When someone asks a perfume sales associate to recommend a fragrance inspired by a particular person or character, how do they go about it? As a former perfume sales associate, I will show you everything from my thought process to the fragrances I imagine, using Chainsaw Man, which I have read right through the latest volume, to celebrate the recent announcement of its perfume release. (There are no particular spoilers.)
This way of choosing perfume is also useful when giving a fragrance to a friend or someone you like, so please give it a try. (These are simply the scents I imagine; whether they would actually be a good match is a separate question.)
My Thought Process
① First, list every impression you have of the person. The key is not to think about perfume at all at this stage: whether in individual words or sentences, just write down whatever image comes to mind.
② Next, taking those impressions into account, think about when, or in what scene, you want to imagine a scent drifting from that person.
③ From the impressions you considered in the first two steps, choose three to five indispensable elements and connect them with fragrance materials or imagined scents. (This is a slightly difficult step.)
④ Using those materials and images, search your memory for suitable perfumes and make your selections while imagining the scene with that fragrance actually being worn.
Now let’s try those four steps with Chainsaw Man.
Fragrances for Denji
- My image of Denji
Pure, innocent, interested in sex, straightforward, unserious, foolish, baths, a vomit kiss, in love with Makima, crazy, battle-crazed, the strongest, mysterious, an attention seeker, a guy who wants to be popular with women, chainsaws, blood, finding happiness in little things - Scenes in which the perfume is worn
Ordinary daily life, fighting as Chainsaw Man, losing his mind in battle and entering invincible mode - Indispensable elements and fragrance materials
・Ordinary daily life: finding happiness in baths and little things & innocence
→Synthetic musks for a clean scent and a sense of purity; citrus for a refreshing, pleasant feeling
・Fighting as Chainsaw Man: blood, chainsaws, looking cool
→Metallic notes suggesting chainsaws and blood; the smell of gasoline, needed to rev the engine; vetiver evoking the dust kicked up in fierce combat
・Losing his mind in battle and entering invincible mode: blood, the strongest, devilish
→Metallic notes suggesting chainsaws and blood; a deep, complex, heavy oud-like scent
Using what emerged from those three steps, I will choose three fragrances inspired by Denji.
A Fragrance I Would Like Denji to Wear in Ordinary Daily Life
Clean Warm Cotton
Denji finds joy in being able to bathe every day and in little things. The first fragrance I would like him to wear is Clean’s Warm Cotton, which can give you the comfortable feeling of a fresh bath or of sleeping peacefully in a gentle breeze. Loosen the tie, undo the buttons of his usual shirt, and add this fragrance: the scent of a gentle guy with an impeccably clean air. Even with perfume on, there is an innocence about sex and a purity about love. It is perfect for Denji, who gets approached by older women.
A Fragrance I Would Like Denji to Wear While Fighting as Chainsaw Man
Le Labo Cuir 28
Once the fight starts, the engine is at full throttle. He cuts down enemy after enemy in a spray of blood. Enemy attacks will not stop him. “Aaaaargh, I need more blood! I can’t move without blood!” Let’s give Denji gasoline instead of blood. Cuir 28, from Le Labo’s City Exclusives, limited editions available for only one month each year, is perfect for combat: gasoline and sweat mingle into a masculine smell. If attention-seeking Denji wears this, you could pick up the scent from several kilometers away. As its name, leather (cuir), suggests, it is wild and masculine.
A Fragrance I Would Like Denji to Wear When He Loses His Mind in Battle and Enters Invincible Mode
Les Liquides Imaginaires Beaute du Diable
Denji has lost himself and become battle-crazed. Is he seeking overwhelming power, or complete death? His appearance in combat is truly the beauty of the devil, Beaute du Diable. Just when you think he will charge straight ahead, he brings down his opponent with a clever move that shows his instinct for combat. For this Denji, who is no longer so easy to handle, Les Liquides Imaginaires’ Beaute du Diable is perfect. Amid a rich oud scent evoking a devilish abyss, geranium has a sharp metallic edge like a chainsaw, while the refreshing absinthe and citrus seem to take pleasure in cutting through opponents. It is outrageously cool.
Fragrances for Makima
- My image of Makima
Adult, suggestive, femme fatale, strength at odds with her appearance, an invincible Devil Hunter, cool, composed, pink hair, many mysteries, good posture, a sense of control - Scenes in which the perfume is worn
Ordinary daily life, coldly killing an opponent - Indispensable elements and fragrance materials
・Ordinary daily life: composed, yet suggestive and mature. Teasing, devilish remarks. Many mysteries.
