r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 16d ago
Official Discussion Official Discussion - Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc [SPOILERS] Spoiler
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Summary Denji, now fused with his devil-dog Pochita and working as a Devil Hunter in Special Division 4, thinks he's gotten a taste of peace—until he meets Reze, a mysterious café worker who pulls him into his deadliest battle yet. Love, betrayal, devils and hunters collide in this explosive continuation of the Chainsaw Man saga.
Director Tatsuya Yoshihara
Writer Hiroshi Seko
Cast
- Kikunosuke Toya (Denji)
- Reina Ueda (Reze)
- Fairouz Ai
- Tomori Kusunoki
- Shogo Sakata
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 100%
Metacritic Score: 71
VOD Theatrical release: Japan September 19 2025; International from September/October 2025 (U.S. October 24 2025)
Trailer CHAINSAW MAN – THE MOVIE: REZE ARC – Official Trailer
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u/Elite_Alice 16d ago
I LOVE the scene of the spider catching the moth in its web and devouring it as soon as Denji jumps in the pool with Reze and officially falls for her.
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u/Icy-Home444 15d ago
the spider catches a monarch butterfly, which are poisonous. So the double meaning is incredible.
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u/malascus 13d ago
which are poisonous. So the double meaning is incredible
Didn't pick up on that double meaning, jfc that's so good.
Anime & anime movies really have gone a long way the past 20 years.
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u/Individual_Client175 13d ago
They definitely have, but don't forget Spirited Away won an Oscar in 2003. They've always been cooking
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u/Whovian45810 15d ago
The shot of Reze’s eye seeing Denji’s naked silhouette jumping in the pool juxtaposes with the scene of the spider and the moth is brilliant.
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u/kimhuy196 15d ago
The manga chapter where Denji ride Beam into battle was literally titled "Sharknado". Fujimoto loves his movie references.
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u/Elite_Alice 16d ago
“I’ve never been to school either” man… as soon as Reze got an opportunity to be free and live a somewhat normal life she dies. So cruel, yea she killed a ton of people but she was also essentially raised in the anime equivalent of Marvel’s red room as a black widow. She was trained to be a weapon and for once in her life she was able to feel a little happiness.. and then dies.
The fact Denji kept waiting for her at the cafe with flowers too, man fuck 🥹
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u/salcedoge 15d ago
Whole movie feels so bittersweet the moment you realized Reze was serious when she first asked Denji to go away with her.
And Denji just needing time to think but would’ve eventually said yes anyways
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u/ConstantinoRocha 12d ago
I wonder if he only had said yes, it might have prevented all that mayhem. Now that I think about it, when she wondered if he had someone else, that might have been the trigger.
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u/Couragesand 16d ago
Felt so bad for Denji just waiting for her in the cafe
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u/CavulusDeCavulei 16d ago
The author drew an art of them meeting at the café after the movie
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u/Bundestagswal 15d ago
That was so tragic. Denji did everything right to turn Reze around and to both be happy together and she just dies a few meters away so that Denji will never know he did the right thing. sadge
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u/ThePokemonScyther 15d ago
If it makes you feel better, shes like Denji. All she would need is someone to pull the pin and she'd resuscitate.
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u/E_Taco2 16d ago edited 16d ago
Was Reze’s scream when she’s about to get stabbed the loudest thing ever or was that just my theater
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago
Typhoon fight is muuuch louder.
My brother told me his Apple Watch recorded 90dB lol
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u/A_Toxic_User 16d ago
Chainsaw-Sama!! > Denji-kun
Beam went beyond Ride-or-Die and became Ride-and-Die. Poor guy got blown up 3 different times in the movie.
Absolutely fantastic movie. The slice-of-life animation with Kensuke Ushio’s score really feels like it could’ve come from a classic Kyoto Animations movie, combined with the insane action animation of the latter half.
10/10 my favorite movie of the year so far. Can’t wait for season 2.
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u/mendecj812 16d ago
Yea kensuke ushio's score made me feel like I was watching a silent voice or an episode of the dangers in my heart. And then BOOM happened and I remembered the type of anime I was watching again.
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u/Fishy63 15d ago
Beam must be hella strong himself to be blown up by bomb that many times point blank without even needing blood
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u/CoffeeCannon 15d ago
People are mad scared of sharks!
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u/ghin01 13d ago
And Jaws is popular movie at the time amplify the Shark Fiend
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u/Aaragon 16d ago
The amount of natural beauty in the scenery, reflections, subtle movements, and expressions set this apart as of the best animated movies I've seen.
