Forum - View topicKizumonogatari (movies).
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu (movie) Genres: action, mystery, romance, supernatural Themes: Vampire Plot Summary: Koyomi Araragi, a second year high school student at Naoetsu High School, befriends Tsubasa Hanekawa, the top honors student at his school. Tsubasa mentions a rumor about a "blonde vampire" that has been sighted around their town recently. Koyomi, who is usually anti-social, takes a liking to Tsubasa's down-to-earth personality. ---------------------------------- Thought that we could have a topic opened for the Kizumonogatari movies, that is the prequel movies to the various Monogatari tv series. I linked the first movie's page, but it should be fine to include the other two when they are released, here. Movie 1 (Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu) The animation is kind of surprisingly good, although perhaps it is more up to expectations based on how long we have been waiting for this. Bakemonogatari came out in 2009, and it feels like since then we have been waiting for the events that we see speed by at the very beginning of the show. Kizumonogatari's first movie has many of the usual symbolism and grandiose visual elements, but it felt like there was one really big difference, and I would say it is the narrative. Monogatari has tended to often try and use internal monologue to a pretty large degree in explaining the goings in on in the heads of whoever is the main character at that moment, and it is kind of really missing from the movie. I think that we got nearly no internal monologue from Koyomi, where instead it kind of tried to use everything else as a replacement, using images and sounds to peer into his head. I would the choice kind of has mixed effects, it does feel less like we are having a novel read to us, but it is a little less clear what some symbolism could mean. One of the particular moments is when Koyomi finally runs into Kiss-shot (vampire later known as Shinobu). At first Koyomi's reaction of fear is out of horror of all the blood, which slowly turns into a fear of what he is dealing with as he faces being fed on. The interesting turn is how she starts to weep once she realises that Koyomi is likely to abandon her, as she does this the soundtrack starts to introduce the sound of a crying baby, and I believe might be somewhat confusing what the panicked reaction Koyomi has to this. One might think that he is simply kind of simply horrified and the crying baby sound adds to a creepy tone, but us having known Koyomi's train of thought, we are privy that Koyomi has a bit of a hero complex, his panicked behaviour is likely that this person who is helpless as a baby is giving him compulsions to help despite this hit to his own safety. I appreciated bits like the first interaction between Koyomi and Tsubasa, and there seems to be a good amount of work of pointing towards the larger complexes of the characters. Like us knowing a bit about the loneliness of Shinobu helps paint a picture of her reactions to Koyomi so quickly wanting to find a cure. Anyway, for a rating I am so far going to give it an Excellent (9/10), it is the first third of what I have been kind of waiting for 7 years for, and there is no real problems with it. Some animation, largely some CGI, looked a bit off, but other animation was surprisingly nice and looked a little rotoscoped, and not in a more cheap way. Last edited by DuskyPredator on Fri Jul 29, 2016 9:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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@1st post: Drop the harem tag but keep the vampire one. The former isn't going to be appropriate for this movie.
I have the book and was wondering why on earth the decision was made to split the adaptation into three parts corresponding with Kiss-shot's name. Having watched the first part, I can see the rationale behind it (even if I don't agree with the decision). Unlike all of the previous Shaft adaptations for this series, the producers have decided to deviate quite significantly from the setting in a number of respects, some of which run completely against previous adaptations. 1. We've seen Araragi walk to and from his school, but I certainly don't remember the industrial scene and river in the background opposite the school grounds. The road, crossing and random cars are still consistent, but the whole scene with Hanekawa was deliberately dragged out in my opinion. 2. Likewise, the setting in which Araragi finds the dismembered Kiss-shot. Anyone who remembers the very first scenes in Bakemonogatari will immediately spot some of the differences. What I especially disliked was placing Naoetsu as a far-flung district of Greater Tokyo reachable by train, which is almost certainly not the case from the text which inspired this. The change to the train station is also incongruous since Tokyo stations are almost always filled with people yet the two of them were alone for the entire segment. 3. Anyone think the abandoned cram school looks HUGE compared to previous series? The size and elaboration given to the current cram school is completely at odds with previous portrayals; considering Kiss-shot is low on battery at present I can't put it down to her "interior redecoration" skills. Putting aside what I didn't like about the creative license changes, this movie seems targeted towards established fans rather than picking up casual viewers. Although not a bad idea in itself given how popular the franchise now is compared to its first adaptation, there's a limit to how much one can stretch the loyalties of the fanbase. All of us who have followed the series either from print form or adaptation (or both plus audio CDs) know the director is talented, but I didn't think I'd watch this and walk away thinking this trilogy of movies is more like the director's vanity project rather than a definitive adaptation of one of the most important books in the entire franchise. I'm quite sure I can guess what kind of pacing the movies will choose to adopt, so the upcoming second movie which is showing/about to show/close to ending theatre run is going to be much more action-packed compared to this movie. Despite what I didn't like about this instalment, I'm still interested in what comes next but am warier of the end-product (need to lower expectations rather than raising them). |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I guess we have to take it as more open use of symbolism then.
