Review of Bakemonogatari

So i watched Bakemongatari……...and it was an experience……..no doubt there. It was a show i certainly had no intentions of ever watching really. But push came to shove. And i had to make good on a wager. So i did it. Watched all of Bakemonogatari as quickly as i could. It was interesting so say the least. Quite a bit to think about after seeing it. Plot: plot? What plot? As far as overall plots go, this didn’t have much of one (i know it’s only the first part of the series so i have no doubt a legit overall plot will surface eventually). The story justkinda meanders through each arc/girl. Speaking of the arcs, they varying levels of quality. They range from down right amazing, to wow this is a snoozefest. Ranking them i’d go: Cat>Crab>Snail>Monkey>Snake. Tusbasa Cat was an amazing arc that had my two favorite episodes in it (12 & 15), it was really well done and made me appreciate the series more once i finished it. As for Nadeko Snake, it was really boring honestly. Slow moving and while the quasi sibling relationship between Ararargi and Nadeko was sweet. That about all the arc had going for it. The pacing was really wonky and off in the beginning honestly. The conversations would be at such high speed but the actual plot would stall out. Then the solution would take no time at all. Like they’d spend 12-14 minutes explaining every nook and cranny about “what’s wrong” then like 2-4 minutes actually fixing it. Like Nishio needed a quick wrap up after spending so much time talking about it or something.

Characters: the mc Araragi is a likable enough guy. Nothing special really. Funny when he wants to be, yet serious when the story demands it. Which is a big plus. But at times in those middle arcs, he felt more like a plot device than an actual character. Just to be used for the girl’s development. As for the women, Hitagi is without a doubt the standout character of the series. Without her this show would be so much lesser in quality. Every scene she’s in kicks things up a notch and i was instantly engaged. She has screen presence to spare.

The other girls ranged a bit. Tsubasa was a really interesting and layered character, seeing her cat form basically say what she wouldn’t let herself say is a trope i’ve always enjoyed. As for Nadeko, Hachikuji, and Kanbaru, they were decent i guess. Their interactions with Araragi were alright. Kanbaru’s arc with him and Hitagi was great for her, but the other two felt almost rushed in a way. And finally, Oshino was a great mentor figure for Araragi and seeing him was fun. The limited amount of time Shinobu was on screen is i know set up for her later. But what was shown of her is really interesting, even if her connection to Araragi is pretty obvious.

Art/Animation: the art and animation were…….i’d say the weakest part of Bakemonogatari. It was all over the place and the majority of it wasn’t even really animation. It was just fancy cinematography. I’m pretty sure the show was only about 20% animation and 80% wacky cinematography. Like there’d be a 10 minute conversation that would take place in the same area or whatever. But the shots during said conversation would just be a panning shot of the same fence line or the same thing the characters were sitting on.

I know Shaft didn’t have the most glorious budget the first time around. And those frames where it said “Black Scene” or “Red Scene” were super weird, i know they were a supposed cost saving measure or whatever, but those frames and the random frames of text and the live action parts were so damn weird. One of the only times the animation shines though is the action, even with the limited amounts there were, in the few action scenes the animation was on point. Loved it then. But man did it get trying in those middle arcs when the story for them alone wasn’t that great.

Music: the music in the show was so damn good. Easily one of the best parts of the show. The ost fit so well honestly. That piano track was great. And the tracks that were used for when the mood changed fit well every time. As for the OPs and EDs, the OPs varied as some were great and others were merely serviceable. My favorite OP was “Sugar Sweet Nightmare”, it fit really well with Tsubasa and had a great song to boot. The ED was the same throughout but i loved it more each time i listened to it. Lifted me up after each ep and helped my decompress.

Overall: to be honest. I never saw myself watching anything to do with Monogatari, but now i have. I always thought it’d be too dense for me and i’d be reading most of the time. And while i wasn’t 100% wrong, i certainly wasn’t 100% right either. This was an interesting show to watch these past few days. It really was. Hitagi is a treat to see, episode 12 with her and Araragi on their date almost made me tear up. Tsubasa had an interesting dark side that really drew me in. And the mc himself, Araragi while he stumbled at first he picked up as the series went on which i liked a lot. While the animation, or lack thereof, was off putting at times and just plain weird at others. It fit overall with the world that was set up. Final thoughts would i guess be that i definitely liked it, no doubt there. But do i want to keep going with the Monogatari Series? That’s an excellent question that i’ll absolutely answer one day maybe. Despites my issues with the pacing and the animation, it was still a very enjoyable show. The characters were interesting, in even a small way with some, and their interactions were amazing.
But for Bakemonogatari i’d give it a solid 7 out of 10.