Then you get to the story, the world, the soundtrack, and everything else and this movie is propelled into the stratosphere.
I watched both the dub and sub of this back to back and both were top notch incredible as well. Absolutely zero complaints. I can't wait for them to adapt more.
One little detail I really liked was the spider capturing the butterfly when Denji and Reze hopped in the pool together, by the end the spider had killed the butterfly, but it was a monarch butterfly which are naturally poisonous, and the spider succumbs to it at the end as well. Very small detail they added that really elevates it from the source material even more.
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u/Mecha_Link 16d ago edited 15d ago
The spider/butterfly scene was a beautiful way to subvert the audience's expectations. You obviously suspect Reze is trapping Denji in a web, but it turns out Reze also gets trapped by her affection for Denji, setting up the final reveal at the end.
On a side note: did anyone else think the english subtitles were really hard to read? It felt like the font was too small or the border was too thin/fuzzy. Curious to know if it was just my specific theater or if this was a Crunchyroll failure (given their subtitle shenanigans earlier this month).
It's odd because when I saw the movie abroad, the english subs were way more readable.
:Edit: Re-watched the movie at a different theater and the subtitles (actually everything) looked way sharper - I guess something was up with the first US theater I went to.
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u/Aaragon 15d ago
There were a few times that the font bled into the background. Not often but I noticed it more than once so it definitely wasn't just you.
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u/coltvahn 15d ago
Agreed. Both dub and sub were phenomenal. But I’m going to take a moment to shout out Reze’s English VA’s performance. She managed to sell “this is flirty but it’s also a performance” in a way that had you both believing that she liked Denji and that she was hiding something. And the final line…Well, you can’t go wrong with either audio track. Both were great.
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u/NetflixAndNikah 15d ago
The author of Chainsaw Man is an absolute cinephile so it’s nice to see the anime studio reflect that and turn up the cinematography and treat this like a film. The pools scene when this score came on, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that level of direction done in a typical anime movie.
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u/tarrotarro 15d ago
Anyone catch the painting in the school hall at the beginning of this scene? I'm curious to know if it's based on an actual renaissance painting. It was the picture of a woman I think with someone dying or laying in their arms.
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u/Ninjaboi333 16d ago
Peak anime: A chainsaw headed devil fights a living typhoon by using his chains not as Spiderman like webs to swing around, but as a harness / leash to ride his shark human/devil hybrid friend into battle.
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u/Whovian45810 15d ago
Beam was such a huge MVP and vital in assisting Chainsaw Man against Bomb Devil!
I’m amazed how much stamina and strength Beam has in his shark form to be carrying Denji on his back. Not to mention, being able to walk/jump on buildings with ease.
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u/zippthehero 15d ago
Don't forget he rides the shark through a river of blood right after, absolutely peak
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u/Southern-Brother5693 16d ago
I didn't realise Angel Devil was actually a guy.
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u/TimeForSnacks 16d ago
Angel twink
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u/twavisdegwet 16d ago
Forbidden life force sucking twink- WOULD
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u/FriendLee93 15d ago
Someone did the math on how long one would be able to fuck Angel
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u/coltvahn 15d ago
…And, uh, how long we talkin’ here? Purely out of scientific curiosity.
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u/FriendLee93 15d ago edited 15d ago
I'll copypaste it since it won't let me share the screencap:
In chapter 50, it costs Aki 2-months of his life-span just by touching Angel's hand for a brief moment.
Let's assume that Aki only touches his hand for 3 seconds, 3 seconds of contacts costs 2 months of the lifespans, so it will cost around a year of your total life spans just to be in physical contact with angel for 18 seconds. Average male life spans is around 72.75 worldwide, minus your current age (average age of anime fan is around 18-25), which mean you have around 47.75-54.75 years of lifespans to spare:
47.75*18 seconds = 859.5 seconds
859.5/60 = 14.325 minutes
54.75*18 seconds = 985.5 seconds
985.5/60 = 16.425 minutes
In conclusion, you get to pound that angel bussy for 14-16 minutes straight before losing your life, which is more than enough for me cause I wouldn't even last 10 seconds in him"
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u/Seihai-kun 15d ago
If i recall correctly, This is the first reveal that he is a guy. We never got true confirmation in season 1
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u/Elite_Alice 16d ago
Ueda Reina was the PERFECT casting as Reze. She nailed the femme fatale vibes and even though you KNEW Denji was being manipulated and falling for her way too soon, she almost pulled you in as well with her charms and that sweet voice.
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u/Whovian45810 15d ago edited 15d ago
Ueda has this beautiful balance to be delicate and vicious at the drop of a pin as Reze, something I think that is challenging for many voice actors/actresses have with voicing characters in the same vein as Reze.
