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I wondered if I should give this show an 8 or a 1. It wasn't a choice between 7 or 8 or 9, but between 8 and 1.

In categories of plot, dialogue, and characters Kokoro Connect is nothing short of stellar. For lack of a better expression, I was reminded a lot of Bakemonogatari in terms of both superficial similarities, AND in terms of the subtlety and general quality of the writing. That is just about the biggest praise I can subjectively crown upon an anime series, and it means that Kokoro Connect is up there with the very best when it ... comes to the writing. That, and the very moment I heard Inaba's voice for the first time, I was like KANBARUUUUUUUU.

Comparisons aside, the general premise of the story is actually somewhat mundane, but that does not work negatively in this case. The series wastes little time in quickly and efficiently setting up the overall format of the story: a group of 5 high school students being subjected various psychological and social "experiments," during which their secrets, insecurities, and relationships are brutally exposed and tested. As is frequently stated within the show, it is ultimately an experiment to see how the 5 friends react as a single crucial variable in their lives are tweaked one by one.

Obviously, this kind of plot device lends heavily to character development. Indeed, the plot itself has no significance other than to drive character development. In this category, the series also impressed. The characters, or rather, the way they are written, stand tall among a sea of lesser characters from lesser anime. To be honest, I have personally outgrown many of the problems and insecurities felt by the very realistic high school student characters, but I could still identify with the characters in a reminiscent manner, if not directly sympathize with them. I can only guess that the characters hit even closer to home for people in their teens, which I assume would be the target audience. Just for sake of finding a flaw to talk about, I felt that Aoki was a little lacking. This fact is actually directly admitted to and discussed within the show, but I still could not help but feel that it was a missed potential. His character is genuinely likable, especially when he received some long-overdue development, so it was a bit disheartening to see him still relegated as the token comic relief. Some of his actions and lines are honestly pretty cool, so I wish he could've been written as a slightly more "cool" character, rather than an exclusively comical one. Later on, during his more serious moments, it felt a bit like Rivalz was trying to act in Suzaku's shoes, to put it into Code Geass terms. Besides, every other member of the cast is capable of their share of comic relief, so having someone within the MAIN CAST as the exclusive comic relief guy was maybe a bit too much. But again, that is a minor error that I noticed, and the characters are overall written very, very well. The more you pay attention to subtle hints, foreshadowing, etc, the more you will catch, adding to your increasing awe of the writing.

HOWEVER, is Kokoro Connect ultimately a top-level, A-class anime? Frankly not at all. Note the aspects of the show that I praised: the story, the characters, the writing... Yes, everything that came from the source material, the light novels, are deserving of the title "masterpiece," but EVERYTHING ELSE is just pathetic, to be quite frank. I would ruthlessly give the score of 1 or 2 in every technical category, such as quality of animation, sound, etc. I do concede that many of these problems may stem from budget issues. I am really willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because the quality is so extraordinarily bad that one assumes there must have been some extenuating circumstance. The base line of production quality in contemporary works, even the most abysmal ones, is far higher than that exhibited by Kokoro Connect. Furthermore, the quality skyrockets in the last 4 episodes, which were released some time after the first 13 had aired, no doubt enjoying the financial benefits of the show's success. This lends further evidence to my "budget issues" theory, but really, the horror of the animation quality in the earlier episodes has to be seen to be believed.

Even after giving the show a benefit of a doubt, there are some unequivocal and undeniable problems. As always I do not feel good about singling out a creator, a professional in the industry who no doubt knows far more than I do. However, there is no avoiding the verdict that Kokoro Connect is a very, very, oh so beautifully written, but it is frankly poorly directed. There is little, if any, variation in camera angle, frame, etc. to aid the dramatic storytelling. When two characters are talking, it will invariably be a bland two-shot of static frames with only the mouths moving. When the characters are walking, it will literally be slow-panning profile shot that literally just follows them as they are literally just walking. You get the point. Many times, I thought "why even bother to make an anime adaptation?" It would not have been much different to listen to an audio drama of the original light novel while scrolling through the static images that were already on the LN. Did they adapt this to a motion picture medium just so we could watch the character's mouths move? To a certain point, minimalism can be a choice of style, but in case of Kokoro Connect, it doesn't seem to be a conscientious choice, but rather a lack of style and a complete abandoning of the huge potential of visual storytelling inherent in anime as a visual genre. As I noted above, in terms of writing, Kokoro Connect does many things Bakemonogatari does just as well, but it is absolutely pitiful in comparison to the rich visuals of the latter. I'm not saying that they should've gone full SHAFT with their trademark splurge visuals, but at least take advantage of the very minimal devices to spice up the stellar story. Even something as small as 0.5 second of lingering gaze, dramatic camera angle, or a timely zoom-in could add so much punch to the emotional scenes and the surprisingly good humor points. Instead, the sheer genius of the writing carries this show on its back; it is a lonely, lonely path with zero help from visual storytelling. That in itself is impressive, I suppose, but also a bit frustrating to watch. The missed opportunities, the untapped potential.

In the end, I did not have the heart to give this anime adaptation the terrible score it very well deserved. It is frankly an utter failure as an adaptation. However, out of respect for the very impressive writing, I decided to take off only 1 point from the absolutely stellar score of 9 and gave it an 8, which, in my standards, is still an A- or a very good B+.


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USELESS BONUS CONTENT: Comparison with Bakemonogatari
WARNING. FREE SPOILERS FOR BOTH SERIES. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED


Many are the reasons I am almost sure that the author had read and was heavily influenced by Bakemonogatari.


-The Male MC is someone who feels compelled to help those around him, even at the cost of great suffering or risk unto himself.

-MC is ultimately monogamous...

-Urban fantasy setting in modern Japan. High school.

-The supernatural element is deeply psychological and/or existential.

-There is a bizarre and nebulous sense of existential threat looming over every moment of the series. Highly subjective, admittedly.

-The flashing text panels in KC that just HAVE to be a lame attempt to imitate the iconic device used in Bakemonogatari.

-Extremely tight ensemble cast with few (actually none in BKM) extras.

-Brazenly and gallantly and MONOGAMOUSLY erotic in terms of writing, but not so much visual fanservice. Arguable in BKM, but, say, compared to the standard ecchi anime that would discuss the similar, very explicit topics ventured in either anime.

-Winning girls possess sharp wit, dark soul, and cold personality. Their opening up is a central theme.

-Many of the traumatic backstories involve strikingly similar themes, such as being the unknowing perpetrator of blackout violence sprees, rape attempt, bullying, jealousy, etc. However, one could argue that such themes are ubiquitous in modern anime.

-Sisconic elements. Though, comparing the sisincest level of KC and BKM would be like comparing your dog to Obama, respectively.

