KIZUMONOGATARI

Wound Tale

By: NISIOISIN

Narrated by: Keith Silverstein, Eric Kimerer, Cristina Vee

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Around midnight, under a lonely streetlamp in a provincial town in Japan, lies a white woman, a blonde, alone, robbed of all four limbs yet undead. Indeed, a rumor's been circulating among the local girls that a vampire has come to their backwater, of all places.

Koyomi Araragi, who prefers to avoid having friends because they'd lower his "intensity as a human", is naturally skeptical. Yet it is to him that the bloodsucking demon, a concept "dated twice over", beckons on the first day of spring break as he makes his way home with a fresh loot of morally compromising periodicals.

Always disarmingly candid, often hilariously playful, and sometimes devastatingly moving, KIZUMONOGATARI: Wound Tale is the perfect gateway into the world of author NISIOISIN, the best-selling young novelist in Japan today. The prequel to BAKEMONOGATARI ("Monster Tale"), this is where the legendary MONOGATARI series, whose anime adaptations have enjoyed international popularity and critical acclaim, begins.

©2015 NISIOISIN (P)2016 Random House Audio

NO POINT IN CRYING OVER SPILT BLOOD

This is not for the over 30 crowd. The first hour is totally taken over by a high school boy who sees a pair of panties. In a Marilyn Monroe type situation involving the most popular girl in school, this boy sees her panties and that is all he can think about for the next hour of the book. This causes him to go out and buy porn magazines. The book is also filled with more teenage angst then in any American YA girl book. The small parts about the vampire is fairly cool and different, but not to the point of putting up with all the childish ramblings of the main character. Anime books are similar to graphic novels and I have found that these books without the art work usually don't hold up.

A good start, even for the most critical fans.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would only recommend this book to some friends, as this is definitely not a story for everyone. The story can easily be bogged down if you do not resonate with the characters inner turmoil and the thought provoking moral quandaries could just sound like teenage angst if you don't buy in to stories about kids in high school. Even for many Anime fans the verbose and palindromic writing can be mind melting giving some scenes a feeling of dragging on for eternity. Monogatari has never been for everyone, but it is for those listeners or readers who have a love for ten dollar words, being wrapped up in a flurry of wit while being sucked deeper into the rabbit hole.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Koyomi Araragi is by far the stand out character, and continues to be in later novels in the Monogatari series. He is both an everyman character, but also someone with a distinct and strong personality. Between his inner monologues and exterior arguing with himself you get a deep and rich understanding of how he thinks; thus allowing the author to almost meld the minds of the character and reader together.

Which scene was your favorite?

The standout scene in this audiobook comes almost purely from a delivery and character aspect. Hearing Christina Vee argue with herself as two separate characters was a true joy. While I wish they had used another actor to play Hanekawa it was still thrilling to hear.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are two very strong scenes in this book which may either make or break the story for you; the first meeting of our two main characters (Araragi & Kisshot), and their stories climax towards the end. Each novel in the Monogatari series focuses heavily on a singular character and their interactions with Koyomi Araragi with the other characters coming in as strong supports to reinforce the actions of each character. For a majority of the novels, the main support or what could be argued as a tertiary main character to Koyomi is Kisshot. Both their first meeting, and the main story element which binds them together in this novel are very strong, and emotionally draining, but every step beforehand leads you to the finale which you are told from the start will not be a happy one.

Any additional comments?

The Monogatari series as a whole isn't an easy subject matter to translate into a simple written or spoken language. Most likely why it's taken so long for anyone to try and even tackle this expansive series.
With that being said, Vertical has done an excellent job with translating the Novel but keeping dialog, character specific quirks, and the themes of the Monogatari series consistent between the anime and novels. While I would say they did only a serviceable job on the audiobook, it comes from high expectations. The source material is strong in creating an emotional resonance between the reader (or viewer) and the characters in action, so when the voices of them do not line up as you expected, it can be somewhat jarring. Even if the actors did a strong job overall. I will say that compared to the Japanese actor of Hanekawa who sounded more stern, mature, and serious; this iteration is given a more high pitched, giddy, and almost bubbly voice which I wouldn't say fits well, especially with later events in the series and I hope that Vertical reconsiders casting and brings in a different actor to play her.

