Ryan Colt Levy has been screaming, bleeding, and going into spirals for so many years now as Denji, the feral and chainsaw-wielding lead of Chainsaw Man, but with Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, he discovers that the scream is always in a whisper.
The movie, opening strongly at No. 1 in the U.S. box office and universally acclaimed, propels Denji into unexplored emotional spaces of friendship, love, and a broken heart. Denji’s journey proved challenging for Levy as well; it was more than just exploring another acting range.
Discovering Denji’s Gentle Side
Levy describes that “the Reze arc allowed him to tap into the Denji that the dedicated fan base knew was there all along, even if they didn’t get to see much of that Denji.”
“The quiet moments are actually my favorite to play,” Levy states. “When I first read the manga years ago, I connected to Denji’s depth, even if he struggles to understand it himself, and knew this arc would really showcase the sensitive little boy lost in this chaotic world.”
This is the tenderness of Denji and Reze’s relationship, where the connection is measured not only by degrees of destruction but also by gentleness. Levy found inspiration for this in his own experiences.
“I’m no stranger to heartbreak and feelings of inadequacy,” he continues. “He’s dealing with so many feelings for the first time, all at once, which can be as exhilarating as it can be devastating.”
When the Phenomenon Became Real
Although the success of Chainsaw Man can only be described as colossal, according to Levy, the extent of the success did not become apparent until a considerable time before the anime aired.
“I remember being at different conventions and seeing people in Chainsaw Man cosplay at least a year before the TV series was even announced,” he says.
A fan of the manga series, Levy was aware of its cultural significance. But what transpired was beyond anything he could have expected.
“The last three years have been an extraordinary roller coaster,” he says. “Seeing the movie get such high marks and so much love has been absolutely surreal.”
But this success also brings newfound confidence. Levy now trusts Denji more than he did before.
“Having so many people believe in and champion us as we take the story further has been an incredible gift,” he continues. “More than ever, it makes me want to give every fiber of my being to make those who love this story feel seen.”
From Guitar Strings to the Recording Booth
Levy was a musician with Braheves before becoming a voice actor. This has been cited as influencing the way he performs.
“I was a singer and guitarist at 12,” he continues. “All those years helped me build an internal awareness of rhythm and dynamics.”
This musical background carried over well into voice acting, where emotion and physical energy have to exist only in the audio realm. Levy did have to unlearn a thing or two.
“As a songwriter, I was so used to overthinking,” he confesses. “In anime, you have such a quick turnaround that you have to become surgical in your performance with intense confidence. It’s been a really liberating experience.”
Resetting Between Worlds
His resume includes a wide range of genres and levels of tone, from Solo Leveling to Moriarty the Patriot and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. However, the technique he uses to maintain distinctness between characters is surprisingly simple.
“For me, acting is less about putting on a personality and more about giving over to what the character needs,” he says. “You let their physicality and personality seep in, and hopefully you can make those choices honestly.”
Doubt, Despair, and the Compulsion to Create
Named one of the up-and-coming forces in modern voiceovers, recently featured in Forbes, Levy explains that this recent success doesn’t negate the negative experiences he had before this recognition.
“Both in the band and while pursuing acting, I had so many moments of doubt,” he continues. “It’s a strangely masochistic endeavor being a creative person aspiring to have a career.”
The one thing that kept him going, he declares, was not optimism but needs.
“In a weird and beautiful way, it’s like I never had a choice,” Levy says. “I love creating and playing in the forever sandbox. Even in the deepest, darkest moments, the desire to do the thing was always stronger than any will to give up.”
In The Reze Arc, this drive becomes honed to a cutting edge and molds a Denji who hurts, hopes, and loves with a raw honesty. Levy sees this as evidence that, beneath the chainsaws and the bedlam, there has always been a human story in Chainsaw Man.
