Monogatari Series: First Season
AxBattler said: So I just started watching Bakemonogatari and.. it is just as weird as I remember when I watched 1-2 episodes of Nisemonogari when it was aired in Japan before giving up because I couldn't make sense of what was going on. Now that I am watching it subbed, I realise that I wasn't really misunderstanding the conversations, they really do go off a tangant sometime. Before I commit to more episode though, I would like to ask: 1. Is there a large underlying story beneath all? I can get used to the wacky style and wall of text, but is it going to lead somewhere? 2. Should I watch in aired order, or novel order? 3. Is this a harem? I note that the female characters in the show is frequently hailed as top waifu material, and in the episodes I have seen so far, there aren't a lot of male characters. That, in itself isn't am issue, but I am mmot after a harem anime right now.. 1. Bakemonogatari is extremely character-driven and focuses on individual narratives relating to its cast, while Nisemonogatari acts half as a pleasure piece for the author, Nisio Isin, and half as a lead-in to a more concrete narrative that forms with Monogatari Series Second Season. Bakemonogatari was written as a stand-alone, but it does extend and become a more conventional story. 2. Personally, now that the three Kizu movies are out, I would recommend watching them between Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari, since Kizu provides a fair bit of context for several key interactions from Nise onward. The story was intended to be consumed in that way, in my opinion, and it gives Nise a fair bit more intrigue. You won't be stumbling in the dark without it, though, and some fans believe that "kizu when" is part of the Monogatari experience, so both orders are fine. 3. Kind of sort of. There are harem elements to the show, but the crux of the relationship drama (especially early into the franchise) stems from a love triangle rather than a harem. I'm not fond of harem anime myself, but Bakemonogatari has a more nuanced take on its relationships that was able to keep me hooked in. |
| 1. Yes. The underlying story is good, but is revealed piece by piece and out of sequence. It will all make sense at the end. 2. Watch in aired order. At least the first time. It's not chronological, but the series is best enjoyed that way. Everything will make sense in the end. You can re-watch in chronological order afterwards if you want. 3. Kinda, but not really. There isn't really much romance, love triangles, or pursuit of other girls typically associated with a harem anime. It's clear from the beginning who his girl is - the others are just for friendship and fun. Each girl has her own story and gets screen time dedicated to it. |
NyaaSep 10, 2018 9:05 PM
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| The monogatari series is my favorite anime, so there is definitely a lot of bias here. 1. Yes. Think of Bakemonogatari as a 15 episode character introduction. Kizumonogatari is where the plot kicks in. The series as a whole has an extremely high rewatch value. 2. Broad cast order except one thing: Kizumonogatari should be watched after Bake. Kizu was originally supposed to be released after bake but was delayed for some odd reason. 3. Monogatari takes the harem genre and breaks down the typical stereotypical archetypes like the tsundere, the perfect class president, and the typical harem protagonist that tries to save everyone. As the story goes on, you will see that each character has distinct qualities that make them different and stand out as actual characters rather than another example of their archetypes. IMO, monogatari should have a psychological tag due to how each aberration symbolizes each characters mental issues . Every character and plot point comes together perfectly once the drama ensues. That being said, let's talk about some of its negatives: 1. Obscene amounts of fanservice take away from a lot of the scenes. This is a deconstruction of a harem genre, but some scenes take it way too far. There is also very questionable loli-groping which is explained in the novel, but this is the anime we're talking about, so that is not a valid defense. 2. The dialogue is hit-or-miss. You will either see it as "clever and witty" or "boring and pretentious." Fans will say the former, critics will say the latter. If you finish Bake and don't like it, you are better off dropping it because the style stays relatively the same. Personally, I love SHAFT's direction with the anime, but it really is an acquired taste. Just to end off, the flashing walls of text in Bake aren't as important as usually they are passages from the novel that are describing the current scene. Think of it as a flair/style to the series. Sorry for the long write-up, I just love the series with a passion. TLDR: It's an acquired taste. Love it or Hate it. I barely see anyone that's so-so about it. |
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| Bakemonogatari is the only good part of Monogatari. |
| "Monogatari is just another garbage harem series" well, I guess you wanted to hear something like that for making this thread in AD |
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| I'd recommend watching the kizumonogatari movie trilogy over anything else in the franchise. |
AxBattler said: So I just started watching Bakemonogatari and.. it is just as weird as I remember when I watched 1-2 episodes of Nisemonogari when it was aired in Japan before giving up because I couldn't make sense of what was going on. Now that I am watching it subbed, I realise that I wasn't really misunderstanding the conversations, they really do go off a tangant sometime. Before I commit to more episode though, I would like to ask: 1. Is there a large underlying story beneath all? I can get used to the wacky style and wall of text, but is it going to lead somewhere? 2. Should I watch in aired order, or novel order? 3. Is this a harem? I note that the female characters in the show is frequently hailed as top waifu material, and in the episodes I have seen so far, there aren't a lot of male characters. That, in itself isn't am issue, but I am mmot after a harem anime right now.. 1 - they are arcs that are separeted into characters, they have connections but will not develop into one final plot 2- watch in aired order its less confusing 3- yes this is harem since most of the girls like him |
AxBattler said: Thanks for the replies, especially those who took time to write a long reply (@DreadoftheGrave, @Kerylon, @Nyaa but also everyone else). I will check out a few more episodes, hopefully finish the season and go from there. @Kerylon Yeah now that I can pause and actually read the wall of text, I noticed that it is often just what the characters just said. On a side note occasionally they flash non anime images. Is that just something they incorporated for style, or is there something interesting (even if not entirely related to the show itself) behind it? @An0nim Not really, I haven't seen enough Monogatari threads on AD to know if there is a consensus. I have seen the female characters praised often, and a RL friend I trust seem to think highly of the series a couple years ago so it has always been on the list of anime I wanted to check out at some point (not very high priority though). Yeah, I am usually not a fan of harem especially when it isn't expected. But for every genre that isn't usually my cup of tea, I sometime find something I end up enjoying. I need to know what to expect though and with the monogatari series I don't think it is completely obvious what it is at first glance. Glad to help. To answer your question, flashes in general (whether text or images) add context to whatever scene they're used in. While the text ones aren't as important (as stated earlier), the directors at SHAFT loved incorporating symbolism into the image ones. Not all of them though, some for just the aesthetic aspect. |
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