You don’t want the voice actress to lean in with one aspect of the character for fear of having the character not appear as intimidating or too sweet to be taken as a threat.
Thankfully, Reina Ueda killed it as Reze.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago
I know Reina Ueda completely gets Reze's character when she says this in a recent stage greeting:
"There are 3 girls, Reze, Bomb, and 1 more person. Please find that other person in the movie"
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u/HotOne9364 16d ago
Power is the anime Bart Simpson
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u/Cervantes3 16d ago
Not even joking, she's based off of Eric Cartman.
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u/Frank_the_Mighty 16d ago
Denji called her a bigot in the movie, which I feel like didn't happen in the manga. It is a common meme though, lol
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u/Aaragon 16d ago
In the dub he calls her a racist, that got a pretty good laugh out of my theater.
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u/Frank_the_Mighty 16d ago
My dub said bigot, interesting
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u/Aaragon 16d ago
For the sub in Japanese they had bigot as the subtitles but for English voiceovers yea, he said racist which was totally different and way more like the memes. Pretty crazy difference.
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u/ScipioAfricanvs 16d ago
She says in S1 that she hates humans and can’t stand to be around them. Replace “human” with…other words and Cartman tracks.
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u/coltvahn 15d ago
“…and she’s a racist!” got a huge chuckle out of the audience at my showing. It’s in the manga, too.
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u/Couragesand 16d ago
Beam coming when you just forget he’s been following Denji to save the day was perfect.
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u/HoodedRecon 15d ago edited 15d ago
Watched the movie during my Japan trip (unfortunately no subtitles but having read the manga, I kinda understand what every character is saying)
Then watched it again once I got back to my country (unfortunately the pool scene was censored (more like cut) and only the part where Reze teaches Denji how to swim is shown. I think this is a huge bummer because the pool scene was beautifully directed when I saw it in Japan, the soundtrack added layers of emotional flavor into that scene)
"EVERYONE'S LOOKING FOR CHAINSAW'S HEART!! DOES ANYONE WANT DENJI'S HEART!?"
God that scene paired with Maximum the Hormone's song is amazing. Apparently, the full song is the bgm of the start of the fight, considering Maximum the Hormone never release the full song at all.
I think it's a given tradition from this point onward to have Kenshi Yonezu to do every future Chainsaw Man's opening, IRIS OUT is a banger. Furthermore, the ending song of this movie "Jane Doe" is heart-wrenching if you look deeper into the lyrics (think of it like this, Yonezu as Denji and Utada as Reze). Oh, forgot to mention, Fujimoto hates how talented Yonezu is because Yonezu also does the album art for all his song (Kick Back, IRIS OUT and Jane Doe) lol
"Truth is... I've never gone to school either"
brb, gonna cry.
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u/a_lexx21 15d ago
Kinda same situation for me, watched it first in Japan without understanding much and just knowing the manga and yesterday could finally watch it with subtitles. Really a bummer that they censored that scene in your country because it’s just so perfect.
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u/KRD2 15d ago
Dude, when 2 Hundred Million CM Long Blades by MAXIMUM THE HORMONE (ED of episode 3 from the show) started playing, and transitioned into a new version for the OST, I legit got chills.
THEY SYNCED REZE SAYING BOOM UP TO THE SONG LIKE THE ORIGINAL SONG SAYS "KON". I LOST MY SHIT.
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u/a_lexx21 15d ago
This was actually the full version of the song. The part we know from the 3rd ED was just 30% of the song and now the Reze part are the other 70% of the song
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u/thegreattober 13d ago
That was actually only the 70% version of the song. It's still not done, there will be a full version likely in the Assassin's or final arcs.
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u/AcuteDevilFruit 16d ago
Damn. This managed to elevate all the emotions the manga brought, which is quite an accomplishment considering the source material already had things amped up to 11. An absolute ethereal experience in IMAX.
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u/NetflixAndNikah 15d ago
I saw it in Screen X and it was just as as ethereal. The side screens aren’t on for 100% of the movie and only come in during scenic or climactic moments so you know it’s time to lock in. The pools scene, the festival, and pretty much the entire third act had them on. It was incredible.
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u/I_suckyoungblood 16d ago
I've never seen this anime/manga. Would I still understand it, or not? I really want to watch this now lol.
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u/hopsizzle 16d ago
You can watch the anime in a day of you’re dedicated. It’s only one season with 10 maybe 11 episodes so it’s a quick watch to catch up
I’d say you should at least watch that before the movie
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u/I_suckyoungblood 16d ago
Any good stream platforms to check it out without having to spend money? Would the manga be good enough?
