Review of Bakemonogatari

The more of the Monogatari series I watch, the more highly I'll rate this season--that's my prediction after watching the first installment in this massive franchise. For now, I'll rate it more modestly, and that's because, while I don't have anything particularly bad to say about Bakemonogatari, I didn't end up obsessed with it. Granted, that may be because some of the intended meaning went over my head, but I digress for now. To say that Bakemonogatari is a charming anime would be a bit of an understatement, but the intention behind saying something like that is to convey the attractive style and narrative structure thisanime has. Whether it be the makeup of the episodes, the scene-by-scene oddities, or the tone of the anime itself, Bakemonogatari was an engaging--even relaxing--ride from start to finish. I'll admit to having trouble watching more than a few episodes in a row at one time because of how this anime is paced, but that genuinely doesn't reflect the quality of the anime at all (I've seen plenty of masterpieces that I can't binge).

So, what's the magic ticket that makes Bakemonogatari so good? Is it the character development? Certainly, the manner in which this series introduces and explores new and existing characters is the core of the entire experience. It doesn't feel like it is--rather, it feels like this series is simply a bunch of small stories tied together by one main character--but the truth of it is that relationships are being built beneath the minimalistic storylines, and those connections are what give this anime its magnetic quality.

Is it good because of the mystery? The overarching plot, if you can call it that, is something a lot of people are going to wonder about when they first start watching the Monogatari series because Bakemonogatari hints at a lot of things that never get explored. As far as I understand it, that's the point of this series. You're meant to enjoy not knowing until you reach a piece of the story where it's all explained. Why would that make Bakemonogatari, specifically, good? Well, it operates--rather uniquely, in my opinion--as though the viewer has all the information already (which you wouldn't if you're watching this in the order of the anime or LN releases), and it still manages to elicit emotion as though the viewer DOES know everything. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but to me, it felt as though the pieces of this anime were done well enough that I could be engaged in every piece of information I was taking in, and I wasn't made to feel left out of something important.

Is it good because of the minimalism? If you're new to this series, like I am, the stylization and narration are likely to catch your eye because they're more off-the-wall than most anime. That being said, I think those elements were also kept restrained enough that the story is simple to understand and doesn't make the viewer grasp for straws. That felt very valuable to me because I got to experience this interesting manner of storytelling without feeling the frustration I felt while watching something like Durarara!! because the anime chose style over substance. There's a perfect balance in the minimalism of Bakemonogatari that gives it charm and substance at the same time.

I can't give this season a perfect score because I didn't get super attached to it. However, as I said, I really do think the only option is for my opinion of this franchise to increase as I continue it. If you're thinking about stepping into this series or this franchise, give it a try, and don't let yourself be too thrown off by the uniqueness of it. If you let yourself relax, it's one of the most interesting forms of anime storytelling you'll have the opportunity to experience. I'm looking forward to the massive amount of content from here on in.