Nov 10, 2013
Bakemonogatari is a tricky anime for me to write about.
In general, it is a show with a lot of clever wordplay and intellectual ideas. However like a lot of anime or just plain anything similar to this, it seems to become a little too self-absorbed and loses itself (NOTE: Apparently there are 15 episodes, however I didn't get three extra at the end of my download, but they probably wouldnt change much fundamentally. Also i am only reviewing the first season).
That isn't to say that it wasn't interesting - The art and sound is simply incredible. For example the main theme of the song
...
is a beautiful melody that is catchy, but really comes into its own in the final scene when it is transformed into a captivating piano piece. The art style helps to hit the messages and ideas home very well, and a lot of the tales in the episodes are illustrated in a very creative fashion. The visuals and sound really are a treat for the eyes, and makes it a lot more rewarding to empathize with the characters.
The characters all stand incredibly well on their own. Each character has a very interesting role to play, and the way the story progresses is just incredible. The way each character becomes the centre of the arc, and then stays briefly after having their problems sorted was very well played.
Ironically, the interactions between the two protagonists is probably what caused the show to be a bit of a snoozefest. The relationship between them seems to do nothing but get in the way at times. I went from wishing the story would cut back to them, to realising that it was just going to be another typical 'teasing' sort of situation, as is the fashion of anime now. I would link this problem to Sankarea, which had similar problems.
Where Bakemonogatari really stands strong is in its small 2-3 episode arcs, where the protagonists must use all of their power and intellect to save someone's life, or at least help them come to terms with their problems. Although i am not the kind of person to say "THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ACTION UGH THIS IS LAME", I cannot deny that the show fell to such a crawl that I found myself avoiding viewing it.
So is Bakemonogatari worth a watch? Well ask yourself if you enjoy cutting edge art styles, intellectual wordplay and a lot of talking. Also if you like Tsundere stuff. Personally i felt that this show had a lot of potential and lived up to it but only before letting itself down.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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