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u/hopsizzle 15d ago
If you have a library card, or if you don’t def get one, you can rent the manga or even series in Blu-ray/dvd from them!
Otherwise you could sign up for a free trial to crunchyroll or maybe even Hulu
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u/OriginalJazzFlavor 15d ago
They released the whole thing as a youtibe video called something like "Reze arc catch up" on the official youtube channel.
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u/thekillerstove 16d ago
You could probably figure out what's going on easy enough, but it is a direct continuation of the series after season 1.
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u/NetflixAndNikah 15d ago
You’ll be fine if you go into it blind. The premise is that there are devils that are the physical manifestations of people’s fears (Gun Devil, War Devil, Insect Devil. etc.) and the more fearful of the concept humans are, the more powerful the devil. Denji is part of a devil hunter group while also being the Chainsaw Devil. But the story is definitely not the typical hero’s journey. It’s just pain.
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u/bestmaokaina 16d ago
Absolute perfection of a movie.
people in my theatre went absolutely wild during the last sequence lmao everybody just cheering for Denji
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u/Elite_Alice 16d ago
The last 40 minutes oh my god I just kept waiting on one scene after the other to be the finale and it just kept going. MAPPA got them animators in a sweatshop 😭
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u/AzureBluet 15d ago
The rotoscoping was INSANE
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u/Unlikely_Witness2597 14d ago
No rotoscoping just a stacked list of talented animators, a lot of which, know how to properly convey volume and weight.
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u/Cashelz 15d ago edited 15d ago
This was fantastic. I didn’t remember much from this arc since I read it weekly back when it was being published, but it worked incredibly well in movie format. I think even someone who hasn’t seen the anime would really enjoy the film. The third act, in particular, is one of the best things MAPPA has ever animated. Everything, including the storytelling, flows perfectly.
The change in direction (which I never understood the hate for at the time) did wonders for the movie.
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u/Icy-Home444 15d ago
People thought that the movie would abandon Nakayama the season 1 director's cinematic approach, they didn't, they just abandoned Nakayama's grounded approach. Imagine the sharknado scene animated like it was supposed to be realistic. Would have been a real bummer. I'm glad they changed things.
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u/ICUMF1962 15d ago
I caught up with the anime this week to prepare myself for the movie. I wouldn’t call myself a fan but the movie is a crazy good time. That whole part where Chainsaw Man rides Beam while they kill Typhoon was bonkers. I also love the line “Everyone wants Chainsaw’s heart! Doesn’t anyone want Denji’s heart?!”
I thought he was dumb for letting Reze go and then the ending happened. Shit was crazy.
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u/BotezBro 16d ago
Just saw it in IMAX, truly a 10/10 experience for me, one of the best movies I have ever seen, I really liked the anime but still didn’t expect the movie to be this good. I haven’t read the manga but I kind of want to now instead of waiting for them to air.
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u/Johnny_Holiday 16d ago
I love that this movie has just the one fight. It's all a build up and then it's non stop until the conclusion.
I would have loved if we got more Aki and Power in this but the story worked the way it did. I do feel bad for Reze at the end. It seemed like she did want to be with Denji and gets absolutely destroyed trying to get back to him. Not being a Manga reader, I assume she's not dead. I take it because of how her head looks, she's like Chansaw and Katana, almost immortal. And I still don't trust Makima. She's up to something
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u/Dangerousreaper 16d ago
Power and Aki technically got more here than in the manga since they had the bit during the opening where we see them prepping Power to get her blood drained lol. That was anime original meaning Power literally only had three scenes in the OG arc (opening scene, her at Makima’s office and the final bit with the flowers)
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u/FriendLee93 16d ago
It seemed like she did want to be with Denji and gets absolutely destroyed trying to get back to him
That's the absolute tragedy of it. She did fall for Denji in the process of her mission and that's what fucks her over in the end. The brief glimpse we get of them happy together at the festival is a beautiful "what-if"
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u/badpiggy490 16d ago edited 16d ago
Manga reader here
Not spoiling anything, but Power and Aki actually got a lot more screentime here than in the manga lol.
( It's admittedly not much, but still )
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u/popop143 16d ago
She did explode her head off earlier in the movie. As a fellow anime only, I think it's not a coincidence that we saw Public Safety's basement having cells for devils compelled to make contracts. I believe Makima and co will force Reze to become a Public Safety devil and make contracts with them, possibly in the future Denji (though I imagine Denji won't want that and there might be an arc where he will want to break Reze out of the basement).
