Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc

Feature films are becoming an increasingly popular means for anime series to tell essential chapters of their story. While big-screen spin-offs of franchises like One Piece have typically been self-contained stories with no bearing on the main plot, films such as Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle have necessitated a trip to the cinema to see what happens next in your favourite series. While this has its drawbacks – namely, waiting patiently for a local release and avoiding spoilers like the plague – in some cases, it’s become the ideal way to adapt particular story arcs of beloved manga. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is the best example of this yet.

The Chainsaw Man movie picks up where the acclaimed TV series left off, and covers roughly a volume and a half of the original manga. At this point in the story, teenage devil-hunter Denji (Kikunosuke Toya) still has his chainsaw-powered heart set on his boss Makima (Tomori Kusunoki), who promises him all his worldly desires in exchange for killing powerful monsters cropping up around Tokyo. This arc, however, sees a shift in Denji’s priorities as he meets a girl named Reze (Reina Ueda) and gets a taste of a normal, healthy relationship away from carving up devils.

Director Tatsuya Yoshihara’s approach to adapting this storyline epitomises Chainsaw Man’s balance between the mundane and the surreal, as we watch a meet-cute narrative transform into a super-powered bloodbath. Despite all its rip-roaring action in the second half, the film is at its strongest when depicting everyday life – the familiar warmth of a cafe, a trip to the cinema, or the glow of a rooftop swimming pool at night. The environments all feel incredibly vivid, and close detail is paid to the way that the characters are animated when they inhabit and move through these spaces. The immersion is furthered by a meticulous RealD 3D version of the film which has received a number of screenings across the UK.

Of course, the Reze Arc eventually and suddenly switches gears to the violent action flick you’d expect from the poster and trailers, and boasts animation that puts even the aforementioned Demon Slayer to shame. While this part of the film isn’t quite as unique or compelling as its quieter moments, each explosion and rev of a chainsaw carries with it the emotions that were built up over the course of the first half, and results in a gut-wrenching conclusion.

We watched the film in the original Japanese, which features the distinct, lively voice-acting that fans of the TV series will know and love, and there are plenty of memorable lines to be found across the film’s numerous hair-raising, hilarious and heart-rending scenes. Additionally, the characters’ unspoken emotions are perfectly conveyed via the film’s excellent soundtrack by returning series composer Kensuke Ushio, plus a couple of original songs by J-pop superstars Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada.

While there’s no shortage of slick anime action hitting the big screen these days, Chainsaw Man – The Movie has a level of detail and heart that puts it well above its peers. A continuation of Denji’s story has been a long time coming, and it’s hard to find fault in any aspect of this adaptation.