A talk show featuring the production staff of the film version of Chainsaw Man, Reze Arc, based on the popular manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, was held at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) on January 31st, with Director Tatsuya Yoshihara, Assistant Director Masato Nakazono, and Music Director Kensuke Ushio appearing. They spoke about the behind-the-scenes of the production.
The film has been a huge hit, grossing over 10.4 billion yen in the 134 days since its release on September 19, 2025. Director Yoshihara commented, "I've received an incredible response from the public and the media, as well as from those around me, and I'm both very happy and surprised." This is Yoshihara's first time directing an animated feature film, and he reflected on the production, saying, "The things I put effort into were no different from the TV series. I basically told each staff member about my selfish requests, and they reflected them and helped me realize my dreams."
Director Yoshihara said, "I like seeing and reading about the unique scenes in Chainsaw Man," and added, "In this work, I feel that the staff was able to capture the cool moments, such as the beam scene at the beginning and during the battle, as well as the mellow parts that make you chuckle, and I think they were able to pull it off." He also revealed that they added more cute scenes featuring Denji in the work, saying, "I drew too many faces in the storyboards, which put a strain on character designer Sugiyama (Kazutaka) and the animators, but I think it turned out really well in the end. Looking at the finished screen, I thought that Denji might have ended up being cuter than Makima..."
In this work, the main character, Reze, has captivated many fans. Director Yoshihara said, "The most effective thing about adapting this into an anime was Reze's everyday acting, her gestures, and the fact that you would miss her if you blinked. Combined with Reze's acting by (Reina) Ueda, I think we were able to portray a more attractive woman."
Assistant director Nakazono, who was in charge of the date scene between Reze and Denji, revealed his difficulties, saying, "I tried to find the right balance between making her appear truly attractive to the main character, Denji, and also making her appear simply cute to the audience. In the school scene after the date, we get a glimpse of the suspenseful aspects and Reze's true nature. In the fireworks scene on the hill, your true feelings are also revealed. The aspects of the character that are portrayed change depending on the part, so it was difficult to create a good gradation so that it didn't feel out of place."
"Chainsaw Man" is a dark hero action story that follows Denji, a boy possessed by a demon, as he works as a devil hunter. Part 1 was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) from December 2018 to December 2020. Part 2 has been serialized on Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump +" since July 2022. The total number of copies of the comics published has exceeded 34 million.
The "Reze Arc" is the story of Reze and the main character, Denji, who also appeared at the end of the TV anime that aired from October to December 2022, and became a hot topic. While Denji is excited about a date with his crush, Makima, he takes shelter from the rain and meets Reze, a young girl who works at a cafe. The film is directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, who was the action director for the TV anime, and produced by MAPPA. It was released on September 19, 2025, and has been a long-running hit. There is also talk of a sequel to "Reze Arc," titled "Chainsaw Man: Assassin Arc," being produced.