Only in Bakemonogatari:
-A harem, nay, a demi-harem, thanks to Araragi's unwavering adherence to monogamy

-Sound effects and BGM

-High quality, indeed, legendary visual animation

Only in Kokoro Connect:
-Friendship

-The necessity for an awkward beta-couple arrangement, thanks to Taichi not stepping up to be the Monogamous Harem King that he was born to be. The Monogamous Harem King is a glorious existence that sits far atop the power ranking pyramid of contemporary anime.

"Understandably overrated"
“Lazy and arrogant adaptation of much better source material”
“Perhaps written by Lawrence himself, since it values potential profit over good writing”

It seems that, in art, there are certain works or artists that are viewed with such overwhelming and universal positivity and affection that speaking out against the said work automatically means one has bad taste. For example, it's okay for anyone to bash Justin Bieber, but the moment you say one thing negative about the Beatles, you are instantly branded a bratty teenager with terrible taste in music; people may even accuse you of being a Bieber-lover.

Spice and Wolf no doubt holds a ... similar position among anime fans, being one of the most universally beloved works in the genre. So I risk my very credibility as an anime-reviewer in writing this less-than-glaring review of Spice and Wolf.



The way I see it, there are 4 ways Spice and Wolf could have turned out:

1. Amazing/Ideal: An impeccable and consciously-written work that is at once a quality romantic comedy AND a fascinating economical thriller. (I place the original light novel at this tier)

2. Great: A highly unique piece of anime art that incorporates economical themes into an engaging storyline, while providing a decent romantic comedy on the side.

3. Good/Okay: A solid romantic comedy that sets itself apart from others by including some economical themes.

4. Bad/Terrible: A complete failure of an anime that fails to deliver on both fronts.


After having run through both seasons, I am inclined to place the series at number 3: a decent romantic comedy with a likeable character that tries to weave in some mercantile intrigue. I shall henceforth discuss why I came to adopt this viewpoint.

First of all, there is no denying the fact that Spice and Wolf has an adorable romance line. There is great chemistry between the two leads. Speaking of leads, Horo is SUCH a breakout character for this show. She is the reason this show exists, the reason it works to the degree that it does, and most likely the sole reason for its popularity. What is there to not love about this adorable fox-girl. Yeah, yeah I know she’s WOLF, but for all intents and purposes she is the typical kitsune fox-girl commonly seen in the genre, with FOX ears and FOX tails and FOX personality. She is visually cute, both to the viewers and the characters in-universe, as repeatedly noted. Her personality is delightfully tsundere, coy and playful. In short, Horo is a memorable character… but that’s about it for this show.

Take a look at Lawrence. His entire character and pertaining story arcs can be summed up in one sentence: a mild-mannered and hard-working merchant. That’s it. He has no intriguing backstory, no hints of hidden depths, no moments of personal triumph, and no character development. Lawrence, as a character, was obviously slated to be an intelligence-type hero, one who, like Odysseus from Greek Mythology, triumphs through guile and wit. Yet, never once in the series does he solve a serious conflict through his own acumen. It’s always some deus ex machina (usually in the form of Horo) that swoops in to save the day after everything he tries has failed. There is definitely potential for interesting character flaws, such as his greed often popping up, and the fact that he values profit over morality. Such developments, however, are presented in such lazy writing that they may as well not have been hinted in the first place. In the parts where he gets himself in trouble because of his greed, it is never clearly foreshadowed that he was being overly greedy until the world has already come tumbling down around him a few episodes later, then it is mentioned that this was because of his greed in the previous story arc. Basically, when he successfully makes profit, it is retrospectively thanks to his ambition and balls, and when he gets into trouble, it is retrospectively because he was “greedy.” Another interesting character flaw that could have potentially set him apart from many other straightlaced protagonists--that he values profit over doing the right thing--is only mentioned off-handedly during one of his many banters with Horo. Never does this turn into character development of him realizing that money isn’t everything, etc. In short, the character Lawrence exists only to further highlight how adorable Horo is. He is awkward and dorky just so Horo can coyly tease him, and be ADORABLE in the process. Other times, he is suddenly and inexplicably savvy and teasing, just so Horo can be flustered and pout, and be ADORABLE in the process.

When the main protagonist was written this lazily, it goes without saying that the story-arc specific characters, such as Nora and Amarty, are completely flat, predictable, and unchanging. It was repeatedly hinted that Nora might hide some dark side behind her sweet facade, but no, she was the sweet, innocent, and helpless shepherd to the very end. Amarty was heavily hinted to also hide a darker side behind his likeable exterior, but no, he remained to the very end a young and starstruck hotshot. Etc, etc, I rest my case on the characters.

With such uninspired characters (with the exception of Horo), it is only natural that the storyline is also flat and predictable. Basically every story arc follows the same pattern:

1. A new town is introduced with some pretty obvious “good” characters and equally obvious “shady” characters.
2. Lawrence gets tricked by the shady character into a dire situation.
3. Lawrence tried to do something, but effectively gets nothing done.
4. Horo, along with the “good” characters, saves the day.
5. Horo gets mad at Lawrence for “not trusting her enough” or “being too nice to her.”
6. Horo and Lawrence embrace. Horo blushes. Everything is A-OK. Awwww

Do you see where I am going with all of this? It was painfully obvious to me, as a reviewer of anime and other works AND as an amateur writer myself, that the writing staff freely used Horo as deus ex machina to both write themselves out of conflicts AND to sugarcoat otherwise poorly-written story arc. I was almost insulted as a viewer by the lazy attitude of: “well we really stumbled through THAT storyline. Whatever, now watch Horo being adorable.”

Really, I have the utmost respect for artists and creators, so I hate to single people out, but there is just no euphemism: the director and adaptation-screenwriters for the anime adaptation were straight up lazy and unprofessional. Just to confirm this before actually writing my review, I looked up the original light novel and read a few chapters. COMPLETELY different experience. The characters had hidden personalities, desires, worries, insecurities, and redeeming qualities that were not at all portrayed in the anime adaptation. The story arcs were well-paced with great balance between the cutesy romance and economical intrigue.

