[Updated 2025.9.21] "Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc" - This is a work that must be seen in a movie theater

I went to see "Chainsaw Man: The Movie - Reze Arc".

It was so good...

I was also able to see my first-ever stage greeting via live broadcast, and I am very satisfied (o・ω・o)

I have summarized my thoughts immediately after watching it.

(*I avoided major spoilers such as the ending or enemy details, but I do touch lightly on descriptions of scenes in the first half and the main characters.)

1. The dedication to beauty in the visuals, music, and more is amazing

- The depiction of water is too beautiful for words

First, I want to highlight the depiction of water. There is a scene where they enter the pool at night at school, illuminated by moonlight, and the depiction of the water was so beautiful it was dazzling. I thought, is there some kind of liquid fanatic or weirdo among the production staff?! (laughs). This is a scene I can strongly recommend as a reason to see it in a movie theater.

- From the enemy's transformation to their attacks, everything has elegance

The battle scenes were also good. Is it really okay to portray the enemy so charmingly...? The transformation scene was super, super, super cool. My heart was racing. The way the flashes of light were drawn during the attack scenes was also graceful in every detail. I definitely want you to experience it in the theater.

- I was moved by the music that colors the casual everyday scenes

And then there are the casual "everyday" scenes, like at the cafe, school, and the summer festival. Personally, I think Chainsaw Man is a manga that has a very comfortable sense of "pacing." Silences, smiles, faces that look like they are suppressing something—it's as if they are subtracting emotions. I was moved to be able to experience those casual moments on the big screen and with the sound system unique to a movie theater.

The music in the non-combat, everyday scenes in particular matched the innocence and loveliness of the boys and girls so well. However, it was also a wonderful device that left a somewhat fleeting impression, as if to say that such youth will surely come to an end someday... This might be because I am an adult. People in their teens, closer to Denji's age, might get a different impression.

2. There is consideration for a fun and comfortable viewing experience

- The way the pacing is handled is comfortable and never boring

The transition from everyday scenes to transformation scenes is the moment you are dragged from the everyday into the "extraordinary" all at once. I thought while watching that, not just in the Reze Arc, but Chainsaw Man really has an exquisite way of handling this pacing. Once you start reading the original work, you can't stop turning the pages, and I felt a considerable amount of heat from this movie version as well.

I am someone who got hooked on the anime series thinking, "What on earth is this?" I had read the Reze Arc in the original work, so I knew the plot and the ending entirely. And yet... why does it move my heart so much? This is what it means to have your heart stolen. How should I put it, I was able to experience a happy despair (laughs).

- Even though it should be bloody, it is not that scary

Since they fight by swinging chainsaws around, there is basically a lot of blood, but those who are not good with horror should rest assured. First of all, perhaps due to the clever design, I don't think you will feel dizzy even in scenes where blood sprays everywhere. Also, because of Denji's personality, the battle scenes don't really get that heavy (personally, that's what I like about Chainsaw Man). Even I, who get scared by Demon Slayer, can handle it, so I think most people will be fine with this movie at least.

3. It depicts the universal theme of interacting with others (or so I thought)

・Do people change their way of life through encounters?

I think one of the interesting things about Chainsaw Man is that it carefully depicts "interaction with others" (such as "can you become friends with devils and fiends?").
I felt that this Reze Arc delves into whether "one's way of life changes" through mutual interaction.

What was particularly impressive was the story of the "country mouse and the city mouse" that appears as an allegory in the film.
Perhaps people's ways of life are sometimes restricted by those with more power than themselves. However, what might really be keeping them in the same place is "the self that has lost the courage to see another world."

In this movie, the Angel Devil is depicted as the buddy of Aki (Denji's senior). This time, he is a character whose feelings change significantly through his interaction with Aki. I liked the scenes between Aki and the Angel Devil in the Reze Arc in the original work, but they became even more impressive after seeing them on screen.

As a result of small events piling up, life sometimes changes significantly. I felt that there was a possibility that characters like Denji and the Angel Devil and their enemies could have been in the opposite position at some point, and I was trembling alone at the depth of the Reze Arc...

・What is the meaning of having romantic elements in a battle manga?

In the course of living, we sometimes meet people who have a profound influence on us. I had been wondering, "Why are romantic elements firmly included in battle manga?" but after watching the movie, I felt like I saw the answer somehow. Human relationships are an activity of influencing each other and living together. A romance that starts between two people can be said to be the smallest unit of human relationships.

It seems that the Reze Arc has surpassed 400 million in box office revenue just one day after its release.

(Personally, this banner behind at the stage greeting reminded me of La La Land, and I was able to soak in the afterglow.)

I personally thought that the reason for its popularity is that in addition to the coolness of the battle scenes, it delves into universal themes like "building relationships with others" and "how to choose a way of life."

Summary

The beauty and coolness of the depiction, and the scene development that never gets boring. And the interaction with others.

It was a deep movie that made me think about various things.

Of course, for those who already like Chainsaw Man, and for those who haven't seen it yet, please go see it at the movie theater! 💣