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Two teenagers experience a private, gentle moment at the neighborhood secondary school’s outdoor swimming pool after hours. As they float as one, suspended under the stars in the stillness of the night, the sequence captures the ephemeral, exhilarating excitement of adolescent romance, utterly caught up in the present, consequences forgotten.

Approximately half an hour into The Chainsaw Man Film: Reze Arc, it became clear such moments are the core of the film. The love story became the focus, and every bit of contextual information and character histories I had gleaned from the anime’s initial episodes proved to be largely irrelevant. Despite being a official entry within the franchise, Reze Arc offers a easier starting place for newcomers — regardless of they haven’t seen its single episode. The approach brings advantages, but it also hinders some of the tension of the film’s narrative.

Developed by the original creator, Chainsaw Man chronicles the protagonist, a debt-ridden Devil Hunter in a universe where demons represent specific evils (ranging from ideas like Aging and obscurity to terrifying entities like insects or World War II). After being deceived and murdered by the criminal syndicate, Denji makes a pact with his faithful companion, his pet, and returns from the deceased as a part-human chainsaw wielder with the ability to completely destroy Devils and the terrors they signify from existence.

Plunged into a brutal conflict between demons and hunters, the hero meets a new character — a charming coffee server concealing a deadly mystery — igniting a tragic clash between the pair where love and survival collide. This film continues right after the first season, exploring the main character’s relationship with Reze as he grapples with his feelings for her and his loyalty to his manipulative superior, Makima, compelling him to choose between desire, faithfulness, and survival.

A Self-Contained Romantic Tale Within a Broader Universe

Reze Arc is inherently a romance-to-rivalry plot, with our fallible main character Denji becoming enamored with his counterpart almost immediately upon introduction. He is a lonely boy seeking affection, which makes his heart vulnerable and up for grabs on a first-come, first-served. As a result, despite all of Chainsaw Man’s complex lore and its extensive ensemble, Reze Arc is very self-contained. Filmmaker Tatsuya Yoshihara understands this and ensures the romantic arc is at the center, rather than bogging it down with filler recaps for the new viewers, particularly since none of that really matters to the overall storyline.

Regardless of Denji’s flaws, it’s hard not to sympathize with him. He’s still a teenager, stumbling his way through a world that’s distorted his sense of morality. His desperate longing for affection portrays him like a infatuated dog, although he’s likely to barking, snapping, and causing chaos along the way. Reze is a ideal match for him, an effective femme fatale who targets her mark in our protagonist. Viewers hope to see Denji earn the affection of his love interest, even if Reze is clearly hiding something from him. Thus when her true nature is unveiled, audiences cannot avoid hope they’ll somehow succeed, even though deep down, it is known a positive outcome is never really in the cards. As such, the stakes don’t feel as high as they should be since their relationship is fated. It doesn’t help that the film acts as a direct sequel to the first season, leaving minimal space for a love story like this among the more grim developments that fans know are coming soon.

Breathtaking Visuals and Technical Execution

The film’s visuals seamlessly blend traditional animation with 3D environments, providing stunning visual appeal prior to the action begins. Including vehicles to small office appliances, 3D models enhance realism and texture to every scene, allowing the animated figures stand out beautifully. In contrast to Demon Slayer, which often showcases its 3D assets and changing backgrounds, Reze Arc employs them more sparingly, particularly evident during its action-packed finale, where those models, while not unattractive, are more apparent to spot. Such fluid, ever-shifting environments render the film’s battles both spectacular to watch and remarkably easy to understand. Still, the technique excels most when it’s unnoticeable, improving the vibrancy and movement of the 2D animation.

Final Impressions and Broader Considerations

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc functions as a good starting place, probably resulting in new fans pleased, but it additionally carries a drawback. Telling a self-contained narrative limits the stakes of what should feel like a sprawling anime epic. It’s an example of why following up a successful television series with a movie isn’t the optimal approach if it weakens the series’ general storytelling potential.

While Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle found success by tying up multiple seasons of animated series with an epic film, and JuJutsu Kaisen 0 avoided the issue completely by serving as a backstory to its well-known show, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc advances boldly, perhaps a slightly foolishly. But that doesn’t stop the movie from being a great time, a terrific introduction, and a unforgettable love story.