Alternative TitlesEnglish: Ghostory Synonyms: Monstory Japanese: 化物語
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 15
Status: Currently Airing
Aired: Jul 3, 2009 to ?
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.481 (scored by 10233 users)
Ranked: #802
Popularity: #117
Members: 23,898
Favorites: 955 1 indicates a weighted score
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SynopsisThe story centers on Koyomi Araragi, a third year high school student who has recently survived a vampire attack, and finds himself mixed up with all kinds of apparitions: gods, ghosts, myths, and spirits.
(Source: Wikipedia) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Bakemonogatari
Summary: Bakemonogatari Recap Special
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Splendiferous
96 of 136 people found this review helpful
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12 of 15 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
Let me get this straight, I am usually quite a harsh reviewer when it comes to anime, i.e. if something is very typical e.g. Midori no Hibi, I will give it a 3 as opposed to the 5 of mediocrity.
Now with Bakemonogatari on a temporary airing hiatus due to airing times being bought in packets of 12, I will write a review for what I view as THE masterpiece of this season.
Summarized review: Bakemonogatari is hands down one of the most unique shows I have ever seen, not because of its story, but simply in the way it is presented. There are the flashing panels of text that many people pause the show just to read, there is the most self-aware tsundere character that everyone cannot help but adore, there is the unusual colour scheme that makes itself apparent in many a scene; the most memorable of that being the fight scene between Kanbaru and Araragi.
Bakemonogatari is also extremely dialogue heavy, making it even more unique, as most animes tend to express their storylines through action opposed to dialogue.
Complete review:
Story:
The only place where I see Bakemonogatari fall short of perfection.
The story is presented in several different arcs that deal with a different oddity each time,
1st arc - Weightless Senjougahara
2nd arc - Lost Cow/Snail Hachikuji
3rd arc - Monkey Paw Kanbaru
4th arc - Nadeko Snake
5th arc (incomplete) - Tsubasa Cat
Due to the nature of presenting a story (or several if you want to look at it that way) in arcs certain characters are often omitted for several episodes, read: Senjogahara, whom I feel should have played a more central role, however as there are 3 episodes remaining the show may have a chance to redeem itself on this front.
That being said if Bakemonogatari were not to be presented in this fashion I would not know how it would fare, as this method of presentation suits its unique aspect very well. All in all, it is not a downside, just something that could be improved on slightly.
8/10
Art:
Absolutely amazing, the characters are very attractively drawn, none of that overly sized bust sized female filler characters that are oh so prevalent in other animes.
The backgrounds are often presented in an abstract fashion and seem somewhat disjointed from the main focus, this being the characters; this works wonderfully though, as it gives that eerie feel to the atmosphere and suits the whole abstract style of presentation, i.e. flashing text, small parts omitted from certain scenes that are replaced with a black panel.
They are also moments where the art is extremely simplistic, i.e. when Araragi helps Kanbaru clean her room, yet at other times it becomes extremely well detailed, i.e. Nadeko Snake art, the backgrounds that surround the shrine are so amazing that I was actually in awe.
10/10
Sound:
First off, I am not usually an anime music fan, there will occasionally be the odd song that I find tolerable, or even catchy to listen to, but for the most part when I watch an anime I skip over the OP's and ED's without a second though. (I am actually a metalhead)
However, Bakemonogatari's OP's, namely Staple Stable, are without a doubt, excellent. In addition Bakemonogatari presents different OP's with different arcs -
#01: "staple stable" by Chiwa Saito (eps 2, 6-7, 11-12)
#02: "Kaerimichi (帰り道)" by Emiri Katou (ep 4)
#03: "Ambivalent World" by Miyuki Sawashiro (ep 8)
#04: "Renai Circulation" by Kana Hanazawa (ep 10)
The 2nd one, for the Hachikuji arc was hilarious, and I found myself giggling at the pure ridiculous-ness of it.
Now the ED, it is... outstanding, it simply blew me away. It is one of the most beautiful songs I have EVER heard, in fact, there was a period of time (2 weeks) where I almost listened to it nonstop, it is THAT good.
In addition, it also incorporated amazingly well into episode 12 that makes it all the more beautiful, both the episode and the ED.
The BGM is also very suitable, for some of the funner scenes i.e. Araragi cleaning Kanbaru's room it is quite upbeat. Fighting scenes, there is that creepy sort of music that increases in tempo and builds a great atmosphere.
For the 12th episode there is some very appropriate romantic music that is a very good buildup to the ED. All in all, the music fits in amazingly where it is needed and I cannot think of a single instance where it failed the show in any capacity.
10/10
Characters:
The characters in Bakemonogatari are for the most part, very unique.
There are only a few qualms I have with them, namely, Tsubasa Hanekawa (Class president), and Nadeko Sengoku (pretty much fan service for lolicons).
These two characters are quite the typical outfit, and tend to conform to anime stereotypes.
