Behind all the gore and action, Chainsaw Man holds bonds and relationships as one of its core themes. It is not that prevalent compared to Denji’s mental maturity but it is there. It defines the plot and pushes it forward in a direction you would least expect. The development between characters is what made Fujimoto Tatsuki’s Chainsaw Man unique. You could feel the lasting consequences they leave in the story. From subtle side characters like Kobeni to spotlight characters like Reze. Each one had a hand to make the story whole.
As part of our dive into the Chainsaw Man series, we will talk about Hayakawa Aki’s relationships. As part of the main cast, he has developed some interesting bonds. He babysat the main leads and had plenty of interactions with side characters. He helps to drive the story forward and gives Denji much-needed maturity. So, let us answer the question of our title: who does Aki like from Chainsaw Man?
No. 1: Denji and Power
The term “like” is too ambiguous and needs context in a sentence. Is it about a “romantic” like, or is it about a “friendly” like? Nevertheless, Aki does like two people in his life more than his own. Two people that he ended up caring for despite their rocky relationship: Denji and Power.
These three are what gave the much-needed realism and fluff to the series. Their moments together, no matter how short, have always been endearing to read. Aki loved these two like they were his younger siblings. He always tried to accommodate them. In return, the two helped to break the walls Aki built up. With Denji, Aki can let loose and have fun. With Power, he can develop his patience and personality. It is thanks to these troublemakers that Aki realized that there is more to life.
We can confirm Aki’s perception of their sibling relationship in Chapters 78 and 79. Aki saw Denji as his younger sibling in the former chapter. The cover for the latter showed the three of them with the caption “almost like siblings”.
No. 2: Makima
Makima comes in second to Aki’s relationships and for a good reason. Sure, many could argue that she should be the highest due to her control over Aki. Yet, Aki had chosen to focus on Denji and Power over his goal of killing the Gun Devil. This was a goal that he shared with Makima, yet he still willingly chose to withdraw the team. He only rejoined the operation when Makima forced Denji and Power to join anyway.
The relationship between Makima and Aki is like Emiya Kiritsugu and Emiya Shirou. Makima is responsible for giving Aki a goal so he could be where he was. Without Makima, Denji wouldn’t be a successful Devil Hunter and Division 4 Squad Leader. To his admission, he “owed Makima” his life. At some point, he started developing feelings for her; which is a can of worms on its own.
Q: Who was Aki in love with?
While it is simpler to say that Aki was in love with Makima due to hero worship, later chapters proved otherwise. It is revealed that Aki never had a reason to be in love with Makima in the first place. The latter could’ve very well manipulated his affections for her. The Control Devil was more than capable of this feat as seen in her control over Quanxi. For more details on this, go check out this article.
No. 3: Himeno
Aki’s relationship with Himeno only goes as far between Teacher and Student. Aki never really saw the latter as more than a mentor, but he still deeply cared for her. Himeno brought the despondent Aki to a somewhat functioning human being. Without her, the Aki we met in Chainsaw Man would’ve been drastically different.
Q: Is Himeno in love with Aki?
The short answer is yes. Himeno is in love with Aki, but it is unknown when she developed feelings for him. It is likely that she only started fancying him in later years when he grew older.
No. 4: Angel Devil
Aki’s relationship with the Angel Devil only edges out over Kobeni and Arai because of their bond. It is very similar to the buddy-cop system we see in Western Films. One guy is jaded, while the other tries to bring life. Although, in this case, both of them are jaded. Despite Aki seeing the Angel Devil as a tool, he does end up caring for the latter at the cost of his own life. On multiple occasions, he saved the Angel Devil from death.
However, it can be argued he only started caring for the Angel Devil because he didn’t wish to see more people die.
No. 5: Kobeni and Arai
These two are at the bottom of the ladder for good reason. Aki is not exactly the most sociable, but he at least interacted with these two characters. They were trainees of Himeno just like he was, so he did what he can to get along. He treats them with respect and even understands Kobeni’s decision to withdraw.