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A pair of teenagers share a intimate, tender instant at the local high school’s outdoor pool after hours. As they float together, suspended beneath the stars in the quietness of the night, the sequence portrays the ephemeral, heady thrill of adolescent romance, completely engrossed in the moment, consequences forgotten.

About half an hour into Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, I realized such moments are the heart of the movie. The love story took center stage, and all the contextual information and character histories previously known from the series’ first season turned out to be mostly unnecessary. Despite being a canonical entry within the franchise, Reze Arc provides a easier entry point for first-time viewers — even if they haven’t seen its prior content. This method has its benefits, but it also hinders a portion of the urgency of the movie’s narrative.

Created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Chainsaw Man chronicles Denji, a indebted Devil Hunter in a universe where Devils represent specific dangers (including concepts like Aging and Darkness to specific horrors like insects or World War II). When he’s deceived and murdered by the criminal syndicate, Denji forms a contract with his loyal devil-dog, Pochita, and returns from the deceased as a part-human chainsaw wielder with the power to permanently erase Devils and the horrors they represent from reality.

Plunged into a violent struggle between devils and hunters, the hero encounters a new character — a alluring barista concealing a lethal mystery — sparking a heartbreaking confrontation between the two where love and existence collide. The movie continues immediately following the first season, exploring the main character’s relationship with Reze as he grapples with his emotions for her and his devotion to his controlling boss, Makima, forcing him to decide among passion, faithfulness, and self-preservation.

A Self-Contained Love Story Amidst a Broader World

Reze Arc is inherently a lovers-to-enemies story, with our imperfect main character the hero falling for Reze almost immediately upon meeting. He is a isolated young man looking for love, which makes his heart vulnerable and easily swayed on a first-come, first-served. Consequently, in spite of all of Chainsaw Man’s intricate mythology and its large cast of characters, Reze Arc is highly independent. Filmmaker Tatsuya Yoshihara understands this and guarantees the love story is at the forefront, instead of bogging it down with unnecessary summaries for the new viewers, particularly since none of that is crucial to the overall plot.

Despite the protagonist’s imperfections, it’s difficult not to feel for him. He’s after all a teenager, fumbling his way through a world that’s distorted his understanding of right and wrong. His intense craving for affection makes him come off like a infatuated dog, even if he’s prone to growling, snapping, and making a mess along the way. His love interest is a perfect match for Denji, an compelling seductive antagonist who finds her mark in our hero. Viewers hope to see Denji win the ire of his affection, despite Reze is clearly concealing something from him. So when her real identity is unveiled, you still cannot avoid wish they’ll somehow succeed, although internally, it is known a positive outcome is not truly in the cards. As such, the stakes don’t feel as intense as they should be since their relationship is fated. It doesn’t help that the film serves as a immediate follow-up to Season 1, leaving little room for a romance like this among the more grim events that followers know are approaching.

Breathtaking Visuals and Technical Craftsmanship

This movie’s graphics seamlessly blend 2D animation with 3D environments, providing impressive eye candy even before the action begins. From cars to tiny office appliances, 3D models add depth and detail to every scene, making the animated figures pop strikingly. Unlike Demon Slayer, which often highlights its 3D assets and changing backgrounds, Reze Arc employs them more sparingly, most noticeably during its explosive finale, where those models, while not unattractive, become easier to spot. Such smooth, dynamic backgrounds render the film’s fights both spectacular to watch and remarkably simple to understand. Nonetheless, the method shines brightest when it’s invisible, enhancing the vibrancy and movement of the hand-drawn art.

Final Impressions and Broader Implications

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc serves as a solid starting place, likely leaving first-time audiences pleased, but it additionally carries a downside. Telling a self-contained narrative limits the tension of what should feel like a sprawling animated saga. This is an example of why continuing a popular anime season with a movie isn’t the optimal approach if it undermines the franchise’s general storytelling potential.

While Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle succeeded by tying up multiple seasons of animated series with an epic film, and JuJutsu Kaisen 0 sidestepped the issue completely by serving as a prequel to its popular series, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc charges forward, perhaps a slightly recklessly. But this does not prevent the movie from being a great time, a excellent introduction, and a memorable love story.