Speaking of economical intrigue, that was really the nail on the coffin for me. This could’ve been such a UNIQUE anime that makes an engaging and nail-biting story out of the unexpected and boring topic of economics, but this goldmine is brushed aside in the adaptation for sake of MOAR HORO TIME. The economical battle-of-wits between the characters that took up pages in the light novel are dumbed down to a few frames of dialogue in the anime. It’s like “okay so we got the boring econ stuff out of the way. Now for the actual reason people would watch this.” This decision I can somewhat sympathize with: if you’re on the board of investors for the show, what do you think will bring in better sales? Discussion of economics and mercantilism, or CUTE FOX GIRL? (Again, I get that she’s supposed to be a wolf) But again, it boils down to laziness in writing. Other greater works have shown that even the most mundane topics can make for nail-biting storyline. Look at Shokugeki no Soma and tell me cooking is boring. Watch Dagashi Kashi and tell me cheap candies aren’t fun to watch. It is this taking the easy way out attitude, the heavy reliance on deus ex machina of ADORABLE HORO that really led me to condemn the anime adaptation as lazily written. Again, I would perhaps be a bit more understanding of this “creative decision” had I not seen other works that “could have” let one attractive character carry the show, but turned into much deeper and varied experience by the virtue of meticulous writing. For example, Bakemongatari is a show that is often compared to Spice and Wolf, at least in terms of the chemistry between the two leads, and the overwhelming attractiveness of its female lead. However, Bakemonogatari was brave enough to completely sidebench Senjougahara for the majority of the story because, as fascinating as that one character is, the show had plenty more to offer in terms of other smartly-written characters and dialogue. On the other hand, there is Spice and Wolf, basically a one-character anime. I even daresay that the reason for such overwhelming positivity regarding this series is similar in effect to when a pretty girl talks to you, and you completely overlook her less-savory nature because you are so struck by her beauty and blinded by your infatuation. I tried repeated to give Spice and Wolf the benefit of a doubt, but each subsequent lazy and poorly-paced story arc only further cemented my disappointment with the writing staff of the anime adaptation.

Just look at one dialogue in Season 2. Horo has just discovered a devastating truth and completely loses it, tearfully lashing out at Lawrence. Nothing Lawrence says can calm her down, until she suddenly goes dark and cold. She flatly says “sorry” and turns away from Lawrence. She’s clearly not in the mood to talk anymore, and, Lawrence, realizing this, walked out to leave her alone. She doesn’t stop him. THEN, many episodes later, after the conflict has been resolved, it’s revealed that her suddenly turning cold and saying “sorry” was actually her CALMING DOWN and being ready for a more rational talk; Lawrence only had to talk to her at that point. I am sorry, but that is just terrible and lazy writing. You simply don’t do that in writing anime dialogue, or dialogue in any genre, for that matter. That’s a direct insult to the viewers, and, frankly, shows the lack of effort and consideration the writers and the director put into animating this pivotal scene.

That said, the original light novel, at least the few parts I’ve read before writing this review, is VERY intelligently-written and well paced. I can only hope that there will be a third season or a new series altogether that does its source material better justice.

So yeah, it's a shonen genre that is MONOGAMOUS. The world is ending.

That aside, watching this series after years away from shonen anime has made me realize that the genre, or should I say the shonen subgenre of the anime genre, is undergoing a serious change.

By the way, be advised, that after writing the whole thing and reviewing it, I realize that it has turned into more of an essay and in-depth discussion on the anime genre, rather than a simple review, so only read if that interests you.

I'm giving this anime a pretty mediocre score, and I believe that many others have ... also given it less-than-excellent scores, ranging from mediocre to abysmal. At the core of the issue, I think, is the PACING. There is no way to sugarcoat the fact that this show had terrible, terrible pacing. Years ago, when I was into huge, drawn-out behemoths of shows like Bleach and Naruto, I thought those had pacing issues. But no, Sword Arts Online has pacing issues.

My first thought after I had seen a couple of episodes and gotten a general grasp of the show's premise, its world, it's characters, and its tone, the first thing I thought was "there are only 20-something episodes?"

You see, SAO was meant to be, and should be, a painfully milked-out, overdrawn, over-dramatized grindfest stretching for hundreds of episodes, in the spirit of the Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach franchises. Now, you can probably discern from my choice of words that I don't exactly hold such franchises in the loftiest artistic esteem, but at least they are what they are. Sure, single story arc, nay a single fight, can stretch into painful dozens of episodes of "my sword is bigger and cooler than yours," but at least we get to be intimately acquainted with every minute aspect of the show, ranging from the over-large cast of characters enough to populate a small town, each of the special abilities, all the different locations, etc. etc. Getting immersed in a vibrant new world is the joy of watching shonen series, right?

I haven't watched an episode of Naruto and Bleach in, I don't know, 4-5 years? And I still remember KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!!! and GETSUGA TENSOUUUU in the exact voice and intonation they were respectively invoked in. I watched ALL of SAO overnight last night, and the only names I remember from the show are: Kirito, Asuna, Suguha, and that's it.

I mean, it's a show about MMORPG, for god's sake, it was MEANT to be milked out. The thing about MMO's is that there is a lot, I mean A LOT, of content. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of enemies, equipment, items, and skills in each game, and the thing is, a player somehow ends up knowing every single one of those by the time his character starts wearing more than hardened leather for armor. That is the magic of grinding. With the premise of SAO, us watchers should have rejoiced with Kirito every time he took 30 episodes to complete a single quest to gain a shiny new sword, and the fan forums should've been abuzz for weeks about how awesome that new sword is, how it compares to that one other cool sword in the series, etc. We should've gone all fanboy, when Asuna finally mastered a flashy new technique after episodes and episodes of training, interspersed with being all depressed about how she was too weak to protect Kirito, etc (actually, the last bit's sarcasm; we can probably do without all the tearful WATASHIWA MAMORU scenes Amen).

That, i think, is the essence of the changes that are taking place in the Japanese shonen scene. Perhaps it's indicative of the hard times the Japanese economy is going through, but it seems that the investors and developers are wary of diving headlong into these big, decade-spanning, moneycow franchises that resulted in DBZ, One Piece, etc. I can't think of very many of those springing up in the last few years, other than the ones that were already ongoing. FMA Brotherhood, maybe? No, the manga series was already done, so it had no more coming. I seem to remember Ao no Exorcist starting to become something of a flagship franchise, until the developers VERY CONSPICUOUSLY decided to walk out on in right in the middle of the show. It's like, if a few years ago, they saw a popular and promising manga, they were like "how can we turn this into the biggest, most culturally-pervasive franchise we possibly can and milk as much cash from it as logically possible," these days they're like "Oh, this manga/light novel is quite popular these days. You think we can do a modest, 24-episode quickie on it and come out with a reasonable, well-calculated profit?"

As always, I'm in the danger of over-extrapolating and delving into the realm of international economics, where I definitely do not belong. But I lament that SAO really had the potential to become the Naruto, Bleach, One Piece of few years and hundreds of episodes later. It's very premise of an MMORPG gives it free reign for virtually limitless milking-out. Each boss of every 100 floors of just the first world could have been written into its own story arc going longer than the entire SAO season itself. Hell, if they suffered the quintessential problem of the anime catching up with the original light novels, they could just sneak in a filler season or two as some side quest, and no one would even notice. It would definitely start to feel drawn-out, but fans would no doubt continue to watch, as long as they gave us a sweet new piece of equipment or flashy new skill every now and then; that is the tested-and-proven formula of, not only shonen anime, but MMORPG itself. And to be honest, I thought the characters themselves were quite likeable and had every bit of potential to grow into a solid shonen cast, just as much as the cast of Bleach or Fairy Tail, given the right development. It personally offends me that they could whip up a decent, enjoyable 100-episode show out of something like D.Gray-Man (like, years back), yet wasted this goldmine of a shonen series on a 25-episode mini show (yeah yeah, they're making a second season, whatever, whatever, DID YOU NOT READ ANYTHING I JUST WROTE?).

