Chainsaw Man chapter 156 proves Yoshida is being used by Public Safety

Modified Feb 28, 2024 15:05 GMT

Hirofumi Yoshida is simply the latest to fall prey to Chainsaw Man's Public Safety group (Image via Shueisha)

Tuesday, February 27, 2024, saw the release of Chainsaw Man chapter 156, the latest installment from author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga, bringing with it a shocking update on Denji’s status. Unfortunately, the issue does confirm fans’ worst fears, seeing Denji fully in the custody of Public Safety at the Tokyo Devil Detention Center building.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 also confirms why Denji is being kept there, seeing his body being experimented with by Public Safety for its regenerative properties. Fans also learned that Hirofumi Yoshida has seemingly fully bent the knee to Public Safety and appears to be truly on their side in the Denji scenario.

However, some Chainsaw Man fans have pointed out some aspects of Yoshida’s behavior and the context of the situation he finds himself in as a reason why he may not actually be a Public Safety ally. In fact, it almost seems as though Yoshida is being used by Public Safety due to his closeness with Denji.

Chainsaw Man chapter 156 sets up Yoshida to finally side with Denji in the coming breakout operation

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In Chainsaw Man chapter 156, Yoshida appears as Denji wakes up in his hospital bed, speaking with him and getting him up to speed on how long he was asleep. However, Yoshida reprimands Denji for transforming into his devil hybrid form, reminding him of the rule that Denji was not supposed to transform under any condition if he wished to live normally with Nayuta. He also denied about knowing Nayuta's whereabouts.

However, there’s a key moment where Yoshida appears to be patting Denji’s head. While he also exits the room with a needle in his hand and confirms he gave Denji a sedative, this doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t also show his friend some silent affection in the process. Furthermore, the presence of his superiors and his junior Fumiko Mifune just outside the door explains why Yoshida may have chosen this silent display of affection.

There’s also the fact that Yoshida is very short and curt with his supervisors, indicating that he is disheartened by their presence and how he must likewise act. Moreover, the presence of his superiors in and of itself suggests that Yoshida is being forced to do something he otherwise wouldn’t. Chainsaw Man fans have also pointed out the stark difference in this meeting between Yoshida and Denji compared to their last.

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Yoshida had held Denji tied up in a holding cell in chapter 132, much similar to the present situation. Both times Denji awoke to find himself restrained in an undisclosed Public Safety location and lunged forward at Yoshida after being unsatisfied with the answer he received regarding Nayuta’s status. However, a stark difference between the two exists in Yoshida’s expression, with his look in their latest meeting being much more solemn and stern than in their prior one.

Fans are also pointing to the silence Yoshida has when Denji first asks his questions about Nayuta. Again, with his superiors listening right outside, this suggests that he’s playing his cards close to his chest and keeping his true allegiances secret for now. While it is possible that he simply doesn’t know Nayuta’s location and status, this doesn’t explain his initial silence on the matter.

Unfortunately, this is all currently speculative, with chapter 156 not giving any concrete evidence as to Yoshida’s true intentions and allegiances beyond what’s mentioned above. Thankfully, with the series not taking a break week before the release of chapter 157, readers shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out the truth.