Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze-hen

In short if you like and read the chainsaw man manga you will love this movie. Although it can be very strange at times. I highly recommend to watch it in a theater as well.

The story / characters:
This did not feel like a typical Shounen story, there’s a clear emphasis on character relations where the action takes the backseat for some of the movie. The writers didn’t just shove in character flashbacks on the contrary it almost seemed like characters were popping into existence. Most of the characters don’t have any backstory, giving them a sense of mystery and telling the viewer only what ... they need to know. The movie really does justice to some of the characters that were skimmed over in the manga making them seem almost real. The story isn’t as simple as fighting demons there is much more going on.

The Art:
It’s MAPPA so of course it’s amazing but I really think this was on another level and I am especially glad the drew out Denji in his chainsaw form. When watching the first season it seemed that most of the time he was a 3D model and it would be fine except that he wouldn’t fit in with the rest of the scene. The action scenes were much crazier, I’m not even sure how they come up with some of the stuff they did.

The Sound:
Honestly watching it in the theater may have helped but the movie had an amazing soundtrack. I can not put into words, but it’s like no movie I’ve seen before.

When I read this arc in the manga I thought it was one of the weaker parts (possible unpopular opinion) but after watching this I want to go back and read it again it was just so good. The opening is a banger as well.

Writing this review to compile my thoughts on why I felt surprisingly disappointed after leaving the theatre. I had left the cinema feeling very underwhelmed and surprisingly so - as I was expecting to at the very least, enjoy the action scenes.

The first half is basically Denji and Reze going on multiple dates which is fine to establish the relationship - unfortunately there was never really any chemistry or real connection for me to truly care for them. I think the issue is I've watched hundreds of better romance sequences and the first half is just a budget romance sequence with half of the heart. ...

And the second half was the action bits which started with a bang and kept going, and going, and going and ......you get the idea. The animation was cool but the fights started to lose any real meaning by the end as one can only take so many explosions before realizing there is never any sense of danger. A good fight sequences has to have hard hitting choreography where there is a feeling of two opponents getting into it. Watching the Reze arc film fight sequences was basically someone pressing the explosion buttons 40 times and seeing Denji reappear out of the smoke.

Minor positives, it looked nice, and sounded good in IMAX at least.

Quick little review because I feel my perspective’s unique, and just why not?

As someone who greatly appreciated the muted, more contemplative general ~vibe~ of S1, I just can’t help but feel utterly whelmed by this film. The only reason I wouldn’t say I was UNDERwhelmed is because I don’t typically allow myself to fall prey to hype, and I try to maintain a healthy air of skepticism when something comes out and ends up almost unanimously loved; there’s a good chance these things will bounce right off my weary little heart. CSM: The Reze Arc, unfortunately, is one such example.

While the, let’s say, end product ... is no doubt technically stunning, I question the wisdom behind making this a movie *at all.* It feels like a stopgap; a movie made just to quench fans’ thirst for more animated CSM in lieu of a (what I feel most would agree–maybe I’m wrong, I know *why* these things take time but still) time-wise reasonably released S2.

The first half of the film is replete with scenes that are individually effective, but as a whole… How do I say this? It insists upon itself. While the audio/visual aspects work overall (and overtime, one could argue) for what Denji’s feeling and, thus, most of what the film’s trying to convey, it eventually falls in on itself and becomes tiring. After a point, it feels like it’s trying more to impress than engage. It's like how the old DBZ movies were just an excuse for the writers to bullshit and the animators to flex, except I'm obviously going to hold this to a higher standard holistically.

The second half of the movie, simply put, is: BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM and so on and so forth. I wish I were able to just increase the font size and continue the booms ad infinitum; only then could the magnitude (and tedium) of what I’m talking about be fully appreciated. Half the time, this shit is only just barely more coherent than the Michael Bay Transformers movies–which is to say that while it IS fun, it’s basically just the evolved version of when your parents would jingle their keys in front of your stupid baby face.

