Chainsaw Man Chapter 171 features the return of the Chainsaw Demon as Pochita takes control of Denji's body. While it's definitely the highlight of the chapter, fans have pointed out a slight difference in the English version of the chapter compared to the Japanese version.
In the Japanese version of this chapter (page 7) there is a chord of Denji being pulled before he transforms into the Chainsaw Demon.
However, in the English version of the chapter uploaded to Manga Plus and Viz Media's Shonen Jump app, this panel is replaced with Asa's face.
See the tables below:
Left: Japanese version; Right: English version
While the reason for the change is unknown, some speculate that the English version may be based on an older version of the chapter, while the version on Japanese websites may be an updated version.
One interesting point to note, however, is that none of the panels before or after this particular panel show Denji's chords, so it definitely looks like a last-minute addition by Fujimoto.
Still, it's a fun addition and a callback to part 1 when Denji was shown pulling his vocal chords in a similar catatonic state.
While it seems like this difference won't have any major impact on the plot going forward; it is still being hotly discussed on forums and social media platforms.
JP version and EN version of Chainsaw Man 171 are different
in the JP version we have Denji pulling the chord, but in the EN version it's Asa's face pic.twitter.com/hN7xjAmyp4
— eppy 🍉 (@kalingaddynasty) July 16, 2024
//#csm171
Having looked into this, suspected that the Yoru/Asa reactions might be different versions of the same panel and it seems like it *might* be the case, except for the hair and face reactionsI'm guessing the last chapter edits were mismanaged https://t.co/0O9AEnYpZF pic.twitter.com/qXU0O0F07J
— Zero | Alina's Vision (@ChainsawZero) July 16, 2024
What do you think about the changes in the Japanese and English versions of this chapter. Let me know them in the comments section below.