Perhaps part of the problem is that those developers and investors are out of touch and do not trust power of the fanbase. Just give the fans something to rave about, and they will carry the show more than any author's penmanship possibly can. I mean, no offense, but since when were shows like Bleach watched and adored because of avant-garde writing style and quality of animation that constantly struggled to stay abreast of the constantly-evolving standards of anime? No, just give us a cool new world like SAO and ALfheim to play in, throw in some reasonably charming characters (which, the cast of SAO certainly can be), and, in no time, fanbase will be built, the flames of ship wars will be fanned (doesn't matter if KiritoXAsuna is so monogamously canon, KiritoXSuzuha and dozens of other ship camps WILL rise up), fan fics and fan art will pour out, and memes will be created to immortalize the show on the internet boards.

On an ending note, I would probably not be its biggest fan, if SAO were to evolve into a Naruto-esque megafranchise, as the shonen genre just doesn't do it for me anymore, but, if this trend continues, I would sure feel sorry that the next generation of shonen-watchers wouldn't have something nice and easy and generic to grow up on before finding their more specific tastes. I mean, I know, that if I didn't have shows like DBZ and Bleach to get me hooked to anime, I probably wouldn't have ended up enjoying the deeper, existentially-satisfying experiences like NGE and Bakemonogatari.

I once went through a pretty severe existential crisis (who doesn't?). I recall searching "the meaning of life" on Wikipedia, out of sheer desperation for some answers. To my surprise, there was an extensive page cataloging various thoughts on the matter of existence, from Platonic to Utilitarian perspectives and everything in between. It was then that I learned that the right answer to some questions is not a clear, black-and-white response, but the very fact that others are also asking the same questions. Watching this anime reminded me of that fact of life.

STORY - 10
There are two types of narratives. ... There is the kind that throws the viewer right into the heat of progression from the start and always accelerate. Death Note and Code Geass come to mind as anime that are excellent examples of such storytelling. Then there is the style of storytelling that, while not necessarily boring, won't utter enthrall the viewer until the very end. Tatami Galaxy is like that. This kind of plot progression is useful if the ideas and themes being elucidated is more important than the plot itself, and, indeed, Tatami Galaxy is about much more than what actually happens to the protagonist. The episodic storytelling is a brilliant framing device for exploring the protagonist from various angles. If you've seen Picasso's cubist paintings, you'll know that the objects in his works often do not make visual sense at a glance, but if you look at the frame from multiple perspectives, you can discern features and relationships that are hidden in any single viewpoint. The person's eyes are facing forward because they are meant to be seen from the front, and his nose is stuck grotesquely sideways because that is his nose when viewed from the side. Tatami Galaxy's episodic storyline takes snapshots of the protagonist's life from various angles, subjecting him to different situational experiments, and, by the end of the show, gives the viewer a gestalt collage of his world, and, through that, our world. It is the type of plot progression that will never bore you, tantalize you, and, by the time of the finale, blow your mind and flood it with understanding.

ART - 10
Tatami Galaxy is definitely art-house. Metaphysical realism is achieved through the depth of character interactions, instead of visual realism. The world of Tatami Galaxy is barely sane when the protagonist is (very seldomly) in a state of relative stability. However, whenever drama engulfs him, the entire screen becomes submerged in a deluge of stylization, symbolism, surrealism, and utter psychedely. This was actually a big dilemma for me because there is a great deal of rapid-fire dialogue that result in fast-shuffling walls of subtities for a non-Japanese speaker like me. I found that I had to often hit the pause in order to read and comprehend all of the subtitles, so that I could fully appreciate the visuals without scrambling to speed-read the subtitles. So worth it, since there is never a shortage of eyegasm on the screen, especially in lieu of the rich symbolism and integration with the dialogue. If you enjoy the art-house style of anime such as Bakemonogatari and/or the rich symbolism of Neon Genesis Evangelion, you should be all over the art style of Tatami Galaxy.

SOUND - 10
The ED is fantastic. It always (with an exception, but no spoilers) integrates fully with the ending moment of the episode itself, and is an addictive blast to listen to. The voice acting and the sound design dance on the line between reality and psychedelic delusions, at times delivering crisp and believable sound effects that keep one's mind firmly anchored to the reality being portrayed on screen and, when appropriate, diving headlong into the waters of gratification, hubris, delusion, comic despair, and agitation that the protagonist is feeling at the time. Since the character design is very stylized over all, it is their excellent voice acting that allows them to remain identifiable.

CHARACTER - 8
The main character, who is not only the main character, but the being whose thoughts and experiences constitute the very reality of Tatami Galaxy, is one of my favorite anime character of all time. The trials he faces and pores over are something everyone can identify with, and his struggles are portrayed in an extremely candid and believable manner. Perhaps it was helped by the fact that I watched the show from a similar position as the protagonist, a college student, but the moments when the protagonist's inner thoughts seamlessly superimposed upon my most private and subjective thoughts were priceless. Watashi (his name is never given, so the Japanese pronoun for "I" is used on the character page) IS Tatami Galaxy. The main goal of the show is to dive into the mind and existence of Watashi, and what a wonderfully deep and interesting pool he is.
My gripe is that other characters are not fleshed out as much as they could have been. Sure, Watashi is the personification of the entire show, but the tight cast of eccentrics that constitute his entourage were so quirky and likable that I found myself wishing that they received some spotlight as well, instead of just being seen from the protagonist's perspective. The demonic Ozu, with his mysterious background, Jougasaki, with his... Kaori, Higuchi, with his enlightened ways were all very engrossing characters who could each have had a show about himself. So, in conclusion, the characters were so good and enjoyable that it was a pity they were only shown from the protagonist's eyes (though that in itself was brilliant).

