Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen

EDIT: People, people. I went and saw this in a movie theater. In real life. Please stop asking me where you can download it, because I don't know. Thank you!

As perfect as they were, I almost regret giving the other two movies tens, for now I have no numerical way of showing that this one is far superior to even them. Spoilers for those movies, obviously.

Anyone who's seen the main Monogatari series can tell you that the difference between pre-Kizu Araragi and post-Kizu Araragi is like night and day. The question, though, is this: what happened in Kizu to change him so dramatically? There were ... two catalysts: Hanekawa and Kissshot. In Nekketsu, we saw him learn the joy of true friendship when Hanekawa obstinately stuck by him where any sane human wouldn't have. In Reiketsu, we see the effect Kissshot had on him. This relied on buildup from the previous two movies - through them, the viewer and Araragi had to come to like Kissshot. But this is a review for Reiketsu, so I'll quickly move on to why that's important here and now. You know how Kizu has been devoid of the signature Araragi narration that pervades the main series? It comes back after a certain scene in this movie. My belief is that it's intended as a delineator between pre- and post-Kizu Araragi. "This scene is where the transition was complete." I don't want to go into further detail because I don't want to force my interpretation on you, but the takeaway from this paragraph is this: Araragi's character arc in Kizu is very cleverly done, making use of both female leads, who themselves have character arcs.

Readers of the book know that there's a very long talk scene in this movie (after the one I was just alluding to), meaning that Shaft has to pull out all their Monogatari tricks to keep the viewer's eyes open. And they do it well. The tone shifts at a moment's notice, with the OST and the animation style as its indicators, keeping it from becoming monotonous. The comedic timing was brilliant, enhancing jokes to be even more funny. The symbolism is cheesy and heavy-handed - to comedic effect. It was clear that Shaft knew they were being ridiculous with the symbolism in this scene.

This has nothing to do with Shaft, but the juxtaposition of the two talk scenes (both of which I talked about, believe it or not) really is brilliant. It's like a modified Hero's Journey template that has two Audience with the Father sections. It raises the stakes for the Ultimate Boon section.

Speaking of which, let's talk about that, shall we? The fight scene in this movie was a lot longer and more action-packed than I remember it being in the novel. Frankly, it was amazing. Several parts of it were somehow silly and badass at the same time. The best part, though, was that we knew our characters. They were both unique, well-developed, and interesting. Think about - REALLY think about the climactic showdowns you've seen and name one that fits all three of those criteria. Ain't easy, is it?

But as any reader of the novel knows, the real climax of this story is the very, very end. Remember that legendary narration from the last few paragraphs of the novel? They kept it. Every last word. A huge number of factors make it so that the end of the fight scene isn't also the end of the movie's tension. Your socks will be blown off.

After writing so much about this movie, it made me realize why I consider it so much better than the first two, though they were perfect too: out of the three Kizu installments, this is the one that feels most like a standalone movie. Its tone shifts multiple times, its pacing is extremely varied, and it feels like it has a proper climax. What was Tekketsu's climax? "Pleasure doin' business with you." It was hard to say that that movie was anything more than set-up (albeit very good set-up) for the next two. What was Nekketsu's climax? "I'm not a human anymore." The story was quite obviously nowhere near any satisfying endpoint, and we had two character arcs very openly unresolved. It was, again, hard to argue that it had merit as a standalone movie. These problems were borne of Aniplex's decision to cut Kizu into three, which is why they didn't affect my scores for the movies themselves, but it's worth noting why Reiketsu is so much better than Tekketsu and Nekketsu.

Now that I've talked at you for five friggin' hours, I'd like to end my review with this. Out of all the anime movies I've seen here in Japan so far (Kimi no Na wa, KnK, Nekketsu, Planetarian, Kagerou Daze, AC...), this is the only one where I've walked out of the theater and thought to myself, "I want to see this again, right now."

Oh, and there's no post-credits scene. Sorry! No "Owari S2 soon" or "Musubi in stores now" or anything.

Kizumonogatari is 1 movie contrary to how it was marketed, distributed, and how mal has it entered into its database. So I will speak about the series as a whole.

Kizumonogatari takes a cinematic approach on the well-established TV series the Monogatari series. This is truly a prequel that can only be appreciated when watching all of the series up towards Owarimonogatari. If you want Kizumonogatari in the chronological order you are watching anime wrong and the entire intention of the series is ruined. The foreshadowing is lost and you lose the bigger picture SHAFT tried to create for Nisio's work.

But before going through Kizu ... 1 and 2 we are here on this page for Kizu 3. Kizu 3 was truly a wounded story. A story that doesn't end happy nor does it end conclusive. It's a prequel to the giant franchise therefore whatever happens at the end is only just the beginning. The story begins right where we left off. Arararararagi has collected the arms for Kiss Shot and is now going to see her full form. After some talks with Meme, we finally see her beautiful, bodacious, succulent body in all of her motherly, milf, glory. Truly a work of art. Fastword and we get to see the conflict arise. Ararararararararagi begins to realize that Kiss Shot in her full form is a danger to the human race. Internal conflict starts to brew within our young naive main character. Most of the middle part of the movie is focused on Hanekawa and Ararararararararararagi getting prepared to fight Kiss Shot. Of course, this wouldn't be the Gatari series without fanservice. And with some big ole' titties, it's obvious that Hanekawa will motivate him with her body. So to summarize, the first half is Kiss Shot and Arararagi, Second half is Hanekawa. Now the final part is strictly a fight between the two. This fight goes on for a while but you never truly get bored. There are 10 different art styles and animation styles in this 1 fight that you never get bored. As I stated early, you will have so much fun with this. To be exact, this might be the best fight scene in all of the anime. Scratch that, might is underselling it. It is the best fight scene. Bless you, father Oishi, the series director of Bake and storyboard for Kizu. And we end with a great moment. But it's not a happy one. Everyone is equally miserable. But that's what true happiness is. Wait for that like communism. I digress. Ararararagi ends up not killing Kiss Shot and having her live her life feeding of him to live. Arararagi doesn't turn back into a human. And they will spend their lives worried about someone hunting them.

So where do the first 2 movies play in this? The first movie serves as a way to introduce us back into the world. However, in a new world, Oishi constructed. The world where things are more avant grade. The world where internal monolog isn't needed. Exposition is replaced with visual storytelling. The second movie serves as the meat of the story. Showing us the best fights and the most interesting plot points. This movie serves as the concluding narrative to branch into the sequels. Sincerely, this is the best installment in the Gatari series. But to understand the lore more one must have watched everything that aired. I have to say, this is one of the best movies I have watched in my life. Thank you, Shaft, thank you, Oishi. God bless Japan.

BUT WAIT THERES MORE. The ecchi scenes are amazing in this movie and so is the fight scenes. Hanekawa and Kiss Shot titties are a 10/10 alone.

