<\/p>\n
This post contains<\/em> major spoilers<\/em><\/strong> for “Chainsaw Man \u2013 The Movie: Reze Arc.”<\/em><\/p>\n Shonen manga\/anime (action-fueled stories that are primarily aimed at a young male demographic) have always had a female character problem. Even the most promising, well-written arcs often feature female protagonists who are reduced to their sexuality or their status as a love interest. In cases where they’re afforded a bit of depth, they’re deliberately written as helpless or underpowered to strike a contrast with the aspirational heroism of their male counterparts. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but this glaring issue has been normalized enough to have evolved into an expected trope<\/em>. While more mainstream shonen entries are veering away from such clich\u00e9s<\/a>, it is rare to see genre examples with complex, well-written characters across the board.<\/p>\n Tatsuki Fujimoto’s “Chainsaw Man” manga has broken the mold since its first serialized issue, setting both Makima and Power up as Denji’s potential love interests, only to completely subvert expectations. Fujimoto’s brilliantly layered storytelling deserves all the credit<\/a> here, as Denji was never meant to be a conventional shonen protagonist, even though he fulfills the mantle of “hero” in certain ways. Even beyond Makima and Power, every female character introduced in the manga (so far) is afforded nuance without being typecast into gendered roles. As Reze is also given the same treatment, this sets “Chainsaw Man \u2013 The Movie: Reze Arc” apart from most genre entries, in which female characters still<\/em> struggle to stand on equal footing.<\/p>\n Reze is presented as the sweet, playful love interest who helps Denji form his first formative experience of adolescent love \u2014 but this is only a front to hide something more twisted and tragic.<\/p>\n