The "male protagonist surrounded by troubled girls" is a formula that has been used time and time again. Often this goes hand in hand with a very predictable Slice of Life styling, complete of course with a fall guy, and a silent love interest. Bakemonogatari however, refuses to conform to anything. It takes on the challenge of turning a simple SoL formula, and even the vampire "genre" (i don't really consider this to be a genre), into something with a beautiful and distinct style of its own.
It's a short first season, and so it bodes well that it stays away from filler content. The first thing most people will acknowledge when they pick up Bakamonogatari is the extremely expressive art, and the cropping/jumping between scenes to an abstract extent. Although i was not initially a fan of this styling, i must say that it gradually grew on me... so viewers be prepared, because the backbone, and the very identity of the show is its unique and eccentric presentation...
Usually i keep audiovisual judgement to a minimum when reviewing, but Bakamonogatari's art and sound couldn't possibly be better utilized by, and integrated into its abstract nature. For starters, the artwork is very clean and well defined. The settings makes good use of patterns, and minimalist, while vibrant artistic design. Sometimes words and visual metaphors are used as a really bold and creative alternative. Even real-life art isn't off-limits with Bakemonogatari, as it doesn't let anything come to hinder its expressive potential. Finally, if this wasn't enough to sell you the technical expertise of Aniplex, this 15 episode show also offer up a large amount of highly fitting audio tracks, in a genuinely noticeably beautiful score...
Now... onto the substance of the review...
I remember being really confused near the start of Bakamonogatari, as it's not the type of production to pause and allow you to process what's going on, and so i can't stress enough that this one WILL require your full attention span. Don't get me wrong though, the context is an interesting one, but its also shrouded in layers of mystery, and shattered into a a fine powder that is consumed by the various female characters, and so it becomes more familiar and immersive overtime. Asides from deterring uncommitted viewers who after seeing and being stumped by 2 episodes decide to quit watching, this has always aided the show's rather cryptic, mysterious and unpredictable style; that invokes and awakens a primal curiosity in its viewers. This deceiving lack of clarity is of course where the abstract art and scene separator art comes into its own, and Bakemonogatari continues to express its own identity and motives, on top of the characters'.
Some say that talk is cheap, but Bakemonogatari's existence alone is an appropriate riposte. Come stellar storytelling, comes really great dialogue... that's what i used to think.
Bakemonogatari seamlessly integrates a lot of the storytelling INTO the dialogue. For up to 6 minutes or so, you could easily be under the misconception that you're being subjected to pointless SoL-related chatter, but i told you once, and i'll tell you again: this show makes damn good use of the episode time it was given. Therefore, you can expect a lot of substance, contextual background, and emotion in the dialogue itself, which is equally as important as the event-based plot. This script of which i speak of, is utterly packed with recursive dialogue, and hidden meanings throughout (which might even add some "rewatchability value"). To an extent, Bakemonogatari is one of "those" shows that actually uses the viewers' confusion and/or uncertainty to its advantage, by referring back to, and taking its own lines into different contexts as a method to shed light on "the matter at hand" indirectly.
On top of this, comes the very seamless implementation of character development...
As a show being told from the POV of young protagonist: "Araragi", he is the viewers' primary gateway into feelings of relatability - as he comes across as fairly average, and a tad cynical. The show's expressive audiovisuals and abstract nature act a key to unlocking and more importantly, intimately expressing his feelings and thought processes. This is a subtle tether of attachment that emphasizes the severity of his unconventional plights, often through the means of minimalist soliloquies.
Of course, for any show that follows the formula i mentioned at the start of the review, the real power behind character development originates from the viewers' emotional attachment to the diverse female cast. I can safely say that through a mix of in-depth, passionate dialogue and emotive gestures, Bakemonogatari somehow manages to cover quite comprehensively, the very personal character aspects, of almost all of the cast, despite time constraints.
(other anime could learn from this...)
This far, and i still haven't mentioned the story. Well just like in Bakemonogatari, the story itself - in the form of a series of events, is rarely referred to directly. It's a show that if described to others could easily come across and generic, and so it adopts each troubled character's emotional growth, separates their plights into arcs, and this journey that you accompany the characters on, becomes the story material, the substance to coexist with the mysterious setting that you as a viewer were provided with.
I find that the oblivious nature of Araragi makes the whole journey seem so "real", and current... And so i can conclude that i thoroughly enjoyed the surreal experience that is Bakemonogatari. It can certainly suffice as a reference guide for many producers, and its strong suit in my opinion is the streamlined integration of devices, in the particularly vivid dialogue.
It's a show that goes out of its way not just to create scenes, but to place you inside a curious, surreal, and yet really realistic world of its own. One could easily get lost in such a world...
Criticisms?
Little to none...
There seems to have been serious consideration into every aspect of the show. From story, to sound, it's all very appropriate. Perhaps (and i'm squeezing a dry cloth here) what i like the least, is how the abstract presentation can become a bit preachy, and how the show's conclusion was very vague. A more significant end to the show, and an elevated focus on the "character" over technique, could also have furthered my appreciation.
~ Save me. ~
