Wrapping Up 2025: Chainsaw Main [Chainsaw Man-The Movie: Reze Arc] from S.H. Figuarts: Chainsaw Man by Bandai Namco/ Tamashi Nations

 

   Last year I didn't just get into One Piece; I also took an interest in Chainsaw Man, too. Like I've said a few times before: Apparently, getting into anime is my midlife crisis. I grabbed a few of the manga volumes out of curiosity and really like them. I liked them enough that I read past the Reze Arc in the manga and then picked up some of the figures here and there, too. I've watched all of the Chainsaw Man anime available currently and I'm waiting for the movie to hit physical media  or streaming at some point before I watch it (I still cannot bring myself to purchase a "digital" film). Apparently the movie did quite well, so I'm optimistic we will see a physical release sometime soon. If you're not familiar with Chainsaw Man and the main character, Denji, the titular Chainsaw Man, keep reading. I'll try to throw the main points into the review. The manga and anime are both quite good and kind of remind me of something like Hellboy and the other BPRD books. Ready to check out the newest S.H. Figuarts figure of Chainsaw Man? You already know this one made my 2025 "Best of the Rest" list, so that means this one is pretty good. Join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 5 5/8ths inches

Articulation: Toe hinge, swivel/ hinge ankles, balljointed "shoe," double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips with lateral H-hinges, balljointed waist, abdomen hinge, balljointed mid-torso, swivel pull cord, balljointed upper shoulders, balljointed mid shoulders, balljointed lower shoulders, bicep swivels, double swivel/ hinged elbows, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head. 

Accessories: 2 mouth plates and 6 swappable hands (2 pieces each).

Year of Release: 2025

Non-Scalper Price: $72 -$80 dollars

The Positives:

* This is a great looking figure. While the S.H. Figuarts range of products typically has excellent articulation, they also have really good sculpts that match the source material perfectly. Chainsaw Man is no exception. So, for those unfamiliar with the character, who is he? He's Denji, a guy who grew up as an orphan hunting devils for the yakuza. His only friend was a cute little chainsaw devil named Pochita. One time, when Denji was betrayed and seemingly on the verge of death, Pochita gave Denji his heart, allowing Denji to live but also gain the powers of Pochita and the ability to turn into the Chainsaw Man. Here, Denji has really let loose with his shirt ripped open. Denji's already a limber, lanky guy, but the extended blades of his Chainsaw Man form really make him look more sinewy and fearsome.

* The portrait is awesome. When Denji transforms his head takes on the shape of a humanoid chainsaw, thus his head looks like the housing of a chainsaw with glowing yellow eyes behind the grill and sharp, almost mechanical looking teeth. Oh, and a giant chainsaw blade growing right out of his forehead. The detail is incredible and the vents on his head that cover his eyes are cut, allowing you to see his eyes from within. The sculpt and paint on each tooth is also really impressive. 

* Here's a closeup of the blade. It looks far more menacing than your standard chainsaw blade with uneven, spiky like teeth on it. It's also longer. The paintwork is great here with a realistic mechanical look to the blade and chain and some impressive looking blood. When you're a Chainsaw Man whose job it is to hunt devils for the Public Safety Devil Hunters, you tend to get pretty bloody.

* Here's a look at the back so you can see the engine and handles for Chainsaw Man's head. The next is also really weird, almost with lizard-like skin? It's an interesting texture when compared to the mechanical makeup of the chainsaw. 

* Chainsaw Man has a swappable faceplate with his teeth wide open and his tongue hanging out. Actually, it's just the teeth and mouth, so the lower half of his face, but it's pretty gnarly. This open mouth with insane teeth makes posing him a lot of fun. 

* The tongue on that second swappable lower portrait? It's articulated! The tongue can swing back and forth, making taking pictures of this guy just a ton of fun. He looks so wild and intense!

* Guess what? The pullcord on Denji's chest (which is Pochita's tail) swivels, too! How neat is that? It's a cool little feature for sure.

* The arm blades on Chainsaw Man are wicked. They're long, covered with uneven blades and teeth, and are covered in blood. They grow out from his arms, bisecting his forearms and hands, which is such a weird look but an incredible cool one. These look absolutely fearsome.

* Denji's shirt is ripped open, untucked, and has a bit of shadowing on it to really give it the appearance that it's whipping around and flowing to and fro while in battle.

* The shoes aren't anything crazy but they look accurate to the show, have treads on the bottom, and they're impressively articulated. Besides the toe hinge, there is a swivel/hinge joint leading into the show, giving Denji some vertical and lateral movement, and then a balljoint in cuff of his jeans to allow for some solid ankle movement.

* The articulation is excellent and nicely blends form and function. There's some excellent movement in the legs and torso while the shoulders have some rather unusual articulation that is incredibly intricate. He can cross his arms with one saw over the other like seen in the show or the manga. That head and neck are also incredible, allowing for some crazy poses. There's a lot of character here and the articulation really helps to bring it all out. Everything feels pretty sturdy (the only part to take serious care with seems to be the pullcord) and most parts seem designed to pop out of socket with too much pressure rather than break. 

* Swapping hands on Chainsaw Man is really weird. He has six hands, each of which splits into two halves. One side has a peg that fits through the chainsaw coming out of his arm and the other has a slot, connecting both halves of the hands around the blade. There's a pair of hands with straighter fingers, a pair with grasping fingers, and a pair of fists. 

The Negatives:

* My only complaint with this Chainsaw Man figure is that it's pretty easy to see the covered shoulders right next to the torso, underneath the shirt. Does that make sense? I wouldn't be as bothered by this on a less expensive figure but S.H. Figuarts releases typically have some impressive engineering, so it feels like a bit of a misstep. In most neutral poses or poses where the arms are closer to the torso it's not an issue but it does look off in poses where Denji is flailing his blades about. 

   Overall, S.H. Figuarts figures are typically on the pricier side. There are more expensive lines out there, sure, but these definitely fall into the mid-range pricing most of the time. As a figure, I love this guy. He's really fun and definitely captures the wild and unhinged vibe of the character; Chainsaw Man is essentially a living weapon and this figure captures his wild and erratic movements perfectly. Does he feel like he's a $70 to $80 dollar figure? Not quite; he's a bit light on the accessories compared to many other S.H. Figuarts releases. It's also odd that he's the main character but gets a higher price (here's an interesting look that tries to explain how Bandai Namco/ Tamashi Nations likely price these) while usually the main characters are priced lower to attract new collectors. Still, I really do like him. Factoring in his price he takes some hits, sure, but he's still a Great figure and I'm thrilled to have him on my shelf. 

This is the first figure of Chainsaw Man/ Denji (technically Pochita, too, I guess) that I've reviewed on the site.