Chainsaw Man -Reze Arc- is the kind of story I want to, one day, have the capability to tell.

Chainsaw Man -Reze Arc- is a genuine masterclass in how to adapt a manga. The Reze arc, in its original format, was already by far the most cinematic and blockbuster-like thing Chainsaw Man had ever done: the chaos, the explosions, and even the goddamn Sharknado homage were pure Hollywood trash film energy. And it was even crazier how short that arc was - just 14 chapters you can read in a single night.

That’s why the direction impresses so much. The pacing stretches the story just enough to fit into a 1h40 movie. You can split the film into two sides: on one side, Denji and Reze’s innocent romance; on the other, the inevitable reminder of how bloody, chaotic, and treacherous the world of Chainsaw Man can be. The twist that kicks off the entire second half hits like a punch to the gut, reminding Denji and the audience that this is not a world of simple happy endings, even if that’s the desire that lingers as we watch the protagonist be, for the first time, free from his forced responsibilities.

Speaking of which, the pool scene. Everyone talks about how wonderful it is, but it was only when rewatching the movie that I understood something so fundamental about it. Denji’s hesitation to “jump into the pool” is tied to “I’m going to betray Makima,” and at first we’re led to believe it’s Denji’s dirty mind thinking that going to the pool with someone else is cheating… but in truth, it’s because that act is his rebellion against his life as a Public Safety worker.

That small act is the trigger for Denji to finally feel like a real teenager. He experiences a “frivolous” moment where he just has fun, without risking his life to obtain even the most basic things. He feels the young, genuine love of someone who liked him for who he is. His hesitation isn’t “betraying the woman he loves,” but “betraying the control she imposed.” Someone said Makima’s presence is felt throughout the entire film, from the opening sequence with images of her iris everywhere to the scene where she listens to Reze sing, and I’d argue Makima’s presence is strongest in the pool scene, because it’s the moment she and Denji truly part ways even if for a while.

Reze’s presence is “short” if we consider this is the only arc in Chainsaw Man where she’s actually developed, and even so, her screen time is more than enough. We don’t fully know her life before she stepped into that phone booth and met Denji for the first time, but what we do see is enough to understand how much they’re just two poor kids being turned into puppets. A certain ambiguity is later worked into her character and the actions she took throughout the film, but just looking at everything she “unnecessarily” did is enough to reveal her true side. It’s through understanding her that the film cements itself even more as a heartbreaking tragedy.

The worst part is that Reze, by herself, represents exactly what Denji experienced at the beginning of the film with Makima in the movie theater: she is that one movie that makes him feel something real, that one magical story that steals his breath and makes his heart ache… and also the one that ends before he even understands what he truly felt. She’s the kind of character that continues to haunt not only the narrative, but the viewer as well.

In terms of writing, this arc is the moment Chainsaw Man establishes itself as a truly special work. The previous arcs are fun, but in some ways simplified and limited by the need to introduce and familiarize us with the world, not that this is a bad thing. The Reze arc is when we begin to understand the true humanity running through Fujimoto’s storytelling, where people find purpose in one another amid a blood-soaked world where life, and even death, holds almost no value.

The animation and soundtrack are phenomenal. They manage to balance madness, cartoonish energy, and horror in spectacular fashion, delivering an experience that goes beyond reading the manga and instead feels like riding an unpredictable roller coaster. One moment you’re watching a triple explosion mid-air battle, the next you witness a devil devouring people in a wall shot in a perspective so quick it feels almost like found footage, and then you see two formerly suicidal souls rediscovering the value of life after losing so many people. It’s the kind of movie that makes you feel everything, reviving the true experience that drives a person to a movie theater.

Of all the films released this year that I’ve watched so far, I honestly can’t discuss any of them with the same depth that Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc offered me. It reminded me of how much I love Chainsaw Man, how much Tatsuki Fujimoto inspires me as a writer, and how few works manage to be as human as Denji’s story in his pursuit of happiness.