I would say my main criticisms lie with the direction more so than casting, delivery, or the script. This is a biased point of view, but it seems the director definitely had the actors hold back on some scenes, opting for a bit more subdued approach compared to the anime & japanese actors deliveries. This is personal preference, but I would have rather scene the actors ham up the more dramatic scenes more, as the series has always been known to be bombastic, over the top, and incredibly verbose.

I can also say there is a definite problem with the pacing in a few areas. While this isn't a major problem, it definitely feels as though the actor playing Araragi was told to pick up his reading pace during a few scenes which could have been a little lengthier and more thought provoking. On the other hand, talking a mile a minute is definitely a key attribute to our protagonist, and nothing new the near frantic levels of dialog in the animation version of him.

DEFINITELY do not buy if you're over 30 yo

What disappointed you about KIZUMONOGATARI?

Cringe-worthy dialogue. Cheesy sound effects. Endless painful whining and self-deprecating thoughts of main character.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Nothing else by this author.

Would you be willing to try another one of the narrators’s performances?

Not really.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Extreme disappointment. A great deal of eye-rolling.

Any additional comments?

I'm up to Chapter 6 and thus far my experience has been painful. Look, I've listened to other YA fiction before and some works in the genre can be quite good. This is not one of them. I wish I had put more credence in the most critical review here: "This is not for the over 30 crowd...The book is also filled with more teenage angst then in any American YA girl book. The small parts about the vampire is fairly cool and different, but not to the point of putting up with all the childish ramblings of the main character."

Extremely well acted light novel

What did you love best about KIZUMONOGATARI?

Easily one of the best narration performances I've heard on Audible. It's great to actually have both a male and a female voice actor as falsetto doesn't quite work here. To have more than one male part is outstanding.

What other book might you compare KIZUMONOGATARI to and why?

Not really comparable to anything else, this is a problem in the West about not having light novels (novellas).

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I hope more performances are sold here.

Gripping, funny, deep...A worthy listen

Great acting, which I didn't expect, this being my first audiobook experience, and usually not liking american anime dub acting (which clearly this isn't, but in theory would be close).

The story surprised me enough for what ia basically a origin story with elements previously hinted at in the saga. I'd say in all it's fair to read this before you read or watch the latest material. But as a starting point it should work really well. As it is, it still brings a whole new dimension to all the characters involved. Kiss-shot, of course, and the protagonist, but also, much yo my delight, to my now-favorite girl, Hanekawa.

As usual with these late-into-a-series origin stories, the story is informed by the previously published books, and it's also followed by a more natural continuation in the publishing order. But that doesn't hurt the enjoyment, it's just that you see where the author is going to go/comes from in terms of character exploration.

So yeah, this audiobook I can wholeheartedly recommend both to fans of the anime and newcomers. It was even the audiobook which made me.a fan of the genre. I hope the rest of the books in the saga are published in this form too, because now I know I'll want to get them all.

Great production quality

Loved the vocie acting and music, the story was a bit predictable but the production made it feel like I was watching an anime. I hope more light novels get this treatment! I just wish they included a PDF with all the art

An Audiobook of Japanese novel at last

Where to begin? Well I suppose I should begin with a warning. This is not an American novel, it's extremely funny but the humor is different than American comedy. It has a strong plot and good fights but again these are not the sort you'll find in American books. What does this mean? It means there is a good chance that no matter how good a book this is, it might not hit your sweet spot of approval. For me, being a young male that loves anime well it does actually hit that sweet spot and digs right in.

More cautions.

The story itself is fun. This is not the "oh we have to be deathly serious books," there's a lot of humor and being a Japanese novel a lot of it is lewd. Some people might find the fight scenes anticlimactic, after the hero discovers the trick to wining he does so. Some people might get annoyed with the long names, again these are supposed to be a joke since Heart Under blade blah blah blah translates in Japanese to a normal Japanese girl's name of Shinobu. Another example the hot blood yet cold blooded blah blah, is actually the definition of the Japanese term tsundere and is a hint at the vampire's personality. Also this is the first book in a twelve book series so don't expect everything to be nice wrapped up to finish. Lastly think that is enough for warnings.

Pros:
1. the story isn't really about what you think it is, there are plenty of twists to it, including a surprise ending.
2. the humor, it's all over the place, this is not a serious novel in the least just remember every time the characters say or do something ridiculous, you're supposed to find it ridiculous and laugh. Like I said this is not American humor but to an otaku it is fantastic.
3. The characters are well rounded, even the supposed perfect class president though more should be revealed about her in the next book. Everyone has their own desires and many of those desires aren't as clear or apparent as they are first made out to be.
4. the defiance of the unexpected. Throughout the book every time you come up with an expectation the book will defy or challenge them, or at least most of the,
5. While there are scenes that seem to drag on a little too long for the most part most scenes are to the point and tell you a lot more than you think they did if you aren't paying attention.