Hanekawa is your typical class president who is extremely knowledgeable and overtly nice, yet strict with the school rules. This is slightly amended by the fact that she does indeed have a dark past, and parent issues (spoiler, will not reveal further). All in all, not that big of a qualm.
Nadeko Sengoku on the other hand, whilst, yes she is the 'cutest thing ever'.
This does not save her from having a very, very typical personality, she has a pseudo-brother complex thing going on (Araragi isn't her brother by blood, but he essentially has been one to her is and is quite a fair bit older), in addition to being extremely shy, speaking with a voice to suit it (cutesy, reserved); and being extremely scared of talking with anyone else apart from her love interest. However, it is not such a big of a deal as her arc is only 2 episodes long and she is still on a tolerable level.
Qualms aside, Hitagi Senjougahara, best character ever, she is not just your classic tsundere such as Shana or Taiga, as she openly acknowledges her tsundere-ness (although Araragi calls her more of a 'tundra'). That aside, she is also extremely intelligent and her verbal bouts with Araragi are a pleasure to listen/watch. It is no surprise that she is a favourite of many a fan.
Araragi Koyomi - he is like Kyon in a way, the cynicism and all, yet he is truly a kind-hearted sort of guy who cannot ignore any oddity and feels obligated to help.
He also does not fall into the oblivious, idiotic, shallow, typical male harem lead that is sickeningly abundant. Despite his failing grades (with the exception of maths) he has a very sharp wit and can match the others in the numerous verbal spars throughout the show.
Overall, a very likable character.
Kanbaru Suruga - she is... unique to say the least, a sporty sort of girl with a dark secret. She is also somewhat of an exhibitionist and very interested in Araragi's fetishes. However, despite being humorous she is NOT simple comic relief, there is depth to her character, and viewer can empathize quite easily with her predicament. Another strong character.
Side Characters - Oshino Meme / Shinobu - Meme is quite the awesome fellow, suitably enigmatic, has the ability to burst onto the seem and just solve everything, quirky, in other words, he has all the traits of that enigmatic, eccentric guy who is amusing in his own way. I think he's bloody awesome.
His name (Meme) also appears to have some sort of moe connotation to go along with it, this is very misleading as he is a middle-aged man living in a construction site of sorts.
Shinobu is a very minor character yet she is notorious for being very 'cute'. There isn't much else to say about her apart from that she used to be a vampire.
10/10 (The qualms are small, and easily counteracted by the other amazing characters).
Enjoyment:
The unique presentation, amazing art, soundtrack, BGM, deep and amusing characters.
All go to towards making a delightful viewing experience, that will in one scene have the viewer part smiling to him/herself at the dialogue and in the next moment mouth agape at Senjougahara's daring rom(antics), the action scenes will have you on the edge of your seat in addition to thinking to yourself, 'That Araragi is so dead, so dead.'
10/10
Overall : 10/10
TL;DR
There is none, this show deserves better than that, read the full review; better yet, watch the show if you haven't already.
(Plus there is a summarized review at the top if you didn't notice, however, I still recommend you read the full review.)
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jaysorbet
93 of 168 people found this review helpful
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6 of 15 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
**Monster Story**
Gatari is voicing form of Katari. Katari is a tale which by oral tradition, is passed down from generation to generation. Thereby, the words "Bakemono" means monster and "monogatari" means story. Thus, you get "Bakemonogatari" which is an anime that contains tales of monsters.
Alright, enough of the trivia. Let's get down to business.
Story: 9
It'd be very difficult to describe the story without letting out spoilers. With that in mind, I can only tell you that Bakemonogatari is a collection of monster tales that are revelant to life. The story depicts surrealism and "supernatural phenomenons" amongst people, which occur when the main character, Araragi, interacts with them.
Art: 10
Once again, SHAFT saves the day! SHAFT is well known for their artistic techniques to portray abstract scenes. Their other works, such as Ef - A Fairy Tale of the Two, are very much similiar. Bakemonogatari utilizes many, unique camera angles that are relevant or not relevant to what is being said. Such scenes could be the sky, cars, the character's hair, etc. Additionally, multiple screens and walls of text pop up to give the viewer a sense of abstract understanding.
Sound: 10
The music is amazing. I don't really know anyone who dislikes the OP and Ending themes. To make Bakemonogatari interesting, director Akiyuki Shinbo, allowed only a few episodes to have certain OP/Endings and mix them so it won't get boring. Indeed, it's nothing like your standard anime where there is the same boring OP and Ending played over and over. The insert music is also very excellent.
OP:
#01: "staple stable" by Chiwa Saito (Eps. 2, 6)
#02: "Kaerimichi (帰り道)" by Emiri Katou (Ep. 4)
End:
#01: "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari (君の知らない物語)" by supercellxnagi
Character: 8
The reason for the 8 is because, I feel the characters aren't being introduced thoroughly. Of course, it's understandable that Bakemonogatari will only be 15 episodes - thus they have to "pack and condense" the character development (Tales) to fit the 15 episodes. Had Bakemonogatari been 24 episodes though, I think overall character growth would be KILLER. The romance between tsundere-Senjougahara and male lead-Araragi is pretty nice, however.
