Crunchyroll Lets Fans Watch Full Anime Series Free to Celebrate Movie Release
Crunchyroll is giving fans a chance to catch up on the popular anime Chainsaw Man ahead of the release of its upcoming movie.
The streaming service has made the entire first season available for free on YouTube, including the English dub.
The video runs for nearly five hours, giving viewers plenty of time to follow Denji’s story from the beginning or revisit key moments with the Chainsaw Devil. You can check it out here.
The release is timed to lead into Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc, which hits theaters in North America on October 24th.
The film continues directly from the first season, introducing Reze as a new character who brings fresh challenges and a surprising love triangle for Denji.
Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc, directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara and written by Hiroshi Seko, is a dark fantasy action film produced by MAPPA. It is a direct sequel to the anime’s first season and adapts events from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga series.
The movie premiered in Japan on September 19, and performed strongly at the box office. On opening day, it sold over 272,000 tickets, earning roughly ¥420 million (around $2.8 million). During its opening weekend, the film sold 807,000 tickets and earned ¥1.251 billion (approximately $8.46 million), topping the Japanese box office and ending Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle’s nine-week streak at number one.
Everyone’s after his chainsaw heart.
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) September 10, 2025
For the first time, see Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc exclusively in movie theatres October 24. Watch the subtitled trailer now. #ChainsawManMovie pic.twitter.com/bujBhMfzp8
The movie is set to release in select Asian markets starting September 24 and will roll out worldwide by October 24 through Crunchyroll in partnership with Sony Pictures Releasing. Fans can now stream the first season online to prepare for the Reze Arc storyline in theaters.
This is a smart move by Crunchyroll. Making the full season free not only builds hype for the movie but also gives new fans a chance to jump in without feeling lost. What do you think about Crunchyroll offering the entire season for free? Share your thoughts in the comments.