May 5, 2014
It's overwhelming that Bakemonogatari has turned amazingly popular over the years. Sure, we got the general harem that broke over 10k sales every now and then but Bakemonogatari was the first time it got a massive wide appeal. And as far as harem goes there generally is no better alternative Bakemonogatari. The 5 arcs each have an interesting story to follow through each week. Every new girl, whether it be Senjougahara's playful attitude, or Tsubasa's transformation, are great to watch in action at first glance.
Now, listen up, because I want to make this straight up front. Nisio Isin, comparing to other writers in this industry,
...
can write extremely well when he wants too. That's the drawback though, he doesn't want to. While watching various scenes in Bakemonogatari his writing jumps the shark and his jokes, if he wants to consider them that, completely falls flat. Half of the time it feels like he is showing off and is targeting only for people already into anime. These type of jokes have no effect on me, and often can leave someone scratching their head if they aren't deep into the culture. A major offender for me is that most of the time the characters he comes up with have no impact on Araragi's life. This leaves for most of the time a lot of disappointing arcs. (And one that should have been completely scrapped.)
Somehow, it also leaves an impression that Shaft is also at fault here. This can't be confirmed though because I haven't seen any of the other anime Shaft has produced. That's not an excuse for Shaft though, because their visuals half of the time they are on the same big joke. It feels like Shinbou and Nisio are holding side by side, drinking and thinking they are having a really good time. When in reality the viewer on the outside is watching a mess. Their so called prose and directing often damage the product more than it should be.
It's a shame too, because many of the characters have some excellent scenes chocked full of tremendous dialogue. Hitagi Senjougahara and Araragi Koyomi bickering back and forth made it seem like they were really in a relationship. Senjougahara herself is an absolute treat to watch, and seeing Araragis reaction as the straight man played off very well. Another well-done scene that showed Nisio Isin range is Araragi fighting with Mayoi Hachikuji. When Araragi declares that he has beaten up Mayoi and feels bad about it, you can't help but leave a chuckle at it. If I had to pick one standout point, and this is why I would recommend this episode, would be episode 12. The climax on Senjougahara and Araragi's relationship is brilliantly done. Their story wraps up very nicely to the point that I felt like crying.
That's why I feel like Bakemonogatari indeed does deserve a watch, even though all of my harsh words on the series. It's rare that you can see few seconds of dialogue so good. Not really many anime can compare to what Nisio can write. It's just a shame of what it could have been.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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