Review of Bakemonogatari

*NOTE: This review is exclusive to the Bakemonogatari season and doesn't reflect my opinions of the entire series.* "Being kind to everyone, simply means there's no one special." That phrase describes well how the series does the OPPOSITE of what it says; this series is not for everyone, and I can understand the bad reviews, I definitely can. But, personally, I was (and still am) a HUGE fan of the series. Therefore, it's kind of needless to say that I liked this season as well. But, if I'm going to be honest, this was the worst season of them all (of the ones released by 25 March2017).
However, that is not a bad thing, as Bakemonogatari (Ghostory/Monstory in Engrish) paves a way for some eccentric enjoyment.

Story: 8/10
Something that I really liked about the Bakemonogatari season is that the series is divided into different arcs; the next one will always feature a different girl. This is nothing short of a harem series, yet deserves praise for how well it balances the "love" elements that most other harem series seem to overload with. It makes for some interesting story, and combined with the different characters, who are widely different, every new arc is always something new and refreshing!
Unfortunately, the very same arcs are also somewhat off-setting. The fact that a new arc will start (with a new opening & ending song) stops momentum that you'll have built up when watching the same arc. And, this once made me put the series on hold; I, for some reason, felt like I had seen a season, which mentally exhausted me, when in reality I had only seen the first arc, which is why I can't rate the story higher.

Art: 9/10
SHAFT delivers once again with great, minimalistic visuals which really fits the "mystery" theme of the entire series. Also, every once in a while, they change the character art style up, even if only for a few seconds, making for some funny moments that might make you burst out laughing simply because of the pure silliness of it!
It reminds me very much of how Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica, also made by SHAFT, would also switch around with the art style at times (of the one episode that I've seen). A lot of the action scenes look splendid, but I still can't give it a 10/10, simply because it isn't as good as the other seasons, visually.
Also, the flashing subtitle screens? Don't pause simply to catch all of them, try to catch the ones you spot, or else your experience will definitely be ruined.

Sound: 9/10
A good choice of VA's (especially picking up Hiroshi Kamiya for Koyomi, who also voiced Levi in Shingeki no Kyojin) who really sound like the characters were made to fit them. The one setback for the sound, however, are a few of the themes in the background that I particularly didn't enjoy. Otherwise, the themes hit the nail on the head.

Character: 10/10
Despite being quite generic, most if not all of the characters compensate for that with eccentricity, something that is either hated or loved, and I guess you can tell which side I'm on for that.
-Koyomi Araragi, the main character of the series. The guy in the harem, who already holds a crush on another girl (in this case, it's Tsubasa Hanekawa). Developes relationships with all the "main" girls, some of which are more romantic, and others... eh, not so much, but it's still entertaining to watch. Has a TON of monologue (which is one of the strong points of the series), and has some set ideas that you might or might not relate to, as a teenager.
-Hitagi Senjougahara. Very interesting, as she boasts about being a "tsundere" while being quite far from ACTUALLY being one. Has quite the sharp tongue and sharp reflexes, but also very threatening. Although, the last point isn't exactly a bad thing either.
-Mayoi Hachikuji, an elementary school girl. Now, this sounds VERY weird by simply hearing that the guy is going to set a flag in her route, but the story explains it very well, and it would be spoiling, so I'll refrain. Has a running gag where she mispronounces Koyomi's name on purpose by adding or subtracting "-ra"-s to his surname (i.e Ararararagi-kun) whenever they see each other. Likes to bite heads (I'm looking at you, Index), and very, very moe.
-Suruga Kanbaru, the one who fills the "athletic and shameless girl" cliché. However, her character is so exaggerated in a very balanced way, that you'll never get bored with her on the screen. She has a few personal twists, the most known one being the fact that she's a lesbian (or possibly bi).
-Nadeko Sengoku. She is cute (not moe), and very shy and drawn back, portrayed well by VA Kana Hanazawa. Is not very interesting at this part of the story, unfortunately, but develops a bit more in the other ones, so look out for that if you decide to continue the series the whole way through.
-Tsubasa Hanekawa, last but not least. She is very proper, and has big boobs (something that Koyomi takes note of a few times here and there in the season, only reason why I'd even bring it up). A smart student who shares a history with the guy in the midst of it all, albeit not that long. (Her arc is probably the best one in this season.)

Enjoyment: 9/10
Despite the art, sound and characters being close to flawless (in my opinion, highly outlandish, might not be the easiest pill to swallow for everyone), the story tones the scoring down a notch. Was definitely something that took some time getting used to, but eventually it'll grow on you and you'll be hooked by how different it is from a lot of other series of any genre. I might've not enjoyed it so much the first time around, but after watching the third arc, my impression changed of it.

Overall: 9/10
It doesn't deserve 10, I'll say that right now. If I could use decimals, it would be on a 8.7 scoring. But, do give time to watching the season through. Most people who drop it do it because of the somewhat slow or fast tempo the story goes at between the different arcs, and I find that to be a shame. To put it into perspective:
It's like liquorice. Not everyone likes it, but the ones who do usually like it a LOT. And this time, I'll side with the enjoyers. (Ok, that sounded really cheesy.)