Certainly it does not match the physical location, but perhaps it might have been more symbolic. Maybe indicative that apart from going to school Koyomi had no real direction, that sure there are things that might be something built up later, but right now he says things like he is not even sure that he will graduate.
I too actually thought that the subway was a bit odd, but specifically that there seemed to be focus on him descending that, the amount of which that seemed at odds for an actual subway, and yeah I guess the subway was a little too abandoned. I could see good symbolism in it all, that him descending is like going into hell, a big part of showing that he is approaching danger. Kiss-shot could have been on a train platform more as a show that her existence would be a big turning point, that his life could end up in a totally different place to the path he was already on. The white tiles and bright lights were also an effective tool for bringing focus to her desperate thrashing.
The lecture theatre like room was especially big. It might really have been a focus on like the distance of Koyomi and Kiss-shot (vampires) to Meme (a human), and although I can't remember full how the scene might have played out, perhaps Koyomi seemed to get a little closer to Meme after he expressed not only was he kind of on their side but that he could help Koyomi get his humanity back. Eventually when a deal was being made Meme was right amongst the two of them even with how "large" the room is. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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Symbolism is great and all, but if it comes at the expense of consistency with previous adaptations then it smacks of the director taking excessive liberties in pursuit of presentation. As I said before, I don't agree with the choices but others like yourself seem rather impressed by what's been offered.
I've always preferred the faithful adaptations provided by Shaft for this franchise to date, so the decision to stretch creative license for this trilogy of movies is going to grate with myself and others who preferred the previous approach. The English-speaking crowd has at least one novel of this series out by now, but it's probably not this one since the translators are adopting the chronological release approach. For those who can read other languages this novel has been out for AGES and it's not difficult finding the considerable differences between text and screen. Nonetheless, it is the Japanese theatre crowd which is the ultimate arbiter of the commercial success or failure of this trilogy (and I'm not that bothered to find out reviews for the first movie even if the ticket receipts seem to indicate popularity). |
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darkhappy1
 Posts: 495 Location: PA |
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Vertical did publish the Kizumonogatari novel first, so English readers in the US at least will be able to spot differences between novel and movies.
The different execution of this Monogatari story is intriguing, and I can't wait to see the rest. Issues with location consistency and novel fidelity aren't much of concern to me, as I've always thought Monogatari is a very internally-focused work. Environments are subject to the unreliable perceptions of the characters, emotive more than informational. Even the part when Koyomi ran at the speed of a bullet train, far away from his house, could imply the urgency of his sexual frustration, an illustration of his desire for immediate gratification and how any delay, due to any length of distance, is totally unbearable. Also, I love suspenseful walking scenes, and this movie really nailed them. There's nothing more cognitively awkward and unsettling yet banal than being aware of the act of walking, knowing it is purposeful yet devoid of clear meaning or end point. The OST is stellar too. |
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Wow, that was great. I think they did a good job with the first movie.
The animation is extremely well done and fit for movie quality. I find the talk between Araragi and Tsubasa to be quite amusing in a way regarding friendship. Meanwhile, Kisshot's debut in the movie and Araragi's reactions were phenomenal upon hearing her say that she needs to be saved because of her loss for blood. Actions is nice and I think the length of the first movie is good enough to capture the thrilling style. Araragi's dialogues were great in general. Music is nice too especially when the credits rolled. Can't wait for the second movie! I might actually consider watching the second movie in theaters. |
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killjoy_the
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I definitely agree. I can see what they were going for, even the why, but I don't particularly like the results. The internal dialogue/monologue, the way Nisio often seems like he's making conversation with the reader is one of the things I really like in this series, and as much as I like hearing Araragi scream and moan, sometimes that's not enough. The crying baby scene in particular I actually felt was too on-the-nose.
