By Dominic DeGrinney, Staff Writer
This October, Studio Mappa released “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” in theaters, a continuation of the ongoing animated adaptation of the unhinged comic series of the same name by creator Tatsuki Fujumoto. It renders some of the tightest writing in the series through referential cinematography, maintaining the unique blend of avant-garde and exploitation cinema that inspired the series.
The original run of the “Chainsaw Man” anime was back in 2022, which drew backlash from fans in Japan for its grounded style and focus on experimental cinematography. It also suffered from pacing issues, which were more of a symptom of the story it was adapted from. Fujimoto’s writing often glosses over important details quickly; animation tends to fail to illustrate these details in a time-effective manner.
Where the original animation had to cover a lot of territory in defining the characters and story, the movie characters begin as fully defined individuals. This is not to say that the characters would be indecipherable to first-time viewers. Despite their emotional complexity, many of the characters are intentionally one-note.
For instance, the main character Denji is primarily characterized by his young age and impoverished childhood. His life as Chainsaw Man provides him a stability to pursue the dreams he believed were out of reach.
Having achieved his first dream of kissing a girl, he now seeks to go on a date with someone that happens to be his boss, Makima, the clearly manipulative leader of the Public Safety Division where Denji works to hunt demons. Makima seeks to use Denji for her own means and indulges in his fantasies by taking him out on a date.
Makima brings Denji with her to a cinema where they marathon movies for the day, choosing a date plan which ironically limits their interaction. This does not cross Denji’s mind as his capacity to understand the manipulations of others is limited due to his challenged upbringing.
“Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc,” a continuation of the long-running animated series of the same name, was released by Studio Mappa on Oct. 24.
At the same time, Denji’s caretaker Aki struggles to get along with the angel demon that he is assigned to overlook. Their relationship is the second most important in the movie, defining the difference between the “country” and “city” mouse.
Coincidentally, Denji meets the titular Reze the following day, a girl who seemingly falls for him immediately. There is astounding music for a genuinely moving scene where Reze teaches Denji how to read and swim. The genuine happiness is interrupted as Reze is attacked away from Denji, and the facade snaps. In a scene reminiscent of “No Country For Old Men,” Reze strangles her attacker with precision.
From that point on, the Fujimoto pacing begins. Reze reveals her ulterior motives as the Bomb Devil while kissing under a fireworks show and biting off his tongue. The second half of the film transforms from horror-inspired romcom to exploitative, darkly comedic action-horror. Reze’s pursuit leads Denji to his ill-fated friends at Public Safety, who desperately attempt to combat Reze’s onslaught.
This is where the movie does its best at capturing what Fujimoto intended with his comics, as I remember being confused with some panels when I read it for the first time. The action flows smoothly and each character’s contribution to the battle is shown perfectly, particularly the fan favorite shark demon, Beam, who tanks several shots from Reze for Denji.
The twist-ending provides a concise and tragic reference to the angel demon’s “country” mouse and “city” mouse parable which reflects back upon Denji and Reze’s short-lived relationship. Luckily, the post-credit scene lightens the mood with the return of a fan favorite character.
The movie is an absolute must-watch for anyone interested in animation or cinematography. The animation is a departure from the show’s art style in favor of the comics, and the experimental cinematography is turned down. Though the original Fujimoto flare is still there, as seen in the unrestrained use of strange dialogue, there is also gratuitous gore and slapstick humor that is reminiscent of an age of movie-making less bound by regulation.