Review of Bakemonogatari

Bakemonogatari is the anime equivelant of a "situational story". Instead of riduculous amount of actions and incidents, the story follows a tranquil plotline. Althought it can be called boring and monotonous, the anime is quite unique and outstanding compared to many other series. The first time I saw Monogatari, I thought to myself that it was just a typical ecchi harem anime that is exaggeratedly overrated. However, how Monogatari looks like from the outside is far different than how it truly is inside. This show can sometimes be very cute and fun, even might feature some very good frames of dark humor. But sometimes, itcan also be painfully disturbing, gruesome and depressive. Each character in the show seems like ordinary and plain people at first look, on the stark contrast, as you dig deeper into their minds, you will encounter heartbroken and ill-fated souls drowning in despair, wishing for the impossible. The art designs and visuals of the anime, on the other hand, is god tier. You can pause the screen at any time and still catch an incredibly beautiful frame (especially if its the toothbrush scene). Anyways, lets dive into the story.

Story:
Bakemonogatari, in order to put it in the most simple way, is about a high schooler with vampiric powers named Koyomi Araragi, encountering several girls that are being tormented by supernatural spirits referred as "oddities" and his endeavor to save them (or help them save themselves). Well, it might have sounded like a shallow plot. But it's clearly not a poorly-written one. The "main theme" of this show is "escapism". If you observe carefully you will notice every female protagonists' attempt to escape the reality and wishing for something unattainable. This factor alone can also be regarded as something unique thought. This season is seperated to five different parts/arcs each featuring another girl under the spotlight. Due to this, its kind of like a slice of life. Each arc is inert yet sometimes fluent, but also well-written and perfectly executed. The emotions, reactions and actions all work coherently. Unfortunately, having the whole story centered around a group of girls and their similar "oddity" problems is a little repetitive but its still worth watching.

Art:
The artwork in Bakemonogatari is undeniably above the standards. I'm not talking about the character designs. I'm talking about the backgrounds. You see, almost every background of every frame in Bakemonogatari is an architectural masterpiece. The way how perspective of each building and structure is dynamic and simple but sophisticated visuals are jaw-dropping. Also the fact how Bakemonogatari was actually adapted from a light novel instead of a manga is even more interesting. Imagine not having a single picture of how the background looks like and creating a visual piece of art from literally nothing. Fascinating.

Cast:
As I mentioned in the beginning, every character featured in Monogatari are quirky on their own. Behind their cute-looking faces, lies a disasterous feeling of regret, love and even hatred. Our main protagonist Koyomi Araragi is an exception, thought. We don't really get to see a lot about Araragi's inner thoughts but we still get to know him as we do for the female protagonists. Koyomi Araragi, is a carefree high schooler who would even will to risk his own life if it's for others' happiness. He is also a funny guy who sometimes pulls up goofy jokes. Senjyogahara Hitagi, the secondary protagonist, is a typical example of a yandere character (a character who is violently obsessed with their crush/lover). Yet Hitagi is still a kind hearted person. She has severe problems about her past. Anyway let's not spoil the entire cast for you. That's all to say