Bakemonogatari

Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student, manages to survive a vampire attack with the help of Meme Oshino, a strange man residing in an abandoned building. Though being saved from vampirism and now a human again, several side effects such as superhuman healing abilities and enhanced vision still remain. Regardless, Araragi tries to live the life of a normal student, with the help of his friend and the class president, Tsubasa Hanekawa.

When fellow classmate Hitagi Senjougahara falls down the stairs and is caught by Araragi, the boy realizes that the girl is unnaturally weightless. Despite Senjougahara's protests, Araragi insists he help her, deciding to enlist the aid of Oshino, the very man who had once helped him with his own predicament.

Through several tales involving demons and gods, Bakemonogatari follows Araragi as he attempts to help those who suffer from supernatural maladies.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Senjougahara, Hitagi Main

Saitou, Chiwa Japanese

Araragi, Koyomi Main

Kamiya, Hiroshi Japanese

Hanekawa, Tsubasa Main

Horie, Yui Japanese

Hachikuji, Mayoi Main

Katou, Emiri Japanese

Kanbaru, Suruga Main

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Sengoku, Nadeko Main

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Oshino, Shinobu Supporting

Oshino, Meme Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Araragi, Karen Supporting

Kitamura, Eri Japanese

Araragi, Tsukihi Supporting

Iguchi, Yuka Japanese

Iwakami, Atsuhiro Producer

Kubota, Mitsutoshi Producer

Hariu, Masayuki Producer

Ooshima, Miku Assistant Producer

Reviews

Apr 18, 2025

dddontfall

Recommended

Bakemonogatari was a really interesting and enjoyable watch. It’s different from most anime I’ve seen—it doesn’t rush through the story or rely on action to keep things moving. Instead, it focuses on long conversations, emotions, and the characters’ inner struggles. That slower pace actually worked really well for me because it gave the story time to breathe and let the characters grow in a more realistic way.

What stood out the most to me was the relationship between Araragi and Senjougahara. I loved how honest and unusual their connection felt. Senjougahara is blunt, intense, and sometimes even a little scary, but Araragi never tries to fix ... her or change who she is. He accepts her completely, and that makes their bond feel strong and meaningful. Their relationship isn’t overly romantic or fake—it’s built on trust, respect, and understanding, which made me root for them even more. Their conversations are full of teasing, sarcasm, and deep emotions, and I looked forward to every scene they shared.

The visuals were absolutely stunning. Every shot felt carefully made, and the art style constantly changed depending on the mood of the scene. The way colors, backgrounds, and lighting were used was super creative and gave the show its own unique feeling. Sometimes it felt more like watching art than just an anime. I honestly found myself pausing just to admire certain frames because they looked so cool or beautiful.

One of my favorite moments was the stargazing scene between Araragi and Senjougahara. It’s such a beautifully quiet moment, yet it says so much about their connection. The way the stars in the sky were used to reflect their feelings and the overall mood—soft, introspective, and full of unspoken understanding—was just amazing. That scene was one of those moments where the show’s quieter, emotional side really hit me hard. I love how something as simple as watching the stars together can be so intimate and symbolic.

The soundtrack is also a huge part of what made the show stand out. The voice acting, in particular, was spot-on for every character. Each actor really brought their character to life in a way that felt completely authentic. For example, Senjougahara’s voice was perfect—there’s a sharpness and confidence in her voice that fits her personality, but also a vulnerability when needed. It felt like every character’s voice matched their internal world perfectly, making the interactions feel more real and impactful.

Bakemonogatari isn’t the easiest show to get into because it’s full of fast-talking scenes, deep themes, and a weird style that takes some time to get used to. But once it clicked, I found myself really enjoying it. It’s smart, emotional, and full of strange beauty. It made me think, made me laugh, and made me care.

Story: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Visuals: 10/10
Soundtrack: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall Rating: 8/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Mar 21, 2025

Zaphodb2002

Mixed Feelings

A complicated thing, this. Expect to put in some effort with Bakemonogatari, it expects you to keep up. There's art in here, no doubt, and the craft is impressive; I'm still not sure if I like it.

There are a lot of reviews out there of Bakemonogatari, and I'm sure if you're even at the point of seeking out this show you know all of the usual stuff people talk about when they talk about this show. Yes, it's like 95% dialogue. No, you probably won't get like half of the word-play unless you speak Japanese. Yes, it's got some weird ... fanservice that feels, uh, not so good. And yes, it's disjointed and mostly makes no sense.

I think it does all of these things very carefully, though, and with purpose. The show is unrelentingly surreal, with every scene set in dreamlike, liminal spaces. No one seems to live in the world of Bakemonogatari but the victims of monsters, and the monsters themselves. There is an overwhelming sense of emptiness and melancholy through a lot of the show, often in stark contrast to the mile-a-minute deadpan comedy banter. The world is dark and scary and complicated. The show is not completely devoid of humor or lightness, but it's always got an edge to it. There are very few action scenes, but when they do them they are kinetic and stylish, honestly a few are quite impressive. Ultimately the way the show looks and feels is maybe the most divisive thing about this show; you'll know pretty quickly if you can tolerate it or not.

The other big divisive issue with this show will be the "fanservice" of the girls in the show. The show literally starts with a panty shot, and includes some pretty intense sexual themes as the show goes on, and while they don't always land, the show usually feels like it's using these scenes to actively make the viewer uncomfortable. The show is often about our underlying emotions, and they're a bunch of teens. I get it, and if it serves the plot, okay, fine. There's actually not that many scenes of it, either. This show sometimes feels like it's pushing a bit too hard when it does though, especially with the very young characters. Again, I think you're meant to feel uncomfortable. Success, I guess.

