Bakemonogatari

Bakemonogatori is trashy, lowbrow comedy, partly deeply philosophical. A good drama to boot. Harem has a reputation for being dreck, but this is one of the best shows of its generation. To start Araragi is an MC with a personality! A rarity. He is rational, and in command. An all around "nice guy" but with oversights and flaws that make him human. This depth of writing does extend to each girl and the only other male character, Oshino (a Supernatural consultant).

Stylistically flawless. A surrealist veneer of visuals and audio to keep it interesting. Camera shots swivel instantaneously, and the eye to detail breathes the show to life in contrast to its overtly simplistic setting with nonexistent cars or humans. This is done to strengthen a core storytelling mode of this show. The main mode of story is longwinded conservations. There is action, but it's placed carefully. This sounds boring but it's the opposite. Dialogue is a mile a minute, be alert with your subs.

Each section of Bakemonogatari is dedicated to a different supernatural case. In this, we progress the story and introduce new characters. The show never overwhelms you and absorbs you in its dense universe. Conversations are highly lucid, and contain wisdom. Bakemonogatori has a playful, reference laden side, but a foothold in life's realities as well. These characters have endured hardships and many moments of hopelessness. So don't watch if you expected something idyllic. This is pretty dark at times. Not too R-rated, but an adult bent for sure.

Anyways, my only complaint would be some fairly regrettable fanservice elements but you can always skip past that and that comes standard with most harems anyway. Rewatching after 2 years only confirmed how well this has aged since 2009. It will continue being just as good 10 years on.

Bakemonogatari has a lot of entertainment value, and all the elements combined make it a perfect supernatural-romance-comedy. Each arc is enjoyable, and has a good amount of fan service for those who enjoy it. The romance was also done very well, which leaves the view with a warm feeling at the end. It took some time to get used to the weird flashing words in the beginning, but once you get used to it, you'll be in for an entertaining ride.

I vaguely remembered watching this nearly a decade ago, enjoyed it, and when I stumbled upon it again, figured it was worth a rewatch..

Have to say this is one of the few times something was better the second time around. With a older eye and a deeper understanding I could see so many small things, from how the "camera" is used to focus on the female form is all used to tell the story. Nothing seems to be done just for the sake of fan service or fitting inside a genre, but to tell the tale from the perspective of the protagonist and how he'd see, even the silliest moment serves a purpose..

Maybe I've giving it too much credit, but I'd add this to any must watch list, and keep an open mind when viewing it.

A very loose and carefree plot, witty dialogue, and striking animation. Bakemongatri is an iconic piece of fiction. A ton of surrealism, a slice of life with its surrealism maxed out. Very expressive, very colorful, mainly for comedic effect but also for "plot". Something unique about this show is that it has 15 episodes which can be divided into subsections for each girl whom has the main focus.

You don't have to pay attention to understand, but when you do really digest Bakemongatri, it makes it all the more enjoyable to watch. This is a series I've always been interested in purely because of the famous scenes to come out of this series. Definitely is decent anime to just chill and watch by yourself.

Beware fan service. (Hard to watch in public)

Rating: 7.8

Favorite Episode: Tsubasa kyatto sono ni

Good overall. It's witty entertaining dialogue with interesting characters. Almost like an anime Twilight Zone. It can be formulaic sometimes, but every arc brought something new to the table and it never got stale. The fanservice in the last openings was strange but didn't detract from anything.

Senjougahara is the highlight of this whole thing.