Review of Bakemonogatari

Disclaimer! This is a review for the entire Monogatari series as a whole since this is the most common entry point into the franchise and the first anime released. Nisio Isin’s popular series of novels known as the Monogatari Series was always thought to be an impossible adaptation to create. But this is a rare case where the animation exceeeds that of the original works by keeping its charm and adding its own flares to make the proper transition to an animated series. The monogatari is for lack of a better word bizarre. It is unlike any other show you have seen or will ever see.It’s clever writing and characters are what truly set it apart. With the beginning of Bakemonogatari you are quickly introduced to its protagonist Araragi Koyomi and with each few episodes you will continue to meet the rest of the main cast. From an acid tongued tsundere to a cute shy spoken type or a bold and intense athlete. The characters are quirky and each have their own unique identity. They are amazingly well cast with talented voice acting and well written dialogue. If I dare say, the Monogatari series has not only my favorite characters in anime but some of the best writing I have ever seen. Every scene is genius in its cinematography and presentation, which serves the characters and dialogue well. It has its great moments of memorable story and it has countless running gags and quirky or comedic scenes with its colorful cast of memorable characters. It’s all tied up in a series that is hard to follow because of its random order when following it by release date. But despite that they all fit together into one cohesive and neatly wrapped up story.

Not only do I think that the Monogatari series is unrivaled in its writing but also in its characters and concepts. It’s designs are diverse, it’s concepts well thought out while still holding some mystery. It’s hard to even describe on paper the story of the Monogatari anime because it’s a difficult show to define. It’s not restrained to one, two, or even three genres. It’s anything from a Drama and Comedy to a Supernatural Mystery with some Romance on the side. It’s core concepts however rely on the Supernatural, through things called aberrations which can be any manner of supernatural beings which affect the cast of characters in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s a wholesome story based off a harmless ghost or a violent and dangerous adventure into the realm of gods. Shaft’s bueatiful adaptation of the story is full of genuine love for the work and for the medium. Full of numerous references to video games, films, and plenty of other anime, it’s easy to see why the anime adaptation has its own feel from the novels.

I’m conclusion the Monogatari series feels like a love letter to anime fans. It’s one of my favorite shows of all time and a rich and fulfilling show to watch that you will grow to love even more over time. It’s writing and characters grow on you and many of its scenes are even better to watch for the second or third time. It still holds a special place for me and I love each and every one of its characters. The story is both a completely cohesive work, but simultaneously separated by its individual stories. Despite not every part of the Monogatari series being perfect, I feel it’s actually greater than the sum of its parts. Because when you put every character, story, and volume of the series together they work in perfect tandem and it’s unlike any other series. My rating for the Monogatari series as a whole is a 10/10 with my favorite being Monogatari Series 2nd Season. I highly recommend the series to any big anime fans who are interested, and I hope that you can enjoy it as much as I have. I can firmly say that the Monogatari series may not be for everyone but is a masterpiece in its own right and an influential series for anime as a whole.