→White flowers expressing composure and delicacy alongside mature allure; weighty natural vanilla for an enigmatic atmosphere; a fragrance built from seeming opposites to express a femme fatale
・Coldly killing an opponent: invincible, a cold smile, mysterious strength
→A scent with contrasting images to express power far greater than her appearance suggests; tuberose or peach to express the strength to captivate someone instantly and play them like a toy; natural vanilla for a mysterious atmosphere
A Fragrance I Would Like Makima to Wear in Ordinary Daily Life
Guerlain Néroli Outrenoir
Makima looks cool and delicate. The words from those pretty lips bewilder and captivate like a little devil. She gives off a mysterious air, yet controls others with a lovely smile and a single word. A true femme fatale. The perfect match is Néroli Outrenoir, “neroli of the blackest possible black,” from L’Art et la Matière, “art and precious materials,” the highest-end line of Guerlain, a house with a history of 195 years. Pretty, tiny white neroli is dyed pitch-black by smoky black tea. Or is pure white neroli hiding the true nature of a devil already steeped in darkness? If this scent drifted from Makima, men and women alike would be helpless.
Fragrances I Would Like Makima to Wear When Coldly Killing an Opponent
Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle
Do not listen to Makima. If you hear her words, she will captivate and control you. For such a dangerously captivating Makima, Serge Lutens’ Tubereuse Criminelle, with its criminally aphrodisiac scent, is a fitting choice. Tuberose, also called “fragrance beneath the moon” or “the perfume of the night,” grows more fragrant at night. Its beautiful white flowers are sensual and fleshy. “I wouldn’t mind being killed by this woman”: if Makima wore this perfume, that is what you would find yourself thinking. Yet a scent reminiscent of blood is secretly present, as though hinting at the ominous fate awaiting anyone whose mind Makima has taken over.
Kilian Playing with the Devil
Makima defeats the enemies standing before her with overwhelming power and the ease of twisting a baby’s arm. It is as though a devil were at play. With mysterious strength that leaves her room to smile, I would like Makima to wear Kilian’s Playing with the Devil, the scent of a devil offering forbidden fruit. Juicy, alluring peach draws others in, while the devil of vanilla waits impatiently for them. Who will have the last laugh?
Fragrances for Aki Hayakawa
- My image of Aki
Topknot, blue, sword, Kon, serious, cigarettes, self-sacrifice, a greater cause, handsome, mature-looking but young, wanting Makima’s approval, cleanliness, fairly stubborn, actually warmhearted - Scenes in which the perfume is worn
Ordinary daily life, fighting coolly - Indispensable elements and fragrance materials
・Ordinary daily life: cool and handsome, clean, a smoker
→A fougère that would suit a white shirt; a smoky scent that would go with cigarettes; a youthful scent that is not too austere; a clean, minimalist scent
・Fighting coolly: a greater cause, convictions, warmth of heart
→A transparent scent to convey coolness; a scent with presence and confidence that seems to carry his convictions through
Fragrances I Would Like Aki to Wear in Ordinary Daily Life
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis
Aki likes cleanliness and keeps things organized. For Aki, who calmly gets on with his work without losing his composure, Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Aqua Universalis, “universal water,” is perfect. Rather than simply a freshly washed shirt, it smells like a shirt washed in water with a refined, even artistic beauty. It brings Aki into sharper focus as he tidies his room in a crisp white shirt. To me, soft woody notes and bright orange blossom seem to express the kindness of Aki, who takes good care of others.
Parfum Satori Mizunara
Handsome, with beautiful blue eyes and a calm disposition, Aki heads after work to a quiet bar where he can think alone. (This is just my imagination.) There, he orders Chivas Regal Mizunara on the rocks. With little of whisky’s characteristic smokiness or alcoholic smell, it goes down like water, and he lights a cigarette as he drinks. The fragrance I would like this Aki to wear is Parfum Satori’s Mizunara. Just as a breeze of galbanum arrives, as though he were lying in a meadow looking up at the sky, there is a glimpse of gentle barrel notes and smokiness reminiscent of Chivas Regal. Intoxicating in more ways than one, without a doubt.
A Fragrance I Would Like Aki to Wear While Fighting Coolly
Chanel Egoiste Platinum
He does not give up even when outnumbered, or yield to a powerful opponent. To insist on his own will and achieve his purpose, he cannot lose. Sometimes he feels discouraged, but he lives so as not to lose those who matter to him. For this cool yet warmhearted Aki, I recommend Chanel’s Egoiste Platinum. It is a scent that heads into battle with dignity, without fearing the opponent, accepting even its own fate. Is its clear, aromatic, herbal fragrance a blessing celebrating a triumphant return, or a welcome from heaven after defeat?
