Man, Kizumonogatari is really something different.
The biggest thing I took out of the first Kizu movie is it’s depiction of it’s visuals - I am in love with how this film looks. My first thought as I was watching the film was that having a near totally CGI backgrounds would look cheap and out of place, but it does so much to create this weird, eerie atmosphere. I’ve been critical of SHAFT’s attempts of CG in the past, but I think they did amazing work utilizing what I’d say is a shortcoming in their other series to amazing effect in the film. The animation is also nothing short of superb in this film, not once dropping below a spectacular standard - Araragi’s immolation is probably the standout moment of the film. It’s just this nightmarish situation that goes on just long enough that it feels like it’ll never end for our poor protagonist.Character animations can range from being incredibly realistic and fluid, to an almost hyper-cartoonish and silly. Maybe the most wonderful thing about that though is that it all flows together perfectly, never really breaking up the important scenes of the film.
Honestly, the story isn’t that unique - normal high school student Araragi runs into the dying body of an obscenely powerful vampire lady, offers his blood to restore her life, and the plot unfolds from there. Like I said, it isn’t particularly new territory for any media, but it’s the way they outline the plot, the way the characters act - especially Araragi, who’s complicated feelings in regards to the people he meets (like Hanekawa) or the sheer terror, yet need to help, Heart-Under-Blade, in what felt like turning the ‘protagonist's sacrifice’ trope turned on its head. The ending of the story sets up a lot of cool places Kizumonogatari could go, none of which really bodes well for Araragi, and gets me excited for some more animation-heavy content, especially after seeing SHAFT flex their animaton muscles in a lot of more mundane situations in this film.
I know dialogue is the standout feature of the Monogatari series, but I feel the general lack of constant dialogue made the scenes of character interaction stand out that much more. I adored pretty much all of the interactions between Araragi and Hanekawa, with all their little movements and mannerisms that I haven’t really seen captured in most films of this level, a further testament to just how far SHAFT went on developing this film series. Even with such a different style to the series (at least from what I can tell), the lifeblood of Monogatari is still utterly present within it, which I think would've made this something the fans didn’t celebrate as much as they have since it’s release.
I think it's been a while since I watched something we're pretty much every character on screen was so utterly fighting for the spotlight. I wasn’t sure if it was the writing, their visuals, or the stellar voice acting (which, my god, is probably the most objectively perfect thing in this entire film). At first, Araragi and Hanekawa’s interactions were simply divine, but then Araragi’s encounter with Kiss-Shot and what follows had me at a loss for what I enjoyed more. Every character feels so distinct and utterly different from each other, and I legitimately feel they’re all perfect for the role they play in this film. Though, with a gun to my head, I’d have to say Hanekawa - all her little movements and playful, bubbly energy was like an arrow into me, and I was legitimately sad when (due to events in the film) she wasn’t a major player. Thankfully, I’ve got two more films worth of content with this simply divine cast of characters.
I will go back to how I mentioned how good the atmosphere of this film was. During the opening scene, of Aragragi climbing the building, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Silent, eerie, bleak - it all combines to create this world that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from. There were a lot of moments in this film, especially in its first half, that felt like I was watching someone else’s nightmare. Honestly, there are some situations I could imagine watching this film and actually be a little creeped out by the vibe it throws out at times. Atmosphere has always been key to my enjoyment of a lot of shows, and I can’t really think of many other anime that have nailed that atmosphere as well as Kizumonogatari.
With an incredibly strong start, Kizumonogatari has got me raring to watch the rest of the film trilogy, and dive into Monogatari as a greater franchise. With amazing voice acting, visuals, and mood to cover a slightly ho-hum story, Kizumonogatari I is a feast for the eyes, and required viewing for pretty much anyone who’s got a hungering for some top tier animation. It’s weird, it’s eerie, and it’s all kinds of crazy, but damn, Kizumonogatari feels like something special that only SHAFT could do.
