This review of KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- contains spoilers.
For the uninitiated like I was, KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- is a compilation film containing the three-part Kizumonogatari movies. The trilogy is directed by Tatsuya Oishi, who also wrote the screenplay, and is based on the original story by NISIOISIN. The movies were originally released in 2016 and 2017. This story is part of a larger series, The Monogatari series, which consists of a few different in-universe stories. As someone unfamiliar with the series, I can assure you don’t need that prior knowledge to enjoy this compilation film.
In KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp-, Koyomi Araragi is a high school student who encounters a dying vampire one night. He rashly decides to sacrifice his life to save her. The vampire he encounters, Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade, has been mutilated by vampire hunters who stole her arms and legs. After Araragi saves her, she turns him into a vampire to save his life. She promises she will make him human again if he can get her limbs back.
What fascinates me most about the movie is that you’re plopped right into the middle of a universe, with zero knowledge of the lore. Time seems to pass quickly but slowly at the same time. We meet most of the main characters, with the exception of Kiss-Shot, unceremoniously. The ambiguity of it all added a layer of thrill for me. Who should I care about? What should I pay close attention to? It all felt so important but also not important. I love feeling like I’m being misled in terms of what matters.
The film is full of action and moves fast. I can’t decipher if the speed at which things move is because of the compilation or not. Regardless, it just works. I was breathless watching the action as Koyomi battles Dramaturgy, Episode, and Guillotinecutter. I felt the stakes rise as he spent time with Tsubasa Hanekawa, wondering if there were romantic feelings between them.
With the quickness of the pace and the stunning visuals that seem to encompass an artsy, whimsical style, akin to a Mamoru Hosoda film, there’s not much time left to think. You just absorb all the wonder that KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- is giving. And it’s specifically because I was so absorbed into what I was watching, that it was not until the last battle of the movie that I GOT IT.
The “IT” is the questioning of life and morality this story is asking. Should beings live forever if that forever is a lonely existence? Should one person decide who gets to continue living or not? If the nature of your existence goes against the ethics of society, does that mean you do not deserve to live? What does it mean to sacrifice your life? These questions aren’t new, especially for vampire stories, but I was not expecting the movie to address this. So when it did, it was a punch to the gut.
As the credits rolled, I couldn’t get these questions out of my mind. And now, almost a week later, I still haven’t come to terms with how I feel regarding the end of the movie. This doesn’t mean I dislike it – actually, I love it for challenging me. For one, it wasn’t how I thought it would end. But also, I still am not entirely sure I agree with the path that Araragi chose. This choice made me uncomfortable and upset. Yet, the more I sat with it, I realized that there was no ending that would neatly answer the questions. The ending, like the existence of vampires, is messy and goes against everything our world wants us to believe.
It’s not necessarily that I wanted Kiss-shot to die but she wanted to die. I thought that even if how she went about it was weird, she deserved to have Araragi fulfill that wish. However, I also understand Araragi not wanting to kill her. This solution of her being alive in some capacity and Araragi remaining some kind of vampire felt to me as it only satisfied his conscious. I believe Kiss-shot deserved to have her wish honored because she didn’t want to continue being lonely anymore. That is reason enough. Araragi chooses to live with the guilt of keeping her alive against her wishes over the guilt of killing her, and that is his ultimate sacrifice to her.
KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- is messy and gory on its surface, and even a little scary at times. For me, the beauty of the film lies in the humanity of connections and how ultimately there are no “right” answers sometimes. By our very nature, humans are greedy and selfish, and wanting of companionship. No infinite years of life can ever satisfy the urge to not be lonely.
KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- is in theaters for one day only, August 28. Find tickets here.