Cons:
1. there area few scene that drag out a little to long. A certain message in a gym locker room scene for instance.
2. the book almost needs cultural cliff notes. Like many authors the writer here merely assumes you get the inside jokes, the cultural humor and the social commentary. If you know these things it is indeed funny, but since most people here are not familiar enough with Japan these might sadly go over your head.
3. the constant use of long names does get annoying from time to time.
4. this book just might not be to your taste, which is a pity but there is nothing you can do about it.

Narration:
Honestly, they couldn't have a done a better job. The narration was spot on and with luck the next book will keep this crew for the next book.

Recommendation:
If you have some knowledge of Japanese society or just want to try a great non-American book I cannot recommend this book highly enough. However if you have never read a non-American book or need a super serious book then you might want to pass on this one. If you love anime, video games and aren't supoer strick in your listening then again I recommend buying this book. If you want a fun non-serious book again this is worth the credit. So give it a shot you may be surprised by the results.

Something New, Different, and very Unique

Any additional comments?

A phenomenally good book, but maybe not one for everyone.

I didn't and don't know anything about this series, but this book at least seems to have stolen my list of everything I want in a book. Humor, psychological, a protagonist that I scarily resonate with, a superb ending that makes you think, and the list goes on. What it boils down to is a book with a very unique writing style and no way to categorize the genre (humorous psychological horror slice of life?). It's just something new that will have you laughing out loud one page, then three pages later cringing, and four after that thinking about a moral quandary.

There are what I can only assume are cultural difference with two or three brief parts that might put off some people, but they are so few and handled with tongue in cheek. So, I don't think they are too bad to completely put off people, but it is worth noting.

I recommend this book to anyone who just wants something new and different. And anyone who wants to laugh as they take a crack at what amounts to thought experiments. Definitely a good book.

Great narration, but story is lacking

Would you try another book from NISIOISIN and/or the narrators?

I would have to do a lot of research and read a lot of comments on the book before hand. This book had so much potential, IMO, but if failed to deliver the intense story I was hopping it to be.

Would you recommend KIZUMONOGATARI to your friends? Why or why not?

I personally wouldn't, I own a few other anime related Novels and I found those more enjoyable to read than this book sadly.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Keith Silverstein, Eric Kimerer, and Cristina Vee did an amazing job with narrating their characters.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I most certainly wouldn't entertain the thought of seeing/owning it.

Any additional comments?

I really wanted to enjoy this book, truly i did. However there was so much about this book that annoyed me that I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. The VA was great and full of emotion, but even with all their passion it couldn't save it for me. There was a lot of repetitive full names and titles, such as "Class President among Class Presidents" and Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade, the iron-blooded, hot-blooded yet cold-blooded vampire" were the biggest and I felt that after the a couple of mentions it would drop, boy was I wrong.

As for the story, The opening didn't quite grab me at first, but when the task of defeating the Vampire Slayers who defeated Kiss-Shot was introduced I was hooked. The three issuing battles, if you could even call them that, were really fast and had no intense moments except towards the end of the second, even the final battle was lack luster.

I've watched my fair share of anime and whenever Ecchi scenes take place I find them quite comical. So the constant mention of "painties" through out the book began to annoy me. Towards the half way mark in Chapter 16 or so I found myself cringing so much at the awkward Echhi levels and I had to skip 15 seconds, stop, listen and then skip more because I couldn't take it.

Overall I have to give this book a 3 out of 5 starts. The only redeeming factor this book has going for it is the Voice Acting. I got this book for $.99 thanks to the newest promotion for resubbing and I'm a little glad I spent that than a full $14 for a normal credit. Hopefully after another listen of the book in the future I will change my mind, but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed for it.

Great all around story!

This nothing to say but a total a master piece; Nisioisin handcrafted this book as prequel to the beloved Monogatari series. This book has thrills and climatic changes throughout the whole book. Cover to cover there is no dry points in the whole book. The voice actors, and actress were well casted and did an magnificent job on the narration of the story, Erik Kimerer did an outstanding job as Koyomi Araragi. This is the closest thing we will probably get to a dub version of the Monogatari series as a whole. It was a all round great listen and read, with only a slight errors in translation. An A++ read.