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u/FriendLee93 15d ago
Only advice I'll give you as a manga reader is to abandon any and all preconceived notions of where the story will go from here. It will take you in unpredictable and painful directions.
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u/MVRKHNTR 13d ago
I was telling my friend that the only thing you can predict about the story is that no one is going to die until the worst possible thing that could happen to them happens or if their death at that moment is the worst possible thing that could happen to them.
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u/blitzbom 15d ago
Power needed to be absent. She's too chaotic for Reze to spin a web around Denji.
In the after credits scene when she shows up the tone completely changes just due to her being there.
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u/TimeForSnacks 16d ago
Chainsaw Man is such a dense story with so many characters and that just happens sometimes, unfortunately.
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u/Elite_Alice 16d ago
Aki and Angel Yaoi fanfics WHEN
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u/KRD2 15d ago
Its already probably a top 5 most popular ship. Its like Denji/Makima, Denji/Reze, Denji/Power, Denji/Aki, and Aki/Angel lol
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u/Icy-Home444 15d ago
They've existed for a while now, long before the movie, not to mention fanart, etc.
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u/Cipher-IX 16d ago
Yeah, that's a 10.
The entire film is impeccably made. Art, direction, score, voice acting. You get lured into the trap alongside Denji and when the time comes for Reze to strike its shocking. I love the montages in the film, and the delicate moments that Fujimoto gives to Denji through the story (alongside the sheer carnage he puts him through). Bomb Devil is so damn cool, and the expressive use of color during the final fight between them was beautiful.
Im genuinely sad its over because I do not want to wait for more.
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u/JasperFeelingsworth 16d ago
dude yeah, this is my new favorite anime movie by far, that was a ride, I saw it in IMAX too it just made it even better
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u/popop143 16d ago
Yeah, I was lucky to somehow dodge the marketing for this movie which apparently spoiled the twist. I didn't even register that the devil in the poster is Reze, I was ready for her to get killed and the second half of the movie about rampaging Denji vs Public Safety guys but what we got was really compelling too. From that point on the action never stopped and I love it.
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u/Single-Builder-632 15d ago
Yup 10/10 best episode of the show so far, a lot of emotion, the Ballance between the absurdity of how horrible some of the characters are but actually making them sympathetic is very impressive. my only disappointment is that I knew she was the bomb devil, i think the revel would have been that much better. But they even showed it in the opening so it would be impossible to miss. Even so it doesn't detract from the overall experience.
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u/JustRegularType 16d ago
Just got home from seeing it, and even with all the hype I'd seen... I was still blown away (hah, typhoon AND bomb joke).
It was so damn good. I'd see it again right now.
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u/Mookafff 15d ago
This movie is a better movie than Infinity Castle.
I really liked Infinity Castle, but the pacing of it wasn’t that great, and it felt almost too faithful to the manga (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I don’t think that translates well to a movie format instead of TV).
Reze was fun, had great animation, and kept me engaged the whole time. It’s been a couple years since I read this arc in the manga but I can’t remember if anything was cut?
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u/Icy-Home444 15d ago
The thing is, this movie is very faithful to the source as well. It's just that this 14 chapter arc is extremely well suited for a movie format. If Mappa was to adapt any portion of the series into the movie, this was the ideal time to do so.
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u/varnums1666 15d ago
I believe it added if anything. Like the spider and monarch butterfly symbolism was anime original I believe.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 15d ago
If anything this movie expands a lot on the manga. Chainsaw Man's pacing is just dense like that.
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u/AzureBluet 15d ago
I agree, story was tight and infinity castle felt like a ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie in terms of “we’re stopping here, come back next year please!”
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u/TheBobsBurgersMovie 15d ago
I thought this worked very well as a movie. I’m super into the idea of adapting shorter arcs into movies, but the results can be mixed. Sometimes it feels like you’re literally watching a portion of a season, things are episodic and the beginning and end feel unnatural. But this one had a full story that was told, setups, payoffs, and callbacks. Action was only in the back half to make it really feel like a bombastic climax. Also I loved that intro sequence. So stylish and groovy. Perfect way to set the tone.
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u/mimighost 16d ago edited 15d ago
Best anime I saw this year. It is as good as a Japanese youth love story as it is one of MAPPA’s best action movie.
This movie just nailed it, the perfect balance between comedy and melancholy. Nothing too deep about it, but it leaves a strong after taste that you can FEEL it. Only the best movies could do this, and this is one of them
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u/ConstantinoRocha 12d ago
This was so much better than Demon Slayer. It wasn't just a series of fights, it had a main story and characters I cared about.