The movie ends, without spoiling things, meh-ly. Maybe spoiling things a little now, it’s hard for me to only care about a character (especially CENTRAL) in retrospect; it’s a failure in writing when what’s supposed to have me misty-eyed, instead, leaves me stone faced. Though that’s hardly a fault exclusive to the movie; the manga never made me care especially for *that character* either.

And then there’s the new art style, which uggh… Sure, it looks more like Fujimoto’s drawings, but it also looks more like every other GD anime under the sun, too. That’s not to say that Fujimoto’s style = general contemporary anime design trends; two things can be true and *not* correlative, but I just think the middle ground here is, again, whelming. Look Back achieved a better balance.

Also, bad comedy. There’s more traditionally “XD honto ni kawaii/kowai/sugoi!!” type jokes, and I just think they’re lame and dumb and stupid and not befitting CSM.

In summary, I’m just not seeing what y’all are. Dissenting opinion or ragebait? How you respond to that is a measure of your own maturity.

An ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE
The one thing that make this movie stand out from other high budget animation Shonen movies for me, is it artistic presentation and directing. It's not just banger animation, there's lots of symbolism and correlation in story telling that it's such a masterpiece of joy to watch. Not only that but literally every other thing is perfect.

-- Recommend for: Directing, Artistic symbolism, Animation, Action

FULL REVIEW:
First of all, the artistic story telling. Without going into spoiler, this anime movie did this to such level that I would say on par with the Makoto Shinkai films (Comix wave film like Your name), which I barely ... see in main stream action show let alone a movie. Use of idioms story telling, and symbolism with background objects, is such a good touch. There's a lot of scene that's just set the mood, show the scenery, some little details then and there that really instill the feel of realism into this film.

Next is the directing. This film is definitely isn't like a typical Shonen movie. It's not like demon slayer or others, and while the animation is God tier, there's a lot of other parts that's also very nice pace of normal life and the world. Really putting in the works of building this very interesting world of how normal people deal with devils, and the life of our main characters overall. Make the world much more appreciated and a joy to cheer on and follow along.

Now the animation and action. You won't be disappointed that's it, no matter how much you expected. It's god tier by MAPPA, and it's really good and the top tier of the industry. Even with the arrival with lots of good Chinese anime, this still really remind what MAPPA is capable of, and there's quite a satisfying amount of action you can enjoy.

Lastly in other aspects. Pacing is phenomenal for a Shonen anime, not excessive flashbacks, just enough character development to enjoy. Characters are amazing, character change their thoughts, have other colors and intentions, not a straight line, overall superp. Lastly the plot. There's a nice mystery if you went in blind (which i do) and there's twists you will enjoy, but overall the plot is ok and does it job.

My rating as a Shonen action: 9.72/10
My rating as an overall anime: 9.4/10

This film is a testament to the fact that you don't need detailed backstories and long flashback sequences to make you empathize with a villain. What makes this film so special to me is the fact that there are so many little, seemingly mundane moments, scattered throughout, that tell so much about certain characters. So much emotion and heart and authenticity all packed into one big bundle of chaos and ridiculousness. This is why Fujimoto is such a masterful author. But here I wanna also mention that the director for this film, Tatsuya Yoshihara, did a BRILLIANT job. THIS is how you do an adaptation. ... THIS is how you elevate a source material and take it to heights unseen before. They added some scenes here and there and made some interesting directing choices, but those not only did justice to the manga but actually made the story even better and more impactful. Combined with Kensuke Ushio's score and the opening and ending themes, this film is easily a 10/10 for me.

And yes, the animation was brilliant. Every scene is a work of art.

