I’m Biased, But ‘Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc’ Is One Of The Best Animated Films Of The Century

I’ll lay my cards on the table right now – I am a huge fan of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga series Chainsaw Man. I say that so you understand that when I say Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is one of the coolest, craziest and best animated films I’ve seen this decade, I do so with substantially more bias than usual… though I still think this is a sensational film with plenty to enjoy for both more casual fans and first-time watchers alike.

Anime movies created as part of a pre-existing series have become more and more common lately, the most notable this year being Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. But where that film relies on several previous seasons and films worth of story to be fully enjoyed, the Chainsaw Man movie is able to flawlessly adapt one of its manga’s best arcs into a self-contained hour and 40 minutes.

For those unfamiliar, Chainsaw Man takes place in an alternate version of the 90s and follows Denji (Kikunosoke Toya), a previously debt-ridden teenager who can transform into Chainsaw Man. Following the events of the show’s first season, Denji is continuing to crush on his superior Makima (Tomoro Kusunoki) and become friends with his roommates Aki (Shogo Sakata) and Power (Ai Fairouz).

That is, until Denji has the perfect meet-cute with a new girl, Reze (Reina Ueda). The two instantly hit off, and Denji struggles with balancing his feelings between the distant, suspicious Makima and the bubbly, charismatic Reze. But as her secrets come to light, Denji is soon thrust into one of his craziest, bloodiest battles yet.

Reze Arc balances love and violence spectacularly

In balancing its duelling tales of young love and extravagant violence, the Reze Arc is a phenomenal adaptation of the source material. Inspired most heavily by his love of movies, Chainsaw Man author and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto is an honest-to-god master of the craft with his strong understanding of pacing for both his action- and character-driven writing.

Director Tatsuya Yoshihara and the rest of MAPPA (the animation house behind other hits like Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen) has undertaken the herculean effort of adapting Fujimoto’s work to the screen, and it pays off big time. The Reze Arc captures all the sincerity and savagery of the original material.

That’s what makes Chainsaw Man’s debut on the big screen feel so special – both of its aspects are equally compelling. The budding romance between Denji and Reze is told beautifully, and animated with the same level of care as the bombastic action scenes that follow.

The movie is anchored by particularly strong voice work by Kikunosoke Toya as Denji and Reina Ueda as Reze, and their love story peaks with a particularly beautiful scene where the two swim in a pool. The music, art and story all culminate in such a breathtaking way, and perfectly captures the heartbreak of Denji’s character – a kid who never got a chance to grow up with friends, and is only now discovering what it is to be alive for the first time.

Chainsaw Man‘s world is a crazy one, where devils prowl the streets and people regularly die either as victims or hunting them. But what makes this such a special series is that it grapples with its premise and narrative without any irony, meaning it can find emotional depth amidst the chaos through Denji’s discovery of the world.

A truly phenomenal anime film

Once the chaos does begin to reign in the Reze Arc, the movie is utterly astounding. Much of the action animation on display here is so ridiculously impressive that I was regularly picking my jaw up off the floor, especially because of how clear it is to discern what’s occurring. Paired with Kensuke Ushio’s pulsating soundtrack, the action is utterly exhilarating.

Yet even as Denji rides atop Beam the Shark Devil into the beating winds conjured by the Typhoon Devil in a truly ludicrous display of action anime, there is that undercurrent of emotion set up by the first part of the film that makes it all the more impactful. By my estimations, it is a practically flawless adaptation of an already incredible manga. As a great admirer of the original work, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Mixing catastrophic, incredible animated violence with heartfelt romance, the Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc is nothing short of phenomenal. If you’re a fan (like me), you’ve probably already seen it and basked in its glory. But even if you haven’t, I implore you to give this a shot – with any luck, you might just feel as revved up as I did leaving the movie theatre.

★★★★★

Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc is in cinemas now.