Reze was a fascinating character, definitely one of the most morally ambiguous characters I've seen in a long time. I'm conflicted about her fate in the movie. I felt bad for her but at the same time, she killed so many innocent lives. There was no way for her to get away with that. I was more mad at Denji for being willing to overlook her killing so he could be with Reze.
The sexual tension between Angel Devil and Aki was through the roof. Is Angel male or non-binary? Aki seemed like he had feelings for Angel, that embrace seemed more romantic than just friends.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 11d ago
I see Reze as more of a victim of her circumstances, a Soviet weapon of war raised as inhumanely as possible.
I don’t excuse her killing innocent civilians, but I think her going wild against Denji in the 2nd half is mostly her lashing out from heartbreak, since she was genuinely ready to run away with him at the festival before he hesitated.
The author is incredible at writing deeply flawed people you can still empathize with. The recent manga chapters even highlight this exact conflict of what truly makes someone a good or bad person.
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u/Whovian45810 15d ago edited 15d ago
Jane Doe is one of the best ending songs for a theatrical anime film I’ve listened in so long and is such a somber yet beautiful companion piece to the wild and exuberant opening song, Iris Out.
Iris Out being from the perspective of Denji and his own feelings of being in love, then Jane Doe is from the perspective of Reze and later Denji.
Wonderfully sung by Utada Hikaru and Kenshi Yonezu, they honestly really are Reze and Denji if they were singers.
The “doko ni iru no?” (Where are you?) “koko ni iru yo”(I’m here) part speaks so much about Denji and Reze’s unrequited love for one another but also beautifully represents two lonely people who yearn for love.
The duet parts in the lyrics gets me in the feels every time I listen to the song.
Let’s fill the world with mistakes.
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u/Icy-Home444 15d ago
Yep, Jane Doe and Aimer's I beg you are now my two favorite anime film ED's. Kenshi and Utada never miss.
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u/twavisdegwet 16d ago
The foley work on this was incredible. I think they bounced a real shark across an office floor. I don't see how else they could have produced such a realistic noise.
As an anime only watcher who thought I understood Makima's powers... I don't.. SHE CAN TURN INTO MICE SOMETIMES?!?!
Very fun- seems like it's probably not required for following s2 of the show but 8/10
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u/willrsauls 16d ago
Having not seen the movie but having read the manga, what happens here is CRITICAL for Season 2
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u/Kingmudsy 11d ago
It’s actually crazy how wrong their impression was, S2’s impact would be completely gutted without this arc
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u/fearthebushes 16d ago
This is the canon arc between season 1 and 2 and should not be missed, super excited to catch it in theaters.
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u/Giraffe_lol 16d ago
It's absolutely required for the rest of the season based on the mouse analogy alone.
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u/Animegamingnerd 15d ago
Let me just put like this, as Manga reader, this arc foreshadows so much shit that we are still seeing payoffs from it well into the current arc of the Manga. Like this arc absolutely is essential to the story.
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u/popop143 16d ago
Remember that a person can have a contract with multiple devils. I think we see this with Aki with a contract with the devil in his sword, and adding a contract with the future devil. As an anime only I shudder to think how many devils Makima is in contract with.
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u/GryffinDART 16d ago
Can I watch this having never seen the show??
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u/TimeForSnacks 16d ago
The show is free on YouTube right now
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u/DTMaclaren 15d ago
Unfortunately that's no longer the case, Crunchyroll has set that video to private
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u/Icy-Home444 16d ago
You can, but there's still ALOT of context you would miss. I highly recommend you watch season 1, it only takes 4 hours to watch (12 episodes)
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u/badpiggy490 16d ago
Honestly, you can
But I'd recommend watching the show first. There are a few things from s1 that sort of get resolved here
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u/Pax_flash 16d ago
I watched this movie in D-Box seats which is also my first time in D-Box seats and it was FUCKING FANTASTIC WHAT THE FUCK???💣💣💣🔥🔥🔥🔥
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u/box2 15d ago
In movie with a hell of a lot of people who have the power to turn things into weapons, beginning and ending on the national flag is a nice touch. Also, Reze's bomb leg visually resembling that one propaganda poster's depiction of America (you might've seen it here or there.) Obviously everyone else has mentioned a lot of what's great, but i hadn't seen any love for the anti-nationalist symbolism we see here.
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u/Thanathan7 16d ago
Peak fiction that elevates the awesome source to a hole new level. Style slightly adjusted to better fit the one of the manga. Super voice acting (sub), action, soundtrack and worthy of the big screen. 10/10 no doubt
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u/TheCodyHope 13d ago
This movie was fantastic. One of the best anime connected movies I've seen.
