The Tragedy of Reze: Wanting Peace in a World That Made Her a Weapon
Spoliers: Chainsaw Man (The Movie: Reze Arc)
We meet Reze in Chainsaw Man and I swear everyone immediately has hope for Denji. Compared to everyone else, Reze was a breath of fresh air. She’s funny, gorgeous, patient, attentive, but a threat nonetheless. We didn’t realize at first that she was after Pochita’s heart instead of Denji’s. We were made to feel that Reze was coming in to be someone that would grow to care and love for Denji. That’s the trick. Chainsaw Man lets you believe in her just long enough for it to hurt.
Instead, she was a bomb.
No literally. She tried Nuking him several times within the movie.
She lured him into a false sense of security along with the people watching. Throughout the movie she still seemed to care for Denji, but because of their 2 different lives, where were they supposed to find the lives they deserved?
Sometimes the most difficult thing is loving someone you’re not supposed to love according to everyone else.
When she came running into the phone booth while it was raining. Then, by inviting Denji to the cafe we get to see many things that are desired. The little moments that make you say, yea I understand why Denji is drawn to Reze so much. She has many qualities that Denji didn’t even realize he wanted until it was right in front of him. Honestly we can also say the same for Reze. That Denji has qualities that she is looking for as well.
Reze wouldn’t have even batted an eye about killing Denji if she wasn’t attracted to him in any way.
When at the school we see her flirting by pretending to be a little scared, then seeing if she could hold Denji’s hand. Then having them “play” school that leads to us seeing the more curious side of Reze. She wondered if it was depressing to admit out loud that he’s never gone to school. Not understanding why he would risk his life everyday to kill Devils and deal with public safety service, then to be a normal 16 year old making friends and joining school clubs. Later, we learn that is exactly what she wants.
But as watchers we don’t realize why this is so relevant until the very end.
We get Reze being bold, carefree, and more of her wholesome side in the pool scene. Asking Denji to just trust her to be able to teach him things he’s never learned before. Then when they get out they’re waiting for the rain to clear and we get the question. Country mouse or City mouse? She prefers the country mouse, but given the circumstances she’s a city mouse. It’s explained that the country mouse lives a safe life, but doesn’t get to eat good food like the city mouse. The city mouse even though they get good food, they are always in danger. Reze in that moment gives us a sneak peak on what she truly desires.
Reze just wants a peaceful life. You can tell that she isn’t somebody that cares about luxury things. In my opinion that makes her more desirable because she doesn’t care about money or riches.
Soon after, we get a little slice of who Reze truly is. A soldier that is trying to succeed at a goal, while being patient.
Transferring to the roof top where a man working for another devil tries killing Reze. She quickly kills the man and takes back control of the situation. Along with getting the other devil to obey her. During this scene we even get more information on Reze, but don’t get the full meaning until the very end. For instance, did you realize she started singing in Russian while killing the man? I would like to think that she started singing to comfort the man for a little while before it was lights for him. We could also take that as her trying to stay calm or comforting herself though a stressful situation. Everyone could have assumed that this was only for self defense, while questioning how the hell she could move like that without some sort of training. Especially if you didn’t read the manga!
The fact that Reze can flip a switch like there is no tomorrow. From the time she killed the man on the roof to the time she got back downstairs to Denji. She was 2 different people.
Later that week Reze and Denji were at the fair. Now this is where things start to get very interesting and really start ramping up. Here you see her being playful and care free, like she has no plans for destruction. You can tell during this moment in the movie that as much as she is showing Denji a different side of life. We can say that Reze is even showing herself that there could be a different life to her outside of being a devil.
That all changes when we reach the Firework scene, she asks Denji to run away with her. But quickly she gave up that thought when she realized the moment he wasn’t going to go with her. Reze was willing to throw everything away to protect him and one day both of them could go to school.
She truly liked Denji.
BUT!
His hesitation showed her that she wasn’t the only one he cared for.
It feels safe to assume Reze was taught how to read people during her Soviet training. So when realizing he wasn’t choosing her, she abandons her plan to run away with Denjii.
She kissed him under the fireworks.
SHE BITES OFF HIS TOUNGE.
