For those unaccustomed with the mega-hit anime, it might be difficult to imagine watching something called Chainsaw Man for the plot. But in the big-screen adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s wild dark fantasy, the delicate storytelling ends up being just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes that the series has become known for. And fortunately, for those who might not have seen the first season of the anime, it isn’t quite a prerequisite to understand what’s going on.
The beginning of the film does a solid job of foregrounding the motivations of the squad of devil hunters: Denji’s loneliness and romantic frustration, Makima’s quietly controlling nature, Aki’s weariness. In fact, it’s the way that these characters develop throughout Reze Arc that gives the film staying power and a surprising amount of emotional depth.
