Chainsaw Man Fans Fume as Demon Slayer Nabs Golden Globe Nod
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle scored a Golden Globe nomination, but not everyone’s celebrating. Chainsaw Man fans are up in arms after Reze Arc was left off the list. What’s behind the snub?
There’s been a stir in the anime world after Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle landed a nomination for the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. While plenty of punters are chuffed about the recognition, a vocal crowd of Chainsaw Man supporters aren’t too happy. They’d been hoping to see Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc get a look-in, and the omission hasn’t gone down well.
Golden Globes’ Picks Spark Debate
The official word from the Golden Globes came out recently, listing the contenders for Best Animated Motion Picture. The line-up included Arco, Zootopia 2, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, KPOP Demon Hunters, Little Amelie, and Elio. These are all big names in animation, but the absence of Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc has left some fans scratching their heads, especially since the film was a massive hit in Japan and its theme song, Iris Out, topped the local charts for weeks.
Plenty of anime fans reckon Reze Arc deserved a spot, pointing out its seven-week run as Japan’s top film and its impressive return on investment. Social media’s been buzzing with takes like:
– #1 movie in Japan for 7 consecutive weeks
– earned $175M on $4M budget [44x ROI]
– #1 film on MAL
– #2 film on AniList
– Best animated sequence of the year
– Iris Out No. 1 on Japan Billboard
Chainsaw Man Reze Arc is best animated film of the decade
Others have praised the animation studio MAPPA for their work, with one fan saying:
Mappa COOKED with this movie so unbelievably hard
There’s even speculation that Crunchyroll’s focus on pushing Demon Slayer for the Oscars may have left Chainsaw Man out in the cold:
The thing is Crunchyroll CEO said they want to take Demon Slayer Infinity Castle all the way to Oscars. So Chainsaw Man Reze Arc is not gonna be taken together to avoid any competition.
Some reckon Demon Slayer’s film is just a string of episodes, while Reze Arc offers a proper cinematic story:
Demonslayer is amazing, but it’s basically 6 episodes in a row that will release individually later. Reze is a proper cinematicly paced story.
Box Office and Critical Reception
Despite the outcry, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’s numbers are hard to ignore. It pulled in over $780 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2025 and the top non-English film in the US. It’s also the highest-grossing Japanese and R-rated animated film to date. Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc, while not matching those figures, still managed a hefty $174 million on a much smaller budget, showing just how strong its following is.
What’s more, the return on investment for Reze Arc is nothing to sneeze at. With a reported budget of just $4.1 million, the film’s success highlights the franchise’s growing popularity and the loyalty of its fans. Both films have scored well with critics and audiences, with IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes ratings neck and neck, and My Anime List users giving Reze Arc a slight edge.
Franchise Futures and Fan Hopes
While Demon Slayer has made a bigger splash internationally, Chainsaw Man is quickly gaining ground. The franchise has plenty of room to grow, and if it keeps up the momentum, it could one day overtake its rival as the top anime series of the generation. For now, both films are available to stream, and the debate among fans shows no sign of slowing down.