This was one of the best series recap movies. You might feel confused at first, though, if you've never watched the anime series. But it can still stand on its own and give you a different experience. Despite the recaps, there were also newer scenes that were exclusive to this movie. Each rondo acts like a postscript after the episodic recaps, which was a great watch on its own. You'd need some context, but that's exactly what the recaps were for. That said, the dread I felt for every rondo increases. And that freaking giraffe ticks me off as usual, but his words would be very relevant to how the postscripts progress and how you reach an interpretative 'end', if you could call it that. Very interesting, I just finished rewatching this last week, too! Watch out for the fight scenes; it's quite the wild ride.