©Courtesy of Sony Pictures 

Dating is never easy when you are sixteen, but it is especially hard for a Devil Hunter like Denji. Instead of attending high school, he spends his days patrolling the streets. Technically, he hunts devils, rather than the demons of other famous anime (and KPop) franchises, but it is the same general idea. He also happens to have the devil-derived power to manifest bodily chainsaws thanks to his Faustian union with Pochita, the canine-looking Chainsaw Devil.

It is not unusual to have partly devilish Devil Hunters in the not-so secret government-funded Public Safety Organization. His boss, Makima, even has secret powers of her own, but she manipulates the smitten Denji more conventionally—at least until he meets a mysterious young woman in Tatsuya Yoshihara’s Chainsaw Man—The Movie: Reze Arc, produced by the MAPPA animation house and released by Crunchyroll, which is now playing in theaters.

 

For fans of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s source manga, the events of Reze Arc hold tragically ironic resonance, in light of the characters’ ultimate fates. Conveniently for viewers of the anime series, the film picks up after the final (so far) twelfth episode. If you are coming in cold, the film presents a relatively self-contained narrative, but newcomers will have to pick up a lot of background context on the fly.

©Courtesy of Sony Pictures 

At this point, Denji is finally starting to feel comfortable with his Devil hunting duties. His rapport with his roommates, Aki Hayakawa and Power, gives him some sense of belonging, but his crush on Makima keeps him motivated. Power, a horned fiend, must sit out most of the film, because she had consumed too much blood—don’t overthink that too much, Chainsaw Man is not as “horror”-forward as it might sound.

In Power’s absence, her roomies must temporarily break in new partners. Hayakawa instinctively dislikes creepy Angel Devil, who looks exactly like what he sounds. Similarly, Denji finds himself stuck with Beam, a Shark Devil, whose almost feral behavior might remind anime fans of the boar’s mask-wearing Inosuke from the Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba franchise.

Yes, Beam annoys Denji almost as much as he annoys viewers, but it hardly matters. Denji spends most of the first act worrying about girls. His pseudo-date-night with Makima has its ups and downs, but it ends on a high note. Together, they discover something a lot of film critics already know: you usually need to watch at least ten films to see one great one. Afterward, Denji figures he will just keep plugging away, trying to win her affections, until he meets Reze, totally by chance. Or is it really so random?

Regardless, Denji definitely responds to her sassy charm. They also relate to each other easily, even though he lacks her typical high school experiences. Yet, the film’s vibe clearly suggests something sinister threatens to interrupt their halting teen courtship. Obviously, the assassin stalking Denji at the behest of the Typhoon Devil represents trouble, especially since his M.O. consists of torturing Devil Hunters’ loved ones to demoralize them. Regardless, there will be plenty of fighting when the Bomb Devil crashes a Public Safety field office. Explosions will ensue.

©Courtesy of Sony Pictures 

Still, there might be less action in this anime franchise feature then fans might expect, because Yoshihara and screenwriter Hiroshi Seko devote sufficient time to fully establish Denji’s relationships with Makima and Reze. Consequently, the tragic chaos of the third act hits with surprising force. In fact, the Reze story arc represents a logical choice for a one-off feature, because it holds great significance for Denji as a character, but it largely leaves the overall mythology and narrative throughlines unaltered.

MAPPA’s animation is maybe slightly more cartoony than blockbuster series such as Demon Slayer or Attack on Titan, but only slightly. Regardless, they render Denji’s chainsaw hands in manner free of camp or irony. Plus, the starkly stylish opening black-and-white dream sequence really grabs the audience’s attention. Evidently, this represents MAPPA’s first R-rated release, perhaps for some “fan service” involving Reze.

 

Regardless, the human element comes through in Reze Arc, especially when Yoshihara and Seko invite sympathy for the various devils. Newbies will likely leave feeling they still really do not know supporting players like Hayakawa, but they will readily identify with Denji. Yet, for invested fans, Reze’s storyline will likely deepen their appreciation for the characters. Recommended especially for the latter, but also for general anime enthusiasts, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is now playing in theaters.

©Courtesy of Sony Pictures 

Grade: B

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Here’s the trailer of the film.