Bakemonogatari

*This review CONTAINS SPOILERS*
Review in English and Spanish

Well I'm a little late to watch bakemonogatari but hey, the anime premiered when I didn't even watch anime *I started watching anime a year later (2010)* and currently that I'm watching a lot, they forced me to watch this because of a bet I lost. Before watching it, the little I knew about monogatari was op 4 “Sengoku Nadeko” and the famous toothbrush scene from the second season and the occasional YouTube video of the characters talking. In other words, I came with too low expectations and the truth is that I didn't really want to see ... it, but well, I also saw that it was some people's favorite anime, so I watched it and in the end it didn't seem so bad to me.

But what is bakemonogatari about? Reading the synopsis of MAL and the very demographics of this, you might think that it is going to be some kind of epic series where there are demons, gods, spirits and that there is going to be a bit of romance. And... not really, it's not much less about romance and wanting to tell you something... let's see... I'm going to explain myself better.

There is a LOT of TEXT, dialogues, conversations and so on in all the chapters, ALL of them, I would say that 90% of monogatari is talk, talk, talk? But talk about what? That's the problem, I don't have any problem with them talking all the time, but the vast majority of the conversations are irrelevant and are set up so that you sympathize with the characters, but the truth is that I can't do it with me or that's what I think why there is so much text. And besides, there was a band of repeated text with the same dialogues at times, or the same joke that the girl stuttered, or the same situations such as when Araragui-san gropes the loli or they simply fight and then the main character shits himself. Literally laughing at having won (this often happens or sometimes they just fight, it can vary), or also THE SAME CONVERSATIONS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I feel like there's a filler band in some episodes, maybe they spend 20 minutes talking about why the protagonist stayed with such a waifu and not with the other, BUT a minute after 20 minutes maybe they tell you ONE INTERESTING THING at the end of the chapter and you stay like ah well.

Well, I lie the truth. There is only one chapter that made me sympathize with Senjougahara, which is the most rated chapter of bakemonogatari, the famous chapter 12. Well, the problem is precisely that that JUST in chapter 12 made me sympathize with her. You may be wondering and before chapter 12 what happened? Throughout the rest of the series this character behaves in a way that makes you think that it is better that he is not in the series, insulting the main character and having arrogant behavior, believing himself to be better at everything than the mc, apart from the fact that he feels a love reciprocated between the two characters as they do not love each other. Senjougahara feels that she is indebted to Araragui because she helped her with her supernatural illness and so they come out of it. Apart from everything mentioned, all this that I name that happens are the first chapters (the relationship thing and all that) then they leave the girl in the background, 40 more waifus appear and she appears in chapter 12 out of nowhere as HEY HELLO I'M HERE

And clearly all the people who suffer from said supernatural diseases mentioned above have to be waifus girls so that the very same araragui-san has the harem and that he helps them all and say kiritio-kun. And as I said before, this disease thing is in the background because from one moment to another scenario and well now to talk, oh no, this girl is sick, well, don't worry, it will be solved in no time, now she commits 20 minutes of dialogue that it is not relevant at all.

And well, since we're talking about the girls, let's talk about how I don't understand the characters.
The main character is practically immortal and wants to fix everything by talking, one of the examples that occurs to me is when he wanted to talk about the illness of the girl with the monkey's arm WHEN SHE WAS POSSESSED and clearly she wanted him dead and the best she could That's what happens, oh no, but he hopes that the oshino friend just knew that this was what he was going to do and called Senjougahara to save him just in time... of course. My God, this chapter was a script as much as it has. And by the way, oshino can literally tell just by sight what supernatural disease he has, the crazy one is Dr.House from monogatari. Only that House is an infinitely better character than this character since only one knew how to diagnose illnesses but he was useless in everything else, but hey I went too far with this comparison perhaps. Apart from the fact that there is so much dialogue, no character was developed for me, they all seem to me to have 0 depth in ALL. Kanbaru, the girl holding the monkey's hand doesn't do anything other than spend more time with the main character than with her girlfriend and becoming a little obsessed with him. In one of the last chapters I remember that the main character calls her by phone to look for Shinobu and she literally says OKEEY TO UNDRESS I didn't understand that scene or maybe it's a type of humor beyond my capabilities. I think the humor of this series is sometimes very Japanese from old anime

Ah, yes, and there's a lot of fanservice that doesn't help either... or yes... no lie, it doesn't help. And it doesn't help those notes that pass at the speed of light that I find out that there are people who were pausing frame by frame to see what it says, that already seems excessive to me and also that they are posted. They cut me off the pace of the series if I have to be pausing like a patient to see what she says that is relevant. I refuse in my case.

In the last chapters they are looking for Shinobu because she was lost and well she left, they don't specify much, but the thing is that she is lost and well they need her to cure a nekko kawai girl with glasses that is tremendous. It turns out that this girl had said neko disease due to stress and that the protagonist Araragui-san was the cause of it, so what the girl decides is to kill him to get the root problem out. Since if he is the cause of the stress, if he is not there, maybe he disappears, they have a fight, it seems that the protagonist is going to die BUT just before the protagonist dies, it turns out that Shinobu appears FROM THE MC'S LEFTOVER and they were able to save the girl, let us remember that they were looking for her. When I saw this I said, well they are going to explain something related to all that to me now. Ah... that doesn't explain anything? WHAT IS THIS tremendous script. Beyond the reasons for wanting to kill the main character that there is no logic, all this felt very absurd and worst of all is that in the last chapters is where there is less filler, but they do this to me.