If your closest cinema has 4DX option, just watch it, believe me the immersion was unreal, so many cinematic scenes and it was a worth it watch. The animation was sooooo damn good, it perfectly utilised many animation styles when needed just like in the s1 endings.
reze was just sooooooo good of a character, her voice was done justice, to the seductiveness and to the action scenes, one word *BOOMB* . Overall the movie was a masterpiece, the 4DX elements were used so briliantly and the movie ended with no loose threads which made it feel complete, as its a mini arc but still important ... for the growth of denji as a character

As a manga reader, I would like to get this out of the way first: I am pretty biased toward Chainsaw Man. However, this review will try to remain somewhat unbiased so that people who haven't seen the movie yet can get a sense of the true quality of the Chainsaw Man movie.

Art style: 9/10
First, the art style. This is one of the main changes that occurred in this movie compared to season one of the anime. Although I do miss the cinematic feel of the first art style, this new art style still looks great and helps deliver some crazy action sequences. It ... is more reminiscent of the manga art style that Fujimoto uses, which was what they were going for since it resolves one of the main complaints toward the first season of Chainsaw Man: the cinematic art style does not match with the vibe of Chainsaw man (frankly I disagree with that, but it is what it is). The way the characters are drawn on top of the beautiful backgrounds is an aesthetic choice that works well in delivering satisfying visuals and animation in the movie. Furthermore, the colors are more vibrant, making the story feel more chaotic and fun. Overall, there is not really a complaint that can be given about the art style chosen for the movie.

Animation: 9.5/10
Hand in hand with art style, the animations in the movie are what you can expect from a shonen project made by MAPPA, to which I mean amazing. The action-scenes in the movie have some of the best animation produced by MAPPA, with explosions, smoke, and debris creating a pleasing chaos to look at. I can tell they had fun with the explosion animations, which were plentiful in the movie. Again, overall amazing animation with not much to complain about.

Plot: 8.5/10
(This section is not going to be too detailed to avoid giving spoilers)
The plot told in the movie is somewhat simple when you summarize it, but the way it is told is what separates it from the rest. When it comes down to it, the movie is basically a tragic love story. There are twists, there are unexpected moments where you switch your perspective on certain characters, and even if you feel that the plot is predictable, the way it is delivered is undeniably well-done. There are various symbols in shots that add to the scenes, sometimes a little too obvious, sometimes just the right amount to create a sense of unease. Animation and soundtracks work to emphasize key points in the story, which can feel exaggerated at certain times, but it does complete its purpose in conveying the atmosphere of the scenes well. There is the full-circle moment at the beginning and end of the movie that works perfectly to allow the audience to reflect on the events of the story, and the events rarely feel forced.

Some people have talked about how the plot seemed to be "filler" and not that related to the growth of Denji and the progression of the story, which is only true in a sense that it could be an independent story that is separate from the rest of the series. Hence, they made this arc into a movie. However, I can confidently say that not only are the events of the movie essential for the growth of Denji and the buildup of certain characters, but it also directly leads to the next arc of the story.

There was also some discussion about plot holes in the movie, like why the explosions seemed to do less harm on the characters later on, which admittedly is a fair critique. However, "plot holes" like why a character did not do this before, and why they did not just stop the certain events of the movie since they had the power from the start, are not really plot holes in context of the full story. They are just not revealed yet, and most of them will be explained later on.

To summarize, the Chainsaw Man movie has a solid plot with amazing execution, setting up future impactful events in the story.

Fight Choreography: 8/10
This is not really an important section, but I do want to talk about it because of some minor complaints I had for this specifically. The fights are spectacular, and the choreography of the fights are great, but toward the end, the explosions, as stunning as they are, seemed overdone and somewhat repetitive. I understand that the movie needs to flaunt the quality of animation, but without much variance in the attacks, it makes the fight appear less interesting. What adds to this was the fact that the characters seemed to be less impacted by the explosions as well, almost as if they gained some immunity toward it. This made the fight seem to drag on longer than it needed to be. These were the main complaints I had about the movie, which may not apply to everyone, but it did impact my viewing experience.

