Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc Is a Gorgeous Entry Point for New Fans — But Longtime Fans May Feel Cheated
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is a theatrical adaptation of the Reze storyline from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man franchise. The film follows Denji and Reze’s relationship, continues the story after Season 1, and was directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara with animation produced by MAPPA.
Overview
The film is titled Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc and adapts the Reze portion of the manga. It is a canonical entry that takes place after the events of the anime’s first season. Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto remains the original author of the source material, while Tatsuya Yoshihara is credited as the film’s director. Additionally, MAPPA handled the animation production.
Story and continuity
The plot centers on Denji — a protagonist who becomes a chainsaw-human hybrid after making a pact with his devil, Pochita — and his relationship with Reze, a character introduced as a barista who later reveals a significant secret. The Reze Arc is a self-contained lovers-to-enemies narrative that moves the franchise forward by continuing directly from Season 1.
Because the film follows Season 1, it assumes knowledge of earlier events such as Denji’s resurrection, the existence of Devils, and his ties to other characters like Makima. As a result, the film focuses closely on the Reze storyline rather than rehashing wider series lore.
Key characters
Key figures depicted in the film include:
- Denji — previously introduced in Season 1; his transformation into a chainsaw-human continues to be central.
- Reze — introduced as a barista and later revealed to have a hidden nature linked to the conflict.
- Makima — referenced as a figure influencing Denji’s loyalties, consistent with earlier episodes.
Visuals and animation
The film combines traditional 2D animation with 3D models for environments and objects. These 3D elements are used to add depth to scenes such as vehicles and background items. During large-scale action sequences, the 3D assets are more noticeable, while ordinary scenes rely primarily on 2D character work.
MAPPA’s production integrates moving backgrounds and layered imagery to enhance motion and camera dynamics. Image credits associated with promotional materials list MAPPA and Sony for visuals and distribution details.
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Accessibility and structure
The film presents a self-contained narrative that focuses on the Reze storyline, and therefore it provides a concentrated entry point into this part of the franchise. Because it continues directly after Season 1, viewers who have not seen the season may miss references to prior plot events, while newcomers can still follow the central relationship-driven plot.
In production terms, the film does not act as a crossover tying multiple seasons together; instead, it adapts a specific arc and advances the franchise’s timeline accordingly.