Reze is at this moment truly her devilish self. You can see it in the way she stands and the way her eyes roam over Denji. It’s like the hearts that were in her eyes are completely gone. Almost as if all hope was lost, never to return. Leaving Denji and everyone watching in a state of shock where she has full access to cut his heart out. Well, Pochita’s heart. Where we find out literally seconds after that she is actually…
The Bomb Devil.
Reze’s true self makes an appearance.
When I say she is still breathtaking it’s no lie. Her head transforms into a bomb, her arms are covered with black gloves of some sort, her legs in these black thigh high boots, then still having a version of the white button up, and a black tanktop with black shorts. As accessories she has a belt that has a long front drape that is full of ammunition.Then we have her choker which is actually the safety pin of the bomb. After the outfit change we get to the fight scenes.
She moves with precision as an atomic bomb would, while her guard is up constantly. Well not fully because Denji and Beam are able to escape. Reze is able to catch up to them at the training facility where she plays a damsel in distress to get closer to Denji. When she realizes her tactics will not work she proceeds to use her head as a “grenade” to blow up the building. Reze is absolutely feral by killing and then continuing to eat some of the victims. She does all of this to get Denji back. You can tell when she tries to get Aki to hand him over that she doesn’t really want anyone else to get hurt though.
When Denji finally gets up she tries tricking him, while also having some truth to her words.
“I really do have feelings for you Denji, That wasn’t me pretending before.”
Reze in that moment finds out who the other person Denji actually cares about. Calling Makima a witch that has him on a collar. How does she even know who Makima is? In my opinion this is when she breaks while also caring to teach him how to fight with a purpose. This woman is truly someone that no one should be messing with and shows that time after time. Her as Bomb is very precise, but gives me the thought of her not fully wanting to go all in for the kill. I say that because even though she’s going full in trying to get Denji where she wants him, she’s still teaching him through the whole fight.
When fighting Aki and Galgali she tries saying it is unfair for it being 2 against 1. Is this Reze trying to trick them or is this her not wanting to hurt more people? Let’s think about this a little deeper. Although the fight was devastating, I believe that Reze probably pulled back on her hits. Let’s be honest about what kind of Devil she is. The Bomb Devil. Not just a normal bomb at that, she is an atomic bomb. Therefore realistically she could have destroyed everything and the fight would have been over in an instant. For some reason, she used a fuse string in front of Denji when she could have easily just blown everything up. Why did she not just flick her fingers to destroy everything in that moment? She tends to be very strategic about how she takes her shots though.
Tatsuki Fujimoto has said “Reze felt pain every time she exploded, so she didn’t really like fighting in the first place.” And if that is true, it makes the whole fight feel different. Every explosion isn’t just power, it’s her forcing herself through something she never wanted to do.
For a Devil like her, that hesitation says a lot.
This one specific part where they’re right by the water and Denji is able to wrap his chains around both of them. She could have easily gotten out of that with a blast. There is a part of me that wants to hope that was her way of just giving up, to be able to be close to Denji maybe? When they are in the water it flashes back to the pool scene and then when they hit the bottom you can see Reze relax against him. Which makes me question when she realized she had some types of feelings for him. Was it during that pool scene and is that why it was brought back into the light? That is what I would like to think.
Given everything she loved him and just seemed done with fighting.
Even when they wake up on the beach Reze could have easily started fighting again. Instead she decides to just leave town without Denji.
The next day after waiting for the train she changes her mind and starts going back for Denji. In my opinion you can see the chains breaking off Reze the closer she gets to the cafe. The entire movie she walks like a soldier, but when she sees the cafe she starts to run. Representing her, setting herself free. Letting herself finally choose something she wants and needs.
Reze chose Denji, just as He chose her.
Sadly she probably thinks that he set her up.
She is stopped by Makima from fully making it to the cafe. Reze was really only a couple steps away. Sadly Reze ends up not being able to stop the inevitable and is sadly killed. While she is dying we then find out that she had never gone to school either. That’s when she thinks she didn’t kill Denji in the first place because he was the only other person she met who was more like her. A “kid” that didn’t go to school along with being used as a weapon for other people’s gain.
Reze was ready to give herself the life she deserved.
And
It was ripped away.
What is your favorite Reze moment and why?
If Reze broke your heart a little too, the Tavern’s always open. ☕
Chainsaw Man is available to watch through official releases and home media.