Enjoyment/Overall: 9
Beside the story and character development-in-15-episodes, Bakemonogatari deserves a good two thumbs up. Also, for a anime having a tsundere female, I'd say it REALLY stands out from Shakugan no Shana or Zero no Tsukaima. Albeit the many interesting anime coming in 2009, Bakemonogatari is certainly something else. It's unique because it stands out from your traditional anime. It is as if Bakemonogatari is wearing a green shirt while the other anime series wear white.To put it bluntly, Bakemonogatari offers this sense of upmost perfect surrealism that is damn near addicting.
Bakemonogatari (Monster Story) is definitely a MUST-SEE.
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Recommendations
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Both have similar style animation both are amazing and clever
Completely different genres ,but with similar style of presentation. The style of presentation was proven success when used with the comedy Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, in which style is in higher importance than substance. Whether this style suit the intense, dramatic, and story-centric Bakemonogatari or not, you will want to find out yourself.
And since both show have similar presentation and have SHAFT working on, those who liked visual in SZS should be satisfied with visual in Bakemonogatari too. However you are not guaranteed to like stories in both shows. Since they are in different genres. And as mentioned earlier, the presentation style suits SZS very well but may affect story-centric Bakemonogatari, negatively or positively.
the style is presented is very similar in both the story may be be different because their in different genres but while you watch it you automatically think of bakemonogatari or while watching bakemonogatari you automatically think pf sszs.
Both anime by SHAFT and almost voice actor are same as well :) They arent similar by genre but character designs same and this making me remind sayonara zetsubou sensei :)
A piece of good absurdal homour.
And the same voice actors, studio and graphic style
Both looks amazing. Although they have completely different story and art, I can see why they are similar. They both made from SHAFT. They both have long linguistic gags and puns. There are tons of typesets and monochromes. Both are really random (for example, showing totally irrelevant screen when story is going on) is a plus.
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they both have the same kind of feel in the sense of supernatural aspects, and both use lots of text and abstract scenes. both very good and very originial.
One of my first thoughts when watching was how similar stylistically ef was to this which isn't a huge surprise considering they were both SHAFT-produced. Although they have quite differing plots, the style of storytelling and the character development are very similar.
Presentation style is similar, though the genres are a differ a little, at least in the way they are focused, where romance and drama rules Ef while mystery/suspense mixed with characterization plays more prominently in Bakemonogatari. Both are very metaphorical, with Ef being more visual with art and Bakemonogatari more word play.
Also consider Ef - A Tale of Melodies
Both show a more serious side to the comedy oriented SHAFT teamup.
Both produced by SHAFT and have similar art and presentation. Excellent chracter interaction. Stories differ greatly though.
The main similarity between the two is the way the story is presented to the viewer. The style is very abstract and modern; there is a sense of "art" added to the basic portrayal of the story.
People who like the way ef - a tale of memories was depicted should definitely try out bakemonogatari...
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Opening Theme#01: "staple stable" by Chiwa Saito (eps 2, 6-7, 11-12)
#02: "Kaerimichi (帰り道)" by Emiri Katou (ep 4)
#03: "Ambivalent World" by Miyuki Sawashiro (ep 8)
#04: "Renai Circulation" by Kana Hanazawa (ep 10)
Ending Theme"Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari (君の知らない物語)" by supercell; performed by nagi (Gazelle)
Fansubbing Groups
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Related ClubsJust Noticed, Hitagi Senjōgahara Fanclub., We Luv Anime Guys, Anime Weekend Marathons, Claim a Tsundere, ♥ No sense of Direction ♥, Mayoi Hachikuji Fanclub, :3 :3 :3 :3, Bakemonogatari, the (e)XtremeFlash Fanclub, Sugoi Desu Webzine Club, Horie Yui Fanclub, Suruga Kanbaru Fanclub, Fang-tan, Senjougahara Fascination, Nadeko Sengoku, Yumiko's Gang, hardcore violence and gore, Anime Experience, NihonQcKoyomi Araragi - Bakemonogatari FC , Blonde-haired Anime/manga characters, Many Goats' favourite characters, anime and manga, ♥ Colorful Claiming ♥, Ecchi Squad, Miyuki Sawashiro Club, Purple Eyes Fanclub, Watch Anime Together Club Headquarters, Deadpan Humor, Anime in Blu-ray, [_Comical Corner_], Anime Couple Fanclub, Failed Attempt, Tsubasa Hanekawa Fanclub, Studio SHAFT Fanclub, Shinobu Oshino FC, Aniplex Studios Fan club, ~ Ecchi 4EVER ~, Bakemonogatari Fanclub, Claim your Current Character Obsession [C.C.O.], Red Eyes Fanclub, Senjougahara Lovers see all
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