Japanese studio MAPPA finally released Chainsaw Man‘s most anticipated adaptation since its 2022 season. Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc took fans by storm—it became the top grosser at the US box office for its Halloween opening weekend and now holds the record for the sixth-largest opening weekend for an anime. Released in the US by Sony Pictures, the buzz and box office for this film are justified, as MAPPA’s animation for this film is a major step up compared to its 2022 series, with vibrant colors and a warmer tone.
On December 3, 2018, the Chainsaw Man manga was first serialized. The manga wasn’t frequently talked about among the worldwide public despite gaining a solid following in Japan. However, in 2022 the first season of the anime adaptation was broadcast on Crunchyroll, and the series quickly gained a loyal following in America.
Chainsaw Man is about Denji, a poor orphan who has to pay off his dad’s debt by killing devils. This leads to Denji being nearly killed by a devil until Pochita, his chainsaw pet, merges with him to save his life. Thus, Denji became Chainsaw Man. After taking revenge on the devil who killed him, he and Pochita brought their newfound chainsaw abilities to the Public Safety Division leader Makima. Denji is put on a special devil hunting squad with two similarly superpowered hunters: the stoic Aki and impulsive Power.
Reze Arc changes this dynamic radically. While Denji, Aki, and Power all still live together as roommates, Makima gives Denji a new devil hunting partner to replace a recovering Power: Beam, a private shark devil who is a huge fan of Chainsaw Man. Meanwhile, Denji meets a girl named Reze who quickly steals his heart, which causes Denji to question his relationship with Makima.
Reze is the breakout character of the film, as she provides an emotional connection to Denji that neither Makima nor Power provides to him. Reze also changes Denji’s perspective of dating and causes strain between his thoughts of Makima and himself. This, in turn, allows Denji to gain a little mental independence away from Makima so he can consider life options. Reina Ueda, the voice actor for Reze in Japanese, has an amazing vocal performance with her bubbly and almost giggly delivery, as well as her voice very much matching the youthful demeanor of Reze.
The main cast’s performance still remains with their iconic interactions, with Power’s chaoticness and childishness matching Denji’s while Aki continues to be collected and the straight man in all of the group’s antics. The movie also highlights the more emotional and deep sides of Aki as he tries to keep Denji in check.
Additionally, every character benefits greatly from the upgrade in animation quality. The details on the characters are a lot more noticeable due to the new stylized art. Character emotions are better expressed than in the previous film, and the slight shift in color palette makes characters stand out better from the backgrounds. Best of all for fans, the new art style looks more like the manga than the first film.
There’s also the scene where Denji and Makima go to the movies, and they are bored out of their minds until the last movie. This symbolizes how Reze is a big explosion of love for Denji while Makima is more slow and controlling. The diversity of emotions represented through intense visualizations is impeccable throughout every scene.
The soundtrack also adds to this idea of gaining freedom with its open and romantic piano backing its deeper and more loving moments between Reze and Denji. When Reze first opens up to Denji by teaching him how to swim, the backtrack plays a gorgeous and gentle piano scene. With its slow visuals and soft music, the scenes with Reze and Denji feel passionate.
This doesn’t mean the film is all romance and sweetness. Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc holds up to the gore and violence the series is known for. There are several scenes with artfully rendered severed limbs, blood sprays, and eviscerated monsters. The action is fluid and engages every sense with their intense colors, jarring sound effects, and enchanting fight choreography. Just look at the poster: a chainsaw-wielding man with a chainsaw for a head riding a demonic shark into battle promises nothing but a good time for fans of animated fight scenes.
The true beauty of the film is that it was clearly created by fans of the original manga. For example, Reze’s design in the movie is very faithful to her design in the manga and is shown in a very nonthreatening but unsettling way. Fans are pleased when peering at the side-by-sides because, in a time when so many anime adaptations shortchange the animation or take major liberties with the manga’s story, these images show the true dedication of the designers to the initial designs.
This movie is essential for Chainsaw Man fans or shonen in general. The fight scenes are well animated and extremely detailed compared to the manga, which can often come off as incoherent and confusing during its high-paced fights and complex power system. The Reze movie revolutionizes fights in shonen anime and leaves high expectations for Season 2 of the series.