ENJOYMENT - 9
A highly-subjective nine. I'd have easily given the show a 10 over all, but I feel that each category, even the ones I had given 10 on, could be polished and trimmed out just a tad further. The story was engrossing, but I wish there could have been a bit more content; I actually wish that they'd milk out this show the way other popular franchises get milked out (but perhaps not as much as Bleach, etc.). The art was wonderfully quirky, but I wish they had gotten even crazier. The sound was awesome, but I wish they could have said more stuff, played more sound effects. In the end, I want more and more of this show. My feelings upon watching the finale was comparable to that I felt upon watching the finale of NGE. Brilliant and mind-blowing, but a tad premature, even just for my subjective thirst for more of this amazing show. This is why I give the show a highly-subjective 9. It was such a refreshing experience, and I felt that the creators could have decided to bring it to an end, even just one more episode later, after having developed it more. You know, sometimes you'd be watching a show, and it suddenly hits you, 'this show has really hit its crux; it's about time it ended.' And that applies not only to crappy shows that drag on from the beginning and make you wish it would end; every show, regardless of its quality has an appropriate ending point, and I just feel that Tatami Galaxy ended when it was at 99%, rather than the perfect 100%, at which point, I would have thought 'what a wonderful ride it was! now I can't wait to see what kind of ending the creators will top it with!'

I do not recommend this show for those who watch anime to blow off steam and get some pure entertainment out of it. That's not in any way a bad thing, as I utterly enjoyed shows like TTGL for that very reason. However, if you feel that you're up to some highly intelligent, fresh, mind-blowing journey into the vicarious psyche of an everydude, by all means, pick up Tatami Galaxy. After you've seen that psychedelic clock rewind (you'll know if you watch) for a couple of times, you won't be able to wait to find out what delusion Watashi gets himself into in the next "reset" (again, it makes sense if you watch) and forget even to expect a linear storyline.

You may have read my review for Bakemonogatari, and if you have, you will know that I consider anime to be a legitimate genre of art, as are paintings, video games, and novels. You will also know that my admiration for Bakemonogatari goes well beyond simple fandom and that I regard it as one of the masterpieces that transcends the genre, as is Michelangelo's David to sculptures. If you have not watched Bakemonogatari, much of this review will not make sense. That's to be expected since Nisemonogatari shouldn't make much sense if you haven't watched Bakemonogatari. With that out there, I ... begin my review.

***NOTE that the show is still airing, and I have only watched 8 episodes of of the 11 planned. I feel that this is enough to write a review, but, as we learned from Bakemonogatari, when it comes to this series, one episode, or even one scene can change one's outlook on the entire series. I will promptly address any changes that might arise upon completion of the entire season.


STORY - 10
Those of you who have read my Bakemonogatari review will know that I actually gave lavish praise to its minimal and episodic plot, on the grounds that an elaborate storyline would actually distract from the character interactions. I feel differently for Nisemonogatari. This was never intended to be a standalone series; it is basically Monogatari series Season 2 (or 3, if you include the upcoming Kizumonogatari). Therefore, most of the characters were already introduced in Bakemonogatari, and now it's time for some story, some of that actual "monogatari." And I had high expectations because I am currently reading a manga by the same author, which convinced me that NisiOisin is fully capable of writing elaborate, enthralling, and spectacular storyline in addition to the breathtaking characters showcased by Bakemonogatari. Indeed, as I had anticipated, Nisemonogatari is much more plot-driven than was its prequel. Character and dialogue is still very much the heart and soul of the series, but now we have longer story arcs, more plot expositions (as opposed to Bakemonogatari, in which most expositions were character expositions), and something resembling an antagonistic entity, the lack of which turned off many a shounen-lovers from Bakemonogatari. The attention to plot is present in every scene. For example, Bakemonogatari, while not simple by any means, was very chronological. However, right from the beginning of Nisemonogatari, we see masterful anachronistic storytelling, which is hard to pull off unless the author and the director are both focusing on storytelling aspects. This shift is slight indeed (the show is still very much character-driven), but in such a complex and well-balanced show, the effects are definitely felt. It was a very smooth move to allow plot progression to occupy a bit more of the foreground, while the consolidation of the characters we already know and the introduction of only 3 more characters casually take a step back. Svelte indeed.

ART - 10
What can I say? It's Studio SHAFT. They absolutely splurged on the artistic presentation. Much of what I have to say on the art overlaps with the lengthy discussion I provided on my Bakemonogatari review. In short, the art really went for nothing but perfection. Every frame is idealized and perfected, which is really a prime advantage anime has over live action. Whatever isn't absolutely necessary to the scene or the plot is radically minimized, truncated, and symbolized. What I really have to say beyond what I already discussed for Bakemonogatari is that the art style in Nisemonogatari is even more stylized and surreal. The overlaps of realities, the use of light, scenery, the symbolims, the entire mise-en-scène of every scene are much more dramatic than they were in Bakemonogatari, which was delightfully surreal to begin with. This confirmed a conjecture I had upon viewing Bakemonogatari, that the series is just as much what happens inside the character's minds (usually Koyomi's) as it is what actually happens. This accounts for a part of why the series is so inexplicably identifiable. For example, movies like The Grudge horrify the viewers by showing them frightening images. On the other hand, movies like The Blair Witch Project feature no actual frightening image, but manipulates the very emotion of fear in the viewer by evoking the genetically-ingrained terror of the unknown, of being pursued, etc. The series, Nisemonogatari more intensely so, elicits emotion on two different levels in a similar manner. For example, we, as (male) viewers would see Senjougahara and think that she is a very pretty character. However, add to that the viewpoint of Koyomi, her lover, and how he sees her, how he focuses on the way her skirt moves with her legs, the way she tosses her hair; also throw in those notorious symbolic frames that flash by more intensely as the two leads' verbal fencing match intensifies, those shots of Koyomi's rather excitable hair, and the result is a greatly amplified emotional response compared to what would have been had we simply seen Araragi and Senjougahara talk back and forth. Genius, isn't it?

Sound - 9
I actually don't have much to say here. To be honest, I just thought the opening and ending songs of Bakemonogatari were great, and the same goes for Nisemonogatari. But to offer my perfectly honest and perhaps controversial opinion, I don't think OP and ED are really an integral part of an anime experience. As such, I will not offer review of OP/ED titles. I mean, they're like a minute long to look up and watch on YouTube, so no need for me to review them. On the other hand, I actually kind of miss some of the mundane BGM's of Bakemonogatari that were apparently swapped or scrapped for the new series. It seemed that Nisemonogatari is much lighter on the BGM and it being a proactive part of dialogue. Other than that, the voice acting is the same top-notch performance we are familiar with, except maybe Senjougahara sounds even more breathtakingly sardonic. This is one of those things where I really don't have much to say because the sound is just flawless. Only that I miss some of those sound effect/BGM's that really set the atmosphere of surreal absorption.

