
Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp Anime Movie Evaluate
Although anime compilation movies are not new, Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp is not a TV program mashup. Instead, it is a compilation of three movies: Kizumonogatari Parts 1 and 2 (Tekketsu, Tekketsu, and Nekketsu, respectively), and Kizumonogatari Part 3 (Reiketsu, (2017). Furthermore, this compilation film performs well considering its poor reputation. It’s the finest single compilation movie I’ve ever watched, and I’ve seen a lot of them. In fact, I would say that.
This is the result of a kind of perfect storm. In terms of length, the first three Kizumonogatari movies are somewhat brief—64, 69, and 83 minutes, respectively. In spite of this, I seem to recall that when I was watching them, each of them seemed a little bit dragging at times—as if there wasn’t quite enough plot to cover the running length. Koyomi Vamp is a film that, at around 150 minutes, skims the fat. All all, just roughly an hour of film ends up on the cutting room floor.
Because of the already unique editing technique that the Monogatari series is renowned for, the film nevertheless works very well despite its cuts. Sudden temporal leaps that seem entirely natural are followed by short memories that provide us with the background knowledge we need to understand the present circumstances. The cuts not only maintain a steady pace for the tale, but they also center the whole picture on Araragi, Hanekawa, and Kiss-shot. (The vampire hunters only make brief appearances throughout their battle sequences.)
The battle with Episode and the scenes leading up to it were the only parts of the movie that really seemed hurried. Much of the drama and suspense around Hanekawa and what happens to her is missed since the setup, climax, and end of that section of the tale occur so near to one another. This tale need more breathing room than it now receives.
Koyomi Vamp has excellent visuals, which is to be anticipated given that the three films that comprise it all have excellent visuals. The film’s greatest claim to fame is its use of extreme violence to create humor, transforming violent and horrifying images into witty and bizarre visual comedy. If you have the stomach for it, it’s certainly a visual feast.
Ultimately, even if Koyomi Vamp isn’t the definitive telling of the Kizumonogatari tale, it is the most entertaining. It keeps the greatest parts of all three of the previous films while pacing better overall, leaving you to question if anything was really cut in the first place. In light of this, I would advise you to see this movie first if you haven’t seen any of the Monogatari series before—after all, it is the first in chronological order. If you’re already a fan, however, the three unedited flicks are definitely a better option since you won’t want to miss a minute of absurd imagery and wordplay.