Kizumonogatari (film series)

Kizumonogatari (傷物語, Kizumonogatari), which translates to Wound Story, is a series of Japanese animated youth horror films directed by Tatsuya Oishi and produced by Shaft. It is based on the light novel Kizumonogatari, a prequel to Bakemonogatari and part of the Monogatari series of light novels written by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Vofan. The first film, Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu (傷物語I 鉄血篇, Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen), which translates to Wound Story Part 1, Iron Blood, was released in Japan on January 8, 2016. The second film, Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu (Japanese: 傷物語II 熱血篇, Hepburn: Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen), which translates to Wound Story, Part 2: Hot Blood, was released in Japan on August 19, 2016. The third and the final film in the trilogy, Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu (Japanese: 傷物語III 冷血篇, Hepburn: Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen), which translates to Wound Story, Part 3: Cold Blood, was released in Japan on January 6, 2017.

Tekketsu

Koyomi Araragi, a second year high school student at Naoetsu High School, befriends Tsubasa Hanekawa, the top honors student at his school. Tsubasa mentions a rumor about a “blonde vampire” that has been sighted around their town recently. Koyomi, who is usually anti-social, takes a liking to Tsubasa’s down-to-earth personality. That evening, Koyomi encounters this rumored vampire: she is Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade, also known as the “King of Apparitions.” The blonde, golden-eyed vampire cries out for Koyomi to save her as she lies in a pool of her own blood, all four of her limbs cut off. Kiss-shot asks Koyomi to give her his blood in order to save her life, and when he does, the very next moment he awakes, Koyomi finds himself reborn as her vampire kin.

Nekketsu

High school student Koyomi Araragi is now a vampire due to saving the life of the vampire Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade. He wishes to become human again, but is now charged with retrieving Kiss-shot's severed limbs from the vampire hunters who took them. Before he confronts the first hunter, the gigantic full vampire Dramaturgy, he has a conversation with fellow student Tsubasa Hanekawa. He hides his vampire nature, but Tsubasa is still interested in the rumors about vampires being passed around. At the fight, Dramaturgy tears Koyomi's arms off in one blow, but Koyomi finds that he can rapidly regenerate his limbs. Seeing the fight as lost, Dramaturgy surrenders Kiss-shot's leg to Koyomi. At the time, Kiss-shot has taken the form of a child. But she morphs into a young teenager when she swallows her old leg.

Koyomi next fights the vampire-human half breed Episode, who can vanish into mist and who uses a giant cross as a weapon. Tsubasa walks into the fight and is disemboweled by Episode. Before she dies, Tsubasa points out to Koyomi that he can beat Episode by throwing sand into his mist form. Koyomi uses sand to overcome Episode and beats Episode savagely. Meme Oshino, an ally of Kiss-shot, gets Koyomi to calm down and, for a price of ¥20 million, informs Koyomi that he can use his own blood to revive Tsubasa. Koyomi then uses his own blood to save Tsubasa's life. Consumption of the second leg enables Kiss-shot to morph into a young adult.

Koyomi now must face the fully human priest Guillotine Cutter for Kiss-shot's arms. Before the fight, he desperately pleads with Tsubasa to leave for her own safety. Tsubasa ultimately agrees, leaving her panties with Koyomi as a promise that they will reunite later. Nonetheless, Guillotine Cutter kidnaps Tsubasa, and Meme advises that Koyomi must "forget about being human again" in order to rescue her. Koyomi uses a power to control tree roots to defeat Guillotine Cutter and save Tsubasa, but appears to have abandoned his wish to become human again.

Reiketsu

Koyomi successfully retrieved all of Kiss-Shot's limbs and returned them to her. Now he must face a fully restored version of Kiss-Shot to regain his humanity.

Production

The anime adaptation of Kizumonogatari was announced in July 2010 and in March 2011 it was announced that the adaptation would be a film. In October 2015 it was announced that there would be three films: Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen, Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen and Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen; the cast and crew for Tekketsu were also announced.

Release

As of September 2011, the film was scheduled for release in 2012 but it was announced in April 2012 that the release date had been pushed back. On October 2015 the release date was announced for January 8, 2016. It was released in the United States by Aniplex of America on February 26, 2016.

Box office and sales

On its opening weekend in Japan, Tekketsu placed third, grossing ¥22,509,300 from 243,702 admissions. On its second weekend, it was in the sixth place by admissions and in fifth place by gross, with US$798,835. On the third weekend, it was in the ninth place by admissions and in the eighth place by gross, with US$418,165. The film reached more than 450,000 admissions by January 26. As of February 7, Tekketsu had grossed US$6,156,959. The Blu-ray Disc edition of the first film sold 36,018 in its first week, placing first in the chart.

The second film, Nekketsu grossed ¥196 million on its opening weekend in Japan and was eighth placed by number of admissions, with 148,200. The film grossed US$3,442,498 overall in Japan box office. The Blu-ray Disc edition sold 30,670 in its first week, placing again first in the chart, with DVD selling over 2,000.

The third film, Reiketsu was ninth placed on its opening weekend, grossing ¥86.7 million (US$746,000). It earned ¥170,000,000 in 4 days.

Critical commentary

Nick Creamer of Anime News Network gave the first film an overall grade of A-, saying that the film "might be the first third of a masterpiece. It is already a breathtaking experience."

He also gave the second film an "A" grade, praising its story, animation, and sound design. He noted as a negative that the film's sexuality seemed to "trip into indulgent excess" at times, however ended the review by stating "It's ugly, incomplete, and ostentatiously beautiful. It is one of a kind."

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