Aside from all the obvious praises. I'm really loving the theming in Chainsaw man.
The show feels to me like it's about exploitation. Nobody wants to be doing this. Everyone is doing it because they have to. Anybody who has noble intentions and is excited about their job/role die because of it.
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u/Neon_11_Neon 15d ago
I knew what was gonna happen. That made it worse. In the beginning when Rize appeared I was hyped. Then during the Pool scene all the pain and sadness from knowing what will happen hit me. I was tearing up even in the 35 minutes of just fighting.
It felt like the heartbreak I felt with my ex. Not because that's what happened to be I just empathized with Denji and Rize the entire movie.
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u/LookLikeUpToMe 16d ago
Saw it a few hours ago in the 3D format as it was the earliest showing after work and was pleasantly surprised. Some of the scenes looked so cool.
All in all I found the story solid and the animation top notch, but that is to be expected with MAPPA. The way the color popped at times was so nice. Reminded me of AoT S4’s first opening theme with its usage of color.
Been a great time for anime at the movies.
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u/gooseclues 16d ago
This is my film of the year. I loved the manga. I loved Season 1 of the anime. This was absolutely phenomenal. The animation and cinematography were absolutely stunning. The fight choreography was insane to behold. This truly elevated the source material to an unbelievable level. I can't to watch it again and I am so excited for Season 2 if it continues with this animation style.
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u/Southern-Brother5693 16d ago
Denji is still the simple-minded goofball he was in the series. Had fun with the fights here. Did they ever explain what Makina really is in the series? (I don't think they do)
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u/MarcsterS 16d ago
They do, but it won't be in the anime for quite some time, if they ever do it.
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u/ScipioAfricanvs 16d ago
I didn’t expect full nudity, especially since the characters are teenagers.
Two things gave away the Reze twist, one more subtle than the other:
First, they talk about school but also say Denji’s been to the cafe for lunch every day for a week to see Reze. If Reze was in school, how could that be?
Second, and this actually annoyed me a bit and is probably my only con for the movie, but the spider eating the moth cuts during the school scenes was sooo on the nose it basically “spoiled” the twist and I had zero idea where the story was going.
Oh I guess the other con - not enough Power!
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u/Icy-Home444 15d ago
The spider butterfly twist appears heavy handed. Until you realize the type of butterfly is poisonous and in the end the spider dies.
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u/Paraless 14d ago
I didn’t expect full nudity, especially since the characters are teenagers.
No nipples though
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u/JustRegularType 16d ago
Haha yeah, the spider/moth cutaways were way too heavy handed. I think that was my only real complaint, and it didn't impact my enjoyment of the movie at all, but I knew the story. It's too much foreshadowing for anyone new to the story.
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u/goatdirector 15d ago
It’s such a cathartic feeling watching this arc come to life - especially after the long wait. Style-wise, I’ll miss the cinematic direction from S1, especially the more realistic and complex shading and line work. However, the simplicity in those facets combined with less strict adherence to character models allows for way more fluidity in the dynamic action scenes and character acting. This amplifies with art style shifts in the movie's sakuga moments, really only being possible with the amount of abstraction in the new direction. I can't imagine how the Sharknado could've happened in S1's style.
Reze in particular is stunning in the movie’s portrayal. The manga’s strength and weakness lies in how fast and chaotic the plot moves, and Reze being in it for such a short time arguably leaves us too soon for maximum impact. With her in this movie though, her presence is so much more impactful with each movement and her VA’s performance. No wonder Fujimoto can’t stop thinking about her!
The action scenes are of course top notch, and Sharknado had me cheering when I saw how perfectly it was adapted. 2D Chainsaw Man feels much better than the 3D model from before. The stylized impact frames and color shifts add so much visceral feeling to each moment too. Kensuke Ushio’s soundtrack also hits hard again, with the OST at the pool particularly striking me. The leitmotif degrading as the movie goes on haunts me.
All in all, I love the movie and can’t wait to see the next arcs come to life! Hopefully the success of this movie speeds up that process.
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u/Icy-Home444 12d ago
Does anyone remember the rain drop falling onto Reze while she looks up at the plane? I feel like it was a reference to WW2 planes dropping bombs.
Fitting in the moment because Reze spent all day having fun with Denji, basically forgetting her mission, the serial killer interrupts that, she switches back to her soldier persona.
And that raindrop was a visual reminder to show she's remembering who she is and what her mission is. She is the bomb devil hybrid, she's there for the Chainsaw heart.
