Following its debut in Japan, “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” hit theaters worldwide starting on Friday, Oct. 25. Aside from continuing the long-standing anime tradition of having an unnecessarily long title, the film serves as a direct continuation of hit “Chainsaw Man” anime, adapting the fifth and sixth volumes of the series’ manga source material. Currently sitting with a crisp 96% Tomatometer score and 99% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has clearly struck a chord with critics and casual audiences alike. But why has the film had such a positive reaction, and is it worth seeing for someone who’s never heard of “Chainsaw Man” before now?
Written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the original Chainsaw Man manga began publishing in 2018 in the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. The series follows a homeless teenager named Denji as he navigates life in a world terrorized by supernatural beings known as Devils, each of which gains its power from a human fear. After discovering and befriending the injured Chainsaw Devil, Denji begins working as an amateur devil hunter, tracking devils and exterminating them for money. However, after a tragedy, the Chainsaw Devil sacrifices itself to save Denji, bonding itself to him and creating the human-Devil hybrid, Chainsaw Man.
As you might be able to tell, Chainsaw Man is a bizarre narrative. Like much of Fujimoto’s other work, it’s a series that’s built around being entirely unpredictable. In fact, that short introduction written above only applies to the first chapter of the manga. Its narrative is constantly shifting, with new plot points, antagonists and world-altering events being introduced on nearly every other page.
However, “Chainsaw Man” is a series that feels very deliberate in its chaos. Reading it feels a lot like riding a roller coaster. There are constant dips and turns, but each was placed there deliberately to enhance the narrative and push the ideas Fujimoto wants his readers to understand.
Outside of his ability to write a well-structured narrative, Fujimoto excels best at crafting memorable characters, despite their often-short panel time. There’s a reason why a character like Poochita, the Chainsaw Devil that Denji adopts, is now being sold on popcorn buckets despite only existing for the first chapter of the manga.
Taking all these things into consideration, it’s no-wonder that the 2022 anime adaptation by studio MAPPA achieved almost immediate critical and commercial success in Japan and globally. However, this initial Chainsaw-mania quickly died down soon after season one concluded airing, with the adaptation’s continuation only now coming out three years later. So now, with “Chainsaw Man” hype revving up once again, how’s the movie itself?
For starters, the film itself looks fantastic. Featuring almost entirely hand-drawn animation, it’s clear that MAPPA has gone to great lengths to bring justice to the original manga illustrations by Fujimoto. Compared to season one, the film does a substantially better job at recreating Fujimoto’s art, almost exactly capturing the intense facial expressions and action his panels are known for. Moreover, the general art style of the film screws much closer to Fujimoto’s distinct stretchy, energetic renderings compared to the animation of season one of the anime.
Additionally, narratively, “Chainsaw Man – The Movie” is just as tight. Fujimoto is known in the manga industry for being a huge film buff, often working in movie references into his artwork and stories. However, his stories tend to utilize narrative structures found in film, and his art itself often mimics cinematic shots and sweeping camera movements. As a result, the Reze Arc of the manga translates extremely well to film, as it was effectively always written in one’s format. This stands out compared to other anime films like “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village,” which comparatively works much worse as a film as it’s composed of normal television episodes compiled together to fit a film’s runtime.
Overall, “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is a spectacular follow up to the “Chainsaw Man” anime and a must see for fans of the series. But is it worth seeing for someone that’s never heard of “Chainsaw Man” before now? That’s a tougher question. The film itself continues the plot of season one, so it’d be best to start with the anime if you’re interested in the film. However, it’s a wild series, and unless you can stomach some visceral violence and chaotic storytelling, it’s probably not for you. But if it sounds like it’s up your alley, take a look. You might just get swept up in Chainsaw-mania too.