Review of Bakemonogatari

I watched Bakemongatai simply out of the art style and premise. Being told the story I don't think I knew exactly what to expect, but overall I'd say it was enjoyable. So much so that by the end of the series, I knew the problems with it, and still went ahead and decided to watch it's sequel series, Nisemonogatari. I will say this, the art style is amazing, with it's own unique style that makes even the most simple things look absolutely gorgeous. The music is it's own unique blend for each character that can be either incredibly lighthearted or absolutely depressing. Though my favorite partof the series is actually the characters. Kanbaru in particular sticks out with her happily perverted nature. The real disappointment in this is aside from Meme, Shinobu, Senjougahara, Hanekawa and Araragi, every other character has their own arcs and then quietly just move aside. I really would have liked to see more of characters like Sengoku who didn't get much time. At least they come back for Nisemonogatari and will apparently be back for Season 2.

After all that, you may wonder why I'm rating it a 7. The reason for that is the story of Bakemonogatari is hit and miss. With the exception of Suruga Monkey, it was really had to follow some stories. The series really likes throwing a lot at you and just hoping you'll understand. This is one of those series in which you'll miss something if you glance away for a few seconds. In addition, the pacing for these stories are bizarre at points. Nadeko Snake had a very interesting premise then as soon the issue comes up, it's solved almost immediately and we move onto the last arc. On the other hand, Tsubasa Cat dragged on too much. Five episodes dedicated to what I would argue is possibly the weakest story in the series. It would have been fine had it just been three, even four episodes, but being both the longest story in the series, then having scenes that drag on forever when compared to the much more fast paced nature of the show is a disappointment.

But, I did enjoy the first three arcs as well as the everything else enough that I'm willing to give this a recommendation. It's much different than any other anime I've seen before, and I mean that in a good way. It's not the best anime I've ever seen, but it's still a really good one.