(Minor spoilers/Rant in Enjoyment section)

Kizumonogatari is back and at last we get the last piece of the puzzle, This time part three otherwise known as "Reiketsu-hen" or "Cold Blood". The final chapters animated, just how well did it do?.


Story 10 / 10

We start the film at a brief conversation between the characters of Oshino Meme and Araragi Koyomi talking how it is unreal how Koyomi managed to overwhelm the hunters that were after his life and his master, Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade.

The film progresses as we see a rampant return of the eloquence of visuals, symbolism and long chats that have left a mark on ... anime by the now known "The Monogatari Series". Reiketsu unites the presence of Monogatari by displaying thought and process of our main character Araragi Koyomi and the familiar Monologues as we se how Araragi opens up his conscious and spills it right before all of us all and notice how he has changed. Reiketsu shows us how is it that Araragi came to be as characters and show the transition to us all by splitting up the process.

As on Tekketsu, Kizumonogatari is Visceral as it appealed to human instinct of its rawness but also included a conversation oriented presentation that carried the first act.

Nekketsu focused more on youth, The youth of our characters reminding us just how over their heads the main protagonist are, being Hanekawa Tsubasa and Araragi Koyomi. It imposed the rampant sexuality and the ego of our characters and it brought forth action to the table that greatly differs from the first act, Tekketsu.

Reiketsu in the other hand combined all of that, and brought us the current formula of Monogatari as the last piece of the puzzle is unlocked and we get those ever so necessary inner monologues showing us the how! of how can someone who lives on being spontaneous and show us the results that it carry. It also shows us the result of forbidden knowledge, as the more you know, the less safer the world becomes.

Reiketsu at large, It can be called the very beginning of the franchise of The Monogatari formula, it can also be the start of series itself but buried in all that, Reiketsu was the conclusion and acceptance to the end of ordinary lives that will from now on live knowing of the supernatural.

Art 10 / 10

Shaft really outdid themselves with this final arc, and brought us more fluidity we ever dreamt off to the screen surpassing the preceding films in the direction of visuals and their rawness, the combination of 3D CGI with 2D artistry of the highest caliber showcased on a eccentric but fully working presentation that the trilogy is. as well as honoring the culture of animation now that it has become a well define characteristic of the new culture of japan, that marvelously attracts new blood to japan enticed for the ever newer pile of contribution to society with impact on international scale.



Sound 10 / 10

The sound direction was astounding, as it was the voice actors on their A game. followed by well composed OSTs and keeping the old school horror feel you'd normally feel from Alfred Hitchcock, as many reference and use of direction clearly referenced the style and with new twist to the presentation of the film.

Character 10 / 10

Our characters, Oshino Meme, Araragi Koyomi, Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade and Finally Tsubasa Hanekawa were connected on highly unusual ways that your standard presentation, As their interaction feels timelined of progress aided by well directed visuals and ever accurate sound directions.

Our characters are weaved on the thread of ignorance, youth and experience. weaving them differently but ultimately presenting us in split acts the coming together of a series and the buiding blocks of a character we've enjoyed for years on the Monogatari franchise.

Enjoyment 10/10

I've waited for this for a long time, due to work I sadly missed this film while on theaters because of work. Know this though, any anger I held and all regret that plagued me as I patiently waited for clearly was worth every second now that I've witnessed the final film.

If you're a monogatari fan, I highly recommend it and if you're not give it a shot, For it is very possible you'd be one of us and enjoy of the international harmony and fandom that surrounds The Monogatari Series

However as much as I loved the movies, If I was director I would have added and removed a couple of things. In comparison I liked the structure of Tekketsu. The Alfred Hitchcock direction references and the music with cold moments with well executed music.

For example, instead of the dancing monks when Araragi returns from the convinience store to Kiss-Shot, I would reuse the animation just prior, where Kiss Shot in all her forms are running about in the garden of flowers, I would reuse that but change the background into a landscape of corpses and/or entrails. Adding some blood to the faces of the multiple kiss shots creating a better visual of Araragi Koyomi world view, the alternative would be to use the style of Onimonogatari painting like style but of old Europe showing vampires with human skulls since it's a European folklore, Given the use of French I'm guessing Kiss-Shot is probably of French relativity . If used the first scenario with the landscapes I would put a stare similar to hanekawa just like how she looked right after passing out in front of ararsgi after being ripped open by episode's cross and place it in the multiple kiss-shots.

I would add the same effect to Guillotine Cutter severed head, and remove the CGI because that's the only section where it doesn't really play well the CGI environment and 2D people is awesome but making Guillotine Cutter that way really steals from the punch araragi is supposed to feel.

I would have also added on the beginning a little flashback in black on white, same style as tekketsu, when Oshino Meme first came In contact with Kiss Shot the legendary vampire and her power as a little background when Meme tells araragi when he took Kiss-Shots heart.

Maybe that's just me, Absolute masterpiece of a trilogy nevertheless.


Overall Grade: 10

I had the opportunity to view this film in theaters. This film exceeded my expectations. The previous 2 films were, unfortunately, unable to stand alone. Out of the two, this was the most action-packed and climactic. I was continuously blown away by the excellent sound direction and animation. Like most Shaft anime, the last Kizumonogatari film has an avant garde method of storytelling. It might seem strange, but it works for the tone and comedy of the anime. Random clips pop out and sometimes seem disjointed, however they only add to the amazing animation. There was one scene in particular that had everyone in the ... theater laughing due to its strangeness and eroticism. Overall, I highly recommend this film, although it may require getting used to the animation.

Note: my native language isn't English. Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes.
Also: this is my opinion. Im not here to regulate thoughts or influence the way you look at this movie. If you loved it: great! More power to you. However, I would like you to remember that I also am entitled to having an opinion.
Also: yes, I've read the book and watched every part of the series till Owarimonogatari.

I'm planning on working this critique out a bit further sometime in the future, but for now, here is my critique of Kizumonogatari part 3.

-

This movie tried too hard.

As a mild fan of the Monogatari series (mainly ... bake, Kizu 1 and the Nadeko arcs) This movie really disappoints. It tries too hard to be a work of art while also trying too hard to pander to the otaku crowd, coupled with being inconsistent with/to it's thematic messages/the rest of the series. This doesn't try to be a quirky/semi-serious movie like previous instillments in the series, and coupled with some weird directing choices I think that it hurts this movie overall, on a thematic and artistic level.

-

While critiquing individual categories of this movie, I will try to bring to light my main problem with it.