Soundtrack/Sound design: 9.5/10
With amazing opening and ending themes by prominent artists Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada, the movie has no shortage of great soundtracks. However, I want to shine a light specifically on the background soundtracks. Chainsaw Man soundtracks have always been incredible, but in this movie, I could really appreciate the soundtracks not just musically, but also the impact they had on the scenes in the movie. They match the energy and mood of the scenes so well that even I was surprised with my high expectations. For sound design, perhaps partly due to watching in IMAX, but they were incredible as well, especially for the action scenes and relevant plot points.

Overall Rating: 9/10
The Chainsaw Man movie is more than just a shonen movie showcasing a spectacle of fights and amazing visuals. It tells a compelling story, relevant to the main series, giving viewers a taste of the true themes and essence of Chainsaw Man. It is only going get better from here. I strongly urge you to see the Chainsaw Man movie yourself when it comes out in cinemas for your country.

-The triumph of BOOM! over substance

Finally, the Chainsaw Man Reze arc made it to my cinema, and I was able to watch it... unfortunately, I was disappointed. The film evoked almost no emotion in me beyond a few laughs, and it's completely forgettable.......





I don't want to go into detail, so I'll summarize.

... The film is divided into two parts: the first half is a romance, and the second is one long action scene.

The first half seems really rushed. Reze and Denji's relationship moves forward at a very rapid pace, a new waifu appears suddenly and out of nowhere, starting a series of scenes in which, typical of this series, MC is manipulated and exploited by another psychopathic woman.
However, this time, the author tries to present MC's romance with Reze as the one and only, "despite the lies," sincere and theoretically having a future where MC could finally be happy, but unfortunately... in my opinion, it all doesn't work. It feels too artificial and rushed, as if the author wanted to skip everything so he could start the fireworks show as quickly as possible. Pretentious, artistic montages and repetitive scenes in which the MC, as always, is stupid and submissive to the girl with borderline personality disorder, make up 90% of the entire romance plot. The rest are fragments of scenes that actually have some meaningful content, scenes that could have sparked emotional engagement in the viewer, but there were far too few of them.
The whole romantic plot is intended to be good, but unfortunately, the author focused more on showmanship than on building a genuine and emotional bond.

The second half is, well...BOOM!

Dude...this is going to be controversial, but I think the second half of the film was incredibly boring.
Yes, the visuals and audio were top-notch, BUT unfortunately, the content was lacking; the director exhausted everything in the first half of the film.
In this part, we get a constant fireworks display, which, due to the over-saturated use of super-impressive animation sequences, quickly loses its impact. Of course, the super-impressive scenes themselves aren't bad, but devoid of a real plot, thrown in one after another like a music video, they don't make the impression they could. Furthermore, at one point, the animators tried so hard to exceed the dynamic range in each subsequent scene that it was simply impossible to see what was actually happening on screen.

Aside from the fact that, despite everything, the whole thing sounds and looks very good, there's nothing else I can say about the entire final battle.

And the ending... the fact that the MC, after such an unconvincing romance, wanted to abandon everything he built in the first season irritates me a bit... I didn't feel any other emotions, even though the author intended otherwise.

In short, this film is a complete triumph of style over substance.

Other:
-The subplot with Aki was weak: "oh, he doesn't get along with an angel" -> *half an hour later without any real journey the characters have taken* -> "oh, we like each other after all, and I'm willing to give my life for him."
-The world seems dead; even Makima didn't react to Reze's appearance even though Denji was close to death, and after all that, all the consequences of all this destruction were ignored...meh.

Maybe I'm being overly critical about some things, but I really don't understand the hype and have to disagree with everyone else.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❌❌❌❌❌

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Review (No hype)
1000000 points/10
Reze is so cute +1000000
Reze's movement angles are so natural, beautiful, and adorable +200000
Beautiful visuals, great work +100
Beautiful effects +100
The theme song is so beautiful +100
The Thai dubbing is great, the voice is cute and suits him so well +100
(If there were subtitles, I'd watch it again.)
P.S. I don't know what to say or it would be a spoiler. I don't have a full score because I could give it over a million points. Go see it before you can't.
That's all for this review. From the page "Who's goon to Reze Stomp before you ask." ... Reporting (just kidding).

