@RehnSturm256 @disabled i think your dislike of this comes from an unfortunate misreading of the author - denji is his self insert. the story is about how he was (and to an extent, still is) a fucking loser who has serious issues dealing with women, despite wanting nothing more than to have one love him. i dont think denji is aggrandized, even with what "progress" he has made as a character, he is still utterly pitiable. personally i think one of the very few redeeming factors he has as a person is the love he has for his 'daughter'/sister in Nayuta. he may be the protagonist, but at no point is denji framed as an aspiration. As for the 'liberal fears' - I dont never saw them portrayed as such, they are explicitly human fears. This is why a demon of 'falling' is many *many* times more powerful than other demons like famine, or guns. As for the mangaka being a westaboo... that's probably true. As to whether the story is nihilistic and apathetic, i think that remains to be seen. However i am doubtful. Have you read Fire Punch? (his previous work) - it is, imo, the furthest thing from nihilistic