Much has been said about Chainsaw Man's gore, but what is its age rating?

Many people have wondered; just why is Chainsaw Man so popular? There are many good reasons why the manga is loved by thousands, and the anime is so anticipated, but Chainsaw Man's transgressiveness is at least part of the reason. But what is Chainsaw Man's age rating?

The manga isn't lacking in body horror and shockingly violent scenes, but just how bad are things? Here's a comprehensive guide on how age (in)appropriate Chainsaw Man actually is:

In the improbable case you haven't heard of it yet, Chainsaw Man unfolds in an alternative world where some key historical events have happened differently or not at all.

In this world, Devils are born out of human fears, and the power of each Devil is proportionate to the amount of fear the cause.

In walks Denji, a young man deep in debt, who works as a Devil Hunter, helped by his Devil pet, Pochita.

When Denji is betrayed and killed, Pochita merges with him, turning him into the titular Chainsaw Man.

Soon after, Denji is approached by a division concerned with hunting Devils for public safety, led by a young woman named Makima. Thus Denji's new life begins, in which he tries to balance newfound Devil powers with living his best life this time around.

Related: Chainsaw Man: What Do the Different Eyes Mean?

So, is any of this appropriate for kids? With the internet being more widespread and easy to use than ever, it's no secret that sometimes, underage fans come across explicit content.

Chainsaw Man clearly has gore as its main theme, however, as is indicated in the manga entry on MyAnimeList.

This means that Chainsaw Man is more violent than other action anime and manga.

On the other hand, you can read Chainsaw Man legally online on Shonen Jump by Viz, a space focusing on anime marketed towards teenage audiences.

Prospective readers and viewers might wonder if Chainsaw Man is shonen or seinen and there's no clear-cut answer, given that it's promoted as a shonen but has decidedly seinen, adult elements.

Until the Chainsaw Man anime starts airing, there might not be a clear rating available, but websites such as MyAnimeList would probably rating it as R- 17+ due to its violence and profanity, or even R+-18+, if some of the sexual content becomes adapted for the screen.

Ratings vary depending on how strict different countires are but most rating systems flag Chainsaw Man as a work for audiences at least 17 years old.

All countries that have rated the upcoming anime on IMDb so far, rate it at 18+ with Korea giving a 19+ rating.

In Chapter 59 of the Chainsaw Man manga, there was a warning in the Shonen Jump app that the manga is only appropriate for those aged 18+, even though there were no such warnings in earlier chapters.

The reason for that was the depiction of a five-person orgy, which was considered wild, even for Chainsaw Man standards.

Still have questions? Let's break down the content a little bit more:

Chainsaw Man is not appropriate for very young readers. The main character is a teenager and many members of the main cast form a dysfunctional but occasionally endearing found family.

This trope is popular with pre-teens and teenagers, but parents of minors should at least be aware of the content and be able to discuss it if needed.

From the above, it can be concluded that Chainsaw Man is not age appropriate for very young audiences.

Related: Who Are Chainsaw Man's Voice Actors?

Given how readily Chainsaw Man content is available online, we can't pretend that only those over 18+ will access it, but underage viewers are strongly discouraged from reading it and parents should be aware of its content and be prepared to discuss it if needed especially as the anime by studio MAPPA which will reportedly not be censored is coming it soon.