After a long wait the next arc of Chainsaw Man is a disappointment.

The draw of season one was watching Denji’s interactions with the world and his team. He’s an idiot, but a lovable one who is completely out of his depth when it comes to social interactions. His antics with his team and wider division were the heart of the show, and that meant when the season’s final arc rolled around there were some real emotional stakes because the casualties were people you had grown to care about.

The Reze arc lacks this completely. Denji is isolated from the characters you know for almost the entire ... runtime, interacting with someone that you cannot begin to care about because the end of season one spoils any mystery. Yet it takes the film almost 45 minutes to spring a reveal that should surprise no one. Thus, it feels like you’re just killing time with little in the way of any real character development, just watching a front for something that won’t have you fooled for a second.

Then we move into the second half where the screen is filled with beautiful, colourful explosions. Too many, and for far too long. You will struggle to tell what is going on there’s so much shit on the screen. The art is great, the direction is not.

But the real issue is that there are no real stakes to the fight. Two devils clash, but as the protagonist can’t lose what exactly am I meant to be invested in here? The only other individual present is the shark devil, who the film has done nothing to develop as a character. So it all feels so unimpactful. Things explode, you yawn, and eventually the fight ends. Thousands die, but no one seems to really care. Compare this to the atrocities of the first season, where just some agents being gunned down carried so much more weight because it was grounded in a way this film is not. The end tries to add emotional heft, but it's completely unearned.

By the end I was left wondering what the point was. Imagine we go straight into the next arc and skipped this one. What would be lost exactly? The best parts of the film were the date with Makima at the beginning and the Aki/Angel interactions at the end, because those were the only moments that it felt like anything of consequence happened. But did those need the surrounding arc?

Denji learns how to fight better I suppose. But flashy fights aren’t really what drew me into the show. So I’m left with a feeling of disappointment. The interaction between characters are absent for almost the entire runtime, replaced with flashy fights that are emotional voids, and a character who you don’t care about at the beginning and is already gone by the end.

Not bad. Not great. Perfect middle ground.

Let me start by saying, I am not a hater. I loved CSM s1! I was excited for this movie, I even watched it in one of those luxury cinema with recliners and butlers.

Dont get me wrong, I love the artistic aspect of it. And I really appreciate the efforts of the animators.

But there's something about the plot that doesn't move me. Reze doesn't pull me in. It feels like she's being forced on me. I wasn't captivated.

The plot isn't deep. It's basic. It's not even plot-twist coz it's spelled out for you by the fly caught in ... web analogy.

Some scenes (like pool scene) may be weird for some, but I dont mind them. It's CSM, i knew what to expect.

The fight scene is a mix of good and bad.

There are some creative and artistic parts of the fight that i love -- like the play on colors and mosaic style etc.

But then, plenty of times it's just the stereotypical too much speed lines and explosions. Sometimes I could barely understand who's hitting who. It's all just a blur. The fights are also very prolonged.

The only time i got the feels is towards the end, which I loved.

All in all, it's okay. I wouldn't speak ill of it. I wouldn't strongly recommend it either.

PS: [Very slight spoiler] The shark with feet was totally totally absurd! 😂

This shit was so peak. The art style, story and fights, everything about it was peak. I finished season one the day before watching the movie and I went with my friend, and it was one of the best cinema-going experiences of my life. The story is unpredictable. You never know what's going to happen next unless you read the manga and Reze is now one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. (slight spoiler ahead) One of my favorite scenes was the pool scene, everything about it, the music, composition and animation is so fucking peak dude, I can't even put it into ... words. It makes you want to cry at how peak it is. And I deadass cried in the theater at the end of the movie because of the plot twist.



