Released on September 15, 2025, as part of his 16th double A-side single IRIS OUT / JANE DOE, Kenshi Yonezu’s IRIS OUT serves as the main theme for Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc. More than just a tie-in, the track pushes boundaries in sound and lyrical violence, representing Yonezu’s bold artistic evolution.
In this article, we’ll explore the lyrics meaning and analysis of IRIS OUT, focusing on its themes of obsession, morality, and chaos, while also connecting it to the film and broader cultural commentary.
Song Overview
- Title: IRIS OUT
- Artist: Kenshi Yonezu
- Release Date: September 15, 2025 (digital), September 24, 2025 (physical)
- Single: IRIS OUT / JANE DOE (double A-side with Hikaru Utada collaboration)
- Tie-in: Theme for Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc
- Genre: Punk-inspired J-pop with chaotic orchestration
- Theme: Obsession, morality vs. desire, and the violence of love
Lyrics Breakdown
Intro / Opening Lines
Japanese: 誰誰誰誰誰誰誰誰… 君だけは適用がよとせしかないかけ方
https://utaten.com/lyric/ks25070443/
Romaji: Dare dare dare dare… kimi dake wa tekiyō ga yotoseshikanai kakekata
English: Who, who, who, who… but only you fit the way I gamble everything.
The fragmented opening repeats “dare” (who) obsessively, symbolizing confusion and singular fixation. The world collapses until only “you” remain.
Verse 1 – Grotesque Obsession
Japanese: あばらの奥をザラメが溶けてゲロになりそう
https://utaten.com/lyric/ks25070443/
Romaji: Abara no oku o zarame ga tokete gero ni narisō
English: Rock candy melts inside my ribs, about to turn into vomit.
The imagery is violent and bodily. Love here is not idyllic—it is visceral collapse. Yonezu intentionally chooses grotesque metaphors to express how desire overwhelms reason.
Pre-Chorus – Between Morality and Philosophy
Japanese: 脳みその中から「やめろ馬鹿」と喚くモラリティ
https://utaten.com/lyric/ks25070443/
Romaji: Nōmiso no naka kara “yamero baka” to wameku morariti
English: From inside my brain, morality screams, “Stop, you fool!”
Reason and restraint fight back, but the pull of desire is stronger. This battle between morality and philosophy is central: the self torn between rational limits and uncontrollable passion.
Chorus – Overwhelming Fixation
Japanese: 今この世で君だけ大正解
https://utaten.com/lyric/ks25070443/
Romaji: Ima kono yo de kimi dake daiseikai
English: In this whole world, only you are the right answer.
The chorus elevates “you” to absolute salvation, yet this worship leads to ruin. This duality mirrors Denji’s relationship with Reze in Chainsaw Man: salvation and destruction intertwined.
Verse 2 – Collapse of the Self
Japanese: バラバラなる頭とこの身体 / 聖動脈からアイラブユーが吹き出て
https://utaten.com/lyric/ks25070443/
Romaji: Barabara naru atama to kono karada / seidōmyaku kara I love you ga fukidete
English: My head and body shatter apart / “I love you” spurts out from the aorta.
Love explodes as violence. The grotesque, medical imagery turns romance into dismemberment. Desire literally tears the self apart.
Bridge – Drowning in Obsession
Japanese: 瞳孔バチ開いて溺れ死にそう
https://utaten.com/lyric/ks25070443/
Romaji: Dōkō bachi hiraite obore jinisō
English: Pupils blown wide, I feel like I’m drowning.
The body becomes the battlefield. Desire manifests as physiological collapse, echoing Yonezu’s stated intent to make this track “more violent than KICK BACK.”
Themes & Interpretations
- Violence of Love: Love here is destructive, overwhelming, tearing reason apart.
- Obsession and Duality: The “you” is both savior and destroyer, mirroring Denji and Reze’s paradoxical relationship.
- Morality vs. Desire: The lyrics dramatize an inner war—ethics screaming against uncontrollable passion.
- Oshi Culture Commentary: Yonezu also links this duality to modern fandom, where idols are worshiped as pure yet desired sexually—a cultural contradiction.
Sound and Performance
Musically, IRIS OUT rejects the dynamic rollercoaster of KICK BACK. Instead, it is a straight “free fall”: explosive, linear, and sudden.
- Vocals: Yonezu employs growls and rapid falsetto shifts to embody collapse and madness.
- Instruments: Uneasy piano lines, layers of saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone), and percussive “scissor-like” metallic sounds intensify chaos.
- Aesthetic: Punk energy fused with orchestral chaos, calculated to destabilize the listener.
The sound design mirrors the lyrics: fragmented, violent, and obsessive.
Title Meaning – “Iris Out”
In film, an “iris out” is a closing shot where the screen darkens from the edges until only a central circle remains. Here, it symbolizes Denji’s narrowing world: everything collapses until only Reze remains.
Yonezu mirrors this in structure: the song “bursts in, runs straight, and ends abruptly”—a musical iris out.
Connection to Anime
The song functions not just as a theme but as emotional embodiment of Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc. Denji’s obsession with Reze—his first taste of “love”—is both salvation and trap. The track sonically enacts this collapse into fixation, making the audience experience his spiral.
FAQ – Behind the Lyrics of IRIS OUT
What does “IRIS OUT” mean?
It’s a film technique where the screen narrows to a circle. Here, it symbolizes obsession: the world collapsing to focus only on one person.
Is “IRIS OUT” just a Chainsaw Man tie-in?
No. It reflects both the anime’s story and Yonezu’s broader commentary on obsession and fandom culture.
Why are the lyrics so grotesque?
Yonezu intentionally uses violent imagery to express how love and desire can feel destructive and uncontrollable.
Conclusion
Kenshi Yonezu’s IRIS OUT is a visceral masterpiece: grotesque yet poetic, chaotic yet precise. By rejecting comfort and embracing violence, Yonezu transforms obsession into art.
As both a Chainsaw Man anthem and a cultural critique, the track will be remembered as a landmark in his career—his boldest step into dangerous, uncharted territory.
👉 What about you—do you hear IRIS OUT as a love song, a horror story, or both? Share your interpretation below.
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