🔗 Share this article

Two teenagers share a private, tender instant at the local secondary school’s open-air pool after hours. While they drift together, hanging beneath the night sky in the stillness of the evening, the sequence captures the ephemeral, heady excitement of teenage love, completely engrossed in the moment, ramifications forgotten.

Approximately 30 minutes into Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, it became clear such moments are the core of the film. The love story became the focus, and all the background details and character histories I had gleaned from the series’ initial episodes proved to be largely irrelevant. Despite being a canonical installment within the series, Reze Arc provides a more accessible entry point for newcomers — regardless of they haven’t seen its single episode. This method has its benefits, but it also hinders some of the urgency of the film’s narrative.

Created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Chainsaw Man chronicles Denji, a debt-ridden Devil Hunter in a world where Devils embody specific evils (ranging from concepts like getting older and Darkness to specific horrors like insects or World War II). When he’s deceived and killed by the yakuza, he forms a contract with his faithful devil-dog, Pochita, and returns from the deceased as a part-human chainsaw wielder with the ability to permanently erase Devils and the horrors they signify from reality.

Thrust into a violent conflict between devils and hunters, the hero encounters a new character — a alluring coffee server concealing a deadly secret — igniting a heartbreaking confrontation between the pair where affection and existence intersect. The movie continues right after the first season, delving into Denji’s relationship with Reze as he wrestles with his feelings for her and his devotion to his controlling superior, Makima, compelling him to decide among desire, faithfulness, and survival.

An Independent Love Story Within a Broader Universe

Reze Arc is inherently a lovers-to-enemies plot, with our fallible main character Denji becoming enamored with his counterpart right away upon meeting. He’s a lonely young man seeking love, which makes his heart vulnerable and up for grabs on a first-come, first-served. Consequently, despite all of Chainsaw Man’s complex lore and its extensive ensemble, Reze Arc is very self-contained. Director Tatsuya Yoshihara recognizes this and ensures the romantic arc is at the forefront, rather than weighing it down with filler recaps for the uninitiated, especially when such details is crucial to the complete plot.

Regardless of the protagonist’s imperfections, it’s hard not to sympathize with him. He is still a teenager, stumbling his way through a reality that’s distorted his understanding of right and wrong. His intense craving for love portrays him like a lovesick puppy, although he’s likely to barking, biting, and causing chaos along the way. Reze is a perfect pairing for him, an compelling seductive antagonist who finds her prey in our protagonist. You want to see the main character win the ire of his love interest, despite she is obviously hiding a secret from him. Thus when her real identity is revealed, audiences can’t help but wish they’ll somehow succeed, even though deep down, it is known a positive outcome is not truly in the cards. Therefore, the stakes fail to seem as high as they should be since their relationship is fated. It doesn’t help that the movie acts as a immediate follow-up to the first season, allowing little room for a romance like this amid the darker events that followers know are approaching.

Breathtaking Visuals and Artistic Execution

This movie’s graphics effortlessly combine 2D animation with computer-generated settings, providing impressive eye candy even before the action begins. From vehicles to tiny desk fans, 3D models add depth and detail to every scene, making the animated figures stand out beautifully. In contrast to Demon Slayer, which often showcases its digital elements and changing settings, Reze Arc employs them less frequently, most noticeably during its explosive finale, where those models, though not unappealing, become easier to identify. These fluid, dynamic backgrounds make the movie’s battles both spectacular to watch and surprisingly easy to follow. Nonetheless, the method shines brightest when it’s unnoticeable, enhancing the dynamic range and movement of the 2D animation.

Final Impressions and Wider Considerations

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc functions as a good point of entry, likely resulting in new fans satisfied, but it additionally carries a downside. Telling a standalone story limits the tension of what should feel like a sprawling anime epic. It’s an illustration of why continuing a popular television series with a film isn’t the optimal strategy if it undermines the series’ general storytelling potential.

Whereas Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle found success by tying up several seasons of anime television with an epic movie, and JuJutsu Kaisen 0 avoided the problem completely by serving as a prequel to its popular show, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc advances boldly, perhaps a bit recklessly. But this does not prevent the movie from proving to be a great time, a terrific introduction, and a unforgettable love story.