Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is out now in theaters, and the film is making an absolute killing at the box office. Excluding the Demon Slayer franchise, the movie scored the biggest opening weekend for an anime feature since Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. But why should moviegoers watch this unconventional, idiosyncratic anime movie, especially if they don’t love anime? Here’s why the new Chainsaw Man movie has a fairly reasonable barrier to entry for anime novices and why it’s worth a look.
‘Chainsaw Man’ Features a Smaller Barrier of Entry Compared to Other Anime Features
Moviegoers might find it difficult watching other anime features connected to popular franchises that continue an established, long-running storyline. An anime movie for One Piece or Dragon Ball might be harder to follow if the viewers have not watched the previous seasons or dozens of hours of content. The good news is that Chainsaw Man received its first movie fairly early into its run, after only one season and twelve episodes, so the viewing barrier for Reze Arc is considerably lower than some recent theatrical anime movie releases from Crunchyroll and Sony.
For example, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle picks up where the anime series leaves off with its fourth season. Infinity Castle basically requires watching sixty-three episodes of the anime television series to get a better grasp of the plot and to understand what’s happening with the multitude of characters and their various subplots. Chainsaw Man’s first season only consists of twelve episodes, so it’s a comparatively lighter watch to get up to speed with the main story’s current events. Additionally, the series is an absolute breeze to binge, and it can be completed quickly in just a few hours.
‘Chainsaw Man’ Is the Anime for People Who Don’t Like Anime
Chainsaw Man is also the perfect franchise for new anime viewers who may not like anime. Tatsuki Fujimoto’s original manga storyline features a very dry, downbeat, and quirky storyline that differs greatly from the typical anime show or serialized manga series published byShōnen Jump. The anime series and new movie, produced by Studio MAPPA, faithfully adapt the memorable tone of Fujimoto’s manga, with a style that strongly resembles a mix of indie cinema with a dash of horror.
As a result, Chainsaw Man marches to the beat of its own drum, avoiding the usual cliché beats and tropes that are often found in fighting anime or action-adventure anime with a supernatural angle. Chainsaw Man raises its level of intrigue because the plot does not follow a traditional path, often rendering it hard to predict what wild direction Fujimoto’s story will take next. Fujimoto enjoys subverting the standard tropes of the genre, so the good guys do not always triumph over evil through the power of friendship. Moreover, when the action ramps up, Chainsaw Man becomes shockingly edgy and unhinged. However, the story’s edgier content feels tongue-in-cheek, where Fujimoto narrowly walks a thin line of parody and seriousness. One can clearly sense the satirical self-awareness permeating throughout Chainsaw Man, which is appealing and refreshing.
‘Chainsaw Man’ Boasts an Authentic and Grounded Style
Another interesting aspect of Chainsaw Man is how authentically grounded and realistic the world and characters are depicted. True, the alternative world of Chainsaw Man is a strange one, as devils are real, embodying abstract concepts and ideas, and they possess chaotic supernatural powers. However, Chainsaw Man is also set in contemporary, modern-day Tokyo, and the main characters exude a realistic vibe. The story follows an unconventional hero and protagonist, Denji (Kikunosuke Toya/Ryan Colt Levy), who does not fit the traditional mold of an anime hero. Denji and his Public Service colleague, Aki Hayakawa (Shogo Sakata/Reagan Murdock), the story’s secondary protagonist, are often motivated by their base, selfish desires rather than more altruistic motives.
Most of the characters are not compelled by selfless, noble, and heroic ideals such as saving the world, protecting the innocent, and helping people; although sometimes, saving innocent civilians is a byproduct of Denji and Aki’s work. Denji is primarily motivated by his infatuation with his boss, Makima (Tomori Kusunoki/Suzie Yeung), and Aki hunts devils so he can eventually find and get revenge on the Gun Devil for killing his family. The “good guys” of Chainsaw Man are more like blue-collar workers, resembling people one might encounter in their everyday lives, whose job just happens to be hunting ravenous devils. The central characters are heavily flawed, featuring a genuine rawness not usually found in lead characters of Japanese anime or manga. It makes characters such as Denji, Aki, and Kobeni Higashiyama (Karin Takahashi/Bryn Apprill) far more relatable and interesting.
Ultimately, much like its anime series, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc maintains the style that makes the franchise so unique and refreshingly different from its contemporaries. Studio MAPPA put the theatrical format to good use, creating a stunning, blood-soaked, violently maniacal, twisted, yet weirdly poignant, love story between Denji and Reze. Viewers who are on the fence will want to give this movie a look as their gateway into the wonderful world of anime.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is now playing in theaters.
- Release Date
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September 19, 2025
- Director
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Tatsuya Yoshihara
- Writers
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Hiroshi Seko
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Kikunosuke Toya
Denji (voice)
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