My final verdict is 1000000/10 absolute cinema

A comparison between the anime and the movie:
The new chainsaw man installment is here, watched full season 1 fully again before watching the movie. Felt something was different with it but enjoyed the movie anyway. After the movie was over only did I realise season 1 was more cinematic than the movie. New director took away what made chainsaw man one of a kind experience, the little movements, ambience, darker color scheme it's all gone replaced with a more general anime look: saturated colors, fast paced action and those little things that made characters feel more alive are gone. The new movies animation, sound design ... are much more comparable to other shows like jjk or demon slayer now whereas the season 1 was something entirely new, never done before, one of a kind show. The anime used to elude an eerie vibe like walking through a dark alley at night, especially when it came to makima. By no means is the new direction bad it's just more towards the mainstream side.

Personal Opinion:
I think that the anime direction style was more suited for the series, and sadly I think they will stay with this direction style only going forward. It's really hard to try something new and creative when so much money is on the line and flashier animation reels more people in so it's a good business decision but man I would have loved to see the season 1 direction style to continue.

I This is the best adaptation MAPPA could ever make for Chainsaw man, probably MAPPA best work. The story, animation, visual, soundtrack (especially Iris Out by Kenshi Yonezu), and direction is really good. The set up for the main conflict is done very well, makes it very easy for the audience to fall in love with Reze, really making the ending feel very impactful to the audience. I also really like how they incorporate the horror aspect in this movie, which the manga lack of. I can't think of a single bad thing about this movie. This movie is highly recommended to watch for everyone ... even to non chainsaw man fans.

Chainsaw Man Movie - Reze Arc: Absolute Cinema

Let's just keep it short: Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze Arc exceeded my expectations more, even though we all know it is just Studio MAPPA doing what Studio MAPPA should do. The visuals, animation, and directing are as 'sakuga' as Lazarus. Every angle and nook is explored. Studio MAPPA once again proves that an anime having 3D backgrounds does not equal being horrendous. As a non-manga reader, I believe the directors didn’t stick to a strict 1:1 panel recreation of this arc that Fujimoto-sensei had already drawn in his manga, instead bringing a more cinematic and expressive style, which ... is excellent.

Plot-wise, the script is done so well that the movie does not feel like a TV series forced into a movie. The mix between romance, action, thriller, gore, and comedy is balanced. I could not explain much about the premise because it itself is already a spoiler.

I love many kinds of music, so let's just talk about it.

Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" is catchy and upbeat, with a vibe reminiscent of "Charli XCX - Brat." The second bridge reminds me of "Dog Blood (Skrillex & Boys Noize) - TURN OFF THE LIGHTS". The visuals are addictive, with Pochita dancing and TV scenes. "JANE DOE" by Yonezu and Hikaru Utada is a decent R&B/Alt-Pop tune, though not my cup of tea. The soundtracks composed by Kensuke Ushio do not disappoint either. He returned with 30 new electronic tracks—no, CLUB BANGERS! Ushio is, without a doubt, the G.O.A.T. of EAM (Electronic Anime Music).

In conclusion, this movie is brilliant and packed with tireless action scenes. Not a single minute feels wasted or boring. Go and watch it in your cinema when it comes out next month.

Basically picture a hole in the wall restaurant that only makes one weird sounding dish, but that plate is the best shit your taste buds have ever touched.

Visually, the best piece of art I've ever seen. BAR NONE. Like, without exaggeration. Actually at a loss for words at how much life this movie crammed into every single scene. So many challenging insane decisions to commit to animating and they pulled off all of them. One scene in particular is so absurdly difficult it belongs in animation hell, but somehow they did it so well that you just sit there in disbelief at what you're watching. ... Every other action scene is just so GOOD. Even "slow" scenes were given so much care such that there's always something interesting to look at.

Storywise it's also a home run. Fujimoto's blueprint is a breath of fresh air in anime slop. No cliches. No overly complicated storyline that has holes and leaps of faith that make you roll your eyes. No MC that tells you how you're supposed to feel. It's a simple but airtight plot that still gives the audience a lot to think about, relate to, and enjoy in one way or another. Way more appreciation for this arc after knowing the total plot of CSM.

