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A pair of youngsters experience a private, tender instant at the neighborhood secondary school’s open-air pool after hours. As they float together, hanging beneath the stars in the quietness of the night, the sequence captures the ephemeral, heady excitement of adolescent love, utterly engrossed in the present, consequences forgotten.

Approximately 30 minutes into The Chainsaw Man Film: Reze Arc, it became clear these scenes are the core of the film. Denji and Reze’s love story became the focus, and all the contextual information and character histories previously known from the series’ first season turned out to be largely irrelevant. Although it is a official entry within the franchise, Reze Arc offers a more accessible starting place for first-time viewers — regardless of they missed its single episode. The approach has its benefits, but it simultaneously limits a portion of the tension of the film’s narrative.

Created by the original creator, Chainsaw Man follows the protagonist, a debt-ridden fiend fighter in a universe where Devils represent particular dangers (including ideas like Aging and obscurity to terrifying entities like insects or World War II). After being deceived and killed by the criminal syndicate, he forms a contract with his faithful devil-dog, his pet, and returns from the deceased as a chainsaw-human hybrid with the power to permanently erase Devils and the terrors they signify from existence.

Thrust into a brutal struggle between devils and hunters, Denji encounters a new character — a charming coffee server concealing a deadly secret — sparking a heartbreaking clash between the pair where affection and existence collide. This film picks up 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 manipulative boss, his employer, compelling him to choose between passion, faithfulness, and survival.

A Self-Contained Romantic Tale Within a Broader Universe

Reze Arc is inherently a lovers-to-enemies plot, with our fallible main character Denji becoming enamored with his counterpart almost immediately upon introduction. He’s a isolated young man looking for love, which renders him unreliable and up for grabs on a first-come, first-served. As a result, in spite of all of Chainsaw Man’s complex lore and its extensive cast of characters, Reze Arc is highly self-contained. Director Tatsuya Yoshihara recognizes this and ensures the love story is at the forefront, rather than bogging it down with unnecessary summaries for the uninitiated, particularly since such details really matters to the overall plot.

Regardless of the protagonist’s flaws, it’s difficult not to feel for him. He’s after all a teenager, fumbling his way through a reality that’s distorted his understanding of morality. His desperate longing for affection portrays him like a infatuated puppy, even if he’s likely to barking, biting, and making a mess along the way. Reze is a ideal match for him, an compelling seductive antagonist who finds her prey in our protagonist. Viewers hope to see the main character earn the affection of his affection, despite she is obviously concealing something from him. So when her true nature is revealed, audiences can’t help but wish they’ll somehow make it work, although internally, you know a positive outcome is never really in the cards. Therefore, the stakes don’t feel as intense as they ought to be since their romance is fated. It doesn’t help that the movie acts as a direct sequel to the first season, leaving minimal space for a love story like this among the darker events that fans are aware are coming soon.

Stunning Visuals and Artistic Craftsmanship

The film’s graphics effortlessly combine traditional animation with computer-generated settings, providing impressive visual appeal even before the action begins. From vehicles to tiny office appliances, digital assets add depth and detail to every shot, making the animated figures stand out beautifully. In contrast to Demon Slayer, which often highlights its digital elements and shifting settings, Reze Arc uses them less frequently, particularly evident during its action-packed finale, where such elements, though not unappealing, become easier to identify. Such smooth, ever-shifting backgrounds make the film’s fights both spectacular to watch and surprisingly easy to follow. Nonetheless, the technique excels most when it’s unnoticeable, enhancing the dynamic range and movement of the 2D animation.

Final Impressions and Wider Considerations

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc serves as a solid starting place, likely resulting in first-time audiences satisfied, but it also has a drawback. Presenting a self-contained narrative limits the stakes of what should feel like a expansive animated saga. It’s an example of why following up a popular television series with a film isn’t the optimal approach if it weakens the franchise’s overall narrative possibilities.

Whereas Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle succeeded by tying up several installments of anime television with an grand movie, and JuJutsu Kaisen 0 sidestepped the issue entirely by serving as a prequel to its popular series, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc advances boldly, perhaps a bit recklessly. But this does not prevent the film from proving to be a enjoyable time, a terrific introduction, and a unforgettable romantic tale.