Review of Bakemonogatari

Warning: You are about to embark on an odd adventure. Because the Monogatari series is such a peculiar anime, rather than giving you a normal review, I've decided to spend this time writing a satirical anatomization of Bakemonogatari's heart, written in the fast-talking colorfully-random freeform style and wax-philosophical hyper self-aware excessively-detailed spirit of Bakemonogatari. A sample platter, if you will. As such, if you had fun reading this, you may very well enjoy this anime as well. If you did not, then I will leave you to your Naruto and Fairy Tail. "This anime is a lot smarter than people realize. The problem is thatpeople typically don't like to think when they're watching anime." - Me, one year ago.

I suppose I should explain this little comment made by the man I was a year ago. But before I give you an answer, let me first start with the question. The right question, that is, which is, what is art?

According to the man I was a year ago, art is understanding, a sentiment the man I was yesterday would likely disagree with, and the man I will become a year from now would certainly scoff at. Rather, the man I was yesterday would know that the man I was a year ago made this comment after watching just one episode, of a long series, and simply did not have all the facts. Therefore, what he thought was understanding, was merely hypothesis. He had no answers, only clues, and clues, of course, are designed to mislead.

Rather, the man I was yesterday would pose a second synopsis, that art is a message. The message of this anime, being, a satirical allegory for life's conundrums centered on the theme of contradiction. Allow me to explain. =D Under Bakemonogatari's allusion to the real world, the masses would rather pretend there is a conspiracy against them, than accept responsibility for one's lives (lives, plural) - hence, blaming their demons. The contradiction in the parallel, therefore, derives from a half-vampire demon hunter who solves the most mundane of problems in the most gratuitously grandiose of ways, in a finely-stylized cuisine of art and animation. And to say "solve" is using the word loosesly, as beyond superficial glance, he really doesn't solve anything, leaving the girls to deal with their own issues. In other words, in the real world, where demons don't exist, we blame them for our failures. In this world, where demons do exist, the characters have only themselves to blame.

But wait! !tiaw tuB .emalb ot sevlesmeht ylno evah sretcarahc eht ,tsixe... The contradiction runs not merely so shallow, at least not according to the man I was yesterday. The entire show, such as it is, is a satire for storytelling. For an artform that prides itself on showing not telling, the screen will subliminally fade to black, with instructions on what a person should feel, when watching certain parts of the story, much like how a superfluous comma, can dictate how a, sentence, is, read, despite its deminimis nature. When the show isn't trying to tell you how to think, the thoughts and emotions of the characters are literally flashed on the screen, albeit for a second, in the most tell-not-show way possible. It's all done in a way that is completely incomprehensible, in a truly masterful display of subliminal messaging, another satire for storytelling - i.e. the use of entertainment for propaganda.

However, the man I will become a year from now would disagree yet again. For the man I was yesterday did not get a chance to rewatch this anime and reform his conclusion, of which the man I will become a year from now will then know as truth, that is - art is change. While Bakemonogatari certainly is a satirical anime poking fun at storytelling mechanics, much like how the man I am today is proffering this satirical answer that really creates more mass confusion, and answers nothing. The truth of the matter is that we feel something for this anime not because it is satire, but because it imposes a change in us, regardless of whether it has a message or whether we can understand what that message is. Much like how my simultaneously brilliant and retarded answer/review/analysis did little to offer you enlightenment and was 99% non-sense and gravitas gibberish, there is somewhat of a poetic charm to it, and you enjoyed reading it nonetheless, didn't you not, no? (NOD YOUR HEAD)