AkiDen

AkiDen is the slash ship between Aki Hayakawa and Denji from the Chainsaw Man fandom.

Canon
Aki and Denji meet for the first time when Denji gets assigned to Aki’s unit by Makima. Denji protests at first, since he wanted to stay by Makima's side, but Aki just grabs him by his shirt's collar and leads him to action. While out, when Denji starts asking Aki questions about Makima, Aki takes him to an alley and beats him up, telling him that he should quit the force if he doesn't take the job seriously, and with conviction, since it's really important for him, telling Denji that he says that "out of the goodness of his heart." Despite the fact that Denji's objectives are "careless," he beats Aki in the crotch, and tells him that he doesn't mind dying if he gets to keep the lifestyle that the force provides for him. So back with Makima, she tells Aki that Denji is unique, and that in order to take care of him, the two of them will have to live together.

So they start living together, and Aki gets fed up with Denji's antics. Later, they have their first mission together, to kill a devilman. Aki suggests Denji use his power to kill the devilman, but Denji doesn't use it, and tells Aki that he didn't because he wanted to make it less painful. That triggers Aki, whose entire family was killed by a devil, so he opens up to Denji about what happened to his family, and tells him to remember that Devil Hunters "have no business sympathizing with Devils," to which Denji replies that if there's a Devil that'll be his friends, he'll take it because he never had any, which shocks Aki.

Despite the fact that he's still suspicious of Denji, he saves his life from the Leech Devil. After taking Denji to the hospital, Aki explains that he was able to summon the Fox Devil, who assisted him in saving Denji, as he made a contract with it, and that he allowed the Fox Devil to consume a part of his skin in exchange. Aki expresses his disdain for Devils to Denji, claiming that they cannot be trusted, and informs Denji that he knows that Power tried to kill him, which Denji denies. Aki then threatens to report Power, along with Denji for covering for her, and have them executed if they do not obey his orders as their superior. Denji tells him to relax, and that although his goals are not as "elegant" as theirs, that Aki can count on him.

So living together and working together makes their relationship a lot closer. Aki even risks his life many times to save Denji. At first, he said he did it because he would be useful in his quest to kill the Gun Devil. However this begins to change as Aki grows more attached to Denji. When the decision comes, Aki at first wants to back out from the fight against the Gun Devil, since he fears both Denji and Power will die in the battle. The love for his newly found family has replaced the desire for revenge that Aki felt towards the Gun Devil. Aki being healed from his old trauma is illustrated in the chapter where he visits his family`s grave. In the previous occasions this visit has been filled with melancholy. However, now since Aki was so busy with Power and Denji making him smile, he did not have the time to feel gloomy.

When the Gun Devil kills Aki and takes control of his body, he goes to Denji and Power. Makima warns Denji about the Gun Devil over the phone, but doesn't tell him it's Aki's body that the devil is currently possessing. Denji was waiting for Aki to come home and they hope that what Makima said is not true, and it is in fact Aki who is ringing their doorbell. Denji tells Power to take Meowy and run. Denji opens the door, and the Gun Devil calls him by his name, which surprises Denji since the devil doesn't know him. Aki, who is revived but controlled by the devil, imagines that he's having a snowball fight with Denji, like the one he would have with his younger brother many years ago.

A shocked Denji doesn't want believe that it really is Aki controlled by the Gun Devil. As Denji, Power and Aki fight, Denji begs Aki to "wake up", but Aki, still playing, thinks that he's never had that much fun before. Denji in Aki's dream starts crying begging him to stop, and Aki, realizing the situation, gives up, allowing his friend to kill him. In Aki's dream, he goes with his brother to keep playing, but in reality, Denji is depressingly standing in front of his friend's dead body. Denji finds out that Aki left half of his money to Denji. He uses it to rent a new place for himself and Power. Still a sad behaviour, he goes and live in his new home with Power. hen Makima kills Power, she admits to Denji that it was all part of her plan — she had to make him as happy as possible and then take everything away, that's why she "provided him with a family". Losing Aki and Power mas meant, according to Makima, to make him want to "give up on this world" so he could turn into the real Chainsaw Man Devil. After hearing this, Denji gets insanely mad towards Makima, as he remembers his late friends.

Fanon
AkiDen is one of the most popular ships within the Chainsaw Man fandom. It's the 4th most popular ship in the fandom, the 3rd most popular for Denji, after YoshiDen and Hayakawa Family, and the 3rd most popular for Aki, after AkiAngel and Hayakawa Family.

As Aki and Denji initially hated one another (since in their first mission they ended up fighting and Denji kicked him in the crotch several times), and they constantly insulted each other (specially Aki, saying Denji is a simpleton, a brute and vulgar), the fandom was not expecting much of their relationship to develop. Despite all of this, they continued to work together due to Makima's request. After fighting alongside each other, living in the same household, and both of them considering the other a friend, the fandom got their hopes again, as they were finally bonding.

After Aki's dead, the fandom became incredibly sad, as Denji lost a dear friend to him. There are several artworks of Denji and Aki spending time together after quitting the division and living a normal life alongside Power.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

FAN ART

TUMBLR

Variations

 * Hayakawa Family refers to the ship between the two and Power