CHARACTER - 10
Ohoho MAJOR, MAJOR character development from Bakemonogatari. I mean, only three new characters are introduced, but the existing characters are oh so subtly revamped. Again, some of the changes may not be noticeable unless you've seen each episode of Bakemonogatari, like, a dozen times as have I, but even subtle changes are massive in such delicate work. To say to much would lead to inadvertent spoilers, so I will be brief.
Koyomi is a much more proactive and much more of a "main" character in Nisemonogatari. In a way, Nisemonogatari is much more "first-person" than Bakemonogatari was. Most of the expositions come from Koyomi's perspective, and the psychological reality I discussed in ART section is mostly what goes on inside Koyomi's head. Also, I discussed before that there is much more plot now. With more plot, there needs to be more action, and it is mostly Koyomi that answers the call and actually does stuff. Interestingly, he was hinted to be a bit of a pervert (who isn't?) in Bakemonogatari. This is explored much further in Nisemonogatari, and, in my opinion, is actually kind of a theme. But more on that.
Senjougahara is ever so ethereal and psychotic. Both her stationary and her wit have further sharpened since Bakemonogatari. Since the two story arcs focus around the two new characters, she does take a bit of a back seat, but her interaction with Koyomi is still what the core of this show consists of. Some interesting development happens to her in that she finally shows some level of emotional interaction with a character other than Koyomi; she now has a thing (I know not any other way to put it) apparently with Hanekawa, which is currently in the funny, joke-material stage, but I suspect that I will lead to something. Some major, major, MAJOR stuff happens around her, but you will have to watch yourself to find out.
Hanekawa, first of all, looks much better without her glasses and with those ridiculous braids gone. Well, she's no longer the resident maganekko, for those of you who are into that, but she looks much better IMO. And, as is always the case for anime heroines who take off their glasses and/or cut her hair, she has become more assertive, and over all, a stronger character. Her relationship with Koyomi is both more involved and more distant, but more on that later.
Hachikuji is probably the character whose development I most enjoyed since Bakemonogatari. Apart from her actual story arc, Hachikuji was a bit of a comic relief character and occasionally a foil to Senjougahara, but she is now a much deeper (and funnier!) character whose position in Koyomi's psyche is elaborated upon. Her appearances are some of the most entertaining scenes in Nisemonogatari.
Kanbaru is largely unchanged as her brusque, depraved self, but her relationship with Koyomi has progressed. More on that later.
Sengoku.... err.. just watch that episode.
Karen and Tsukihi are Koyomi's sisters that were pretty much nobodies in Bakemonogatari. They each get a story arc. Since they are kind of the main heroines of Nisemonogatari (as Senjougahara was for Bakemonogatari), any in-depth discussion of their characters would spoil the entire season. However, the role they have on Bake/Nisemonogatari as a "harem" show is important, and I will discuss that in the next section.
So that's a brief rundown of the characters, but this show is different for everyone, so the goal of listing my perception of each character was only to show how exciting this anime is, especially if you're a fan of Bakemonogatari. Make you own blissful judgments after you've experienced the unprecedented, mega-witty, mesmerizing character interactions.

ENJOYMENT - 10
This section is obviously highly subjective, and, because of that, it is here that I will discuss some of the more interesting things that have come to me upon viewing the first 8 episodes out of 11. I was finally able to put a handle on what it is that made Bakemonogatari such an experience because Nisemonogatari is more overt when it comes to themes. I've come to realize that the series can be summed up as a meta-fanservice. Really, the show is mild in comparison to the level of fanservice in other mainstream anime, yet it elicits the most emotional response. My theory is that the Bake/Nisemonogatari series touches on not just the sexual fantasies of viewers, but scratches the emotional itches of the viewer, resulting in a much, much fuller experience. Those of you who have seen Bakemonogatari will recall that the climax of Koyomi and Senjougahara's romance, in the TV finale, actually occurred off-screen. An even bigger pivotal event takes place in Nisemonogatari, and it is also off-screen. That is why it's okay for Bakemonogatari to be a "harem" anime. Nisemonogatari is very overt and gratuitous when it comes to fanservice, much more so than was Bakemonogatari. However, all compromising situations Koyomi gets into with each female character (THE TOOTHBRUSH) is rendered moot in a fell swoop by the decision to minimize Koyomi and Senjougahara's romance on screen. The two lovers spend the vast majority of their screentime together giving us those magnificent dialogues, and don't do any of the display of affection stuff we're so used to seeing in romance anime. That is because, to Koyomi, Senjougahara is the subject of love and respect. The ridiculous and often highly immoral (taken to a whole new level in Nisemonogatari THE TOOTHBRUSH) erotic situations he lands himself in with other female characters are meant to be gratuitous fanservice and nothing more. I actually found those fanservice scenes to be the funniest of the series because they were so tongue-in-cheek in absolutely ridiculing fanservice, while actually providing top-quality fanservice. That is what I call meta-fanservice. Koyomi and Senjougahara's relationship has noticeably solidified. In Bakemonogatari, there was always a sense of both Koyomi and Senjougahara playing along with the dialogue for the sake of the dialogue. Senjougahara surely doesn't actually see Koyomi as a worthless human garbage (remember that dialogue?), but she says with her trademark snark, and Koyomi knows this, but he feigns injury. This is much more involved in Nisemonogatari, where the verbal banters are more poignant, yet I could almost hear Koyomi and Senjougahara having a parallel telepathic conversation in which they sweet-talked each other. In other words, their banters are like flirting; that's how they keep their relationship interesting for themselves and the viewers. And, as their relationship has matured and solidified, it became more platonic, at least on screen, and other female "harem" members naturally could get more intensely involved with Koyomi to create those outrageous, delightful, hilarious scenes of meta-fanservice. It is self-aware fanservice for the self-aware viewer. Because I am a very self-aware and meta-cognitive person, I would, to be honest, have been a bit repulsed by the overtly pedophilic and even incestuous situations, but actually found them quite entertaining because the scenes themselves were also self-aware. As is all over my profile, I'm pretty against the whole moe/loli trend, but I did not find Koyomi/Hachikuji harassment situations weird at all. That is why Araragi Koyomi is actually an even more magnificent character than Senjougahara Hitagi: because he, for the sole sake of the viewer's gratification, goes out and gets tangled up with other women, but saves the viewer (and himself) from any danger of guilt by reserving 100% of his real love for Senjougahara only.

I think I've blabbered on for enough now, but that just goes to show how much I appreciate this series. Bakemonogatari was pretty much my penultimate anime experience (along with NGE), so I consciously lowered my expectations of Nisemonogatari, lest I be frustrated. Looking back, however, there was no need at all. Nisemonogatari is subtly, yet significantly of different flavor from Bakemonogatari, but it is just as enjoyable an experience. The shifts in direction may have led some fans to believe that the show has lost its art-house flair and became a bit too mainstream, but I still maintain that Nisemonogatari is a continuation of Bakemonogatari as the culmination of modern anime counterculture (refer to my Bakmonogatari review). I cannot give more praise to this wonderful sequel to a groundbreaking series.

