Story: 9
The story of Bakemonogatari can be somewhat difficult to understand at first, especially with the rather misleading opening scene to the show that has turned many that I know away, thinking that the show would be mostly fanservice. However, I found the story to be refreshing from the typical action, comedy, or slice-of-life anime that I usually watch.
The story here focuses around a high school boy (like many other shows) that gets himself involved with many of the female students. However, this is different from your typical high school anime in the way that most of the show does not take place in the high school, and is not a part of the harem genre. The show's abnormal method of storytelling truly captures the audience and conveys the intentions and/or messages of the characters clearly.
Artwork: 10
I feel like this is one of the main highlights of the show. I understand that others in the audience may find it irritating that the show uses many still frames and sudden pauses in the animation to display messages, but if I were to rate the overall color scheme, consistency, and viewability, this would be a show to recommend to to someone who is searching for high-quality artwork in animation films.
Sound: 9
The soundtrack used by the show fits the theme of the show perfectly. There were no instances in the show where I felt that the foley used in the show was out of place or done poorly. In fact, I really enjoyed the way that each character had her own opening theme song and how at the end of each arc, they played an instrumental version of that opening to close it up.
Characters: 10
This is another strong point in the series. Each of the characters are easily relatable to real life situations. Sure, we don't all turn into vampires over our spring breaks, but the supernatural abilities of each character do not alienate themselves from the society we know in a way that we could not relate our day-to-day experiences to them.
Enjoyment: 10
This is a very opinionated section, so I will keep it short. I enjoyed the series overall. When I was first recommended this series, I had never even considered that it would secure a position at the top of my anime list. What exactly made the series so enjoyable? The highly amusing dialogue between the characters kept me hooked throughout the show. If you're someone who doesn't mind walls of text here and there, this show would be perfect for you.
Overall: 10