Anyway, as a conclusion I am going to put everything that I liked or at least part of what I liked to close because it seems that I did not like ANYTHING when in reality I saw it in 2 days. Despite the fact that the series is 90% text, dialogues blabla as a name above everything in the review the direction seemed SUBLIME to me, one of the best I've seen in my life for sure or one of the best directions I've seen, it was even entertaining in some moments only by direction. And well, some other dialogue I liked TO SEE from so much text, some conversation or some text that is there, I have to like it, right? Apart from this, I liked the soundtrack, it was quite good and the animation too, the way they animated some fights was quite good, the truth is, it looks very good for an anime from 2009, and some animated things reminded me of madoka magica but hey They are from the same studio. I liked op 4 too, the rest of the opening and ending I didn't like at all, really. In my opinion I would not recommend it to anyone bakemonogatari

5/10


*Esta reseña CONTIENE SPOILERS*
Reseña en inglés y español

Bueno llegue un poco tarde para ver bakemonogatari pero bueno, el anime se estrenó cuando yo ni miraba anime *arranque a mirar anime un año después (2010)* y actualmente que estoy mirando bastante, me obligaron mirar esto por una apuesta que perdí. Antes de mirarlo, lo poco que conocía de monogatari era el op 4 “Sengoku Nadeko” y la famosa escena del cepillo de dientes de la segunda temporada y algún que otro video en YouTube de los personajes hablando. Es decir que venía con las expectativas demasiado bajas y la verdad que no tenía muchas ganas de verlo, pero bueno veía también que era el anime favorito de algunas personas, así que me lo vi y al final no me pareció tan malo.

¿Pero, de que va bakemonogatari? Leyendo la sinopsis de MAL y la propia demografía de esto, podés pensar que va a ser una especie de serie épica en donde hay demonios, dioses, espirtus y que va a haber un poco de romance. Y… la verdad que no, no va de eso mucho menos de romance y de querer contarte algo… a ver… me voy a explicar mejor.

Hay MUCHO TEXTO, diálogos, conversaciones y así todos los capítulos, TODOS, diría que el 90% de monogatari es hablar, hablar, hablar? Pero, hablar de qué? Ese es el problema, yo no tengo ningún problema con que hablen todo el tiempo, pero la gran mayoría de las conversaciones son irrelevantes y están puestos para que vos simpatices con los personajes, pero la verdad que no lo logro conmigo o eso es lo que opino del porqué hay tanto texto. Y aparte había una banda de texto repetido con los mismos diálogos a veces, o el mismo chiste de que la chica tartamudeó, o las mismas situaciones como por ejemplo cuando Araragui-san manosea a la loli o simplemente pelean y después el prota se caga de risa literalmente de haber ganado(pasa seguido esto o a veces simplemente pelean puede variar en eso), o también LAS MISMAS CONVERSACIONES NO LO PUEDO CREER, siento que hay una banda de relleno en algunos caps a lo mejor se pasan los 20 minutos hablando de porque el protagonista se quedó con tal waifu y no con la otra, PERO un minuto después de los 20 minutos quizás te dicen UNA SOLA COSA INTERESANTE al final del capítulo y vos te quedas como ah bueno.

Bueno, miento la verdad. Hay un solo capítulo que me hizo simpatizar con Senjougahara que es el capítulo más puntuado de bakemonogatari el famoso capítulo 12. Bueno, el problema es justamente eso que RECIÉN en el capítulo 12 me hizo simpatizar con ella. Te estarás preguntando y antes del capítulo 12 que paso? Todo el resto de la serie este personaje se comporta de una manera que te hace pensar que es mejor que no esté en la serie, insultando al personaje principal y teniendo comportamiento arrogante, creyéndose mejor en todo que el mc, aparte que se siente un amor correspondido entre los dos personajes como que no se quieren. Senjougahara siente que está en deuda con Araragui porque la ayudo con su enfermedad sobrenatural y por eso salen. Aparte de todo lo mencionado, todo esto que nombro que pasa son los primeros capítulos (lo de la relación y todo eso) después la dejan medio de fondo a la chica, aparecen 40 waifus más y aparece en el capítulo 12 de la nada como HEY HOLA ESTOY ACA

Y claramente todas las personas que padecen dichas enfermedades sobrenaturales antes mencionadas tienes que ser chicas waifus para que el mismísimo araragui-san tenga el harem y que el las ayude a todas y digan kiritio-kun. Y como dije anteriormente esto de las enfermedades queda en segundo plano porque pasan de un momento a otro escenario y bueno ahora a hablar, ah no cierto que esta chica está enferma, bueno tranquilo que se soluciona en nada, ahora comete 20 minutos de diálogo que no es para nada relevante.

Y bueno, ya que estamos hablando de las chicas, hablemos de como no entiendo a los personajes.
El prota es inmortal prácticamente y quiere arreglar todo hablando, uno de los ejemplos que se me ocurre es cuando quiso solucionar hablando lo de la enfermedad de la chica del brazo del mono CUANDO ESTABA POSEÍDA y claramente ella quería muerto y lo mejor que se le pudo ocurrir es eso, ah no, pero espera que el amigo oshino justo supo que eso era lo que él iba a hacer y llamo a Senjougahara para que lo salve justo a tiempo… claaaarooo. Dios mío este capítulo fue un guionazo como mucho que tiene. Y por cierto, oshino puede saber literalmente solo con la vista qué enfermedad sobrenatural tiene, el loco es el Dr.House de monogatari. Solo que House es infinitamente mejor personaje que este personaje ya que uno solo sabia diagnosticas enfermedades pero era un inútil en todo lo demás, pero bueno me fui demasiado por las ramas con esta comparación quizás. Aparte que de tanto diálogo que hay no me desarrollaron ningún personaje, todos me parecen que tiene 0 profundidad en TODOS. Kanbaru, la chica esa de la mano del mono tampoco hace otra cosa más que estar con el prota más tiempo que con la novia y obsesionándose un poco con él. En uno de los último capítulo me acuerdo que el prota la llama por teléfono para buscar a Shinobu y ella literalmente dice OKEEY A DESVESTIRME no entendí esa escena o quizás es un tipo de humor por encima de mis capacidades. Creo que el humor de esta serie a veces es muy japonés de anime viejo

Ah, si, y hay mucho fanservice que tampoco ayuda… o si… no mentira, no ayuda. Y tampoco ayuda esas notas que pasan a la velocidad de la luz que me entero que hay gente que estuvo pausando frame a frame para ver que dice, ya me parece un exceso eso y también que las hallan puestos. Me cortan el ritmo de la serie si tengo estar pausando como un enfermo para ver que dice de relevante. Me niego en mi caso.

En los últimos capítulos están buscando a Shinobu porque se había perdido y bueno se fue, no especifican mucho, pero la cosa es que está perdida y bueno la necesitan para curar a una chica nekko kawai con lentes que ta tremenda. Resulta que esta chica tenía dicha enfermedad de neko por el estrés y que el protagonista Araragui-san era el causante de eso, entonces lo que decide la chica es matarlo a él para sacar el problema de raíz. Ya que si él es el causante del estrés, si no está quizás desaparece, tienen una pelea, parece que el protagonista va a morir PEROOOO justo antes de que el prota se muera, resulta que aparece Shinobu DE LA SOBRA DEL MC y pudieron salvar a la chica, que recordemos que la estaban buscando. Al ver esto dije, bueno me van a explicar ahora algo relacionado con todo eso. Ah... que no explican nada? QUE ES ESTOOO tremendo guionazo. Más allá de los motivos de querer matar al prota que no hay lógica todo esto se sintió muy absurdo y lo peor de todo es que en los últimos capítulos es donde menos relleno hay, pero me hacen esto.

En fin, como conclusión voy a poner todo lo que me gusto o por lo menos parte de lo que me gusto para cerrar porque parece que no me gusto NADA cuando en realidad me la vi en 2 días. A pesar de que la serie es 90% texto, diálogos blabla como nombre arriba de todo en la review la dirección me pareció SUBLIME de lo mejor que vi en mi vida seguro o de las mejores direcciones que vi, se me hizo hasta entretenido en algunos momentos solo por la dirección. Y bueno, algún que otro diálogo me gusto A VER de tanto texto, alguna conversación o algo de texto que hay ahí me tiene que gustar no? Aparte de esto la banda sonora me gusto estuvo bastante bien y la animación también, el cómo animaron algunas peleas estaba bastante bien la verdad, se ve muy bien para ser un anime del 2009, y algunas cosas animadas me hacía acordar a madoka magica pero bueno son del mismo estudio. El op 4 me gusto también, el resto de opening y ending no me gustaron nada, la verdad. En mi opinión no se la recomendaría a nadie Bakemonogatari

6/10

I loved the surreal art style, the world building, and the very clever use of language, when it was used for more than just puns or tongue twisters. There's a lot of nuance that you won't likely catch the first time, especially if your Japanese is less than stellar, as most of the plot devices and much of the dialogue is focused around dual meanings due to:
- Different words with the same or similar pronunciation
- Different readings of the same kanji
- Re-arranging kanji radicals to form new meaning

Beyond that however, it's yet another high-school student harem anime with embarrassing H-scenes forced in at every turn. ... For every minute spent developing interesting plot devices expect another minute of panty shots or groping coupled with generic "every girl is in love with me but I'm too stupid to see it" angst. Disappointing.

STORY - 6
ART - 6
SOUND - 7
CHARACTER - 7
ENJOYMENT - 6

Bakemonogatari is the first anime of the Monogatari Series that I've watched. I'm looking forward to what will come next as the anime has this unique atmosphere that made watching it quite enjoyable.

The anime started out confusing at first, there weren't really any clear storyline. You follow a boy who survived a vampire attack as he tried to solve supernatural problems of five girls on their own arc. The simplicity of the entire thing is a good thing, you see the characters develop and interact with each other in an interesting way. Comedy was pretty ... average, romance different from other anime and all in all, it was fun to see the characters. As the story was mainly dialogue-driven, it may not suit everyone. It's fast-paced and sometimes the dialogue was boring and unrelated to the point where your mind wanders of elsewhere. But when it was good, the dialogue is thought-provoking, giving off interesting information about the supernatural of this anime.

The story is backed by the abstract and surrealistic art style. The minimalistic feel suited Bakemonogatari. Animation was pretty fluid most of the time but it's really good at action scenes. There was a lot of symbolism used and for me, a lot of it was difficult to grasp but that's generally not a bad thing because the whole weirdness of it all did engage my brain. The sound in this anime didn't really stand out for me and it was not distracting. Voice acting of each characters was done well, suited to their personality. I enjoyed listening to the opening songs but the ending song takes the icing on the cake, especially after I found out the meaning behind supercell's beautiful song.

Overall, Bakemonogatari was enjoyable to watch. The anime is unique to others and that's what captivated me as I watched each episode. The story was simple and you get to enjoy the characters more. Some parts did felt useless to watch which did kind of drag on. What was the strong point of this anime? Definitely the character interactions and development.

First of all: I'm not english, so if there are errors please go on and don't kill me for this.


Bakemonogatari aka Ghostories or Monstories is an anime about an uncommon boy (ex vampire) meeting five uncommon girls, and he will just solve their problem.

It's divided in five arcs, one for each girl, so I'll consider each arc.

First Arc: Senjougahara, Hitagi

This is the best and the shortest arc of the whole series. Why? The art is at his best. The story and the characters are good, and it's still too early to get pissed by the continuous popup "Black" or "Red".
...
But, meh, it's the shorter arc, just 2 episodes.

Story: 8/19
Art: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

Overall: 8.5/10

Second Arc: Hachikuji, Mayoi

This is the most boring three episodes I've ever seen. Really, just skip them, you will not lose anything, just one hour of your life watching Araragi (the main character) chatting with Senjougahara first and with Mayoi then. They try to do funny comments, but well, they fail. It would have been a bad episode, and I may have ignored that, but they kept this arc for three episodes... JUST SKIP IT, trust me.

Story: 2/10
Art: 6/10 (It's just all white and gray, I feel that the art is just worse than the first arc)
Sound: 9/10
Character: 4/10
Enjoyment: Suicide/10

Overall: 4/10

Third arc: Suruga Kanbaru

This girl is kinda intresting, and I can say that I enjoyed this arc somehow. The story isn't too complicated, but I won't explain it, I won't spoil.

Story: 7/10
Art: 7/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: 8/10
Enjoyment: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

Fourth arc: Nadeko Sengoku

Arc moemoe based, not bad. Sengoku was the target of a weird curse, and of course Araragi will help her. Anyway, a good arc.

Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: 7/10
Enjoyment: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Fifth (and last) arc: Hanekawa, Tsubasa

Meh arc. The only very good episode was episode 12, wich isn't focused on Tsubasa but on Senjougahara, and I'll discuss it later.
This arc try to create some suspance (why the manifestation of her stress is back? Holy f***, I would have never told it!) but well, they fail. The reason is just obvious, and you will get it while you see your first episode... Just nope.
Anyway it was a decent arc, the art are really good.

Story: 6/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: Meh/10
Enjoyment: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Episode 12: This is located during the fifth arc, but it focus on Senjougahara (my favourite character from this show). She is a tsundere, and yeah, she is really cute in her way. I really loved this line:

“You can open your eyes now.

Denab, Altair, Vega.

That’s all… that’s all I have. Being able to help you study. A cute junior and a direct father.

And this starry sky.

That’s all I have. That’s all I can give you, Araragi-kun. That’s everything.

Everything.

My life hasn’t been very fortunate until now. I’m glad I caught your eye before of that misfortune. Because of that, I was able to fall for you. So we’ll definitely do something, but I want to wait just a little bit. So right now, the last thing I can offer you… is this starry sky.”

This speech saved the show. 10/10 for this episode.

Overall: 6/10 because arc 2 is just too bad, and the continuous spamming of "Black" and "Red" are annoying. Hope you won't kill me for spitting on one of the most-rated show.

The best way I can describe Bakemonogatari is that it is really really weird. Their is literary no better way to describe this show. And by weird it throws in a lot of random bits. An example without going into too much spoilers is that it clears the screen and then throws the word red on a red screen. Also in episode 3 I think it was, they went into this conversation it was funny the first minute, then it got awkward, then it got weird. Am aware that might not make too much sense, I don't want to spoil ... anything.

Story 6/10: Like I said the show is weird. It is 15 episodes long and it does take time to develop each character in their own way. That alone is one of the best things of this show. It also tackles folk tales that does have interesting affects towards these characters. It also does move in a good enough pace, but not that good of a pace. However, it does throw in a lot of random bits and it somehow is related to the plot in a way, but it is too random for my taste.

Art 6/10: The art really sells the weirdness. It goes all over the place, I realize that in anime it never really is the same "frame," but it just does way too many jumps that gave me a headache. Best way I can explain it is that someone is recording someone walking down the sidewalk but it was record in 10 different angles. It would constantly switch between these angles at any given moment. That is the best I can explain the scene transactions. While it isl still very unique, too many jumps. Also it felt like some of the scenes were being emo, mix it in with a non-tone line it felt like it was being emo simple because it could. However, the action scene were over the top and that really worked for it, and surprisingly not that many scene jumps for that.

Sound 5/10: The sound was average. Nothing really stood out for me till the end of the show. Also when the scenes jump the sounds the scenes intent but VO would stay the same. When the transactions stop or slows down that is when the mood of the VO changes other then that it is always the same. However, it still works with the show. Currently their are only Japanese and Korean audio no English dub, but I don't see it being in English anytime soon.

Characters 7/10: The best part of the show is the characters. They are all unique and they all have this tragic pain that is real. Realistic ones are love and loneliness, their is also something with a cult but that's a 50/50 thing, but it still works with adding depth to the character. It also shows a great way that the characters deal with the pain to become a better person. Their development is by far the perks of this show.

Enjoyment 4 /10: The show is a bit out there for me to enjoy. It does have some good elements to it, but it just too out there for me.

Overall 5/10: I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I didn't really liked this show at first, if you can get past the second opener then you should be able to last throughout the show.

I thought this was one of the first anime series I watched, as a relatively young and objectively naive weeb. I can't quite remember what I thought were my reasons for doing so-- perhaps I thought I had seen someone else wax poetic about the series' inscrutable profundities, or perhaps I just thought I saw it near the top of Crunchyroll's alphabetically sorted catalog.

Regardless, it matters not why I thought I watched Bakemonogatari, or why you think you should watch Bakemonogatari. You see, after years of occasionally discussing the series when it is brought up in my online haunts, I have come to a revelation, ... at the urging of many of its most serious and intellectually profound fans: Bakemonogatari does not exist. Bakemonogatari is an exercise in the usage of the dishonest narrator to remind us all that, ultimately, narratives are just things which exist inside of our heads: entertainment-shaped voids in our minds. Nothing happens to Koyomi Araragi, because Koyomi Araragi does not exist. Nothing happens to Koyomi Araragi, because I too am a dishonest narrator which does not exist to observe him. I am Koyomi, you are Koyomi, and all of us Koyomis are just little boys staring at snowglobes while waiting for our mothers to bring us dinner.

Truly, Nision Issin would be a genius, if he only existed.

I don't think I've ever been so confused while watching an anime before. Most of the time I will feel this when watching an anime for the first as it is a natural reaction. However, every 5 minutes I keep asking myself "WTF is going on? Not only with the story but with basic stuff like the animation or sound or even the characters. It feels like everything in this show is just trying to confuse you more and more...

I hope while watching I'll be able to understand what will happen next and not be surprised when it does. That doesn't mean I want ... predictable characters and stuff It just means I want something to grab on to. Most of the time my complaint is that it's too predictable but this anime feels strangely predictable with it of course being the most confusing thing I've ever watched.

Bakemonogatari is part monster of the week, part harem, part slice of life. This combination is served in a visual style so creative and pretty that if you're interesed in pretty backgrounds or visual storytelling it's worth watching the show for that alone. The openings and endings are also creative and fun, because this is Studio Shaft and I hope other companies are taking notes because the visuals of anime could use to be shaken up more. The songs and music are also great, so atmosphere-wise, Bakemonogatari gets two thumbs up.
But yeah, the rest of it. The stories are fairly interesting, though nothing that hasn't ... been done before. The characters are... special, alright, this show has it's own very warped view on human dynamics where you can totally be friends with someone that recently disemboweled you. I can barely even comment on that, it is what it is and it either works or doesn't work for you. Be prepared for lengthy verbal exchanges that get kinda lost in translation. One thing I really liked was that the protagonist wasn't an audience surrogate, he feels like a person with a mindset that's really his own and his actions surprised me. He is totally checking out all those girls around him and there is a lot of male gaze fanservice, but he also sees the girls as people and isn't looking for a reward when he helps them. It's nice to see a guy whose libido doesn't turn him into a creepy moron. Oh, except when they're dishing out the pedo-bait. Seriously, if you have a problem with lolicon (and you should) you have to mentally prepare yourself. Or fast forward and think of pretty pictures. I knocked one and a half points of off my enjoyment for that, but Bakemonogatari remains well-made and different, so do check it out.

Bakemonogatari is as a stretch to watch as saying the title. An anime that is visual and musical in its appeal, but with episodes that stretch the dialogue to simple back and forths so much, you will need patience to sit through these 15 episodes.

Is it a complex anime? No. It's pretty straight forward in its mission to separate each arc into its own mystery to solve. Bake plays around the detective wordplay as much as the artsy visuals to carry most of its production. Add in a few supernatural buzz themes and a banger OST and you get Bakemonogatari.

I'm no stranger to good rich ... word play, but this anime is just average dialogue, but extended for longer shots.It feels more like a college project than an actual anime show in the way its just too standard in its characters, its strict art guidelines, and its random flairs of attempting to be creative.

The story is where this anime suffers. Don't expect a 15 episode story. Expect a 15 episode series of events concerning the main cast. Although, unlike other shows that leave you wanting more, Bake is like an anime that doesn't care whether you watch the next episode or not. Each arc it covers can be enjoyed on their own, but putting them together, well that starts to weigh like a long and tedious essay. By far, a huge clickbait from its first episode.

The strengths about this anime is that it looks cool and sounds cool with some good dialogue moments between characters. The flaws is that the story has a lose direction, nothing really matters, and this anime becomes a muddy chore to truck through.

There are much better shows that do mystery reveals better as well as shows that do dialouge better. Bake is neither of them. The problem with Bake is that it doesn't take itself seriously. 15 episodes of a light mystery show is what I would call Bake.

As a critic, these are my flaws and strengths I saw in this show.
As a normal anime watcher, I just wouldn't recommend this.

Pros: Senjou is a hot waifu
Cons: shes trapped in a mid lackluster anime
7/10 this anime is more a nostalgia poster than good.

A great series to watch. It is the type of series that you can leave in the background. It can be slow at times but the slowness has an essence of life to it. It is the type of show you watch and admire its pace and relish it. I would recommend it, however, it is quite difficult to finish it in one sitting as the pacing can be quite slow but if you get through it, it is one of the anime people fondly remember and think of each character and their developments.

The memes and little references in the show are very funny, ... well-timed, and quite prominent. They make the show a lot more enjoyable for those who have watched other anime or shows. For people of cultures, it is an absolute must-watch.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this show to everyone but it requires a specific type of patience and mood to watch it, just watch it when that feeling and mood arrives.

A lot of my friends forced me into watching Bakemonogatari so here's my review.

It was aired in 2009 and one of the most unique aspects of this show is the animation. The animation style is unique and eye-catching, with a mix of traditional animation and still images that create a visual style that sets it apart from other anime. For me, sometimes it could be quite hard to follow up especially during the fast paced action scenes.
The plot of bakemonogatari revolves around a high school student named Koyomi Araragi who encounters various supernatural beings, or "apparitions", and the people they have affected. Each episode ... focuses on a different character, and the series is divided into several arcs that all contribute to the overarching story. The writing is clever and engaging, with plenty of witty banter and unexpected twists that keep the audience on their toes. Tbh, I didn't really get the point of all that but yea ok. I don't really understand why araragi just keeps meeting up with a girl and helps her out. The characters motives could be confusing and inconsistent
But one thing i like about bakemonogatari are the sound effects and music tracks. The VA is good too.
Overall it's fine but i dont think it should be so high rated. Maybe i just dont have a taste for it, but this is how i feel about the anime.

signing off,
flashyy

Bakemonogatari... is okay. It's just. okay. It's okay. But it could have been so. much. better.

It's not the story that holds it back: the story is actually pretty alright, besides from some insanely drawn out entire blocks of dialogue in episodes, that, honestly, don't have to be there.
The music certainly doesn't hold it back: one of the most impressive parts of the show, actually, is the music. It really does the show a great service having such stellar musical choices, and really elevates it to a unique standing.
The animation is beautiful, and I didn't mind the flash cards as much as others. I think ... it was because I sort of didn't pause or anything to read them, so they kinda set a tone instead of giving background - I paused a couple and they didn't really say anything super important other than some chuckle-worthy banter.
The characters are alright, even though they fall so so so hard into tropes. Like, Senjogahara is a tsundere, and even if the show admits it, it's still really basic. I do appreciate the backstory they give her though, helps to explain her overall personality - a lot of shows actually don't even do that, so props to bakemonogatari there.


WHAT HOLDS IT BACK
IS THE FANSERVICE.
IT IS THAT BAD.

Look, I don't like fanservice to begin with, but Bakemonogatari does it in a way that made me so physically uncomfortable I could not focus on the story or the characters. It also served to mess up characters for me, namely Araragi. I don't see why the show tries to set him up as a protagonist who likes to help everyone and has a heart of gold BUT ALSO SOMEONE who casually sexually harasses little girls. Every scene with any girl who is younger than Araragi made me cringe more times than I could count. It's almost like the writers couldn't help themselves but to sexualize everything Araragi comes into contact with, and they didn't draw a moral line. To illustrate Araragi's teenage hormones, the writers could have done anything other than what they landed on. It got to the point where I walked away from the show not thinking of the overall message, but about how weird these scenes in question made me feel.

I enjoyed Bakemonogatari to an extent, but I won't be watching the rest of the Monogatari series. Apparently the fanservice gets worse from here. Can't really see myself fully enjoying that at all.

Every other "anime connoisseur" on MAL seems to have a Monogatari profile picture or a monogatari series entry on their favorites list. Wanting to see what all the fuss was about, I gave Bake a whirl.

Story:

The thing that annoys me the most about the monogatari series is how on one hand it tries to be deep and philosophical while on the other hand, panders to fans of a very base level of entertainment. As a result, it feels like a pretentious and disingenuous harem, instead of the cerebral and psychological supernatural romp into the human psyche like it tries to make itself out to be. ...

Exhibit A: It's filled to the brim with fetishized female characters, 40% of which are lolis. I love lolis, don't get me wrong, but I cringe whenever I stop to consider the audience that Bakemonogatari is pandering to: people who want to feel smart and deep but also want to be surrounded by cute and sexy (little) girls. It's like the writer wanted to write both a serious story and a light-hearted romcom story at the same time, and Bakemonogatari was born as an amalgamation of these two conflicting desires. To me, this combination doesn't work.

Exhibit B: Arararararagi is a low-key self-insert shounen protagonist. Sure, he's somewhat entertaining to watch, but once you take a step back you realize he's a predictable goody-two-shoes who constantly "saves" cute girls because he sees fit to do so. The show may try to make his motivations sound all grandiose, but if you boil them all down they're just generic happy-go-lucky bullshit that every other shounen protagonist has been spouting for the last decade or so. While I'm certainly not against helping out specifically female characters or anything, it gets really stale and the harem undertones really creep to the surface after he's saved the 5th female character in a row and she's fallen in love with him like the rest who came before her. People praise this series for "subverting the tropes" and "elevating the harem genre to the next level" but I ain't feeling jack shit. The protagonist is fucking boring, the characters are unlikable (Senjougahara can go choke on a thumbtack), and the dialogue feels like it's overcompensating for something.

While we're discussing the dialogue, the conversations are absurdly drawn-out to frankly obscene levels. It's great to have some witty banter between characters but sometimes the show just never knows when to stop. Hachikuji's arc was the worst offender out of all of them in terms of droning dialogue. There is no need for 10 minutes of constant discourse about trite subjects that go on tangents and loop back into itself a cow's intestines. Each of these conversations can be just as entertaining and meaningful in less than half the duration that they actually went on for. I don't know what Bakemonogatari is trying to do with the dialogue; I feel like it's trying waaaay too hard to compensate for the author's inability to express depth through any other means.

At the end of the day, my main problem with Bakemonogatari is that it feels incredibly wish-fulfillment, self-insert, and fetishized. Writing-wise, it's sound - profound, and sometimes moving, even. But in light of all the problems I've listed earlier, it feels incredibly disingenuous and pretentious, rather than playful and sophisticated.

Let's take Natsume Yuujinchou as a parallel. They're both supernatural series that delves into the human psyche. However, Natsume Yuujinchou never tries to be something that it's not. It has genuine heart. Its characters are flawed but also feel human. It gently takes you by the hand, and leads you on a journey of love, friendship, and self-discovery. Bakemonogatari, on the other hand, waves its dick in your face, tries to woo you with its meta humor and philosophical drivel, introduces a cute girl, shows you her problems, sniffs her panties, then saves her like the damsel in distress that she is, then sniffs her panties again, then introduces another cute girl. Rinse and repeat. I get it dawg I get it. You're really deep, even though you're a creep. What's that? You're inviting me to be a creep along with you too? Nah man. Unlike you, I'm not that far up my own asshole yet.

Art:
Great. Shaft's signature style is nothing to scoff and all of the girls' tits and asses are beautifully drawn, rendered and juxtaposed against the symbolic backdrops and rapid cuts. Art and animation-wise, you won't find anything like Bakemonogatari anywhere else.

Sound:
The soundtrack is actually really good. The OPs and most of the EDs are a treat to listen to every time. Nadeko's ED song, Renai Circulation, is a god meme.

Characters:
Hachikuji is the sexiest female character to ever be designed by a carbon-based lifeform in the observable universe in the milky way galaxy in the solar system in planet earth in japan

Enjoyment:
I fapped to Nadeko's bare ass with my left hand and read the unabridged version of Crime and Punishment with my right. Is this the Monogatari Effect?

Overall:
6/10 would be an intellectual pedophile again.

[Spoiler Free]

While I do recognize why would people like this anime, I can personally say that aside from art and general bizarrity of what's going on there isn't much to it. There is absolutely no plot to the show whatsoever. This should go without saying, as this show (sort of) follows more of a "slice of life" kind of "development", so it'd be fair to argue that the plot is not the main thing.

BUT! If you compare this show to any well known slice of life shows (e.g. Gabriel Dropout) - those shows have at least SOME development over the course of episodes, whereas ... due to the strangeness of the events in bakemonogatari there's no development at all.

Each time I finish an episode, I have absolutely 0 interest in what is going to happen in the next episode, and thus have absolutely 0 motivation to keep watching.

I tried so hard to like this show, but there's just nothing in it that makes me wanna keep watch it, which is really disappoiting.

I think the bottom line is that this show is, probably, not for everyone. I'll probably give it a go again some time in the future, but that being said it would already be a third time that I'd be giving it a chance..

Bakemonogatari is best summed up as a piece of modern visual art. Watching it, I was interested in what kind of story it would tell. Visually, it's freaking breathtaking, and very experimental, which some will either love or hate. It will go from anime to random shots of still life, to suddenly random words of kanji on the screen - which you don't even need to pause or read for, because they really don't even mean anything.

The show's characters had their fun moments, but I felt like they were lacking something. While the show is separated into multiple-part short stories all in a small package, ... it's a nice, refreshing taste for the genre. But, as stated before, the show is very experimental. As an example, a very bloody and gory scene in an episode experiments visually by changing the color of the blood with each hit the character takes, the shot changing it from blue to green to purple.

Episodes also adhere to a strict color template. One could be mostly dark greens and blacks, one can be an all-white cement part with colored iron poles for children to play on, all in multiple quick cuts that can feel overwhelming to some. The best way to describe the whole show is like either the last two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, or the Third Impact in End of Evangelion. Very experimental, quick shots, handpicked colors, and scenes that will make you wonder what the hell is even going on.

All in all, it was a very fun and interesting anime to watch. If you like experimental modernism, definitely give it a try - especially if you like the supernatural.

I'm really, really, really frustrated with Bakemonogatari.
Why is an anime this visually impressive, this amazingly surreal, this meticulously crafted and this beautifully instrumented being brought down by the constant fanservice and sexualization of teenagers, and sometimes even literal children?
Because let me tell you, the one thing that completely destroys my enjoyment of something is when it becomes unnecessarily creepy towards minors. And this anime, despite how amazing it is in literally every other regard, does this literally every scene. And the few episodes where this doesn't happen are some of the best animated segments I've ever watched, and they only serve to prove me right: ... when this anime is trying, it's a masterpiece. It's a shame that nearly a fifth of its runtime is spent on sexualizing teenage girls.

