Story (10/10)
The structure of the story is fascinating. It's a sequence of short arcs that follow the development of one character each. Some arcs are more interesting than others, but overall all are great. And, in some way, all the arcs converge in a big story centered around Araragi, but where each character is the protagonist of their own story.
Art/Style (10/10)
The animation is good, but it's the style and the visual narrative that are impressive. Watching this show is a bizarre experience. The scenery changes are a little confusing. The places are unreal, but with a lot of details that complement the visual narrative. It's a very strange world that feels like home. This is the most outstanding element of the series.
Sound (10/10)
A good style/animation is always complemented with a good soundtrack, and in the case of Bakemonogatari, the background music perfectly complements the scenes. The openings are very unique, each of them reflecting the arc.
Characters (8/10)
In this aspect, my review lost his perfect note. The characters are great, I'll admit, each having a well-defined personality. The voice actors do an excellent job in every line, but some characters can get annoying. The dialogues between some of these are very arrogant, too. It's as if the dialogues were made to bother you with endless turns and pseudo-reflexions.
I clarify that not all dialogues are like that. Some of them are remarkable and thought provoking. The references complement the lines perfectly. Yet, some characters and some lines can make the narrative very stressful.
Enjoyment (6/10)
The characters are only the beginning. Yes, the series is great, one of the best I have seen in years. But at the same time it's the most stresful show that I watched in years. I didn't enjoyed watching Bakemonogatari, even though I love almost all episodes. I would not watch this again, but I don't regret doing it.
Other aspects
Maybe it has too much fanservice for me, but it's a very well-done fanservice. It's not the common type of fanservice; not very explicit, but very erotical. Even so, I would prefer the show without any, as it's unnecessary for me.
The meta humor is very well-done, too. The jokes are hilarious, even if some of them are confusing. I smiled a lot watching it.
And my favorite characters are Kanbaru and Mayoi. Their interventions being comical and reflexive respectively.
Overall (9/10)
This is one of the best series that you can watch now, but the references and the storyline are not meant for everyone. You may not like this series (as you can find it stressful, like me), but I recommend giving it a shot.
