In a 2021 interview with Da Vinci, Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of Chainsaw Man, admitted that he likes Kenny from South Park. Kenneth McCormick (Kenny) is a prominent member of Stan’s Gang and is famous for his hoodie, his regular deaths, and his perversion.
During the interview, the author stated:
In the animation “South Park” there’s Kenny, whom I also liked, but as he got more popular, in response to the viewers, he had to change into the character they were seeking.-Tatsuki Fujimoto
Fujimoto explained that as Kenny got more and more popular amongst viewers, he had to be changed into a character that the viewers wanted to see.
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Love for South Park Might Have Inspired Chainsaw Man’s Denji
Credits: MAPPA
Credits: Viz Media/Shueisha
Credits: Viz Media/Shueisha
Tatsuki Fujimoto‘s love for South Park seems to have left its impact on Chainsaw Man‘s Denji to quite some extent. Although the author has never confirmed whether Denji was inspired by Kenny, the similarities between the characters are quite noticeable despite the drastic differences in the worlds that they live in.
Kenny hails from one of the poorest families in South Park. Both his parents are unstable alcoholics. Kenny’s poverty is also frequently exploited by Cartman, who offers him money to perform strange or dangerous tasks. In the same vein, Denji had to kill his father, who had gotten into a drunken, aggressive state. With no one to take care of him, Denji lived in poverty and was forced to work for the Yakuza, who made him undertake dangerous missions for little to no money.
In South Park, Kenny dies in nearly every episode only to return in the next. These deaths are gruesome, but have been reduced to a running gag. Denji, on the other hand, is always facing powerful devils and is forced to put himself in life-threatening situations on a daily basis. Just like how Kenny miraculously returns from death, Denji also regenerates from his injuries.
Another stark similarity between the two characters is their perversion. Kenny is often depicted as being obsessed with the female body. He tries to get a peek at busty women or tries to put himself in situations where he can be intimate with a woman. In a similar vein, Denji also lusts for women and to be intimate with them, often going to extremes just for a kiss or a touch.
Like Kenny, Denji Was Also Forced to Change According to Expectations
Kenny was forced to change according to viewers’ expectations | Credits: South Park Studios, Comedy Central
Kenny’s death used to be a running gag in South Park. By season 5, the creators of the series also experimented with the idea of killing off the character permanently because of which Kenny did not appear in season 6 until its finale. Since then, he has not died as often, and his ability to resurrect was termed as his superpower, and he was forced to become the masked vigilante Mysterion. Thus, Kenny changed due to the expectations that were put on him.
Fujimoto might have applied a similar concept to Chainsaw Man, in which, after a harsh past, Denji is praised as a hero who protects humans from devils. Denji is also naively happy about the development, with no idea that being hero-worshipped comes with its own set of disadvantages and scary side effects. At the same time, Denji grows from a childish and naive boy to a mature man with an emotionally complex narrative. He gains the recognition that he lacked in the manga’s beginning, which the readers seriously hoped he would gain.
Here is a table with the ratings for both series:
SeriesIMDB RatingSouth Park8.7/10Chainsaw Man8.3/10
What do you think about this comparison between Chainsaw Man‘s Denji and South Park‘s Kenny? Let us know in the comments below.
Chainsaw Man anime is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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