There’s a motorized blade on his face and adolescent hormones course through his body, as he fights villainous entities bent on causing harm to humans. Sixteen-year-old Denji (voiced by Kikunosuke Toya) has never attended school, but instead works as a public security devil hunter (he is part demon, part human). Alongside the protagonists of “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle,” he joins the chorus of anime paladins taking on evil adversaries on the big screen this year.
But before “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” shows him in his monstrous form, Denji’s teenage insecurities and romantic woes come to the forefront. From director Tatsuya Yoshihara, the first film from the popular series, itself based on the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, immerses us in an already established universe – as films based on animated series tend to do.
Context clues might help those with minimal knowledge of “Chainsaw Man” understand that in this reality, demons with superhuman powers pose a constant threat. Otherwise, all of this is mostly recognizable as being the same as our world. Designed to satisfy existing fans, not so much to gain new sidekicks, “Chainsaw Man” can still entertain because, at first glance, the concept and plot don’t seem too complex.
An awkward boy, Denji nervously agrees to go out with his boss, Makima (Tomori Kusunoki). Their date is akin to an homage to cinema, as they spend an entire day hopping from one movie theater to another. She has strong opinions about the quality of films, he worries that nothing seems to move her. It wasn’t until watching an arthouse film late at night that they both fully discovered the power of the medium. So far, while there’s little information about these characters and their connection, “Chainsaw Man” plays like a teen comedy-drama, and it stays that way for a third of its running time.
The fact that Makima disappears during most of the remaining drama and chaos reiterates the episodic quality of the film. It’s likely she’ll just return in the next TV chapter, so her absence isn’t alarming. A central love triangle emerges, at least in Denji’s enthusiastic mind, when he meets Reze, a waiter at a local cafe. Her obvious interest in him is enough to reciprocate. But she may not be who she says she is. Evocative animation, with subdued blue hues and soft lighting, conveys the charm of their quick connection in a scene where the two swim together in a pool at night. It’s also here that a few glimpses into Denji’s mind show sexually suggestive images of Makima and Reze, as he struggles to decide who to be loyal to, making it clear that a mature audience is the target.
When Reze reveals himself to be the extremely violent Bomb Devil, a hurt Denji realizes that she doesn’t want to win his heart, but literally cut it out of his chest. The necklace she wears is the safety pin she can pull to blow herself up, just like Denji pulls the jumper cord on his chest to become Chainsaw Man, both are clever character design details. “Chainsaw Man” sporadically checks into a separate storyline with Denji’s co-worker Aki (Shôgo Sakata) and a haloed Angel Devil (Maaya Uchida), offering even less detail about the pair’s relevance other than a shocking undercurrent of nihilism. As Reze’s violence escalates, all the “good guys” come together to form a united front against the malevolent Reze.
The bodies of deceased civilians litter the streets as blood piles up – decapitations, dismemberments and bodies exploded into liquid flesh – while buildings and other structures collapse. It’s a war zone. Fundraisers for victims of devil attacks, apparently common in this reality, recognize the number of deaths left behind by these supernatural clashes. This is more than can be said for the “Avengers” films, where the destruction that results from the numerous clashes is not addressed.
A whirlwind semi-final showdown takes place inside a sentient evil typhoon and gives way to an even more frenetic montage as Denji in the form of Chainsaw Man rides his unwanted sidekick, an anthropomorphic shark, to defeat Reze. The action here moves at lightning speed with fiery explosions and non-stop chaos invading the screen via an impressive amalgam of fluid character animation and high-octane effects. The second half of this epic melee between good and evil resembles an endless sequence of increasingly deadly battles.
“Chainsaw Man” ultimately reaches a more emotional resolution, proposing that the attraction between Denji and Reze was perhaps mutual (could a devil fall in love?), only to turn around and end on a gruesome note that delivers swift and brutal justice. For someone steeped in the characters and lore, watching animated films like this must give the satisfaction of seeing familiar screen friends on a larger adventure and canvas. For the uninitiated, however, it’s like catching up with a train that left the station a while ago, and he might not be very interested in getting on board anyway.
