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When your hero is a guy with a chainsaw for a face and hands, it could be easy to lean into the mindless action that fans might expect. However, no one can accuse Chainsaw Man of being a shallow, straightforward story, and the latest trailer for Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc highlights the emotional depth that sets the series apart from other action anime out there and sets up Denji as a victim of manipulation in the film.

No one can accuse Tatsuki Fujimoto of being particularly subtle with his writing in Chainsaw Man, as fans of the manga will already know. However, the Reze Arc has always been where he shifts from showing Denji as an immature man-child into a vulnerable young man who has been manipulated by those in power and, of course, capitalism.

“Everybody’s after my Chainsaw Heart!” Denji declares in the trailer. “What about my heart? Denji’s heart?” It is a not-so-subtle reminder that among the gorgeously animated action (and, yes, the animation from MAPPA is off the charts here) is a tale of someone who is in a lot of pain and who doesn’t know who to trust.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc follows on from season one of the anime, with Denji falling for a young woman named Reze in a world filled with devils and monsters for him to fight. We won’t give any spoilers for those who haven’t read the manga, but it is safe to say that the two have an explosive relationship.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is out in cinemas on September 19, 2025 in Japan and on October 24, 2025 in the US.

Each week, Popverse's resident anime expert Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included... 

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