Nisemonogatari - Episode 7

Sibling Love <3 (It's not incest...)

I felt the content of this episode catered to two different types of viewers, but at the same time, made the episode as a whole seem a bit split. Those who like their fair share of action got what they preferred in the first half courtesy of the shōnen-esque fight scene involving Koyomi and Karen. In the second half, viewers who like to indulge in complex but significant dialogue were treated with a great conversation between Hitagi - Koyomi included - and Deishū. Personally, I found the latter half to be much more intriguing although it may have been a tad bit long. As of late, I've slowly begun to appreciate dialogue-filled episodes of anime. I find trying to uncover potential hidden meanings behind a character's words to be enjoyable, even if I am unable to do so most of the time.

Starting off with the fight scene, the first thought that came to mind was, "Isn't this a bit too exaggerated?" Being able to demolish an entire highway system with nothing other than human bodies is evidently stretching the boundaries of reality. Then again, the anime does deal with the supernatural so I ended up letting that slide. Aside from the flurry of punches, kicks and other body parts being thrown during the fight, the dialogue between Koyomi and Karen was definitely the center of attention. On one side, there's the righteous and physically-strong Karen who at times does not realize that her actions are influenced too much by others. Her desire to become a fighter of justice has unintentionally lead to self-sacrifice countless times. Yet, she still believes this is the "right" thing to do and won't accept the fact that it's not really "justice" if she's using others as an excuse to be "right". Luckily for her, a caring brother like Koyomi is there, willing to take physical abuse in order to get his point across. The aura of wisdom he exudes is what distinguishes him from many other male leads in anime these days. He rightfully criticizes his sister's mistakes, commenting on how physical strength is not the only key to victory, before doing what a good older brother should do when his younger sibling is in a difficult situation - comforting and helping her through it all. The artistic background scenery of rubble and dust, highlighted by the glow of the setting sun, adds to the beauty of this touching scene.

As for the main attraction of the episode - the conversation with Deishū - it is Hitagi who takes the spotlight. Because Deishū is a master of deception, I wasn't quite sure whether to believe his words or not. With that being said, I can see why many others have fallen victim to his them. Although Hitagi's request was simple - that he leave the town right away - Deishū was able to drag the conversation on for quite some time. Cleverly using theatrical metaphors for life and shallow apologies, it seemed he was enjoying the chat. Not once did he show a hint of regret or remorse for his actions, though he was able to spew shallow apologies from his mouth. Despite all these disgusting qualities, there is one thing that Deishū helps to reinforce: to not judge a book by its cover. Additionally, the title of the anime, literally "Impostory", now makes more sense as Deishū, the main antagonist, has verbally admitted to being an imposter. The flame wreathe bee, too, was a lie as it turns out to have ever existed; Karen's condition is just a result of Deishū's hypnosis. In a way, it's relieving to know this, but at the same time, the "solution" to the problem of the arc is quite lame. Nonetheless, with Deishū agreeing to leave the town in the end, it seems like everything will go back to normal.

To wrap up the Karen Bee arc, a little bit of Koyomi x Hitagi and some "daily lives of the Araragi siblings" are thrown in for some extra fanservice. It's nothing noteworthy, really; just the implication that the former pairing had sex afterwards and that the relationship of the latter group has improved a bit due to the incident. I guess all's well that ends well as it's now time for the Tsukihi Phoenix arc. The main question in my mind right now is whether Deishū will return, breaking his agreement with Hitagi. Something tells me he will; he is a con man after all. Strangely enough, I don't mind if he does since I really enjoy the conversations he has with the main characters. Then again, I'm not against the introduction of a new antagonist, either. Whatever the case may be, I just hope the upcoming arc will be able to at least match the success of this one.