Chainsaw Man is dearly beloved by its fans. From fan art to even fan-made Anime, there is no mistaking its cult-like following. With the release of the new Anime, interest in it skyrocketed. And so did some questions. While it has been two years since Part 1, there are still a few questions that fans would love answered. How old is Aki in Chainsaw Man is among them.
Who is Aki in Chainsaw Man?
Hayakawa Aki is one of the side characters turned main characters in the show. He starts on the wrong foot with our main protagonist Denji due to their differences. Unlike his loud and irrational counterpart, he is polite and cool. He always carries himself with confidence. Yet, he is not without flaws.
Aki is a person who is hard on himself. He carries trauma from his childhood. One that prevents him from expressing his emotions. An “ice king” is what I would call him due to his cold and distant persona. But even ice has to melt eventually. Beneath that cold exterior is a caring person who wants what is best for his friends.
How Old is Aki in Chainsaw Man?
Now, for the age-old question: how old is Aki in Chainsaw Man? This is quite debated among the fans in the community due to the ambiguity the author left. Once again, we are left to pick up the crumbs to form a concrete answer. Never once in the manga was his age revealed, nor was it mentioned. So, let us go through the details!
The Issues with Aki’s “Canonical” Age
Aki Being 19 Years Old Doesn’t Make Sense
While the biggest consensus on Aki’s canonical age is 19 years old, there is one issue with it. Aki is seen drinking alcohol in public. While this may not be known to many, the legal drinking in Japan is 20 years old. This is set by law way back in 1876 and breaking it will cause serious social consequences. Since Aki is working in the public eye, it would have been impossible for him to drink.
Evidence that suggests he isn’t 19 years old is in Chapter 20 of the manga. He is seen drinking with his co-workers while Himeno prohibited Denji, a minor, to drink.
Aki being Denji’s Senior of “Three Years”
There is also the case of him being described as Denji’s senior. This is what canonized his age. Denji introduced himself as 16 years old and fans have been quick to compute Aki’s age. They used the latter as a benchmark and came up with 19. While this makes sense on paper, it doesn’t in the context of the scene.
Besides, Makima could have meant that Aki was Denji’s senior in the workplace. It is common to say those words to someone new. Physical age doesn’t have anything to do with it.
My Thoughts on How Old Aki is in Chainsaw Man
We know a few things from the official source that can help us determine his age. As shown in Chapter 13, Aki has been around since 1984. That is the youngest we’ve ever seen him in the series and he was already a little old. By rough estimate, he looked to be between 5 to 8 years old. Since the current year in the manga is 1997, he is at least 13 years older than he was then. With this in mind, Aki is roughly 18 to 21 years old during the events of Chainsaw Man.
However, we should also consider Japan’s underage drinking laws. This would mean that Aki’s minimum age should be 20 years old. This is further supplemented by the fact that he was introduced to Denji as “three years” his senior. If he were 20 years old, it would mean that Denji is 17. This lines up perfectly with the latter’s age after Chapter 81.
How old is Aki in Chainsaw Man when he met Himeno?
With what I’ve said in mind, I can confidently say that Aki was at least 17 years old when he met Himeno. The two met during Aki’s first months as a Devil Hunter. The latter was responsible for mentoring him since then.