Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu

Lore & Background

In Reiketsu, Koyomi finally succeeds in fully restoring Kiss-Shot after defeating the three vampire hunters alone. Koyomi expects Kiss-Shot to then change him back to a human. Before that, Kiss-Shot and Koyomi spend an evening on a rooftop, where Kiss-Shot reminisces about her previous subordinate, a Samurai who chose to commit suicide because he could not bear to live as a vampire after being turned. Koyomi goes off to buy food, but when he returns, he finds Kiss-Shot eating the eviscerated corpse of Episode. He is horrified at the realization that Kiss-Shot will now hunt humans again and that he himself will want to hunt as well. The realization leaves Koyomi despondent enough to want to die. But then Tsubasa appears and persuades Koyomi to stay alive. She also points out that Koyomi himself has the power to stop Kiss-Shot. Tsubasa's comforting words, as well as a clumsy attempt to fondle her breasts, bring Koyomi's spirits up enough to face Kiss-Shot in a fight.

In Their Own Story

Kiss-Shot and Koyomi face off in the Tokyo Olympic stadium. They repeatedly tear each other's limbs and heads off, but then regenerate their appendages back. Finally, Koyomi weakens Kiss-Shot by sucking out her blood. But Tsubasa suddenly realizes that Kiss-Shot wants to die. Kiss-Shot admits that she was going to throw the fight and explains that she has to die to restore a subordinate's humanity but couldn't do so for her previous subordinate because she was too scared of death. Kiss-Shot demands that Koyomi kill her, but Koyomi instead yells for Meme's help. Meme proposes a solution that will "make everyone miserable": Koyomi will suck out Kiss-Shot's blood only to the point that she is too weak to hunt humans, leaving them both quasi-versions of vampire and human. Over Kiss-Shot's protestations, Koyomi chooses this path. The next day, Koyomi explains to Tsubasa that he is mostly human but does have some vampire traits. Kiss-Shot now has the form of a child and can only eat by regularly sucking Koyomi's blood.

Reader's Guide

The Kizumonogatari trilogy serves as a prequel to the main television narrative, detailing the events of Araragi's first year in high school before he met Senjogahara or Hanekawa. While Bakemonogatari aired earlier, this film series chronologically precedes it all. Reiketsu acts as the climax of this origin tale, following the intense battles established in the previous two installments. Released on January 6, 2017, it concludes the confrontation with the ancient vampire Kiss-Shot. The narrative explores the heavy cost of Araragi's survival and his temporary transformation into a vampire. Unlike the episodic nature of the TV adaptations, this film offers a continuous, high-stakes action sequence driven by dialogue-heavy combat. It bridges the gap between the novel source material and the later anime entries, providing essential context for Araragi's unique abilities and physical limitations seen throughout the rest of the franchise. Fans often view it as the emotional anchor for understanding his self-sacrificial nature. The movie was originally planned as a single feature but split into three theatrical releases to ensure maximum visual fidelity. This third installment specifically focuses on the resolution of the blood contract, cementing Araragi's role as a monster hunter who walks the line between human and supernatural.

Did You Know?

• The film was released in Japanese theaters on January 6, 2017.
• It is the third and final film in the Kizumonogatari trilogy.
• The film's Japanese title includes the subtitle "Reiketsu-hen," meaning "Cold-Blooded."
• Kiss-Shot's previous subordinate was a Samurai who chose to commit suicide because he could not bear to live as a vampire after being turned.
• The climactic fight takes place in the Tokyo Olympic stadium.