Well, Bake had a scene that didn't really add up to the reality of Neko: Kuro, too, so this isn't exactly the first time. Then again, I don't remember whether Neko: Kuro was already released as a book when that scene was animated. Other than some aesthetic changes (I miss the Banana Seat), the deviation didn't bother me too much. What bothered me about the changes was actually the visuals. I love Shaft's visuals for the TV runnings, and replacing the backgrounds with CG was just incredibly meh to me. The payoff is having spectacular animation in key scenes and great body language here and there, so I'm 50/50 on it.
Yeah, I had the same feeling. I particularly feel that, if this wasn't something I had already read and known, I would've liked this movie less. I'm still excited for what's to come, but I wouldn't be had I not read the novel. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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Bakemonogatari animation airing: 2009 Nekomonogatari: Kuro novel: 31st December 2012 |
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Seishin Jinrou
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The art/animation was gorgeous, and managed to really acheive a 'horror' vibe as opposed to just being 'supernatural' like the show. I like the stylized approach, and the introduction of the characters. However, I was dissapointed that we wound up meeting Shinobu's child-form so quickly...I thought the prequel would be our chance to see adult Kiss-shot fully powered up and out of her mind; but that only lasted a few moments. Also, I think I'll be waiting until the 3rd film is fansubbed to marathon all of them, because otherwise it's just not enough.
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu
Well I will say this movie was clearer, although maybe a bit too much to the point that it was not quite as interesting. Of course there are some interesting bits like Kiss Shot’s age growths, baby hand, and some pretty cool battles. But what the movie really showcased was the relationship between Koyomi and Tsubasa, what truly seems to be the basis of their relationship. Loneliness, trying to protect, faith, selfishness, saving life, and a whole lot of sexual tension. I think one of the cutest parts was how he was getting flustered and the like from his attraction to her, and then it flipped with her interest in his muscles and then she got flustered. Oh there is flirting, despite Koyomi going to be claimed by another, this flirting and attraction thing is one pretty constant thing. Great moment too when she finds his porn mag, the kind of open thing is an interesting part. I give this movie a Very good (8/10), a little less than the first, but not much of a step down. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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Like the first movie, the creative license taken for this second movie does stretch the boundaries between a faithful adaptation and one in which the director takes the source material and shapes it to his liking without regard to how much is lost in adaptation. I prefer the former, but the latter undoubtedly makes better entertainment and is a better bet for pleasing the casual viewer curious about the franchise but simply out for a good time.
Not the changes are all bad, since the dialogue as I remember it is all there with considerable modification to backgrounds, scenery etc. I actually enjoyed this more than the first movie because it is from this point on that the book gets interesting. I knew they would have to squeeze the three duels into this movie, I just wasn't sure what the weighting between the three would be. As it turns out, I think this was for the best since most of the animation budget gets concentrated on the Draumaturgy duel which has really good special effects. I've just finished watching Ajin season 2 and I hear Satou again in this movie. Looks like the voice actor didn't have to vary his pitch and tone much considering the characters he was portraying. If the trailer is any indication, then the theatrical or home release for the third movie is scheduled for mid-January. Fans in Japan won't have long to see how the story concludes and Araragi and Kiss-shot end up with the relationship they have at the start of Bakemonogatari. Some of the content I was reading in Wazamonogatari actually makes sense now that I've watched this adaptation. Because the gap between the novels is now in years, I had forgotten some of the plot settings which this book had established but were left unused for the rest of the books. Only two more books to go, one of which I haven't had the chance to buy whilst waiting for the final off-season novel to be published. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen
Eight years. Eight years ago Bakemonogatari aired, and there was the sense of a story already started, one we did not know the full story. The biggest question mark was what the relationship was of Koyomi and Shinobu. Why was she referred to as kind of pitiful, and why was there is kind of sense of guilt, and yet why did these two kind of feel so close to each other as time went on? Probably should have been more obvious than it was, but how it played out in this movie finally added some answers. Before that, I think it is worth looking into the major turns in the move. The first was that things seemed to kind of start to get solved too easily. Having beaten the hunters, it was then revealed that Kiss Shot had also has her heart taken, and yet Oshino just passed it over, Kiss Shot would be at full power. And the two vampires kind of connected a bit, and there was happiness. But this turned into something shortlived when horror was struck, and it was horror in coming back to see Kiss Shot eating a human being in an incredibly gruesome way. Koyomi had let loose a man eating monster, he would be responsible for a number of deaths. The next part was of something that has been good about these movies, some good old fashion Tsubasa. She as clued in as always manages to quickly see what Koyomi has in store for himself, and there are some interesting echoes to later in the franchise, in talking Koyomi out of killing himself. They come to an answer that if no one else can stop Kiss Shot, then it must be Koyomi. Kind of hilariously following this is Koyomi requesting help from Tsubasa, answer the call for anything by asking to grope her. It does get a little uncomfortable there as it looks like in areas that he is taking advantage of her, but the humour hits its place when he of course chickens out, with Tsubasa calling him out as a chicken (even using the word). Her annoyed because she kind of got herself worked up and mentally prepared, only for him to back out, it worked well in kind feeling like Tsubasa be another person not too different from him, having her own libido. And the final bit, probably one of the biggest fights in the series, with Araragi Koyomi vs Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade. Don't think I have seen such a fight before of both parties truly tearing each other apart quite like that, not much to say other than heads were flying. But the climax came from what one probably could have figured out in why the battle did not end quickly, and Kiss Shot got quite angry at Tsubasa for saying it. Kiss Shot wanted to die from the beginning, Koyomi just happened to come across her as she had a moment of fearing oblivion, and gave into the feelings of someone for once offering such a stupidly kind gesture. But everything he did for her was so she could be killed in entirety and he return human, and this knowledge would then stop Koyomi from doing the "right thing", he was being put in a no win situation. And a no situation was where this ended and the series would start, that Koyomi betrayed Kiss Shot's death wish by making her alive but no longer a vampire, and him not quite human. This explained the strange relationship they had, that Koyomi would not let her die. That smile he gave to her at the end, the perfect cherry on top of this entire story. In ways I would say that there was nothing hugely fancy here, but possibly incorrect as in a way the entire thing is a spectacle, in the end I can largely appreciate this as the story that finally put into context two of the characters most important in the franchise, Koyomi and Shinobu. I give the third movie a rating of Very Good (8/10), great for fans of the series, if you are not one , I doubt you would have gotten this far anyway. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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When I think about it, the novel was most memorable for the duels with the three vampire slayers and the result of the duel between Kisshot and Araragi being the other notable highlight towards the end. I no longer have ready access to the novel so I had to watch this wondering what kind of approach the animators were going to take with what was invariably little to work with until the ending.
Suffice to say I'm not sure what to think about the very blatant fanservice being featured in this instalment. I vaguely remember the Hanekawa 1-to-1 with Araragi, but that little skit was done for laughs since anyone who's watched all of the series to come before know exactly what outcome would arise from Araragi's "request". The scenes with her metaphorically running through the big red jelly were certainly not what I remember nor did I think those scenes were absolutely necessary in the grand scheme of things. As for the duel itself, after seeing Araragi's complete abandonment of stereotypical thinking and common sense in his duel with Guillotine Cutter I should probably have expected something like the battle scene which eventually unfolded. To be fair what little I remember DID emphasise how ridiculously bloody and gory the showdown was, but the animators decided to let rip with all of the blood effects they were practising on over the two previous instalments into one enormous Grande Guignol. I do appreciate the scenes towards the end after Araragi takes up Oshino's suggestion. If there was one thing to take over from this movie (which chronologically starts everything in the franchise and gives lots of little spoilers for as-yet unanimated arcs) it was the origin behind the strange relationship Araragi shared with Shinobu during the Bakemonogatari novels. When both of them have their little tete-a-tete in subsequent adaptations about how neither side can forgive the other and how their (semi-eternal) lives are now inextricably linked, it makes MUCH more sense now to viewers who weren't aware of this from reading the novels beforehand. As entertainment, the third movie is more than satisfactory for casual viewers. For fans, it's probably an acquired taste depending on one's reading of the source material. |
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