Anime has become so popular in America that even a film about a teenage boy with a chainsaw sprouting out of his head can top the box office. The U.S. release of Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc marks the second time this year that a Japanese-language animated feature opened at No. 1 following the historic $70.6 million opening of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle in September.
Chainsaw Man — an R-rated feature-length continuation of the 2022 TV series — revved up a $17.3M gross, slicing and dicing other wide-release offerings, including the Jeremy Allen White-led Bruce Springsteen biopic, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. Coupled with its overseas grosses, the film has now banked $108 million worldwide. The movie is distributed domestically by Sony, which also owns the streaming service, Crunchyroll, where the series premiered.
Here’s everything to know about Chainsaw Man as it continues to flex its might in the U.S. and abroad.
What is Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc about?
Chainsaw Man is based on the manga series by Tatsuki Fujimoto and centers on 16-year-old Denji, who inhabits a 1997 version of Japan that’s full of supernatural beings called "devils.” Reze Arc is the direct sequel to the first season of the anime adaptation overseen by the celebrated Japanese animation studio MAPPA, which previously made the much-loved Attack on Titan.
As established in the series, Denji is a lonely orphan working for the Yakuza in order to fulfill his late dad's debts. His soul companion is Pochita, a chainsaw-wielding devil dog that he had since childhood. After being betrayed by his employers, Denji is murdered by the demons he’s been tasked with killing but brought back to life by his trusty pet. Upon his resurrection, Denji becomes a "Fiend" — a regenerative human/devil hybrid capable of transforming his body into a chainsaw to combat destructive devils.
After he exacts his revenge, Denji is taken in by a Men in Black-style group of fellow outcasts, including Aki, a solemn swordsman with a tragic backstory, and Power, a self-centered, cat-loving blood fiend. The first season ended with Denji fighting Katana Man who, you guessed it, has katanas for limbs.
Reze Arc begins the day after the season finale and finds the hormonal Denji making a possible love connection with a student named Reze. Through that relationship, the film speculates about what might have happened if he had attended school as opposed to becoming the employee of a devil-hunting organization.
Is there an Oscar in Chainsaw Man’s future?
Chainsaw Man currently has a 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, but its Oscar prospects may not be so sharp. Though the film is visually stunning, the lack of an in-movie recap of the series requires the viewer to be completely caught up on the story so far. Furthermore, those who are unfamiliar with the source material may be surprised by Denji’s immature interactions with women — despite the story’s remarkably sophisticated analysis of his arrested development.
It's also likely that numerous voters in the animation branch haven't seen Chainsaw Man before, making this movie their first exposure to the franchise. Furthermore, the Academy has never nominated an animated feature previously based on a TV show. Sony seems to recognize the hurdles, putting more time and effort into Demon Slayer’s Oscar campaign. Unlike Chainsaw Man, that film does dedicate time to instructing new viewers about what happened on the show.
What’s next for Chainsaw Man?
Even if an Oscar is out of reach, the worldwide success of Reze Arc demonstrates the public's appetite for more Chainsaw Man content. While a Season 2 has yet to be announced, the hope is that Denji and crew will eventually be back to adapt more of the manga's ongoing storylines. For now, fans and newcomers to the franchise can revisit the series on Crunchyroll, where the movie will debut once the theatrical window closes.
