The Monogatari Second Season starts out a few months after the events of Nisemonogatari. There are no new characters introduced, but some characters receive more screen time and while they don’t develop they are fleshed out somewhat. However, their contribution to the plot is almost nonexistent or extremely spoilery so I won’t spend too much time talking about them.
The main difference in the Monogatari Second Season is the way the individual arcs are handled. In previous seasons we were following Araragi as he attempted to help various girls from problems with spirits. These arcs were told in present tense. They were “happening” at that moment. Us viewers were watching it unfold as an observer. That is not the case in most of the Monogatari Second Season. Instead, we are being told a story.
This is arguably my favorite part of this season. We are in the minds of one of these outstanding characters. We see the world the way they do, and this affects their story. For instance, if you and your friend experience the same event, two years later when telling someone about it, you may have different memories of how the event happened. This is usually due to perception. Everyone sees the world in a different light. So, this idea has been applied to the stories. Characters are perceived differently than they may be.
For example, Araragi is usually just a goofy over the top pervert with a lolita and sister complex. However, when Hanekawa is telling us a story about an event in her life, it’s hard to not see Araragi as a knight in shining armor. Her view and her love for him change how she perceives his actions. This is present in Nadeko’s arc as well. How the characters perceive certain events changes as well depending on their mental stability and even their personality. The entire concept is astounding.
This is all made even more enjoyable simply because these are such fantastic characters. However, even outside of the characters the story is quite grand. I’ve never been so intrigued in the plot of a Monogatari story arc as I was with the Second Season. Each is very well written and all are suspiciously connected, something that has not appeared in the previous seasons.
Only other thing left mentioning is, the fan service. Although, this time around it’s a bit different mostly because… There isn’t much. I was shocked. Other than a shower scene in the first arc where Hitagi and Hanekawa were having way too much fun taking a shower together and a quick Hachikuji skirt flip there wasn’t any until the final arc, but even then that was a male. However, this just proves my previous statements that Monogatari is perfectly capable of telling a compelling story without needing to show us it’s wonderful characters bodies near nude every few moments.
With all the praise I have given I figure it’s about time to talk about my only real issue with the show. That is: The soundtrack. None of the music was particularly noteworthy other than Kaiki’s theme. This also applies to the OPs. While each one was able to match the personality of the characters they were portraying and sported some great animation that fit well with the music, all were pretty basic and forgotten the moment they ended. I suppose this is only an issue with this show specifically, simply because the Monogarai series has had some truly great OPs and EDs in the past.
Overall the Monogatari Second Season took every major issue I had with the Monogatari series and remove it almost completely. For a show to do so much while also delivering a compelling story, staying true to the characters, while also adding a completely unique spin on things is absolutely incredible.
The Monogatari series is a series steeped in controversy, but despite it’s issues I think it’s a fantastic anime and one at least everyone should give a try.
