This is one of the few lighthearted scenes in the manga.
A one-shot Manga about a Serial Killer who's painfully aware of what he is... And how Love Redeems.
George Zanuff is a mild-mannered old owner of a food shop in the local neighborhood... But he is actually a Serial Killer with a penchant for cutting apart beautiful girls.
The twist however, is that Zanuff is painfully aware that he is a monster, but every day he feels his own bloodlust urging him to rip apart his female customers. Rejected by his own family, every day he struggles hard to curb his murderous impulse and make an honest living.
But that will change when he met a lost little girl named Alice. They become friends, and he begins to see a bit of hope in his life... but he cannot stop imagining himself killing her, despite how much he does not want to.
Warning: due to the short length, spoilers are unmarked.
Zanuff the Butcher provides examples of the following tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Alice's mother, as evidenced by the scars she left on her and Alice's admission that her mother regularly tells her she should have never been born. The entire reason Alice ran away was to get away from her. Near the end, she comes back to get her and is shown beating her again, which was why Zanuff ripped her apart to protect Alice and to satisfy his own murderous intent.
- Arc Words: "You should've never been born." Both Zanuff and Alice's mothers say this to them. Inverted by the end, "Thank you for being born!"
- Asshole Victim: Alice's abusive mother becomes the final victim of Zanuff, who ripped her apart to protect Alice and satisfy his own murderous intent.
- Bittersweet Ending: Zanuff, after killing Alice's mother, turns himself in and is sentenced to death, separating him from Alice forever, but he's made peace with himself after ensuring Alice's future. Alice herself was thankful for Zanuff's care in return, and knowing that she's grown up well allowed Zanuff to have no more regrets.
- The Butcher: The titular Zanuff is both a literal butcher and a killer who dismembers his victims. After he turns himself in, he is actually dubbed 'The Butcher'.
- Fan Disservice: Alice's reasonably attractive mother is fully naked near the end... as she is Strapped to an Operating Table and dismembered by Zanuff.
- Face Death with Dignity: Zanuff turned himself in after ripping apart Alice's abusive mother, and sentenced to death. Ten years later, Alice, now grown-up, visited him in prison. Zanuff was glad that Alice grew up well, and she was thankful that Zanuff gave her parental love and protection she never had. With no more regrets, he calmly accepts his execution, requesting burger steak as his last meal.
- Gentle Giant: Zanuff is a very large man who is very nice, which makes his inner turmoil all the more heart-wrenching.
- Love Redeems: In the end, Zanuff's love for Alice allowed her to grow up well without parental abuse, and her love towards Zanuff allowed him to make peace with himself before facing his own fate.
- Papa Wolf: Zanuff towards Alice; though not his actual daughter, he does feel protective of her. Also inverted, as he feels the urge to rip her apart, and has to curb it down every day.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: When Alice's mother starts beating her near the end of the story, she tells her daughter exactly what she thinks of her for running away:YOU! STUPID! LITTLE! BITCH!
- Reluctant Psycho: Zanuff, the titular Serial Killer, is painfully aware that he's a monster but is unable to stop his murderous impulse from surging forth. The best he can do is to struggle and curb it on a daily basis. The main conflict of the story is his bonding with a little girl, Alice, while desperately trying to fight off his urge to make her his next victim.
- Serial Killer: The titular Zanuff, who killed a girl when he was 15 and has had more unidentified victims.
- Teens Are Monsters: Zanuff had his first victim at the age of 15, which had him imprisoned for 20 years.
- Terrible Artist: Zanuff's first attempt to draw was awful, but subverted later since he's had 10 years to practice while waiting for his death sentence.
- Troubled Abuser: Alice's mother beats her daughter and yells at her, but just before her death scene, we see two flashback images of her holding baby Alice in joy and saying sorry after having just beaten Alice, while she apologizes to Alice in her thoughts:Alice... I love you. Sorry I'm such an awful mama. Please come home. I won't hit you anymore. Don't leave me alone...
- Villain Protagonist: Zanuff is a downplayed example, as he is a Serial Killer who targets and dismembers women, but is a Reluctant Psycho who spends the story trying to resist his dark urges and take care of the runaway Alice.
