Let me start out by talking about the visuals. Given the amount of pain-staking traditional animation, the production is more higher quality than I would expect in a typical anime film. But then again, it's Shaft we're talking about. There was a plethora of subtle motions and unique movement quirks that showcased the characters without relying on dialogue to characterize them, as seen with Kiss-shot's broad, puffy actions, Araragi's more reserved behavior, and Hanekawa's friendly approaches. CG was very well done even though I generally dislike it in other works usually due to how cheap it looks or how it stands out too much, but here it almost seamlessly integrated with the 2D characters creating an asthetic I've never seen from any other anime.
Sound-wise, I don't have much to say. When I left the theatre I was throughly convinced that I needed to get the OST when it comes out. Tracks were very smooth and whimsical and badass in the right places. Also, voice acting was spot-on. Got to give props to Maaya Sakamoto for conveying how desperate Kiss-shot was to preserve her life. Aragi's (sorry, bit my tongue) mortal turmoil was also solidly done.
Onto the direction. Holy hell, the direction. Shinbou and Oishi have done it. There were loads of the visual and audio metaphors many of us are used to from the television series, but now only more nuanced because of the film-budget allowing them to combine high quality animation with their top-tier shot framing. As a result, though, the text flashes that were often used to help characterize the characters were practically nonexistent. And I guess for the better because of the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words or something. I really didn't get the random French that appeared from time to time, but what the hell, it looked cool stylistically.
Plot was perhaps the weakest aspect of the movie given how some parts seemed like they lasted a tiny bit too long, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment because I was too immersed in the direction to notice how little of the novel the first part actually adapted. At the very least, it did a great job setting up for the next movie.
Overall, it was absolutely worth ditching hanging out with friends to go see an anime movie. Everything about it was pretty damn solid, aside from the thin plot. I'd go see it again in a heartbeat if I could, but that would mean traveling again. Anyway, I really can't wait for the second movie to come out!
8/10, B+, according to my scale.