Starting with the:

Art: The base animation and more experimental animation cuts were lovely. Stylistically, I liked this movie a lot. The varying styles/art design could've been used a bit more tactfully, but in the end, they both were okay. The birth imagery and the visual callbacks to the other instalments in the series were interesting, but more on the imagery later. A more questionable addition was the idea of the non-chronological shots during this movie. I get what their trying to do with the idea of the unreliable narrator and the nuances between story and plot, but it was really hit or miss. It was a bit too overused.

the imagery: in my opinion, it was mediocre.
The shots constantly try to evoke underlying thematic deepness, which is unachievable with the:

1. inconsistent tone throughout the movie (first being about the choice between humanity and vampirism, then about the worth of a human life, then about sex, etc. Stick to one theme. Meanwhile it also tried to be otaku-ish with the close to rape scene of Hanekawa which was played off like comedy and was drawn to look very sexual, obviously for bait , while also dangling the message in front of us that hunger is comparable to indulging into someone sexually. This isn't the original series where sexual imagery was just a thing, and the constant popping up of it conveyed the themes of puberty, hormones and sexuality.)

2. wonky shot compositions (no film-school theory applied, except to the colour design)

3. hyperactive (enological) cutting, and scenes that drag on for too long, which prevents a consistent theme from developing in a scene.

This isn't The end of evangelion where the characters can actually support the imagery because of their realism; the characters in the Monogatari series are archetypes of harem anime; just a bit more developed ones.


However, it wasn't all too bad, because it sometimes did the imagery well. A great example is the first scene, where the positions of Araragi and Oshino, the cutting, the shot of the hallway behind them, the lenght of the shots and the color design really complimented each other well to make an engaging, atmospheric, and thematic scene.


Sound: good voice acting. Soundtrack was meh compared to the first and second movie, sound design was okay. Nothing special but not bad.
A thing which irritated me a lot was the amount of dialogue; unlike the first and second movie, this one was very strong on dialogue. Why would you add in a lot of dialogue in a film? It doesn't add to the tone here, (In the original Bake it added to the quirkiness, which wasn't as apparent here as there.) and weakens the effect of the more strongly staged scenes/shots. There is no reason you should have any advantages watching this over reading this because of the amount of info-dumping and dialogue, unlike the first 2 movies.


Character and story: this is a hard one. As I stated earlier, this movie tries too hard to be standalone and tries too hard to be part of the series. What do I mean by that? These movies try to develop their own, interesting narrative (which, is a decent one for the most part. Just poorly executed on every level.), while forgetting that it is:

1. inconsistent with the series (all the character development here is completely thrown out of the window when entering bake, where only a few elements of this story matter. Why try to make a dramatic narrative out of it when it doesn't even add to the story? This is a big problem the Monogatari series has in general.)

2. doesn't awnser many questions in a satisfying or deep/new way. (what is the worth of a human life?, What is the food chain and how does it influence our way of thinking about each other? What is the effect of the male gaze on the perception of female power? The answers provided here, if at all, aren't new, particularly deep or special.)

The character development was decent, for working out some archetypes in the harem genre. However, it suffers from the same fault as the story, with being inconsistent with the rest of the series. Again people, this isn't The end of evangelion, and in the end, these characters are meant as archetypes. Just some well-developed ones.

-

Final verdict:

In the end, this movie is okay. This isn't a masterpiece, or a work of art in my opinion, but I just hate the attitude of this movie. It really, really wasn't my thing. I love the Monogatari series as a small, quirky series, but this really wasn't like that experience. And I know that my critique/score for the most part is very personal, but I'm trying to bring some legit problems with this movie to light.

This movie isn't as deep as it looks to be, because of meh craftsmanship or because everything that happens here, doesn't matter in the long run. Nisioisin isn't the next Shakespeare and I feel like people forget that in-between all the admittedly clever wordplay, In the end, he is an otaku, writing stories for otaku while being just being a bit above the norm. Same goes for the staff at studio Shaft. And I do not hate these peope! What I hate however, is the attitude of the fans towards non-fans, declaring them dumb for critiquing this/these movies for legit flaws, while not even looking into the thing that completely panders to their interest. Always look at something critically, don't buy into something blind.

I'm just gonna review all three Kizu movies here if you don't mind.

Every so often I come upon a piece on entertainment where the public opinion differs a lot from my own. But after watching Kizu, I would have never imagined it would fall into this category.

So yes, I think these movies are bad.

I'll start with the animation, because it hurts the least. Kizu has the same abstract art approach as the rest of the series. However, there are two things that are different here. First, Kizu ditches the colorful look of the TV series for a more somber exterior. The palette is murky and ... generally less interesting. Second is the introduction of CGI. It was painfully obvious whenever it appeared, with a few achingly bad instances. E.g. a swinging severed human head, which looked so ridiculous I had a hard time understanding how it got into the final cut of the movie. There are some instances of brilliant 2D animation, but not enough to liven up the rest of the movie.

The main issue I have with Kizu is the story. Specifically Hanekawa. The series has no problem portraying female characters whose sexuality is a natural part of their personality. Kanbaru and Senjogahara being at the top of the list. But they just can't seem to make it work with Hanekawa. She's either the big boobs klutz ready to indulge or the behind the scenes mastermind of whom all the big players are afraid of. I have no idea how these two could possibly mix. In the TV show she tends to fall mostly in the mastermind end of the spectrum, but in the movie they went all out in the big boobs department. And it hurts the character significantly when it's time for her to step up and say something enlightening. It's hard to take her seriously when her cleavage spends most of the screen time fighting back the force of gravity.

Hanekawa's relationship with Araragi in this movie is even more confusing. At the beginning of Bake, their relationship can best be described as camaraderie with hints of it progressing towards something more. But by the end of Kizu, these characters are half a step away from a full blown romance. They have so little to do with their versions in the TV series, they might as well exist in another dimension.

Speaking of Araragi, the movie doesn't feature his trademark inner monologues. Again, it only works to degrade the character. Without them, Araragi in Kizu is just your everyday edgy high schooler. The plot tries to be about him becoming less selfish and learning to interact with the people around him. However, there is no introduction to him being estranged from society in the first place and him changing to a better person is mostly supported by rather vapid interactions with Hanekawa. Most of Araragi in Kizu is just wish fulfillment: turn into a sexy vampire, crush all your enemies and get the girl in the end.

There's a bit here about how Araragi and Shinobu's relationship came to be. It's generally an interesting take on the formulaic vampire story, but is so cramped into the third movie it can barely be digested. Other than exposition, they have only one genuine conversation and then it's straight to the climax of the movie.

Oshino mostly feels out of place. Kizu should have been the story about his introduction to the series, but Oshino only appears when it's time for some deus ex machina bullshit. There's nothing here about his past or motivations. The vampire hunters are not even worth mentioning.

Kizu wouldn't be as bad if it were a standalone movie, but it's triple as bad by being a part of the Monogatari series. The TV show actually raises interesting questions about human interactions and, fuck it, even life. Kizu barely has a point to make and messages it does try to convey are so laughably simplistic it feels like it can't possible be part of the same series. It's only insulting to the fan base when something as vapid as Kizu comes along to carry the series' flag.

