Warning! Contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man episode 1!Many anime feature an annoying character who is obsessed with women, just like Mineta from My Hero Academia, but Chainsaw Man shows that this sort of character doesn't have to be bad. While Mineta is one of the most prominent examples of a girl-crazy character, the trope is present in many anime and is rarely done well. But while these characters are often relatively insignificant side characters, Chainsaw Man chooses to make its Mineta the protagonist.
Chainsaw Man is a new anime made by studio MAPPA based on the hit manga of the same name by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series follows Denji, a young boy who becomes a devil hunter to pay off his debt to the mob. He then merges with his Chainsaw dog Pochita to become Chainsaw Man, an ultra-violent creature that sprouts chainsaws from its arms and head. While the premise of this may sound somewhat silly, the anime takes it seriously which makes it actually work really well. It is this serious approach that also makes Denji's Mineta-like nature not as annoying as in other shows.
A key aspect to Denji's character is the brutal circumstances that he has lived in throughout his life. His insanely high debt has forced him to live on scraps, eating only a slice of bread a night and having to sell off various organs just for some extra cash. One of the things that sustains him is his dream to one day have a normal life where he can actually afford to put jam on toast and maybe even get a girlfriend. So Denji's girl obsession in Chainsaw Man is built into his character, but it comes from a more natural and tragic place. It doesn't just feel like an awkward attempt at fanservicey comedy. It feels like a natural result of Denji's circumstances that evokes pity rather than disgust.
Denji is a Much More Complex Character than Mineta
All of this is also helped by the degree of Denji's perversion in the first episode. Whereas a character like Mineta is constantly objectifying women pretty much whenever they are on-screen, Denji has bigger things to worry about most of the time. So he only mentions it when he has the time to think about his dreams. This also contributes to making Denji feel more realistic, as his obsession with women doesn't define him, instead, it's one part of a multifaceted character. This also helps viewers who don't like characters My Hero Academia's Mineta still support Denji as they can focus on the other parts of him that make him a compelling protagonist. It's also worth mentioning that Denji's fixation on girls doesn't make others feel uncomfortable. That's a small detail, but it makes a huge difference in how the audience perceived Denji vs. how they perceive Mineta.
At the end of the first episode, a girl actually does hug Denji, fulfilling one of his dreams. However, it is unlikely that this will resolve this part of his character completely as a hug is a long way from getting a girlfriend. But while Denji's girl fixation is likely to remain an important part of his motivation, if Chainsaw Man continues to not let it completely define him then he will continue to be much more palatable than a character like My Hero Academia's Mineta.
Chainsaw Man is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Hulu.