Review of Bakemonogatari

As the name suggests, Bakemonogatari is a story of ghosts or rather more fittingly, monsters. My first impression for this anime was a bloody ghost story that is intended to scare children. But Bakemonogatari was nothing like what I had expected. ~Story: A story called 'ghost story' would very unlikely be categorized out of the mystery genre. The general plot basically follows a guy who got to meet with a lot of strange girls. But of course, it is nowhere as simple as I have described it. In the story, each of the girls are faced with their own 'monster' problem and the guy wouldalways try to help them.

~Art: When I started watching Bakemonogatari, I didn't really like the art in general. The constant flashes of the eye really gives me the shiver(a warning to those who have ommetaphobia). But as I continued watching, I started to see why it is like so. The art really brings out the mysterious aspect of the anime. What makes the art of Bakemonogatari really unusual is that it doesn't only features one art style. It also uses photos and manga imitations to really change the mood of the anime (mostly during comical moments).

~Sound: The background soundtrack really helps to establish a mysterious atmosphere for the anime. The opening songs change roughly every 2 episodes. Each of the song would feature one of the girl to suit the episodes that are centered around them. Each of the songs have their own style to fit each character. The ending song stays the same throughout the anime.

~Characters: Don't come expecting an ordinary high school because you won't find one. Even when some of the characters appear to be quite normal, you know immediately that that would never be the case. Every one of the girl has a problem related to some sort of occult monster. I find the characters to be quite interesting. They are all unique in their own way. The main character appears to be a typical baka pervert but is actually one tenth of a vampire. The interactions between the main character and each of the girls are interesting to watch.

~Enjoyment: The comedy and the 'weirdness' of this anime really made it enjoyable to watch. I would often find myself laughing at the many awkward moments. I find the monsters described in Bakemonogatari to be interesting.

I don't think Bakemonogatari is meant to be scary because I had found myself laughing way more than I was shivering. So don't worry if you thought this anime was going to be a 'real' ghost story(like one of those really scary ones). For those who like blood, I would say Bakemonogatari only has a moderate amount of blood scenes. If you like awkward comedy, awkward love relationships and a touch of occult, Bakemonogatari is the anime for you.