Kizumono 3 answered questions that surfaced in the first and second installments. It also lessened my disdain for some of the objectives that were displayed in the previous films, particularly in regard to Guillotinecutter and his crew. After one last major surprise, Kiss Shot is returned to her final form. Her attitude has reverted to that of her 8-10 year old incarnation in the first film; cheerful, carefree and seemingly generous. Of course, her impression will appear differently to others. this is only my opinion and I admit, I didn't care for her person in Nekketsu. Araragis growth as a vampire and as a young ... man were impressive and I really enjoyed his conversations with Meme, even though they were brief. Araragis interactions with male characters seem more organic in contrast to his shiftiness around female cast members who, in this case, were Hanekawa and Kiss Shot. I can appreciate Araragis pursuit of justice and even his shyness. I did laugh at the perverted scenes, but they went on for longer than expected and became unconfortable. Despite the awkwardness, these scenes were far better executed than those in Nekketsu in which the nudity not only seemed out of place but stupid.

Animation-wise, part 3 is probably the best of the trilogy. The freakin flashcards are at a minimum and the cgi or whatever looks less static than it did in part one. The color choices for this project were appropriate, conveying just enough intensity. I really enjoyed the eternal "heat" and haziness of the set. Kizumono def goes down on my list for best animated blood, it felt like i was watching calligraphy. There is a sensation about the style and effort of the animation that is more electrifying than the plot. This is problematic and I am in no way overlooking this error, but Reiketsu made better use of this device than part 1 and 2.

To wrap up, I enjoyed Kizu and perhaps it was for the best that this chapter was broken up into 3 films. It still came off as a money grab (tickets weren't exactly cheap) but the big screen experience was worth the price. It was fairly unique and more entertaining than most of the television titles released in late 2015 through now - a condition that obviously impacted Kizu's reception, at least in the West.

Kizumonogatari overall gets a 6/10. Reiketsu, 7/10.

TLDR;
-Animation looks really weird
-Fights are random and anticlimactic
-Terrible ending
-Hanekawa

There was a lot wrong with this movie series, and it reached an all-time low with this final movie. So first of all, the CGI. The animators use a really weird combination of live action scenes, traditional anime style, and objects that for some reason are neither anime-style or live action. That, combined with the blatant CGI gives everything a really clunky and bizarre feel, especially the fights, which also were pretty bad. The fights all felt very random, each in their own way. It felt like someone came up with the villains and then told the ... animators to do the rest. The action (aside from the CGI) felt very anticlimactic and lame, despite the interesting concept. Add the CGI, and it just makes things worse. For example, the final fight of the series. What were they even going for? Comedy? Action? Suspense? An emotional moment? Shock factor? As the fight progresses, each of these themes is presented at random points for seemingly no reason. While it is possible to balance comedy and action, or shock factor and suspense, etc, this fight does not even come close to it. It was a mess of emotions and themes that ultimately provided for a ridiculous fight without so much as a satisfying end. Speaking of which, the end was also terrible. It's almost like they wrote season 1 before the prequel movies and had to come up with a reason for why Araragi was part-vampire. Oh wait, that's exactly what they did. They act like they provided a happy ending to the arc, but really if you look past what they're trying to force on you it's very obvious that the ending is a lot more depressing than it seems. Not only is it depressing, it's also very uncharacteristic of Araragi, which is probably because the writers didn't realize how messed up the ending actually is. Finally, Hanekawa. They pretty much changed her from a collected, mild-mannered girl into an overly-flirtatious and outgoing character...for some fanservice scenes? In the first season, it becomes known that Hanekawa has a crush on Araragi. Initially, one would be surprised, because Hanekawa shows 0 romantic/sexual interest in Araragi. But after watching five minutes of the first movie, you could tell immediately.

All in all, this movie series was no where near as well done or enjoyable as the first season Bakemonogatari, and was quite a disappointment.

Masterpiece. Exquisite beyond words.

After watching the entire Kizumonogatari saga, I realize how much I love it. The art, the style, the storyboard, the characters, everything is perfect.

The story is almost obvious to guess from the beginning; after all, is intended to connect to the rest of Bakemonogatari perfectly. So you know how all will end. But non the less, it manages to be surprising, awesome and with the perfect balance of action and emotion.

If you like Bakemonogatari concept and story, you will definitely love Kizumonogatari. One of the best Seinen ever created.

Story: 10
We all love Shinobu. And the transition between Kiss Shot to Shinobu is ... one of the best stories that Bakemonogatari universe has to tell.

Art: 10
The art is PERFECT. Every single frame will make an awesome background. Key as well as secondary animation were executed to perfection.

Sound: 9
Sound is outstanding. But plot will distract you from really enjoying it at least the first time.

Characters: 10
Well, if you love Bakemonogatari, is likely that is because of the characters. Shinobu and Hanekawa are some of my favorite anime girls.

Enjoyment: 10
Well, anything I tell will be a spoiler, so I'll let you figure out why this movie is so damn enjoyable.

"If you were to die tomorrow, I'd be fine with tomorrow being the last day of my life."
"If you were to live through today, I will also chose to live through today."

*May contain spoilers*

Kizumonogatari One and Two was really the base for this Three part series. Part One and Two explains the beginning of the relationship between Araragi and Kiss-Shot or aka Shinobu. Part one explains on how Araragi found Kiss-Shot injured with none of her limbs. He saved her thinking by giving up his own life, he hopes to reborn as a non-selfish person that is willing to help anyone without doubting ... and without being selfish. This is the backstory on how Araragi becomes a vampire and starts the relationship with Shinobu. This is the backbone of the whole Gatari series which foreshadows and connects to the MAIN series. Part 2 shows Araragi have to fight three enemies to take back Shinobu's limbs back to regain his humanity. I would like to point out that part 2 action was amazing but simply felt a bit lacking since it felt its too short to be on its own.

Part 3 is simply a masterpiece that really wraps this 3 part series of a movie. If you follow the order of the series and actually pay attention to the series, Part 3 foreshadows and connects to the main Gatari series line. You will see how SMART everything is planned ahead and how the story really amazingly connects like a straight line. You will need to have to watch Kizumonogatari before you can watch Owarimonogatari Season 2 in order to understand and see the connections.

The fighting scenes in Part 3 is mind blowing. It's probably one of the best animated fighting scenes of all time. It's art style and how smoothly the animation is simply mind blowing. Every detail in every frame, you could tell that the studio really put effort into the animation. This is not your typical fighting scenes where it lack frames or lost in consistency of animation. Every frame in the fighting scene and the whole movie itself has perfect consistency in the animation and it's art.

*Will contain spoilers now*

The last 20 minutes of Part 3 is probably the best 20 minutes in the WHOLE MOVIE or even the WHOLE SERIES itself. Words can only go so far of explaining how beautiful it is. The last 20 minutes of the series really show strong character development and shows such painful but beautiful truthful emotions to the character. Shinobu wants to be released from the hell that is call immortality and want to die for someone's sake that she truly loves before that. Shinobu wanted to die for Araragi and regain his humanity. This is where Araragi selfishness comes in and didn't let her die. Araragi wouldn't let Shinobu die but made her to live even longer. Chaining her back to her cruel fate. Araragi is trying to be a savior but to Shinobu's eyes it's cruelty. Rending her useless but an empty shell that have to live only by his blood. Shinobu, no.. Kiss-shot is probably one of the most tragic yet but beautiful character in the whole Gatari series. The feeling of her humanity is stripped away from time and immortality and yet the person she wanted to die for his sake is making her live even longer. Tragic but beautiful.

The writing is simply amazing. You can really tell that he really loved writing this series. The details, the foreshadowing, the clues, everything connects in a straight line. This has to be the best Gatari series of all time.

[May contain minor spoilers (almost nothing)]
This is a review from a Monogatari Series fan, to Monogatari Series fans.
Oh boy, how do I start? I will be fast: If you are asking yourself "Shoud I watch Kizumonogatari?" the answer is: YES, AND NOW!

The first two movies were to introduce you the way everything happened. But now, at the third movie, you have one of the best screenplays and fights of the anime history. This is the movie with more fan-service in the world. You will be happy when you see what is awaiting for you. For Hanekawa fans: You will get one of the best scenes ... ever made. For Araragi fans: You will see how strong he was (even if you have watched Kizu II already, this has way more blood and action). For Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade fans: You will get to see the strongest vampire in the world at her full power.

Let me start, Kizumonogatari has been one of the most antecipated anime ever. It was confirmed by Shaft back in 2010~2012. Millions of fans were awaiting to get the chance to watch this masterpiece, and they finally gotten, after 5 years. Thank you, Shinbou, thank you, Watanabe, Nisio, and everyone envolved with the production, you brought us a masterpiece. That's what this movie, the third part is.

Story [10/10]: I don't need to explain you the story, if you are watching the third movie and the last series aired, you don't need some explanation. The novel "Kizumonogatari" being a movie was the best marketing, I can't deny. But it doesn't take you the quality you were expecting, it worth every single yen/dollar you paid.

It was a great adaptation, with a lot of dialogue, just like the novel. Shaft always do a great job adaptating Monogatari Series. Nothing much to say about this point.

Art [10/10]: Shinbou Akiyuki is for sure an ambitious man, his hability as director is unbelievable, this art style fit so well with the movie that made me cry (not for real). That's why I love Shaft, they always want to inovate. Every movement was tought to give you the best experience. It doesn't difere from the previous movies. This movie has more gore than I've ever expected to see in my life. So here is the alert if you don't like these kind of things.

Sound [9/10]: Great sound, even the small details aren't forgotten (when the "camera" changes for some high place you can hear a helicopter, that's amazing I think :v. I don't have so much to talk about the sound, just that the seiyuu(s) were acting great, like always.

Character [10/10]: The Monogatari franchise is made of its characters and dialogues, the Characters here are so well done that you can see the way they were before the anime series. Hanekawa wasn't so charismatic, she is almost boring in the first movies, in this one we can see that she changes a lot during her journey. Even Kiss-Shot and Araragi also change during the whole movie, this is what amazed me.

Enjoyment [10/10]: The hype almost killed me, one of the best anime movies I've ever seen.

Overall [10/10]: No regret, you should really watch it if you are a Monogatari fan. I'm glad I am alive and had the opportunity to watch this movie.

Thank you for reading this review, I am not a native speaker, please forgive grammar or expression errors.

Ive seen monogatari series from the season 1 and all the movies and mini series/side arcs. Shaft doing really good job in making this series interesting if not for them i'd definetely alrdy dropped this series long time ago, definetely will give 9 score to the main arc bakemonogatari and nisemonogatari and 7-8 score for some of the side arcs.

This series feels really dragged already. and it basically have almost the same pattern for every arcs after bakemonogatari and nisemonogatari, things going down hill from there and boring for me,

Araragi likes girls and surrounded by girls but seriously just go fuck hanekawa or ... senjougahara already, the series always have that kind of scene where araragi want to fondle breast or he is feeling horny and some scene with foreplay(but not actually doing anything) thats getting old and really dumb.

In this movie he did it again we can see hanekawa running naked but without nipples and vagina so its not censored and they both do some bs foreplay but ended up not doing anything and suddenly after araragi sees hanekawa massive tits he somehow got massive spirit coming from nowhere to fight kiss shot and this kind of things have happened basically in almost every arcs, this series can be easily turned into the hentai series. I was laughing real hard watching this movie especially hanekawa parts where she become slut for araragi it isnt a serious thing anymore for me its been going on from season 1 until now.

So basically the pattern is a new girl with big trouble is appearing-breakdown-horny phase-sudden enlightment-defeating enemies-adding a new girl to his harem. Well after seeing araragi so long i started to feel disgusted bcs he seems like something that the creator of this series wanted to become in his dope fantasy the guy who got backups in higher place which is pretty chicks except oshino and beats badass alpha male to save pretty chicks and save the day, its just become repetitive and the story isnt that interesting anymore, well with all the money he made from this series alone will be enough to fuck all the girls in his fantasy or even roleplaying. I started to get that thoughts in some of the recents monogatari series and thats disgusting.

Ps: for any weird people out there who likes to jerk off with anime and likes harem bs bcs your life is miserable, this is just my opinion and save me from your bs and just scroll down if your fragile little heart is hurt and you feel like to debate this.

Wow, really wow. All the Kizumonogatari movie are outstanding!
Story is so well written (like the series) that 1h passes extremely fast.
In these stories we see an important part of the whole monogatari series since it's mainly the beginning of the story between Shinobu and Araragi. I don't want of course to say more things about it.

Except story which is a truly masterpiece, I have to admit that also drawings are
perfect (10 it's not enough), physic of the body, CGI perfectly fits into everything, and damn Shinobu and Hanekawa are 2 gods came down on earth :O.

SPOILERS:

The most beatiful part I think is reallt the ... relationship between Shinobu and Araragi, which in my opinion is really well developed.
Also Hanekawa is pretty interesting since we meet her in first movie.

Shinobu and Hanekawa body movements are really well done XD.. Good Job!

At the time of writing this Kizumonogatari III is one of only two Anime's that I have rated a 10. It is very rare that I rate anything a 10 because I don't believe any movie/show is perfect. And this is no exception, it isn't perfect. However, the roller coaster of emotions and the astounding journey I was unexpectedly taken on took my breath away. Everything all the way down to the ending credits song I thought was perfectly placed and fit the vibe of the movie really well.