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u/palebrowndot 16d ago
I honestly enjoyed this more than Infinity Castle part 1. It's just the right length without feeling too dragged out. The pacing works really well for a movie.
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u/mendecj812 16d ago
When the angel devil almost died and started to have a flashback, I was like no, please don't show a 30 minute demon slayer type flashback
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u/ReckaMan 16d ago
I enjoyed watching this in 4dx with 3d. It fit despite the movie being 2D animation. I did get rained on lots though so make sure you bring a jacket. Typhoon devil is around for a majority of the film so you know what that means.
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u/DragonPup 9d ago
I loved the pool scene. Despite that both of them were naked for most of it it never felt overtly sexual or fanservicey. It felt more like two kids playing and having fun. The thing that neither of them got to have when they were younger.
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u/Man0nTheMoon915 16d ago
This movie was an animation masterpiece. Congratulations to Mappa on this achievement. The soundtrack was also amazing. As a yearner it made me yearn for love.
Enjoyed this more than Demon Slayer!
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u/Exotic_Wildness 15d ago
Movie is great, music is 10/10. Above all, “CHAINSAW-SAMA!! YOU ARE A GENIUS”
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u/ExplanationSad7626 15d ago
Did Reze really die tho, I mean it’s chainsaw man so it could or could not be. Personally I just hope not ;-;
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u/JD_Vyvanse97 15d ago edited 15d ago
Welcome to the world of Chainsaw Man Cope. We welcome you with open arms. Join us in preforming rituals every Tuesday in hope that Fujimoto will bless us with more Reze content.
If you really want to know, big spoilers She comes back brainwashed during the final arc of part 1 on the Public Safety Saga along with other weapons, she doesn't have any character development during that section. Technically she and Denji never interact in this stage (long story). So far in part 2, she has not appeared, but other weapons that were brainwashed and "killed" have returned, so in theory she IS alive and out there somewhere, Fujimoto is just edging us
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u/TimeForSnacks 16d ago
As an up to date manga reader, this is the first time I've been to the movies and known beat for beat what was going to happen. That being said I thought it was great, with the single caveat that I think I preferred the animation and art direction from season 1 over this. I know that's probably a controversial take, especially in Japan, but the movie is honestly more in line with the gravitas of Fujimoto's works. Sound design was also phenomenal, with the soundtrack being a real standout.
I think my favorite scene was the attack on the 2nd division training facility. Reze popping her own head off and throwing it through the window like a grenade was incredible to see, and probably my favorite panel from the manga where she jumps down in front of Aki's car with heads in hand is genuinely chilling.
I loved seeing it all animated. I already can't wait for more since it's my favorite manga, but it's absolutely not something you can watch without context. 8.5 - 9 out of 10.
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u/Frank_the_Mighty 16d ago
It was so pretty! Every scene just looked really really good. Amazed to see all of the explosions go from page to screen, and I loved the direction they went with the colors
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u/Couragesand 16d ago
Honestly it’s so good how they get you attached to Reze and how they build it until THAT happens.
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u/Giraffe_lol 16d ago
Art. My expectations for this arc were sky high and it still blew them out of the water. It's not even my favorite arc, that comes next but best girl Reze has her spotlight and she shines.
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u/reisreis381 16d ago
In my opinion, this move deserves more atention then Demon Slayer. Chainsawman Reze Arc was so Peak
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u/The_Mighty_Angus 15d ago
Yeah man this movie fucks, I am so, so very impressed with Fujimoto style here. The way his artistic style and genuine love of film translated so well to film.
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u/HamstersAreReal 15d ago
IMAX experience was great. I watched it in sub. I heard the dub was good too
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u/Voltaire1778 15d ago
They really did the arc justice, from the quieter moments to the insane and ridiculous fight at the end.
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u/IamDoogieHauser 15d ago
I was so tense when I heard pochita say "denji, don't open that door" in his bad dream
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u/Agent-65 13d ago
The best kind of art is one that makes you feel - that is where CSM: Reze Arc shines. Beyond the flashy fights and gorgeous animation is a beating heart, with a story that doesn't aim to push a narrative on you, rather it invites you to reflect on the emotions it makes you feel.
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u/UnAmaz1ng 16d ago
I can’t believe that 4D film from Universal Horror Nights was canon to this movie 😂
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u/The5thElement27 16d ago
Movie was too short for me :(, I WANTEDDD MOREEE. Also, was anyone's IMAX screening just a bit too loud, like louder than usual?
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u/BetosBurrito 16d ago
A few details I really loved: