Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season Episode 14 Discussion

Rorek said:
8/10
but
Disappointment that we didn't see Hanekawa

James-LastOmnic said:
This is EASILY one of the worst arc in the entire franchise in a narrative standpoint and I'm glad the rating survey reflects that.
First and foremost, this was the most evident mystery you could possibly ever write which was obvious from the very FIRST scene of the arc. I'm not even going to argue around it and I'll just straight up copy the shit I've said on /a/.
From the introduction scene where you see Kie having a mental breakdown about being part of the basketball club before meeting Deathtopia and finally smirking upon the scene's conclusion getting cut off you HAVE TO KNOW she's the real culprit behind EVERYTHING coming afterwards and everything else is a red herring. It's simple, if she wasn't the culprit, then that scene was basically pointless, this is called the reciprocity of Chekhov's gun narrative principle. Meaning there was no other way but for her to be the vampire behind everything, major problem is the entire arc is focused on finding the culprit causing the mummification and there is absolutely nothing else going on beside that, no clever and funny banter, no philosophical reflexions and of course no important character progress or self-reflection, mainly because those idiots and Shaft cut the most important part of RRRG/Kagenui end dialogue which carried the entire arc narrative.
The only thing you conclude from finishing this arc is that you got cucked of the possibility of a good story, "was that all for nothing?"
Shinobumonogatari doesn't immediatly follows Waza in the novels, but here in the anime, which rearranged greatly the arc orders, it did. Therefore what you expect is for the narrative to organically flow from one arc to another as it was Shaft INTENDED purpose. Unfortunately, the main focus of Waza Kiss shot and Deathtopia are an absolutely joke in this arc, both from their initial personality and in their role in the story. I've already treated Shinobu last episode's thread, she does nothing in the arc, she's barely a lore mouthpiece, she's carried around by RRRG only for her to be there and have reactions. She has absolutely ZERO involvement in DVS resurrection as princess Acerola (NOT SHINOBU) from the heaven gives RRRG her saliva to keep DVS alive, then Gaen, main character of the arc, resurrect DVS with a ritual. She has no involvement in the arc's resolution either as she appears last second before Kagenui cucks her of a fight scene. Her biggest impact is killing RRRG to send him in hell, which doesn't work as he goes in heaven instead AND could have been done by Gaen as she did it once before.
Now onto DVS, she is an insult to worldbuilding in this arc. Reminder that Kiss shot Acerola Orion under heart blade is cannonically "Oddity slayer and King of Oddities" and also a creature capable of bringing the apocalypse by herself (see Kabukimonogatari) BUT her master and creator, an immortal pure blood vampire, which lived more than 1000 years, jobs like a bitch to the disgusting blood of a depressed high school girl lmao. Right now without any possible debate, every single oddity had some sort of a powerscale, even if not explained, putting them all in a coherent hierarchy of power. If you want it brief, Oshino Meme can easily keep in check the Heavy stone crab, Kagenui and the rainy devil can easily demolish an unpowered RRRG, loli shinobu easily defeats Black Hanekawa but Nadeko medusa has no problem killing an underpowered Shinobu and that's why she would need to drink RRRG blood to face even Yotsugi, all of that remain perfectly coherent with a ceiling clearly stated as Kiss shot fully powered is basically above everyone. Deathtopia on the other hand, dies from food poisining from a human girl because she's a bit weakened. "Yeah but she's clearly in her weakest state ever, she states she's close to die at the end blablabla" Even if justified (badly because she keeps on living lmao) at the last minute by Nisio doesn't mean it's a compelling narrative. For SIX episodes you would expect of having a more climatic conclusion for a character than just coming into the world to say "hello it's been a while" then fucking off back to nowhere at the end without any catharsis or endearing dialogue. Shinobu and DVS had no dynamic, their meeting was rushed and skipped, there was no gravitas or impact to what you thought the arc was meant to be, their reunion, and what Nisio intended the arc to be is so boring and uninteresting it makes him look like he was trying to write a Monogatari filler.
Gaen and Araragi overtook the arc to an excruciating extent for no reason, Gaen is THE plot device of Monogatari, despite being entertaining and cute to hear, her main role is to be an exposition mouthpiece since her introduction, Araragi /our/ protagonist has another issue, he is a solved character after Owari. He has already learnt most of what he can learn as an individual, making him now extremely boring to follow as he just "Watson" his way through the mystery while Gaen does her "Sherlock Holmes". All other girls are there for filling the plot and do not leave much to remember, I'd remind you that the best dialogue of Monogatari ever (don't @ me) is Mayoi and Araragi first discussion in Karen Bee, an arc which Mayoi has no bearing WHATSOEVER. In Shinobu Mustard, Mayoi's, Yotsugi's, Kanbaru's and finally Senjougahara's lines are so devoided of ideas they all appear like a shadow of their characters, they are there to say their catch phrases "oh my kamimashita, oh my erodore, oh my yay peace peace" and nothing else.
I also must talk about Kie Harimaze, an antagonist so unimportant she makes Seishirou look like Kaiki in Nisemonogatari. Her main deal is she's part of the basketball club. During this arc, did she interacted with the defacto most important character related to the basketball club Kanbaru Suruga? Not even once. You know what's weird. This arc takes place after Hanamonogatari because Kanbaru has her short haircut, Hanamonogatari, an arc featuring Numachi Rouka, another former member of the basketball club and an INFINITELY MORE interesting antagonist from her reason and worldview to her impact on other characters.
Now Kie Harimaze sole impact onto anything was boring me to death when she complains how's the life of an high school girl in a club is SOOOOOOOOO AWFUL, which, if you're an adult like I am, is a complete farce of a statement. If you're an high schooler reading this and you think high school life is awful, just know that the best years of your life end at 18 and every single person you will ever meet will tell you this. In this story as well considering Zoku ends with Araragi cherishing his last high school years but now an entitled girl who couldn't be bothered to leave her club will claim the opposite, I, Am, Laughing.

My hate for this arc will not stain my love for the first 3 arcs which all are now in my top5 favorite Monogatari Arcs with Nadeko Medusa and Karen Bee, I'll rate this season a 9/10 with a slight clentch in my stomach.