Imagine how good those episodes have to be in order to raise my rating from a mediocre 6 to a strong 8. If they took out the pedobait, this anime would be a 10.

Honestly, it's good but far from perfect. The ending ruins it. We don't get a proper ending, it leaves you feeling like there's way too much for the main characters to still do. I won't say what's missing but it just leaves you feeling empty because the ending opens more doors than it closes.

I love the main cast, none of them are by any stretch of the means "uninteresting" and there are some really sweet scenes... I also wish to give you a warning that there is some minorly graphic content such as a naked character hiding their parts with their hands and arms.

This show piqued my interest when I first started watching it, with it's unique (and violent) character interaction, strange yet alluring style, and odd basis for a plot. But, sadly, by the end of the show, I felt like it had devolved from something that could have been great to a half-decent time-waster that (again, like so many shows) focused too much on fanservice.

The animation was fantastic, but the show has a strange habit of zooming in on very detailed depictions of the characters' eyes. I don't know what purpose it served, but it was a little disturbing at first seeing peoples' tear ducts every ... few minutes. Still, high-tier animation deserves to be recognized, and this show is definitely not lacking as far as art.

I don't notice sound a whole lot in most anime shows, except for in the opening themes. I thought the openers were nice, but nothing more than that, and the sound in the show was not obvious enough to be outstanding or obnoxious. Nothing to report here.

The characters are very fun and interesting, especially the female lead, Senjougahara. She's a bit scary, but in the end, very likeable because of her quirkiness. I can't really say the same for the main character Araragi - as far as personality, he's very average-joe-ish, like a lot of main characters, but then again, he has an odd sort of photographic way of looking at the world which the anime does a very good job of showing, and really adds to the show's cool, if a little alien, style. The other characters, while they seem to be there only to provide fanservice, actually make reappearances after their little arc in the story is up, which is nice, because you don't feel like they just disappeared.

The real issue in Bakemonogatari is that the story doesn't really seem to be getting anywhere. It's one of those shows with an arc for each character that is introduced, but the characters that are introduced don't contribute towards any ongoing plot besides consistently connecting to the main idea of the show and providing plenty of fanservice. It really made me sad, because the show has a few mysterious moments that seem to beg for deeper inspection and story.

I didn't dislike Bakemonogatari overall. It was a fun watch, but by the time I reached the end of it and looked back, I felt like it was sort of empty. It's the same kind of feeling you get when you enjoy some really good hard candy, then realize after you've eaten it all that you're still hungry, but now you're sick to your stomach. In the end, I hungered for something with a bit more sustenance....

Visually stunning and intellectually stimulating, Bakemonogatari blends supernatural elements with complex character interactions. Utilising a unique storytelling style, sharp dialogue, and distinctive art direction, to offer a refreshing take on the supernatural genre. However, its heavy reliance on dialogue and intricate narrative structure might not be for everyone.

The art style is distinctive and fitting for the story it tells. With its minimalist backgrounds, avant-garde character designs, and frequent use of abstract visuals, the art complements the surreal and introspective nature of the series. With it characters in general are well-rounded and exhibit both flaws and strengths, contributing to their complexity and depth. Each character ... is uniquely developed, with their own set of personal struggles and growth throughout the series. They are not excessively strong, smart, or stupid, but rather feel like real individuals with relatable traits and emotions. Quite often their reactions to situations and events are depicted in a stylized and exaggerated manner, reflecting the series' overall surreal and fantastical tone. While some reactions may seem exaggerated, they are consistent with the show's artistic direction and contribute to its distinctive atmosphere.

Whether others will enjoy or dislike Bakemonogatari depends on their preferences for a storytelling style, character-driven narratives, and artistic experimentation. Viewers who appreciate unconventional storytelling, complex characters, and avant-garde visuals are likely to enjoy the series, while those who prefer more straightforward plots and traditional anime tropes may find it less appealing. Ultimately, personal taste plays a significant role in determining one's enjoyment of the series.

This review is for the series as a whole.

If you're like me, the kind of watcher who's into "intelligent" romances (my usage of "intelligent" is no more than an aesthetic description here, btw), there will be material here for you that you will love. I love those parts myself. However, if you're not into 20-minute long recitals of worldbuilding explanations that frequently put the entire world at stake, it will be a little rough for you to get through it.

I've always felt that after a certain point, the higher the stakes of a story, the harder it is to relate to and really ... care about. I found myself watching the later seasons just wanting them to go back to the smaller scale interpersonal drama that the series opens on, and tantalizingly, it consistently shows up here and there in small portions. It just gets increasingly clear that's not the main story the author wanted to tell, instead opting to telling a story about the world, the nature of "oddities" and the plot that's affecting all of it. It made me feel a little misled, and, though I did like the series overall, I feel like I wasted a lot of time watching it because my expectations were betrayed. If you're like me, keep that in mind.

Also, the loli/incest shit gets completely out of hand to the point that it's clear the author is proud of normalizing it. Just based on that alone I can't recommend you watch it, and especially not that you pay for it.