 seconds, which for a show as bombastic as this is a glacial pace. It's silence gives us a chance to think; to think about the show, the actions of the characters, the writing, the everything. When Aki pulls the cigarette from the Ghost Devil it focuses our thoughts, not just on the generalities of the show but specifically to Aki, his relationship with Himeno, her unfullfilled wants and needs being cut short, his own wants reagrding Himeno, his unfinished business with the Gun Devil, and how that has now lead to Himeno's death.

One advantage manga and comics have over anime and books is while you're reading you dictate the pace you read at. If you need a moment to reflect in manga and comics you can stop on a scene, you can let it linger as long as you need, you can study the art and it's meaning. With books you can't study their sentences in the same way, there is a time dimension to reading a book that doesn't exist when the art sits on the page in front of you, you can only contemplate a book by letting your mind leave the story. In a manga or comic you can linger in the story. You can sit on those panels for as long as you need, letting the moment stretch out into the ether.

This scene is 1 minute and 39 seconds of animation that didn't have to be there. It could have been 10 seconds as we transition to Denji's dream, it could have not been there at all. It doesn't develop plots, it doesn't develop characters, it is time spent that doesn't work towards, begin, or end anything. But they knew it was needed, they animated every second of it, they drew it out. They did something even the manga couldn't do, because while you can linger on any panel, you can also read through panels as fast as you want as well, you can force your way past moments like this. MAPPA made this 1 minute and 39 seconds for us. They forced us to remember, just as Aki is forced to remember.

That's why it's my favourite scene in all of anime.