Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)
But what about Denji’s heart?
Presentation:
It’s here! The sequel to one of the greatest 1st seasons in anime. If you are unfamiliar with the Chainsaw Man franchise, it is known for its contemporary blend of perversion, humor, gore, suspense and mystery. I would even go as far as to say it is one of the most cinematic animes in the sense that the creator Tatsuya Yoshihara isn’t your typical manga artist. The way he pilots the directions of his stories is often bittersweet and unexpected with innovations to story structure. It took 3 years to make this movie and though it looks good, I can’t help but feel they could have done more visually. This is probably a result of saturation creep from Dandadan, whose creator is also mentored by Yoshihara. So If you’ve watched Dandadan, this may feel less zany in presentation. Instead, Chainsaw Man focuses on a dark romance and plot focused action. The action is vibrant with lots of satisfying explosions. Reze looks very sexy and Denji is our beloved moron as always. Power is replaced by Beam, whom I found to be lovable though a little boring. Visually, the image fidelity is somewhere in between Makoto Shinkai and hand drawn style. It looks crisp while also having that organically drawn look inspired by ultra wide photographic angles. Small nods to cinema like incorporating lighting and contrast ratios on a drawn face. The pacing is a bit inconsistent in this film, probably because they condensed 20 episodes into 2 hours. It’s also really funny.
Story:
I just wanted to appreciate how great of a storyteller Yoshihara is in implementing bittersweet climaxes. Denji really waited for Reze, but was just intercepted by Makima. This futility is similar to how Himeno’s ghost sacrifice for Aki was pointless. I think it’s a very powerful storytelling device and how it’s done here is nearly as poetic.
Conclusion:
There are two things holding this back from greatness. The beginning romance drags a little bit in comparison to the explosive speed of the action, whose contrast is overwhelming. This is necessary for the payoff during denouement however. Another mild disappointment is that there didn’t seem to be a considerable progression in the main story but I haven’t read the manga so I don’t know if there are so key scenes that will be relevant to the future. This isolated arc allows it be viewed standalone for those that haven’t watched the first season, though I implore you to watch that first as it’s just a couple of hours. I’m really just critiquing for the sake of critiquing. I enjoyed every minute of this cinematic experience and wanted more. Mappa Studios will likely continue the franchise as a TV series or film format depending on how suitable it is for that specific arc. There are still like at least 8 arcs so buckle up and get comfortable for a worthwhile wait.
Recommendations
Stepping stone for Studio Ghibli’s greatness.