Notable Cast: Kikunosuke Toya, Reina Ueda, Shiori Izawa,
Tomori Kusunoki, Shogo Sakata, Fairouz Ai, Karin Takahashi, Natsuki Hanae,
Yuuya Uchida, Maaya Uchida
The first season of the Chainsaw Man anime absolutely
had me hook, line, and sinker. I was so taken by its strange tonal balances,
cinematic moments, and the sheer lunacy of its violence and tragedies that I
ended up purchasing every volume of the manga. And I purchase each new volume
on day one of its release in the US. But the anime is now three years old, no
season two has come, and the animation studio behind it seemed far more
interested in other projects than continuing on with the sensational
anime.
Turns out, they were working on a theatrical film to
continue the animated adaptation. Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc is
perhaps a perfect distillation of everything fantastic about the Chainsaw
Man anime. It’s a relatively tight package —a shorter story arc within the
larger story — that distills all the tonal insanity, gory action, and emotional
collateral damage of the series into an impressively crafted feature-length
film that exemplifies the modern anime film.
Its most significant hurdle is that Reze Arc isn't
going to hand-hold newcomers to the Chainsaw Man story. There is no
recap, no explanation of the world, and it definitely requires audiences to
remember where the first season left off. It’s not taking the time re-introduce
characters or anything. So buckle in. While some may see this as a flaw, for those—like
myself—who watched the anime, it’s a perfectly viable choice that trusts its
audience to leap in and reward them for the work they’ve done.
With that said, Reze Arc is truly a continuation in
so many ways. The tonal shifts from its slightly juvenile slapstick humor to
the horrific violence of its action to the heart-wrenching romantic plot is
going to play like gangbusters for audiences prepared for it. The manner in
which director Tatsuya Yoshihara threads the needle on it, though, is some of
the best tonal navigation that the series has ever seen. While some of the more
outlandish characters, like the fiend Power, are sidelined for most of this
story, its protagonist, Denji, still showcases his youthful inexperience and
exuberance, allowing the film to find its balance in special ways. For every
moment that seemingly feels like juvenile humor, Reze Arc pops in two or
three moments of a truly emotional coming-of-age story that hits like a ton of
bricks, and it's impressive to say the least.
The relationship between Denji and his new love interest,
the titular Reze, is so perfectly paced that it feels like it could have been
stricken from one of the best romantic comedies of the 80s. The chemistry of
the two characters is palpable, which is necessary for the emotional wreckage
that slices through its final act. And while this romantic plot certainly
powers the narrative engine, the film smartly does include a smaller subplot
for Denji’s co-worker Aki and his new partner Angel. While, again, if you
haven’t seen the TV show then this arc will seem insane, the parallels that it
creates with Denji and Reze’s arc is perfectly aligned and adds push and pull
of how the characters interact with with the emotions of their predicaments.
It’s not a huge plot, but it’s impressively woven into the themes in smart
ways.
Naturally, though, Reze Arc is an animated feature, and that stylistic choice is crucial for the story and characters. Simply put, the animation is GORGEOUS. The elements of psychedelia that become more apparent as the film continues, particularly in its explosive and dynamically styled action of the third act, create this world where the emotions at the core of the story warp the physical and logical. The film does not hesitate to delve into the bleakness and darkness of its characters and narrative through its animation, but, just like all things Chainsaw Man, it manages to have its tragedies powered by hope. The animation regularly reflects this in some potent ways with its splashes of color and the bounce n’ stretch of its movements. By the end, the balance of a fireworks-lit kiss and the rivers of blood in typhoon winds is both as effective as one could hope.
As a side note, it should be mentioned that while Kenshi
Yonezu once again provides two songs for the film’s soundtrack—the opening
titles with “Iris Out” and his duet with Utada for the credits song “Jane Doe”
— the score and song choices are also used to incredible effect. The heavy
metal riffs that rip through at the beginning of the primary fight, or the
spastic jazz elements of “Iris Out” that introduce the chaos of the characters
in this world, make the OST perhaps the hidden MVP of the film.
While my expectations for Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze
Arc were relatively sky high due to the source material being one of my
favorites from the manga and how well the first season came out, it’s almost
more shocking that the film manages to exceed those expectations on every
level. One of the best stories of the manga for Chainsaw Man rightfully
makes its way to the big screen, and it's worth every rip-roaring minute of its
screen time. Gorgeously animated, impeccably paced, and heart-wrenchingly
emotional at its core, Reze Arc is everything great about the first
season of Chainsaw Man trimmed for artistic and tonal punches and cuts.
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