Imo this is as good as anime and maybe art can get.

Never have an Anime movie achieved this level of cinematography. Everything felt so new and interesting to watch, it is directed not as your average anime, but a proper piece of pure Kino. I can name 10 sequences in the movie that I'm willing to pay my money to go watch again and again, each time discovering something new.

The directing is top notch, but that's not the end of it, the music is godly (Kensuke Ushio the goat) and the new change in artstyle really fits the movie, I'm glad they did the change for the movie, love the more colorful approach for a fight ... filled with explosions. 10/10 for production quality, the fight scenes might be too chaotic for some people though, but it needs to be chaotic.

The dynamic between the characters are conveyed not through flashbacks or mere words, but through their actions and what we've known of them, and the movie did a fantastic job at that, really brings me joy as a manga reader. The story isn't something too grand, it's simple but beautifully written and fully conveyed within a single short story arc, and the movie really elevated it to a whole new realm. And of course this is a 10/10 for me, next arc is gonna be even crazier, can't wait.

The most fitting arc for a movie, 11/10 would watch 10 more times. Totally recommend for anyone who doesn't just want explosions on the screen, but also beautiful story. For anyone who are not used to this type of story telling though, better give it a try at least.

Chainsaw Man Reze Arc ✅ 10/10 Absolute cinema, zenith of animation as an art form, apotheosis of visual storytelling, orgy of color, motion and madness. Oh my God I’m so moved. Not even the best story ever, but something about the short time Reze and Denji spent together resonated with me and made the ending that much more impactful.

It was really only like 40 minutes of them doing “normal” stuff until the epic climax, but I clung onto every second they were on screen together. Their chemistry was so good and it reminded me of how truly messed up Denji’s life has been to ... this point that such a short normal teenage experience for him was so life changing. Can’t really say much more than that without spoiling, but I loved Reze’s character so much. She reminded me of some of the older femme fatales I grew up having a crush on as a kid. Ueda Reina once again put in an amazing performance.

The last 40 minutes.. where to even start man. Is it an exaggeration to say it’s one of the best animated sequences ever, full stop, period? I kept waiting on it to end thinking one peak after the other would be the final, but it just kept getting crazier and crazier, legit had my mouth open with awe for a minute there. The awe inspiring visuals+ Ushio Kensuke’s OST.. just wow man. I know MAPPA gotta be putting them animators thru hell, but thank you for your service.

Again, not the strongest story, but there’s some really cool visual storytelling and cinematography that’s fitting as Fujimoto is a massive cinema nerd. A few scenes make you forget it’s even an anime because of how fluid the animation is, the composition, ahh I could gush over this for days. I previously wasn’t a CSM fan, thought it was overhyped, but credit where it’s due man this is one of the best anime films ever made and I’m going to be thinking about Reze for a very long time.

“Is the city a good place?”

At the very end of the film, as the beautiful melody of JANE DOE starts to play, Angel Devil whispers a question, one that he long knew the answer to.

Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze-hen is not just another piece of anime media, it is a modern masterpiece, a philosophical statement from Fujimoto challenging overarching power structures in society that has existed for hundreds of years. With this intricately animated film full of artistic expressions as the medium, Fujimoto echoes a question shared by the characters of the film: is it possible to be truly free? Clearly, the outcome of the ... story rudely plasters the answer—NO.