My Image of Power
- My image of Power
Blood, childlike, a Fiend, loves meat, hates vegetables, long hair, foolish, energetic, a show-off, arrogant, emotions immediately show, horns, a beast, self-centered, the old-fashioned self-reference “washi,” cats - Scenes in which the perfume is worn
Ordinary daily life, fighting all-out - Indispensable elements and fragrance materials
・Ordinary daily life: mischievous, bright, energetic, self-centered
→Sunlike solar notes for a bright, mischievous image; synthetic musks and gourmand notes to add allure
・Fighting all-out: blood, a beast, confidence
→The animalic notes of a bloodthirsty beast; a confident, powerful scent
Fragrances I Would Like Power to Wear in Ordinary Daily Life
Guerlain Nettare di Sole
Power lifts the mood around her with her excessive confidence, behavior, and laughter. For Power, a sunlike presence to Denji and Aki, Guerlain’s Nettare di Sole, whose name means “nectar of the sun’s flowers,” is perfect. Wearing it makes her even more powerful. A collaboration of magnolia, jasmine, and honey brightens the mood and brings an involuntary smile. Then aldehydes and rose oxide add sparkle, as if Power, the Blood Fiend, had set off fireworks with her own blood, blowing unpleasant feelings away. Nettare di Sole is a fragrance whose brightness seems capable of saving all humanity.
Kilian Rolling in Love
Tonight, Power the Blood Fiend is after your heart. (This is just my imagination.) She dresses in pure white so that bright red blood can stain it beautifully, giving you a glimpse of smooth skin. Will you be bitten by the jagged teeth barely visible behind her smile? No, that would be fine; you want to bring your face closer right now. For this alluring Power, Kilian’s Rolling in Love is perfect. Ambrette seed, almond milk, freesia, and synthetic musks evoke a pure, entirely white image against which spattered blood is sure to stand out. The scent blends into the skin so well that it seems to come from the skin itself. Once you have unconsciously moved closer, your consciousness flies somewhere far away until you wake up.
A Fragrance I Would Like Power to Wear While Fighting All-Out
Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex
“I like blood. The taste, the smell, the feeling of death.” “Power is the most strongest of all!”
Power is overconfident, yet gets frightened in front of an overwhelmingly stronger opponent. But Power can become stronger! For an all-out, go-for-it Power, I would like Zoologist’s Tyrannosaurus Rex. Animalic civet, reminiscent of Meowy, seems to threaten, then a spice combination of black pepper, laurel, and nutmeg bares its fangs. Even when the opponent weakens, the momentum does not stop: rose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang make flowers of blood bloom. This is Power gone super.
“How’s that! What do you think of that!”
Himeno, the Senior Colleague
- My image of Himeno
A senior colleague, Devil Hunter, an older-sister figure, a little naughty, loves alcohol, a serial kisser when drunk, loves cigarettes, escapism, the Ghost Devil, a vomit kiss, a patch over the right eye, a painful past, wanting someone to cry when she dies, feelings for Aki - Scenes in which the perfume is worn
Ordinary daily life, especially at night, in battle - Indispensable elements and fragrance materials
・Ordinary daily life, especially at night: eroticism, alcohol, cigarettes, a mature older-sister figure, feelings for Aki
→An alcoholic or tobacco scent that pairs with Aki’s fragrance; seductive floral notes, such as ylang-ylang or jasmine, or vanilla, suggesting a slightly uninhibited attitude toward sex
・In battle: a ghost, a supporting role, fear of death and sadness
→A transparent scent suggesting unseen attacks; no scents that evoke living things, such as plants or food; a fragrance that calls death to mind
Fragrances I Would Like Himeno to Wear on an Ordinary Evening
Kilian Angels’ Share
After work, the place she usually takes everyone from Public Safety Division 4 is a cheap izakaya. But today is a date with Aki. At a bar tonight, she is going to show Aki a mature woman. Beside Aki, who orders a refreshing Chivas Regal, Himeno orders Hennessy VSOP. Its rich aroma, sweetness, and faint smokiness tickle the nose. Nervous at being alone together, she takes a sip, and her eyes soon grow dreamy. Ah, she cannot hold back her desire for Aki!
Himeno should wear Kilian’s Angels’ Share and have Aki just as she pleases. The sweetness of vanilla, tonka bean, and cinnamon, richer than VSOP, intoxicates the other person in an instant. Even as a man tries to hold on to reason, the smell of an aged oak barrel gently wraps around him: all men end up held in big-sister Himeno’s arms. Even composed Aki cannot escape this sweet trap tonight. The angels’ share, together with alcohol, gives a nudge to a love you have not quite dared to pursue.
“It’s nice to have something to depend on, isn’t it? I want to go through life with something to lean on.”
Kilian Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi
Today, she will really tell Aki how she feels. But what should she say…? Oh, just say it: “Want to do it?” Unable to confess her feelings directly, yet possessing a bawdy eroticism, Himeno suits Kilian’s Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi. The sensual fragrance of ylang-ylang and tuberose brings the male to her, intertwined with the Bulgarian rose of a woman in love. Animalic cedarwood and sandalwood suggest animals devouring each other until morning. Usually a tomboy in trousers, Himeno could make even devils her servants if she wore this fragrance with special-occasion lingerie and a tight, pitch-black dress.