Rumor has it that Gainax had the writers create FLCL as a way to cool down from the emotional curb-stomping they subjected themselves to for Neon Genesis Evangelion. Indeed, the basic premise: a boy with too many worries who finds himself at the crossroads of the planet's fate, is similar. However, that's where the similarities end and the utterly anti-Eva rollercoaster ride begins.

STORY
The story itself is great. Often, a series trying too hard to separate itself from cliche falls into even more predictable cliche, but FLCL evades most predictions without ever resorting to the cliche "plot twists." This is achieved by ... a singular mindlessness that is not only preserved, but crescendoed as the story goes on. I won't spoil the story for you, but I will just assure you that no matter what you predict will happen in the next 5 minutes, something much better will happen.
The reason I gave it the lowest of all categories is because the series is too short. And no, it's not the typical "it's so short I WANT MOAR" rantings of a fanboy, but I really do believe that even 2-3 more episodes could have straightened out the storyline more. It's all in there, but you need to think about, put the pieces together, and work it out yourself, which can distract from 100% immersing yourself in the show's delightful craziness. I actually enjoyed the series much more the second time I watched it because the hidden bits of plot, pun, and visual easter eggs could only be discerned after I had gotten a general idea of the characters, setting, exposition, etc. from first viewing. I recommend just allowing yourself to be completely mind blown by all the, well, mindblowing during the first viewing, and actively interacting with the show in the second viewing. It's only 6 episodes, so it's like Gainax almost meant for you to watch it multiple times. Try doing that with Neon Genesis Evangelion (although I've watched NGE 7 times, I dare not try to watch it without giving myself some time to recover from the emotional pummeling).

ART
This anime is actually a decade old, as of 2011, so don't expect the level of animation seen in today's high-profile anime (Rebuild 2.0 comes to mind). However, that's not a bad thing at all. The art style of FLCL is not, as with many other anime, outdated and tacky. The animation style, character design, color are all so delightfully nostalgic and classy, as with Cowboy Bebop or Star Wars Episode IV-VI. I don't know where you were 10 years ago, but watching FLCL and Naota's neighborhood brought back memories of when I was a kid, all excited about the possibilities of the new millennium, and, as an added bonus, around Naota's age. If you're the type of person who thinks the art of Cowboy Bebop is outdated and low-quality, perhaps you should be watching the moeblobs that are currently airing, instead of classics like FLCL.

SOUND
Now, I'm a pretty big fan of anime soundtracks, but FLCL is probably the only anime for which I downloaded the entire OST albums and even got into the band, The Pillows, that did all of the FLCL songs. Most of the songs are rock, appropriately ranging between Beatles-esque for the mellow scenes, to agitated, punky scores for the action scenes. The music is not some shallow, generic BGM concocted by some dude on his computer, but real compositions recorded by a talented band. As with the visuals, the music is delightfully nostalgic and is a tangible, active part of the show. Please don't watch this series with your crackling laptop speakers; some sequences border on a musical, in terms of video-audio integration. Then again, if you've seen any other of Gainax's flagship shows, you know they consider music to be just as a big part of a show as the visuals.

CHARACTER
What I think makes great anime (or great anything) is the sweet spot. For everything, there is the perfect balance between two extremes. An anime character can be too over-the-top cliche, or too normal, and thus, boring. The cast of FLCL hits the sweet spot. Naota, at first, may seem like the typical anime kid who is actually an adult inside (think about how Kurosaki Ichigo in Bleach is actually supposed to be a 15 year old). However, the show counter balances that movement toward a cliche by showing that he is still just a kid, with typical kids' problems and quirks. This is something that I noticed frequently while watching the show. It felt like the writers were well aware of all the cliches and tropes of anime, and lead the viewers to think that a certain aspect of the show was gravitating toward a cliche, and twisted away at the last moment. Haruko is, by far, the most interesting example of this, as she does not fit ANY tropes of an anime character. I actually tried to find analogs to Haruko's character, and ended up with: "Misato Katsuragi meets Albus Dumbledore meets Team Rocket." Yeah.
The only gripe I have about the cast is that Naota's classmates could have been more consistently fleshed out, as a balancing group to the mini-cast of Naota's household, but that's a part of the show compressing too much mind blowing into 6 episodes.

ENJOYMENT
I'd say that FLCL is somewhat for the more mature audience, despite its ridiculous premise. There is a lot of both subtle and blatant references to sexuality, and the show is loaded with phallic imagery, but that's not the reason I think the show can be best appreciated by at least late teens. After all, Naota's a boy who is growing up; the show makes it very clear that sexual confusion is a huge part of what he has to cope with in the grown up world. However, I think that young viewers will see the show as a wacky, action-filled mecha show at best, which is not at all a bad thing, but I feel like the writers intended it for those of us who will get the more subtle themes and enjoy the full effect of that nostalgia factor. I guess one way to put is is that, young kids will watch Naruto and say "hey, I wanna be like that. I wanna grow up into a cool, successful, popular person like Naruto," while FLCL is supposed to be watched by the adolescents/adults who will think "yeah, those were the days."


In the end, I recommend FLCL to everyone: old and young, otaku and first-time anime-viewer, etc. As with Gainax's masterpieces, it's a multi-depth show with something for everyone. It's a fantastic show to watch as a break after a more serious show (NGE being the prime example yet again), as it skyrockets through the emotional highs, while skimming the lows just enough to give the show depth, without going all "I'm Shinji Ikari, and I cut myself." This is the kind of series that will alter itself according to how you're currently feeling. If you're feeling a little down, the show will transform into a slice-of-life/coming of age that will warm you up; if you're feeling generally good, the show will boost up your positives and make you want to go out there bash some robots or something.

For every medium, there are few masterpieces that transcend the genre and become something special. Since I consider anime, as a genre, to be just as legitimate an art form (despite the bad rep it often gets), I will also review Bakemonogatari as a work of art, and it is irrefutably one of the special few anime series that fully capitalize on the strengths of the anime medium.

STORY
People have complained that the story is too episodic, too disjointed. However, the virtue of Bakemonogatari's storyline is that it is so minimal. In all senses, this anime is a character-based experimental, and an elaborate ... storyline would actually detract from that experience. There are plenty of anime out there that thrive on plot twists and progression that keep the viewer on their seats, but Bakemonogatari isn't one. The episodic storyline is a brilliant framing device for character development and nothing more, which works out perfectly for this particular anime.