A recurring motif used in the film, Aesop’s fable of the country mouse and the town mouse, is stretched, disfigured, and molded by Fujimoto to fit his own ideology. Originally, the fable explores the idea of opportunity and risk, telling the story of a country mouse that had a peaceful and frugal life who switched places with a town mouse that had an exciting and opportunity filled but perilous life. It reflects upon a belief many people hold, such that good things in life are always accompanied by roadblocks—that you have to work hard and persevere with effort to make it to the top. But what if it was all for naught? The illusion of choice, to be able to choose your life, to work hard towards a goal? That is what Fujimoto tries to convey with this film. In a world where power and control is in the hands of a few elites, does freedom of choice really exist, or is every action just a tug of the string of someone powerful? In the context of the film, this concept can be seen in Denji, who lives a minimal paycheck to paycheck life—practically an embodiment of modern enslavement—chained by the Devil Hunter Bureau. Similarly, we can visualize it through Reze, whose upbringing is literally in a system of violence, a human gu poison jar, where the fittest survived by ravaging on the corpses of others. They were forced to exist in a system where disobedience meant the termination of their lives. Consequently, what Fujimoto depicts through his film is but an extreme version of the very real human rat race. On the road, there can be different tunnels, which gives off the illusion of choice, but at the end of the maze, each rat ends up in the same place. There is no country or town mouse, it was simply a mouse. As long as you were born a mouse, there was no way to escape the fate that came after each mouse.

In the case of Denji and Reze, the case was much more nuanced, and tragic. Their meeting, each moment of laughter and joy, was fleeting, like the dull ache of waking up, the cold silver of tears in the corner of your eye glistening with the only evidence of the dream you had last night. You had convinced yourself it was reality, since that warm smile could never possibly be a figment of imagination, right? Their romance might have been fleeting and novel, but I don’t think it would be an overstatement to say it had a profound impact not only on me, but on many of the audience who watched the film. This was Fujimoto’s second major theme: the fragility of emotional connection, something as brittle as a crumbled piece of fallen leaf on a cold, autumn night. Many other shounen authors excessively stress how friendship and human connections can overcome all burdens, encouraging the reader with positive energy. In contrast, Fujimoto’s brutal approach, while cruel, fits the world we live in. He laments how in the face of adversities such as betrayal, monetary hardships, societal pressure, and many more, love doesn’t mean shit. If romance was commonplace, the social hierarchy, pyramid which elites built, would collapse.

The composition of the film, all the symbolism and motifs throughout, done through a tasteful and cinematically brilliant method, would make anyone shed a few tears at the tragic fate of Reze. Though she doesn’t have as much screentime as Power, Aki, or Makima, I would argue she is one of the most human characters portrayed in all of the Chainsaw Man series.

“Denji. Truth is… I’ve never gone to school either.”

Something about this line, with the camera cutting to the back of Denji’s head, with a bouquet of flowers in hand, tugged at my heartstrings, giving me goosebumps. Unlike in the other parts of the film, when she was smiling, laughing, grinning, blushing—here, she had but a blank expression. But again, it was at this moment that I felt the most emotion from Reze, that I felt she was such a well-written character. Even the line prior, where she questions her hesitation on her first meeting with Denji, is so hauntingly melancholic. She loved Denji, but she herself didn’t know it. How could she? The girl who was born and raised as a military asset? Maybe this was why her blank expression was so poignant. With fake expressions she practiced all her life gone, she had nothing but a blank canvas, a seed yet to sprout. But before she could bloom, it was cut short. She was never able to discover a smile that belonged to her. That innocent white daisy, originally supposed to be dyed red with romantic passion, was instead dyed red with blood.

All in all, even though I mostly talked about the message of the film, such a sophisticated delivery would never be possible without beautiful animation, perfect voice actor/actress role casting, and one of the greatest compilation of music and soundtracks I’ve experienced in cinema. I feel truly blessed to be able to watch and enjoy this film.

This movie is truly incredible, from start to finish.

Regarding the visuals, it's beautifully animated, and has incredible cinematography and art direction. Furthermore, the fight scenes are truly jaw dropping, with huge setpieces and masterful camera work.

Now, talking about the writing, the movie has a great story, and its characters are really well written. Furthermore, it communicates its messages hauntingly well, and uses the resources of the medium (film) to their fullest potential. The pacing is also great, it's a movie that flows incredibly well, and never loses your attention, even in its quiet scenes.


To conclude the review, this might be one of the best things ... I've ever watched, the best anime movie of the year, and it is, definitely, worth watching.