Makima
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Japanese: Tomori Kusunoki
- English: Suzie Yeung
| Makima | |
|---|---|
| Chainsaw Man character | |
 Makima as illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto | |
| First appearance | Chainsaw Man chapter 1: Dog & Chainsaw (December 3, 2018) |
| Created by | Tatsuki Fujimoto |
| Portrayed by | Aya Hirano (stage play) |
| Voiced by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Devil (Control Devil) |
Makima (Japanese: マキマ, Hepburn: Makima) is a fictional character from Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga series Chainsaw Man. She is the main antagonist from the Part 1 of the series, the "Public Safety Saga", and is the caretaker of main character Denji, promising him food and shelter if he comes under her care and threatening him with death otherwise. Throughout Part 1, Makima serves as the leader of Public Safety Division 4's Devil Hunters, manipulating the events of the series behind the scenes and revealing more of her true nature as they unfold.
In the anime adaptation, she is voiced by Tomori Kusunoki in Japanese and Suzie Yeung in English. The character was praised by critics and reviewers due to the juxtaposition of her enigmatic nature and horror elements with her soft femininity and nurturing facade. Since the series' debut, Makima has proven to be one of its most iconic and popular characters, making appearances in merchandise and collaborative events.
Casting
According to series creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, Makima was the first character in Chainsaw Man that he solidly envisioned "both inside and outside", as a figure that represented "domination". Makima was inspired by the character Benten from the novel The Eccentric Family, inheriting her nature as an "unfathomable being" ranked above humans hiding her own "sadness". Makima's name was also a play on the series' premise of chainsaws, being cutting tools; "cutting" the syllable "ki" out of her name would form the word "mama", reflecting protagonist Denji's pursuit of "maternal things".[1] The final fight between Denji and Makima was based on the novel Kizumonogatari between Koyomi Araragi and Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade.[2]
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Tomori Kusunoki voiced Makima in the original Japanese version of the series. Before being cast in the role, Kusunoki was an avid fan of Makima as she appeared in the manga, even praying to a photo and altar of her during the auditioning process. Kusunoki admired Makima for being an adult who was "never in a hurry" and would leave "room for everything".[3]
For the English-language adaptation, Suzie Yeung voiced the character. In order to familiarize herself with Makima's final motives, Yeung read the Chainsaw Man manga after being cast in the role. Yeung emphasized how Makima "knows a lot more than she lets on" and that the character's motives factored into her performance. She cited Makima as a "very confident character" and conveyed the character's complexities via subtle changes in her voice, describing the process as a "really big balancing act",[4] and explaining that Makima would use these subtle changes in tone and emotion to influence others in her favor.[5] Yeung described her overall approach as "soft" and "disarm[ing]" but with a "threatening" undertone, contrasting Makima's "very specific" and secret motivations and intentions with the easy-to-understand nature of her other roles.[6]
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