“There, there, let’s take the bottoms off too.”
A Fragrance I Would Like Himeno to Wear in Battle
Kilian Black Phantom, memento mori
“I’ll give you all of me…”
“When… I die… I want you to cry…”
She does not lose love even in the face of death. Giving everything, she continues to lend strength to the person she loves even after dying. For this Himeno, Kilian’s Black Phantom. You never know when death will come. Even if you have always thrown yourself into battle with death at your back, it arrives suddenly. A bitter coffee scent suggesting pain drifts alongside sweet vanilla that seems to whisper, “I’ll make it easier.” Deep inside, an almond smell like potassium cyanide quietly flickers, holding life and death in its hands. Wearing this, Himeno is a goddess who helps her companions without even shrinking from her own death. No, a reaper. Now, stay away from my companions.
With its hint of loneliness, this fragrance is also a requiem for Himeno, who shed tears and offered everything to a devil.
Kobeni Higashiyama
- My image of Kobeni
A newcomer, Devil Hunter, a little-sister figure, timid, lacking confidence, nervous, tearful, surprisingly strong, good at close combat, athletic, her contracted devil is unknown, capable of stealth, demure - Scenes in which the perfume is worn
Ordinary daily life, in battle - Indispensable elements and fragrance materials
・Ordinary daily life: a bright scent that makes up for a lack of confidence, a gentle and warm scent that seems protective, the air of a 20-year-old young woman, a demure atmosphere
→Hay, the smell of dried grass, evoking sunshine; a little vanilla or a little powderiness for gentleness and warmth; a fruity scent that is youthful yet demure; perhaps even a floral scent with an image completely opposite to demureness
・In battle: a light scent without a strong presence, a punchy scent suggesting close combat, the mystery of not knowing her strength
→A perfume evoking transparent things such as water or wind; a spicy scent like a high kick; an abstract scent whose materials are hard to identify
Fragrances I Would Like Kobeni to Wear in Ordinary Daily Life
Frederic Malle L’eau D’Hiver
It is sunny today. A day off work, so perhaps a little shopping? But the crowds are unpleasant… And it would be awful if a strange devil appeared. Still, staying home like this is unpleasant too… For negative, unconfident Kobeni, Frédéric Malle’s L’Eau d’Hiver. As though spring had arrived and snow were melting into water, once Kobeni wore this, a smile would come naturally and her heart would be freed from anxiety. A brighter mood makes her feel lighter. The gentle, dried-grass scent of hay, reminiscent of sunshine, wraps around her, then the softly maternal, powdery scent of vanilla and iris protects her from the gaze of others. At the same time, this is a pure scent that can subdue approaching hostility.
Maison Christian Dior Belle de Jour
This is another possible world for Kobeni. Her parents confronted her with a choice: become a Devil Hunter or a sex worker. Yes, this is the world in which Kobeni became a sex worker.
Still lacking confidence, Kobeni puts on unfamiliar makeup and sprays on perfume as if to hide herself, praying she will not get an unpleasant customer. She wears plain clothes to avoid older men as much as possible, but the contrast with her cute face is all the more enticing. She secretly works only during the day to avoid running into friends.
Once she undresses, her provocative appearance holds the gaze. Truly a flower that blooms only in daytime: belle de jour. The insect-attracting sweetness of ripe pear and milky peach reminiscent of a young woman’s skin meet a somewhat aspirational, grown-up rose on Kobeni’s skin, and every man is won over. Without realizing it, Kobeni rises to become the No. 1 sex worker while working only in daytime.
A Fragrance I Would Like Kobeni to Wear in Battle
Serge Lutens L’orpheline
“Fragile, yet complete. Its name hints at a break, but before the crack appears, its first two syllables call to mind Orpheus, the poet who could enchant even stone.”
Her stealth, her speed, her instinctive movements are as elusive and invisible as smoke. Just like the epithet given to this perfume, “maiden of ash.” Behind her lie an ineradicable past, companions who died, and enemies she killed. As though closing the lid on a past she does not want to see, they become the ashes of a maiden’s memories.
Elusive musk and smoke-like incense merge, concealing Kobeni so that no murderous intent is apparent. From time to time, an animalic, spicy high kick erupts, and there is a knife at the throat. Wearing this, Kobeni is untroubled by anxiety or enemies.
Finally
With character-inspired fragrances like these, the names matter too, so finding them can be surprisingly difficult. Still, Kilian and Serge Lutens, with their full-on adolescent dark-fantasy sensibility, might be good matches for Jump-style manga. Does a brand’s world offer fragrances for enjoying reality? Or does it offer fragrances that take you into a world where you forget reality? That could be an interesting question to consider.