ART
As usual Studio SHAFT splurged on art. This is definitely a series to be enjoyed in high-definition, preferably with the room lights turned off. Anime, by definition, is a genre segregated from realism. The beauty of anime as a medium is that every cut is animated, so that the blemishes, imperfections, and limitations of reality can be omitted in favor of stylized, beautified perfection. Anime art style that attempts to be too realistic are bound to lose that edge and, naturally, pale in comparison to live-action works featuring comparable visuals. Anime that go all in on stylizing can often seem distracting and too detached from reality. With all of that in consideration, Bakemonogatari is one of the few shining masterpieces of the anime genre that hits the sweet spot. Everything in this anime is crisp and beautiful, from the characters to the slightest scenery detail. What would have seemed tacky when drawn are boldly stylized and symbolized, rather than allowed to compromise the atmosphere. For example, people have complained about the cuts to photographs and abstract diagrams that pop up frequently. But imagine if all of those were actually animated; it would have been clunky and distracting from the dialog. For example, Senjougahara's mother isn't a character in this anime, therefore having an designed, animated character to her credit would distract from the very small and tight cast. I don't know how much budget went into this production, but they sure splurged where it was needed (characters, scenery-porn sequences, pivotal action sequences) and were decisive in radically minimizing what would have been superfluous.

SOUND
There is quite a rave about Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari and Staple Stable, and they are indeed catchy and appropriate opening/ending. Much more underrated are the mundane, ambient sound design of this anime. Just as Bakemonogatari should ideally be viewed in high-quality settings, so it should be heard with at least "nice" audio. Perhaps I had the fortune/misfortune of being an impeccable audiophile and watched the series with headphones that cost me half a fortune, but everyone should at least watch Bakemonogatari with real speakers or decent headphones. This is a series that can only be fully appreciated when the viewer is immersed in it, and laptop speakers simply won't do.
Having said all of that, the non-intrusive BGM and ambient sounds do a perfect job of accentuating the dialog/situation without, again, distracting from what is really important. Perhaps the best example is in the TV finale, where the BGM swells and fades without the viewers really noticing because they are so perfectly integrated with the ebb and flow of verbal/situational push and pull between the two leads.
The voice acting, without even the need to elaborate, are top-mark. The seiyuu for Koyomi is appropriately serious, jocular, and reflective. I especially enjoyed the sequences and inserts in which Koyomi is thinking selfish/perverted/silly thoughts. Excellent sound designing makes it sound like Koyomi's voice is really ringing inside my head, adding to the effect and how identifiable his character is. Voice acting for Senjougahara seemed a bit too fragile and breathy at first, but it was revealed to be not the fault of the seiyuu, but part of character development, but more on that will border on spoiling. Let me just add that voice acting for both leads hit the sweet spot at least by the TV finale.

CHARACTER
All of the other elements, story, art, and sound, up to now were accompaniments to the brilliant characters of Bakemonogatari. If those elements had their virtue in garnishing the backgrounds of this anime, the characters' virtue lie in their shocking assertiveness and charisma.

Koyomi - Of all anime leads I've seen, he is one of the few truly-believable leads that are likeable. He is objectively decent-looking and decently dressed, not, as are many a blue-haired shounen characters, outrageously flamboyant. He is not an outspoken paragon of bravery and power. He is even a bit of a sociopath. However, the subtle inner stability he shows makes him stronger than Goku or Lelouch in my opinion. He isn't a social butterfly, but he would never seriously harm another person. Though he is a bit of a pervert, just like the rest of us, the viewers can't picture him ever being disloyal to his romantic partner. Koyomi's inner strength and stability are what keeps this series from becoming a typical harem anime, and such qualities of his character are what makes the viewer so strongly and ineffably identify with him.

Senjougahara - First of all, her name is awesome, just phonetically. I read that it means something like "battlefield" in Japanese, but it sounds so feminine and appropriate to her character. With that aside, if Koyomi is the steady, dependable drummer keeping beat to the Bakemonogatari band, Senjougahara is the lead vocalist that captures and enthralls the viewer. Anime is, more than anything, a visual art, so it is of course important that her every frame is perfected and beautified with adoration. Not only is she one of the most flawlessly beautiful female characters in anime, the way she poses and moves is also idealized. Imagine a girl who never does anything unsightly: never makes an unflattering face, is never without makeup (or always looks perfect without one), never goes to the bathroom, you get the idea, and that would be Senjougahara. Again, the creators of Bakemonogatari really cashed in on this aspect of anime to create a visually flawless female lead. Utter perfection, however, isn't always likeable, as none of us are perfect. Senjougahara, therefore, needs some profound flaw in order to offset her physical perfection, and that's when her character development comes into play. I won't say much more on that for fear of spoiling, but she exists not as a perfect, standalone being, but someone who absolutely depends on Koyomi to complete her. That's why their interactions work, even though they should logically have zero reason to even know each other. Senjougahara is the modern Yamato Nadeshiko, though the usage of that term to describe her may be controversial. The numerous attempts to categorize her as a tsundere/kuudere/yandere/whaeverdere have all failed because her character is grounded not on a trope, but a real-life ideal of feminine beauty. She is the culmination, or rather, an amalgamation, of decades of anime heroines that captured the viewers, male and female alike. Senjougahara and Koyomi have such subtle and inexplicable chemistry because they are both subtle, ultimately mysterious characters.

ENJOYMENT
This is the one category where I admit that the 10/10 is highly subjective. Objectively, Bakemonogatari is a top-quality art form, and I firmly believe that high-profile artists, filmmakers, etc. would appreciate that Bakemonogatari is the epitome of modern anime counterculture (Suzumiya Haruhi being the mainstream crystallization of modern anime). However, you have to be looking for the right thing to enjoy this anime. If the anime you typically enjoy are Naruto, TTGL, etc. (not that they aren't fantastic either), Bakemonogatari is perhaps not for you. This series is really for people who have watched a lot of anime, perhaps even an otaku, and were drawn to the more sophisticated, post-modern aspect of the genre as a whole. It is, in a way, analogous to how Mozart is universally loved (for a good reason!), while composers like Hindemith appeal strongly to those who have developed a taste in classical music. I personally pick this series as the number one anime of all time (along with NGE) because it had all I was looking for: deep, subtle characters, platonic romance, somewhat surreal atmosphere, idealization only possible in anime, wit, and that pinch of sociopathy shown in each character, as are present in every human being. There isn't one thing about this anime that is the "hook" (though, if I had to pick one, I'd go with SENJOUGAHARA FASCINATION). Rather, every aspect of it plays its role perfectly to create a gestalt whole. Oh, and by the way, if you're like me and are desperately looking for non-moe, non-loli (getting harder and harder to find) anime made in 21st century, welcome to Bakemonogatari. This series is for mature viewers looking for a subtle, yet decisively anime experience.

Overall, if you think yourself the discriminating, intellectual beta-component of modern society (who also happens to watch anime), you will love this series. It's a love or hate type of anime, in my opinion, and if you are the type of person this show caters to, you will come to thoroughly appreciate every aspect of the show, besides just Senjougahara. If you're not, that doesn't mean you're not as cultured or some nonsense; just need to find your anime masterpiece, as I found Bakemonogatari.