Great introduction to the Bakemonogatari world

Would you listen to KIZUMONOGATARI again? Why?

This is one of the rare occasions in which I would read or listen again to a book.
Not only the story is absorbing, but the narrators do a pretty good job at making the characters come to life.

What did you like best about this story?

As a Bakemonogatari fan I loved how this book explains all the things that were thrown at the viewer in the anime and never explained.
As an anime fan, it was like reading an anime series.
As a fantasy fan it is a smart urban fantasy tale with a nice, fresh spin on vampires and monsters and their relations with humans. If you are fed up with all that cliché modern fantasy novels that look like they were all made from the same mold look no further!

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Having watched multiple Bakemonogatari series and knowing how western voice actors tend to always get the tone of the voice of anime characters wrong I was pretty scared by how this might have ended.
However, even though the characters sometimes sound strange (there are some times in which characters convey a specific emotion through their voice when it is obvious that they should convey another one, especially if you know the characters from previous works) this audiobook's voice performance greatly surpassed my expectations.
The main character's narrator was the best one of the three, sounding almost like the Japanese voice actor, and Cristina Vee did an awesome job when performing the lines of the younger versions of Kisshot.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"Lots of talking involved"

Any additional comments?

If you are a Bakemonogatari fan and you ended up on this audiobook I think you do not need my review to decide whether to buy it or not.

However, if you are a fantasy fan I would suggest you to give it a shot, but be mindful that some parts look like they came out of a dictionary definition of "Japanese wackiness". If you like these kind of things or can overlook some wackiness you are in for a great ride.

Spot on.

Listened to this with my audible trail not expecting much but it blowed me away. It's really good.

excellent work by all the crew and cast

Where does KIZUMONOGATARI rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the better audios in a while

What did you like best about this story?

As I'm still waiting to see the final part of the Anime this was an fantastic way to find out what happens to all. As future stories in the series never explain the why or what happens to Kiss Shot

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I felt all captured the voice for the roles especially as there is no dubbed Anime version they have left their imprint on the roles

Any additional comments?

I know it isn't likely but I really hope this series continues to be transferred into audio book.

Pervy

This book is stands out from the rest of the series with how perverted it is...

monogatari light novel review

absolutely loved this first novel, great narration and fantastic story, would reccomed to anyone looking for an interesting take on your typical anime protagonist and adventure

Something good happen to you today?

Hell yes.
After feeling pretty meh about the first Kizu film, I wanted to know if it’s worth investing in further...now I just want to buy all the books instead because holy cow I loved it.
With the initial setup of the story I figured it was just going to be ok at most, pretty standard but enjoyable. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Part of me is tempted to even say flawless. The story is constantly ramping up, character relationships are so interesting, and much like the story steadily and organically build as it progresses and can safely say I’ve never heard such a detailed description of panties in my life
One franchise I always thought wouldn’t work as an English translation outside of a written format was Monogatari. God damn was I wrong. The voice acting from Keith, Eric and Cristina is absolutely perfection, each of them bringing distinct voices to each of the characters they play, despite voicing multiple characters (which I admit I was very skeptical about), clearly fantastic direction by Tony as well!

Really wish more of the books were adapted into this format, but now I’ve got to get to a point where I can listen to Neko without spoilers

Loved it!

I've been holding off on checking out the monogatari series for a few years now especially the animated series due to my poor reading speed and the speedy dialogue it seems to have.

I immediately picked up this title once I saw it and I sincerely wish there were more of the books in the series available on audible.

I look forward to seeing the movie.

the monogatari series has always been interesting especially in anime version. so I was surprised to see an audio book version and really enjoyed it. I hope that the rest of the series comes out in audio book format as well.

I need the next book please audible

Music, narration, all the voice actors did a great job. Feels of high production value.

I would probably recommend reading a synopsis before starting. If it interests you even a little, go for it.

Kizumonogatari is a prequel to the main monogatari series but the author recommended reading After the Bakemonogatari season.

Having said that, you can indeed begin with this book as a solid introduction.

I was hooked on the first chapter till the end.

a very long name and panties

ok book even though I got it free and hearing the long long character's name board me something something blade. the part about the panties was funny then it kept going just my review and one of the bad guy's is called turkey :-S