I think that your interest in the artsy fartsy stuff and your tolerance for the uncomfortable bits will determine how much this show does for you, but it's hard to argue that it's not unique and interesting. I watched all of it, and I'm probably going to move onto the sequels, because it's just so strange. If you can bring a critical eye and can handle some discomfort, I think there's a lot of reward to be had here.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Apr 5, 2025

walshc25

Not Recommended

*** Some actions relevant to characters are given as examples. Read ahead at own discretion ***

Unripened Fruit

This is one of the words that flash on screen, and is used during the scene where the MC Araragi grabs the chest of an elementary school girl. It also is a phrase that describes this show. It's got potential, but completely squanders it.

Let's address the degeneracy first. I'm not someone who usually gets hung up on 16 or 17 year olds in anime saying or doing suggestive things. We were all teens at some point in our lives, and it's strange how some people get upset ... about portrayals of teens in media if they're not written as pure as the driven snow. A teenage boy wanting to touch a girl's booba is a realistic desire for someone that age for example.

Now that I can't be accused of being a censorious Karen, this is some sick stuff. There's nothing funny about anyone feeling up a child. Nor is it something anyone but a pedophile would want to do, children are non-sexual beings. When she does decide to fight back, he beats her up. In fact, Araragi seems to get offended every time he attempts to grab her chest or touch her underwear and she attempts to fight back. Is beating up a child who is trying to resist being felt up by a teen funny? It's played off in the show as this comedy bit they do every now and then with each other but its messed up. To further confirm that this is the author's thinly-veiled fetish, there's another girl who's slightly older that the MC gushes over briefly when she appears topless (though covered by her hands) unnecessarily. Aragari seems to be at his horniest when interacting with the child character and middle-schooler. Hell he gets bricked up holding a clean swimsuit that the 12 year old gave him to return to a friend. Sure he likes Senjougahara and Hanekawa physically, but not as much as the younger characters it seems.

Since I mentioned Senjougahara, let's move past the I hope no strange NEET repeats this irl stuff and get straight to the general review.

Senjou, is probably the character most people watch and like this show for, and unlike other negative reviews here, I didn't mind her too much. She's annoying at first, and the girl that every character loves and insist she is perfect, which in itself is also annoying, but she gets character development and you get an idea as to her character. It's a good example of show don't tell. It's not stated in the show, but she seems like a person who has some degree of Autism. She's obsessed with wordplay (her hyperfocus), has trouble conveying her emotions properly, and is too aloof sometimes and too blunt at other times. There's intent though behind her actions, and anyone who has seen episode 12 knows that she has a full range of emotions and expresses them in her unique way. The show calls her a Tsundere, but she's actually not. She's closer to a Yandere, threatening to kill others who would kill Aragari openly, threatening to physically harm him if he is caught cheating on her, and obsesses about him. She's not high up on the Yandere Spectrum, more dere than Yan, but she's closer to that than the others.

Let's see, other characters. Well we got Oshino who is kind of the mentor of the main character. He serves as the man with the plan that solves all the problems the characters come across in the "story". Yeah, I should mention that, the story for the show is that there's these spirits that mess with people's lives in secret but dangerous ways. Each spirit and girl has an arc, and Araragi has to diagnose the problem and ask Oshino to help him solve it. Oshino, however, wants to teach Araragi to deal with himself, so Oshino merely gives the solution for our MC Araragi to put into practice. Despite being the too cool, rough looking, chain smoking badass archetype, he actually breaks the mold and knows what he's talking about without being arrogant. He treats the problems with appropriate seriousness, which sometimes requires his focus and participation and sometimes blown out of proportion. He only acts when he needs to. He also likes to give 2 or more solutions to problems, so it adds some depth I guess.

So outside of Senjou and Oshino, the other characters aren't really worth writing up about. They're archetypes you've seen before and nothing unique is done about them. Shinobu could be interesting but we learn nothing of her. Aragari aside from his love of children is the self insert Harem protag who needs women to come to his rescue. Hanekawa is the school president archetype/class rep archetype, with a tragic backstory. The two kids aren't worth mentioning. I guess Kanbaru..

***SPOILER SEGEMENT*** is interesting insomuch that it feels like she wants to seduce Aragari so Senjou kills him in a Yandere rage. That's my headcanon anyway, since she's a little too physically clingy and suggestive with the MC for a girl who claims to be a lesbian with a crush on his GF. Her thinking is if she has to take the D to have a chance at her Yuri fantasy it's a sacrifice she's willing to make. As a straight man, I wouldn't take the D for a girl I liked, so I admire the commitment. Otherwise I can't say much more about her that's unique. **** END OF SPOILER SEGMENT****

The story of this show bothered me, because the monsters are interesting. They're not Godzilla monsters blowing up cities, their goals aren't to kill everyone they attach themselves to. They're basically curses that every culture has in their mythos. The show was set up as Oshino having this acolyte Aragari and pet monster that sits in corner Shinobu acting as a sort of shaman team that fights these types of spirits. It then became about Aragari and his sex life, with episodes that are 2 or 3 parters that could be cut down to 1 episode if it weren't for all the talking. Mirai Nikki, an anime I like, has two episode arcs like this but they make both part 1 and part 2 interesting. In this, just the resolution episode for each arc is interesting. If this show was cut down to maybe a 6 episode OVA, it would be better, especially if in the process they cut down on the predator scenes.

So yeah, Bakemonogatori season 1. It's got two good characters, a pedophile protagonist, and the rest being cookie cutter archetypes. The story had potential, but squandered it by having it focus around the MC talking to his girls. The pedophilic and I guess hebephilic? moments are uncomfortable and while not as bad as the Happy Sugar Life anime, are still creepy nonetheless.

Rating: 2.5

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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