Reflections on the Water: Animenz’s Piano Journey Through Chainsaw Man Sound Track, 'In the Pool'
- Yeoul Choi
- Nov 8
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 10
If you’re into Japanese anime, Chainsaw Man is one you simply can’t miss. Created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the series has been running in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2019 and is still continuing today. The story begins with Denji, a boy who unexpectedly gains the strange ability to transform and becomes a devil hunter. From there, he’s thrown into a world full of terrifying devils, unpredictable twists, and emotional chaos.
Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc (September), focuses on Denji’s encounter with the mysterious girl Reze, exploring love and confusion in greater emotional depth than the original series. Denji falls in love with Reze but plunges into deep despair after realizing that Reze was, in fact, an assassin trained in the Soviet Union to obtain the Chainsaw Man's heart. However, contrary to her initial goal, Reze genuinely enjoyed the time she spent with Denji in an ordinary daily life.
Out of the many scenes showing Reze and Denji’s date, the pool scene is one of the most beloved by fans. The track In the Pool is played during this moment, and its lyrical atmosphere, blending synth sounds, piano, and orchestra brings a deeper emotional resonance to listeners. We can definitely say that it is one of the most lovely and attractive soundtracks in the film!
Featuring Pianist’s Language from Animenz’s piano arrangement of “In the Pool”
Animenz’s piano arrangement of “In the Pool” masterfully captures the emotional depth and atmospheric subtlety of the original soundtrack. Through his virtuosic technique and impressionistic use of color, he intended transformation of the vibe of pool scene in the film into a vivid and cinematic musical narrative. Are you ready to look into the Animenz’s piano version of “In the Pool”?
“The film’s cinematography was so striking that I wanted to capture it through a musical lens - treating the piano like a camera that paints light and movement. My approach here is more impressionistic: textures and harmonies blur like reflections on water, blending storytelling with sound.”
- Animenz
Also, His arrangement displays a remarkable variety of water-related sonorities — at times evoking the delicate resonance of dewdrops, and at others, unleashing the turbulent energy of a rushing current through the piano’s full dynamic and registral range.
The Intro: Reflection On the Water
In 1:16 (Intro to Section A), Animenz brought “water illusions” concept into music with the upward arpeggio scales, creating a completely new figuration that differs from the original soundtrack.”. This technique was inspired by composers like Ravel and Debussy, who often painted shimmering water scenes through sound. Please watch the video (Claude Debussy's Reflection on the Water) that I've attached, were you able to figure out the similar figuration to Animenz's? The rapid, rising motion of the arpeggios creates the impression of light gliding gracefully across the surface. It’s as if the notes themselves are reflecting and refracting, much like ripples on water.
In Section F (in 1:49), Animenz quoted the melody of Chopin’s Prelude Op.28 No. 15. This piece is named ‘Raindrop Prelude’ because the repeating single notes (Ab) idea sounded like falling raindrops. Interestingly, Chopin’s prelude Op.28-15 shares the same key as ‘In the Pool’. This soft and gentle dropping sound incredibly fits not only within the music but also the story of Reze and Denji. In the music, this passage makes a perfect transition towards the next section, as well as its gentle resonance foreshadows the raindrops, which began to fall right after the pool scene.
Explosive Sound and Ringing Emotional Climax
In Section G, the overall dynamic from this section bursts into full fortissimo, starting by striking the lowest bass key, A, and sweeping rapidly across half of the keyboard in cascading arpeggios. This section G features exploiting the piano instrument’s entire range very effectively making the full orchestral effect.
As an arranger, Animenz himself mentioned one of the most iconic visuals from the film depicts Reze standing in the pool, extending her hands toward Denji in a gentle yet inviting gesture — a promise that she will teach him everything he does not know. The scene’s cinematography, bathed in sparkling water and faint moonlight, conveys a dreamlike intimacy.
The piano version translates this visual into music through delicate, high-register figurations at the beginning of section K (3:35), crafting a shimmering pianistic texture that hovers above the melody like light reflected on the surface of the water. These filigree lines evoke both the tenderness of the moment and the transient nature of its beauty.
Epilogue
Reflecting the film’s final scene, the original soundtrack concludes on an unresolved chord, leaving a sense of tension and incompleteness. In his arrangement, Animenz extends this moment by introducing an epilogue section (Section N), effectively recomposing the ending. The sorrowful melodic line articulates Reze’s regret, gradually slowing and fading as it ascends through an A minor harmony. The line then resolves into C# minor, diminishing to an extremely soft ppp (pianississimo) dynamic, creating a delicate, almost imperceptible closure. Through these harmonic and dynamic choices, the arrangement mirrors the film’s melancholic resolution while adding an intimate, reflective musical perspective.
Conclusion
Animenz’s piano version of In the Pool goes beyond simply following the film’s OST; it delicately translates the emotion and atmosphere of the animation into music. Do you remember the sparkling, subtle passages that shimmer like light on water, and the intense, rushing waves that sweep through the scene? Animenz creates a compelling contrast between these dramatic dynamics, making the arrangement engaging and vividly expressive in pianistic language. Moreover, it’s undeniably enjoyable to play. If you want to relive the movie’s scenes through the piano and feel their emotions firsthand, click this link to check out the sheet music!
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Nice post