Bakemonogatari - Review

I've got to admit, Bakemonogatari has been one of the stranger and more unique anime that I have watched. The premise of an ex-vampire attempting to help solve the problems of his friends and fellow peers is intriguing on its own, but that is just what's on the surface. Underneath the surface lies an anime with heavy, but interesting, dialogue and unique artwork. I found that it wasn't easy to grasp all the concepts and ideas being thrown at me from the get-go, but I was surprised that the dialogue alone was able to convey the messages of the story with ease. Bakemonogatari is definitely not for everyone, but those who decide to watch it to the end will be immensely rewarded.

Art (7/10)
SHAFT is well-known for the unique artwork and animation that are present in their anime. This is no different in Bakemonogatari as the episodes are mostly filled with abstract art, creative backgrounds and artistic scene changes (i.e. duration of a scene, point of view changes, position of camera, etc.). Personally, the artwork did not fit my tastes. However, I do appreciate the effort and artistic thought that SHAFT put into this project. The artwork is definitely memorable as virtually no other studio has the same art style. Looking at the art objectively would have led me to rate it a 9/10 while a subjective point of view would result in a 5/10. By averaging both viewpoints, I ended up giving this category a 7/10. I believe all of SHAFT's artwork is either hit or miss. For me, it was unfortunately a "miss."

Characters (9/10)
Each of the main characters in Bakemonogatari face their own struggles and with the help of Araragi Koyomi, an interesting male-lead whose caring and strong-willed personality separate him from the all-too-typical generic male protagonist, manage to overcome them. Of all the characters in the series, I found Senjōgahara Hitagi, who some call the main female protagonist of the story, to be by far the most interesting and complex. Never before have I seen a character who has managed to fall under three different character archetypes - tsundere, yandere and kuudere. Each of the other characters also has their own interesting traits and it takes great attention to detail in order to truly understand them and their actions. One thing's for sure though: the characters in Bakemonogatari are not just hollow shells with a voice; they are examples of what great characters should be - realistic, interesting and likeable.

Sound (8/10)
The sounds in this anime were solid overall. The OPs fit each of the characters well while the ED was excellent, wrapping up each episode nicely. The BGM was also surprisingly memorable and interesting; they were not all generic piano and/or strings pieces. Finally, voice acting was done well. Each seiyū matched their characters well and effectively conveyed the right emotions that were being felt by the character through their voices.

Story (7/10)
With a name like "Ghostory" or "Monstory", chances are, the story will be centered on supernatural beings or phenomena. For each of the arcs, we get to witness the "exorcism", as I like to call it, of unusual spirits (a crab, snail, monkey, snake and cat). Bakemonogatari strays from the typical supernatural topics of interest like ghosts, demons and zombies, but manages to tell an interesting and suspenseful story using what many consider as common animals. Broadly speaking, the anime tells of Koyomi's experience with each of the main females and their respective problems concerning the spirit. But I believe that, under this premise, lies deeper meanings that a casual watcher like me will not catch during the first time through. Due to the complexity of the dialogue and the hidden meanings embedded within, an analytic approach is necessary if one desires to truly understand the full meaning behind the story in Bakemonogatari.

Overall (8/10)
Personally, I feel Bakemonogatari is overrated. But then again, maybe it's because I am unable to appreciate its true qualities and everything it has to offer. There were times where I found myself slightly bored but there were also times where I was genuinely interested in what would happen next. Watching it the first time through allowed me to conclude that this was indeed a deep anime with many hidden messages waiting to be discovered. I'm positive that watching this anime again will make things easier to understand for me but, as it stands now, Bakemonogatari was above average at best. However, if you're more of an analyst when it comes to anime, I highly recommend you give Bakemonogatari a try. And even if you're not (like me), this series is a fun watch, nonetheless.