The little details of Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc released this year. We loved it a normal amount. And ever since it hit digital platforms, Mappa’s adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s crazy manga about a boy with a chainsaw for an arm and head seems almost illegal to own and watch whenever you want.

Naturally, after rewatching the film about 10 times (silly numbers, we know), we discovered little details that make an already phenomenal film truly even better upon rewatch. Here are five little details about Arc de Rezé that put our brains in a perpetual loop of producing happy and melancholic chemicals.

All the references, the naughty animation sequences and the pretty impactful frames

Arc de Rezé is a bunch of brilliant moments in both innocuous and obvious places. Key among them are cared for references to Fujimoto’s other works, Goodbye Eri and his one-shot 17-21 as posters during the opening song; impact frames showing Pochita’s giant orange dog head; and a black and white sequence which, without fail, puts the Uzumaki it’s a good episode of anime that puts you to shame.

Somehow the film manages to go above and beyond with a litany of cinematic references without feeling derivative, while still honoring Fujimoto’s unbridled love for cinema-something that The opening of the 2022 anime went brilliantly. Among Arc de RezéThe pop culture references are nods to:

• Constantine
• Band apart
• We
• 28 days later
• Sallie Gardner galloping
• We must save Private Ryan
• Sharknado
• Blue spring
• Léon: the professional
• No country for old people
• Battle Royale

Reze’s reluctance to fight Denji to the death

It doesn’t take a genius to discern that the Bomb Devil, aka Reze, makes a lot of explosions in the Chainsaw man movie. It’s such an obvious point in the film that the official X/Twitter account posted a teaser showing how many explosions she used. With the literal explosion of animation being a key selling point for fans of impact frame anime and sakuga, Fujimoto shares the little detail in the accompanying booklet aimed at Japanese audiences that she actually feels. immense pain every time it explodesand that she prefers to avoid conflict, adds a whole new layer of texture to her as a character.

When you can watch it on repeat, the explosions are UNLIMITED.

Be one of the first to bring home the lively event that audiences love. The sub and dubbed versions of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc are (continued) https://t.co/3naL4DMY5v pic.twitter.com/0u1vtiZMw2

– Chainsaw Man FR (@Chainsaw_EN) December 9, 2025

In this context, when she removes the pin from her choker necklace, exploding in her Bomb Devil form (a character design that the manga has yet to surpass); propels itself forward in oxidizing explosions; or blows his head off and throws it like a grenade, it is an immensely painful act of passion for Rezé.

That it’s all spurred on by her feeling rejected for putting herself in danger, knowing he worked for devil hunters, and asking Denji to run away with her – with the added sting that Makima (whose motivations the anime has yet to divulge, but the film hints is the most unwelcome) is the reason Reze would go to any lengths to at least kill his sweetheart – is romantic in a messed up way. And boy, did she put Denji in a blender for the entire movie.

But in the film’s freeze-frame moments where she’s running tens with Denji, Mappa went out of her way to show that Reze was still avoiding hurting Denji even though she was beating his ass to the point that he was trying to rev his engine, believing he had been preemptively cooked.

She kicks his legs, using her forearms and the palms of her hands in many cases, which will surely hurt him, but knowing that he can regenerate, the only thing that will kill him is taking his heart. In an impact image, she can be seen avoiding punching even as she turns her fist into a missile, piercing his ribcage. This is all very romantic, we swear.

The pool scene

The pool scene will likely be ripe for dissection until the heat death of the universe. It’s an intimate scene in which Reze teaches Denji how to swim, a life skill that will help him survive. Aside from being a racy scene where they skinny dipped, it also draws on the vulnerability of the whole moment – a moment in which she drops her manic pixie dream girl veneer to express genuine sadness at the thought of Denji being happy with a minimal existence. An existence, mind you, in which she also feels trapped as a child soldier.

This, coupled with the fact that their moment is juxtaposed with the image of a spider trapping a butterfly in its web (a clever analogue for their entire relationship), only for both to be killed by a tsunami, is as clear a metaphor for their summer romance as any. Seeing Denji take a moment to sniff the chlorine on his skin, a sensation he’s never felt before because he’s never been in a pool, is heartwarming to watch again every time.

And although Reze claimed at the end of the film that she had learned to blush and that her flirting was just an act, she still voluntarily chose to put herself in a weakened state, dousing herself in water, so that she couldn’t transform into the Bomb Devil to kill Denji like she claims she wanted to do the whole time. However, for a moment, the scene, staged to perfection by series composer Kensuke Ushiowas perfect for Reze and Denji.

The countdown

You know how office buildings in cities sometimes use their lights to write a holiday message that people can see as they pass by? GOOD, Arc de Rezé I did it too, in the most instantaneous way possible. Towards the climax of the film, Denji and Reze have a standoff where the two jilted lovers slowly raise their arms as we frantically pace them back and forth.

In the background, a giant building counts down to their big “draw” moment. It even stays at zero while Denji performs his wacky chain maneuver to defeat Reze. This is probably one of the most minor details in the film that doesn’t make logical sense, as the entire city descends into disaster movie pandemonium. We can’t imagine office workers would be brazen enough to do this while a giant baby engulfs the city in a tsunami. Still, it’s a flourish where Mappa’s animators clearly had fun thinking of every possible way to elevate the film’s coolness.

Lyrics and performance of “Jane Doe” by Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada

The thought of Chainsaw man opening theme artist Kenshi Yonezu and the regent of J-pop Hikaru Utada work together onJane Doe», the final theme of Arc de Rezécould make an anime fan’s brain explode. Their song features Yonezu’s gruff vocals as Denji, while Utada’s restrained but emotional vocals portray Reze. As a final note to the film, the pensive love song continues to resonate with the emotional anguish and longing of its doomed lovers, and learning more about the musicality of Utada and Yonezu’s song only adds a layer of beauty to the film’s ending theme.

Things I learned from intentionally hurting myself while scrolling through YouTube videos of professional musicians breaking down the science and artistry of their songs: The call and response in its bridge feels less like a duet and more like colliding lyrics. As they harmonize, Yonezu continues alone, just as Denji does at the end of the film.

Where are you? (I am here)
What are you doing? (I always looked out for you)
Let’s fill this world with errors
Stay by my side, let’s have fun
Where are you?

Another thing I learned was that Utada used a vocal technique called “pop scoop” (or vocal scoop)in which a performer sings a note below which they intend to slide their pitch to. Musically, their decision perfectly reflects how Reze will be superficial before inevitably breaking down her walls and getting serious about her feelings for Denji.

Likewise, Yonezu would use something called a head voicethe high register, while occasionally cracking a mixed vocal (a mix of head and a richer chest voice) as he sings his emotional lyrics throughout the song.

This, too, is a perfect depiction of Denji’s struggle to understand the dangerous feelings swelling in his heart towards Reze, his attempt to keep up with him, and his momentum in his unbridled emotional expression. For a character who wonders if he has a heart or mind to think for himself, Yonezu did a superb job putting these messy feelings into song.

Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg of the little details we’ve made a mountain of from our rewatches of Arc de Rezé. Feel free to express in the comments all the interesting details of the film that you are currently excited about in the meantime. Chainsaw manThe second season of.

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