To anybody that knows nothing about the "monogatari" series, I highly recommend you to watch these three ... movies first -as I did. I actually don't like the "monogatari" TV shows but I loved the 3-part movie.

When I grade a piece of Art, I usually separate my rating into two categories:
1) The technical achievement/production value.
2) My personal enjoyment.
Even if I don't personally enjoy a certain show or movie, I'll always give it a higher grade if category 1 is fulfilled.

The 3 part movie starts off pretty average in-terms of story and characters, but since each were only 1 hour long, it kept my interest long enough to keep watching. As I got towards the end of the second movie I was hooked. The unique lens in which the director is telling this unusual story is very dream-like and excitingly chaotic. So despite the 3 part movie starting off slow (which I usually don't forgive and heavily criticise) once the movie gets into full speed it is something that is so unique it stands separate from any anime I've ever seen. So from the view point of category 1, it achieves an 8 or 9.

Now from an enjoyment point of view, as I said before, once it gets into full speed the momentum is so flawless it's almost palpable. It clearly draws heavy inspiration from french noir films and uses it to craft an action packed pessimistic romance adventure. When I use "roller coaster" to describe this film, I don't mean it in a "it has high's and low's". I mean it in the sense that you can feel the momentum of this film pushing you forward right until the end credits roll. As an artist, I've definitely been inspired by this movie. And to anybody reading, *this* is how you do "romance" correctly. "Romance" done right is not some soap-opera love triangle designed to create conflict... Done right, it is a gut feeling that pulls you were the director wants you to go.

I could right a 5 page long review about all of the small and big things I liked, however, I usually like to keep my reviews short and straight to the point -only talking about aspects of the media that matters.

Kizumonogatari is back at it again with it's 3rd film and all I can say it was extraordinarily amazing.
Spoiler Warning below*****

Story 10/10

We start the film at a short discussion between the characters of Oshino Meme and Araragi Koyomi talking how it is incredible how Koyomi figured out how to overpower the trackers that were after his life and his lord, Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade.

The film advances as we see a wild return of the expert articulation of visuals, imagery and long talks that have left a blemish on anime by the now known "The Monogatari Series". Reiketsu joins the presence of Monogatari by ... showing thought and cycle of our fundamental character Araragi Koyomi and the recognizable Monologues as we se how Araragi opens up his cognizant and spills it just before us all and notice how he has changed. Reiketsu shows us how could it be that Araragi came to be as characters and show the progress to us all of us separating the cycle.

As on Tekketsu, Kizumonogatari is Visceral as it spoke to human impulse of its crudeness yet in addition incorporated a discussion situated introduction that conveyed the main demonstration.

Nekketsu zeroed in additional on youth, The young people of our characters reminding us exactly how over their heads the primary hero are, being Hanekawa Tsubasa and Araragi Koyomi. It forced the widespread sexuality and the inner self of our characters and it delivered activity to the table that incredibly contrasts from the primary demonstration, Tekketsu.

Reiketsu in the other hand consolidated the entirety of that, and presented to us the current recipe of Monogatari as the last bit of the riddle is opened and we get those essential internal talks indicating us the how! of in what manner can somebody who lives on being unconstrained and show us the outcomes that it convey. It additionally shows us the aftereffect of illegal information, as the more you know, the less more secure the world becomes.

Reiketsu everywhere, It can be known as the earliest reference point of the establishment of The Monogatari equation, it can likewise be simply the beginning of arrangement however covered in all that, Reiketsu was the end and acknowledgment to the furthest limit of customary day to day routines that will starting now and into the foreseeable future experience knowing about the powerful.

Art -10/10

Shaft truly did something extraordinary for themselves with this last curve, and brought us greater smoothness we ever envisioned off to the screen outperforming the first movies toward visuals and their crudeness, the mix of 3D CGI with 2D aestheticness top notch displayed on a capricious however completely working introduction that the set of three is. just as respecting the way of life of activity since it has become a well characterize normal for the new culture of japan, that greatly draws in fresh blood to japan tempted for the ever more up to date heap of commitment to society with sway on worldwide scale.

Sound - 10/10

The sound course was bewildering, as it was the voice entertainers on their A game. followed by all around formed OSTs and keeping the outdated repulsiveness feel you'd typically feel from Alfred Hitchcock, the same number of reference and utilization of bearing plainly referred to the style and with new wind to the introduction of the film.

Characters - 10/10

Our characters, Oshino Meme, Araragi Koyomi, Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade lastly Tsubasa Hanekawa were associated on exceptionally strange ways that your standard introduction, As their communication feels timelined of progress helped by very much coordinated visuals and ever exact sound headings.

Our characters are weaved on the string of obliviousness, youth and experience. weaving them contrastingly at the end of the day introducing us in split acts the meeting up of an arrangement and the buiding squares of a character we've delighted in for quite a long time on the Monogatari establishment.
Enjoyment - 10/10

I've sat tight for this for quite a while, because of work I unfortunately missed this film while on theaters in view of work. Know this however, any outrage I held and all lament that tormented me as I calmly hung tight for obviously merited each second since I've seen the last film.

In case you're a monogatari fan, I energetically suggest it and in case you're not try it out, For it is entirely conceivable you'd be one of us and appreciate of the worldwide concordance and being a fan that encompasses The Monogatari Series.

Kizumonogatari III is good, but not as good as I was expecting. Kizumonogatari II is better by leaps and bounds, but Kizumonogatari III is better than Kizumonogatari I.

Kizumonogatari III is a relatively average, plot-heavy arc from the Monogatari Series. It is similar in quality to the other Shinobu Arc, but it looks like Kizumonogatari. Speaking of which, it looks more like Kizumonogatari I than II, as in: it is also overly ridiculous and dramatized.

Kizumonogatari III is very simple, making it hard to talk about. I enjoyed it, but I am underwhelmed by it after watching Kizumonogatari II. Don’t get me wrong, it is ... really good, just as good as any other Monogatari arc, but it is not Kizumongatari II quality.

I don’t have much else to say. I am mildly stunned it didn’t blow my mind. It is rated higher than Kizumonogatari II so I had hope. I truly believed it would be better when I started watching, but now I feel like there is a black hole where those expectations were. I feel like I am missing the real Kizumonogatari III that is a masterpiece beyond all other Monogatari. But then I come to the nihilistic realization that this masterpiece doesn’t exist and never will. Truly tragic.

That hopeless rant aside, Kizumonogatari III is still really good. We both know that if you watched Kizumonogatari I and II, you’re watching III regardless of what any review says. I’m also not telling you not to watch it, you totally should. Just don’t expect a masterpiece beyond Kizumonogatari II.

-Third Act-

Climax/Ending/Conclusion

-Reiketsu (冷血)-

cold-heartedness/cold-bloodedness

The third act and boy does it complete all it's requirements to be a third act. The climax of having most of the main tension being brought up into a more dramatic fashion, resolving subplots and finally and most ironically at least, the main protagonist has a new sense of who they are...

