As a lifelong fan of the Monogatari series, Kizumonogatari – Kyomi Vamp was something I had to watch at Fantasia Fest, no matter what. Even though I had seen the original Kizumonogatri trilogy in the past and this project was simply a compilation film that combined the three movies into one single movie, the idea of revisiting this iconic franchise that is near and dear to my heart was something I couldn’t say no to.
However, despite my anticipation, I couldn’t help but wonder what exact purpose this compilation film would serve that the original trilogy didn’t already fulfill. The Kizumonogatari trilogy is an amazing collection of films; why must we mash them together into one compilation film other than getting fans like me to be excited to revisit this franchise?
After watching the film and speaking with director Tatsuya Oishi, I now understand the purpose of Kizumonogatari – Koyomi Vamp. Oishi not only wanted to revisit this beloved trilogy he worked on back in 2016 with Akiyuki Shinbo and repackage it for new audiences unfamiliar with the Monogatari series, but he also wanted to restructure Kizumonogatari as a standalone “serious vampire drama” that could tell its self-contained narrative.
It’s an ambitious attempt, and for the most part, it paid off as Kizumonogatari – Koyomi Vamp is easily one of the best things I saw at this year’s Fantasia Festival. While I will always prefer the original Kizumonogatari trilogy over this new compilation film, this version still nonetheless accomplishes its goal of being a “serious vampire drama” that works as a standalone film that does not require audiences to be familiar with the Monogatari series.
Regarding the film itself, it’s kind of impossible to talk about its achievements without bringing up the original Kizumonogatari trilogy because, as I mentioned before, they all use the same footage. Regardless, though, even if what I was watching wasn’t necessarily “new,” it still nonetheless reminded me why I fell in love with the original trilogy in the first place.
The animation still holds up and is gorgeous to look at. The characters are still incredibly complex and richly developed, especially the main protagonist, Araragi, whose journey from a lonely high school loser to an all-powerful yet traumatized vampire is always fun to revisit. The action set pieces are still exciting to watch, and the French New Wave cinema influences are just as present and apparent as they’ve always been since Bakemonogatari.
There’s very little to hate about Kizumonogtari– Koyomi Vamp; it’s just an incredibly solid, gorgeously animated vampire drama that I was glued to from beginning to end. However, this compilation film’s advantage over the original Kizumonogatari trilogy is that this version is much more appealing to newcomers to the Monogatari series. Part of what makes the Monogatari franchise so daunting is that every fan has their own interpretation of the order in which they watch the series. Thankfully, Kizumonogatari -Koyomi Vamp is made with the mindset of being its own self-contained story, while the original trilogy serves better as a connecting tissue with the rest of the Monogatari series.
If you’re interested in getting into this franchise but aren’t sure if it’s for you, then give Kizumonogatari -Koyomi Vamp a try. If it’s to your liking, then check out the rest of the franchise, as the Monogatari series is one of the greatest anime titles of all time and is absolutely worth watching.
Rating: 8/10