For over a decade, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood reigned supreme as the undisputed king of anime, often cited as the perfect blend of emotional storytelling, philosophical depth, and explosive action. But time catches up with even the greatest. A new generation of anime fans, raised on a faster pace, darker themes, and cinematic spectacle, has found a new champion.
This champion is Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. The theatrical release scheduled for 2025 has not only electrified audiences around the world, but has now officially dethroned Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as the #1 action anime on MyAnimeList, with an astonishing average rating of 9.17. For fans, this isn’t just a passing trend, it’s a changing of the guard, and Chainsaw man leads the new golden age of anime.
The Chainsaw Man’s Rise to the Top
As of October 26, 2025, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc sits proudly at the top of MyAnimeList’s action anime rankings, beating out Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and even Gintama: the finale. Its dominance isn’t limited to fan ratings either, as critics have also rallied behind the film, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting an impressive 96% approval rating and a near-perfect 99% audience score.
Part of that success is the film’s perfect balance of brutality and heart. The Arc of Rezé brings back Denji, the blood-soaked devil hunter, in a tragic love story that perfectly encapsulates Chainsaw for men characteristic mix of chaos and vulnerability. The film’s breathtaking animation, courtesy of MAPPA, elevates each fight to an emotional crescendo, in the kind of storytelling that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood once defined, now reinvented for a modern audience.
More than anything, Chainsaw for men the victory symbolizes a change in what anime fans enjoy today. Or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood thrived on classical heroism and moral order, Chainsaw man thrives on emotional disarray and raw, unfiltered humanity in a world where love and violence coexist. It’s not just a story; it is the mirror of the public which crowned him king.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has not lost its luster and is far from being so. Its 2009 remake remains a masterclass in pacing, world-building, and emotional bonds of brotherhood. But as the anime landscape evolves, so do audience expectations. Today’s viewers crave unpredictability and darker reflections of the human condition, the qualities Chainsaw man book in abundance.
The dethroning of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is not a failure, but a natural evolution of taste. Just as Freezing: beyond the end of the journey briefly took first place in 2024, Chainsaw for men Rise signals a renewed thirst for complex cinematic storytelling. These are not just trends, as they represent the growth of anime from niche entertainment to a full-fledged, emotionally resonant art form.
If Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc holds his crown remains to be seen. But for now, Denji and Reze stand where Edward and Alphonse once stood. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodat the top of anime history. And for a generation of fans who crave both heartbreak and hellfire, that’s exactly where they belong.