Kizumonogatari Nekketsu had by all means brought up some subplots it had missed to resolved and like any third act should, it resolved it. So what is there really left for Araragi to do?, well the fact of the matter is of how Araragi was able to defeat vampire hunters even ... if he was a rookie underling to a vampire who had lost all her powers and more or less how those vampire hunters even overpowered Shinobu in the first place, her being overpowered as she was. Reiketsu deals with this fallacy and in a rather interesting Nisio Isin way of doing it.

The climax was crazy and interesting to say the least, LA won't spoil but for the matter of "final fight" was both gruesome, oddly playfully serious and seeing the two fighting was actually well worth it.

Araragi learns by Reiketsu of being in other end of the stick of the situation he is truly in and the life and by extension Shinobu they will go on to lead, with his demeanor and how the anime series plays out even starting from Bakemonogatari, his white knighting plays a major factor but how Reiketsu acts on it, is not of benevolence but sadness and the inevitability of the situation Araragi and Shinobu is in, as much as Reiktesu resolves many of it's subplots and fallacies the entire Kizumonogatari film series has gotten to this point and all the goals and feats Araragi managed to reach, it's telling when most of the sadness and inevitability for LA was that it was almost all for nothing with the state of how Araragi now lives now and yeah we KNOW how he deals with it in the anime series but as a standalone, Araragi's life, for all the kind-hearted things he did for Shinobu, in the end, he will ALSO suffer along with Shinobu for his kind-hearted acts.

Even if Hanekawa and Meme Oshino being in the support, they both had some stake in the plot and Reiketsu managed them well even with their reduced screentime, but LA can see why considering this final act is more focused towards Shinobu and Araragi in the first place.

SHAFT's animation is still coursing through the final act and the gory factor only goes up from this final act and completely uncensored to the visceral acts that Shinobu does that is the final turning point for Araragi is telling that even LA wanted to throw up along with Araragi of how gory this final act is and LA praise and commend SHAFT for not holding back. Yes there is one extended perverted scene where it nearly goes in the path of the infamous toothbrush scene in Nisemonogatari but nonetheless it's "something" of a breather until the climactic final fight so LA will give that scene a pass (it wasn't even that lewd...just pure fanservice).

The voice work is again on the same level as the previous movies but this time LA will give the MVP easily to Hiroshi Kamiya as Araragi for how much range he gave in this movie and boy with how much Reiketsu wasn't holding back, you'd know Hiroshi goes full ham in some areas. The other would once again be Maaya Sakamoto as Shinobu, considering she's something of a deuteragonist in this final act and once again HER RANGE is exceptional.

Nisio Isin for once didn't give us an anti-climax for an ending!

Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen is the final act of the trilogy of the Kizumonogatari series and by all means LA was completely satisfied with how Reiketsu was handled, by ticking all the conditions of a good climax, character development and resolving all subplots and then some by not half-assing how the Kizumonogatari's ending transitions into the anime series, it just all added up into a solemn yet satisfying finale about one too kind-hearted human becoming a vampire then wanting to become human again...

But by the end of all it all, at the cost of both of their existences...

-Reiketsu (冷血)-

First Review. Here goes nothing.

It's been a while since a movie had me experiencing every type of emotions out there.

Character development and Story: 10/10

From the giddiness of the "romantic" scenes between our main protagonist and Hanekawa to the existential crisis posed by the dilemma of immortality, I can say for certain that these 3 movies, especially this one, achieved its goal of strengthening the characters from the main anime story line. The center piece to all of this was Araragi and his character development. By being imperfect and making *many* wrong decisions throughout the plot, the audience is far more likely to connect with ... him on an emotional level. For example, his indecision when it came to picking a solution during the final conflict was a key element in showing that despite his "vampiricism" he's truly human at heart, for what human can have the resolve to make the righteous choice in that situation. A mediocre movie would have had everyone satisfied. Sadly, this is barely the case in reality and this movie portrays this fact brutally and accurately.

Art and Sound: 10/10

The symbolic art and dramatic change in style from time to time fits perfectly with the detailed and beautiful animation throughout the movie and really keeps this masterpiece from becoming stale at any point. The music was also delivered perfectly and really enhanced the emotions intended behind each scene.

Overall this movie really is one of a kind and really tells a wonderful, yet tragic, story.

[8.0/10]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Going into Kizumonogatari III I was somewhat worried. Part two, for it's spectacular visuals and astounding fight sequences really left a hollow first impression from it's character perspective. The inclusion of Hanekawa as a focal point was disappointing, and her sequences with our protagonist, Araragi were either barebones fanservice, with understandably beautiful shot composition, or tedious, obvious dialogue-driven moments that were unexpectedly banal for a series that has illustrious and hilarious writing. With the focus on Hanekawa, there was a lack of development between Kiss-shot and Araragi, which made me extremely worried for the eventual climax of this film since it is reliant on that ... relationship to be real.

Monogatari has never been a series to handle emotion well, in my opinion, mainly because it always undercut it with misplaced humor or fanservice or character development. Araragi never felt like someone I could relate to through his romantic responses because I know how many girls he fucks with daily. That nature is at total odds with itself, which makes this series very emotionally dissonant, even if it is one of my favorites. With this knowledge, going into Part III was a bit unnerving, how would they handle this?

Well, for one, they upped the length by a solid twenty minutes, which made it feel like a proper feature film. Second, they obviously decided to give Kiss-shot more screentime, which thankfully established her character more. If only they cut half the Hanekawa moments from Kizu II out and placed Kiss-shot in her place, we could've been dealing with a deeper more impressive character arc. That being said, the second I clicked play and the first shot exploded on screen I was grinning from ear to ear.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[The new A E S T H E T I C]

This is the Monogatari effect. This is the result of having some of the most unique and jaw-dropping shot composition in anime. It looks gorgeous, and the new aesthetic these films embraced was in full affect. Awesome uses of colors, lighting, and CG. Just about every environment was a 3D CG mesh, with some stylized realistic textures. They composited the 2D characters into this CG environment to create some very unique visuals that you don't see every day.

Needless to say, this brand new aesthetic, which emphasizes the "new" feel to an old world we've already become used to within the context of the main series does wonders in emphasizing the new thematic elements. A world that focuses on the night and dusk, with the black hue of night mixing beautifully in the orange morning sun, this new color pallet meshes harshly with the sculpted CG environments in a very purposeful manner.

A french noir aesthetic is further accentuated by the series' already utilizing a wide variety of filming techniques popularized within the French New Wave. Monogatari as a whole is already New Wave inspired in its dialogue and editing, so this trilogy really takes that to new heights. From a purely visual standpoint, this final chapter was near-perfect, only a few moments breaking my gaze of awe. One specific moment, where they try to composite a CG head into a character's hands looked pretty bad, but apart from that, it was glorious from head to toe.

The new character designs are also much more dynamic and less stiff, with thinner lines than in the main series, creating for much more fedility-intense movement. This fits these film's capability of creating some really spectacular looking motion, as these characters stumble back, or run forward, or clash with one another. I wish there was some more character-animation, though, as some character seem to take on very similar movements, particularly Kiss-shot and Hanekawa had a paralleled scene where they walk along an elevated edge with their arms out. I wasn't sure whether this was meant to be a callback or if the art team decided to animate them in the same exact way, it felt overly similar for two characters that felt incredibly different.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Story/Character Developement]

This final act really did a great job showing more Kiss-shot, which as I've said was a big worry coming into it. With the disappointing focus on Hanekawa in part II, part III really did need most of it to be Kiss-shot oriented. Thankfully, that's exactly what we got for the most part. A lot of Araragi/kiss-shot development, which thankfully made the final act of this final act, the climax, really engaging and surprisingly funny.

The fight scenes in Monogatari, even in the series, have always been brisk and amazing. The directors consistently crafting the kinds of action scenes which I wish more anime would embrace. Heavy violence and shorter, more action-oriented moments that weren't bogged down by constant exposition. Here, in Kizu III, the team at SHAFT really got to play around, creating some utterly insane visual moments and scenarios that expounded upon the already insane story.

The climax also helped paint the more somber, and intriguing conclusion which paved its way brilliantly to the start of Bakemonogatari. Yeah, I was just so happy with the way this film rounded out. I felt a complete connection between Bake and Kizu. With the eventual connection between Kiss-shot turned Shinobu and Araragi becoming evident.

Oshino plays a bigger role here too, which is great because the specialists are always the most interesting part of Monogatari to me. I was saddened to see we wouldn't get to witness more bad-asses make their way out of the mist to witness the clash between two titans, but regardless, Oshino is more than enough to satisfy me. His stiff coolness and spectacular character design speak perfectly towards the kind of character he is, and once again paint a better picture of him once you come back into Bakemonogatari. I eagerly await re-watching this series once Owarimonogatari finishes so I can get a better picture of it all.

The fanservice is the fanservice. It's a bit more palate-able here since it didn't feel so lacking in purpose as it did in Kizu II, however, it was still exactly what I believe is the weakest aspect in Monogatari. Not the sexuality, but the way that sexuality is portrayed. For a series that had the moment between Senjougahara and Araragi in the car, and that whole episode really, it really saddens me that it still treats sexuality in the same childish manner I see most other anime treat it. I get that anime, as a medium, is aimed at teenagers and their view on sex is obviously immature, however, it still disappoints me no less.

The idea here is that the scene between Hanekawa and Araragi could've easily escalated, not in rediculousness, but in a much more intimate, sexual manner, but never did due to restraint shown by the writer, director, creators, and what I can only assume is the entire culture in Japan that indulges in this medium. Why is sex is such a taboo? Why can't two characters fuck? Why is it okay to show a nude twelve year old but not to indulge in two consenting human beings banging it out in an abandoned gymnasium?

This whole scene obviously played as totally over-indulgent fanservice but also as comedic relief, albeit surprisingly serious comedic relief. But the relief wasn't necessary. While the scene itself wasn't bad in the grand scheme of things, it still felt like it jutted out of the story like a splinter. Sexuality is an inherent part of Monogatari, but I feel like for a film that has a much more mature vibe to it, and Araragi isn't necessarily being as unreliable of a narrator as he usually is, this could've been ample reason to give a more mature look on sexuality that this series definitely needs. In the end, Araragi hardly even tells this story, with very little monologuing and exposition driven moments from him.

Overall, these moments, or, I should say, one moment wasn't as obnoxious as part II, but it still could've been played and done better, and in the end never quite meshed with the entire film in my opinion. Especially since Araragi's arc, as he battles between humanity and monster, wasn't really assisted by Hanekawa, who in the end plays more like a cheerleader and "obvious dialogue sayer" than anything else. Sure she comes to a few important realizations, but since we never see how these realizations where come up with, it just feels like she's there to answer questions and have her utterly unbelievable udders bounce around like two Christmas hams.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Conclusion]

With that said, everything else worked very well within this film, which against surprised me. I think that this film really relied on the previous one to be narratively sound, and since part II wasn't all that impressive from a story standpoint, this film could've really suffered. Thankfully, the suffering was kept to a minimum, with only a few moments that could've improved if they were expounded upon in the previous product. I'll take it. Even the emotional resolution of the climax felt good from a dramatic standpoint.

What this trilogy, and in return, this final part has to offer is astounding directing from series veteran Oishi Tatsuya, spectacular shot composition, melodic and stylistic sound design and music, a decent narrative, and somewhat underdeveloped characters. I think that some people may call this, and most of Monogatari a very "style over substance" product. While I may completely disagree with the series being anything but brilliantly put together, narratively, I can at least see some weight to what that critic would say about these films. I think they paint a great picture as a prequel, but for how rich a lot of Monogatari characters are, don't really do a lot of them justice in the highest degree, even if that would be near-impossible.

I do want to challenge that comment, though, the idea of "style over substance", and really ask why people always make "narrative" or "character" the sole inhibitor of "substance". I disagree with that. Substance is whatever you want it to be. Monogatari is so encompassed within it's unique and astonishing visual style that to say it isn't a part of the substance of the series is being either ignorant or totally avoiding the entire concept of the visual medium. Monogatari's visuals are definitely substance, and these films prove that. If I see someone walk out of this film completely satisfied with the product I know he or she is thinking the same thing. To a certain extent, I think the same thing too, even if it isn't a flawless work it is still great and shows the strength of the series it is piggy-backing off of.

The Kizumonogatari trilogy may not even be a mandatory product from a holistic narrative standpoint, but it is undoubtedly a welcome one. I may not have needed this trilogy, but damn it if I'm not happy I watched them. At best, they are visual feasts with spectacular moments of somber resolution, but at worst they are overly-pandering and empty from a character standpoint. Treat that as you will. I think the positives far outweigh the negatives here in just about every way. A bloody good time, really.

Kizumonogatari is not "out of the box".......

It completely destroys and re-imagines the box into something unique and beautiful.

It doesn't JUST have beautiful, high-budget animation... The actual ART......The visual & auditory presentation is designed to get the viewer out of their comfort zone.
The visual presentation is a direct compliment of the story's unorthodox narrative.

The movie doesn't really fall into tropes or common generic overused storytelling tools...in fact, Kizu is the direct antithesis of ALL generic media. It takes what seems to be simple and glamorizes it with a mind-blowing, visionary flare.


... Great movies...outstanding pieces of art....unique.... must watch.

part 1:8/10 part 2:9/10 part 3:10/10