DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ComedyBakemonogatari
ANIME ComedyMonogatari Series: Second Season
ONA ComedyKoyomimonogatari
NOVEL ComedyNisemonogatari Anime Complete Guidebook
MUSICNaisho no Hanashi
NOVEL ActionNisemonogatari

REVIEWS

• 

  planetJane

  83/100
  *Nisemonogatari* continues the spectacularly jumbled visual storytelling of its predecessor to great effect.

  The following assumes familiarity with the reviewed material. Spoilers below.

  ---

  The Bakemonogatari ("Ghostory" or "Monstory") franchise is a weird one. Equally unique within its medium as without, and really undefinable by any criteria but its own. Let's recap a bit: the Monogatari series is the story of high school student and demi-vampire Koyomi Araragi. The franchise began life as a series of short stories (and not long later, light novels) published by the utterly singular Nisio Isin, a pseudonymous novelist and enigma of a man whose prolific and unique work ranks him with mangaka Douman Seiman and musician/video game developer ZUN as some of the most instantly identifiable purveyors of peculiar Japanese pop-culture. An anime adaptation of the first of these novels--Bakemonogatari itself--was begun by SHAFT Inc. in 2009. It was immensely popular and of course a second anime--Nisemonogatari, followed.

  Nisemonogatari has two narrative arcs, the longer "Karen Bee" arc with seven episodes and the shorter "Tsukihi Phoenix" arc with just four to close out the series. A lot happens within each of these but their structure itself is interesting in its own right. In both cases, the primary narrative conflicts are resolved in ways that most would deem anticlimactic. Kaiki, a conman who scams middle schoolers by selling fake spells and inflicts Araragi's older younger sister (not a typo) Karen with a pseudo-magical illness.

  It takes quite a while for the arc to even get to that point, as a good amount of Nisemonogatari (and from what this reviewer has seen, this is true of the franchise in general) devotes itself not to advancing the main narrative plotline which in many shows would be solved in a single episode or two at most, but rather to what are essentially tangents. In the first two episodes of the series, the main thrust of the arc is barely touched on at all, instead the first episode begins with what is essentially a narrative feint, Araragi has been kidnapped by his girlfriend Senjougahara, but, this isn't the main plotline of the arc. Kaiki, the conman mentioned earlier, only even shows up in the third episode, and the equivalent of a rug-pull is done to the audience, with the "Senjougahara kidnaps Araragi" plotline essentially being folded into the real main plot. And that is without mentioning Araragi's visits to the homes of Nadeko and Suruga (two returning Bakemonogatari characters), which consume a good chunk of an episode apiece and serve even less overall narrative point than the kidnapping subplot. The Kaiki plot itself of course, is resolved with nothing more than an extended conversation! He is not, in any real sense, "fought". He is not defeated, and really is not made to pay for his actions at all. He leaves town, and is out of our heroes' lives. So it goes.

  This may sound like a criticism but it's genuinely not. It's these strange asides that make Nisemonogatari worth watching in the first place. Other shows may do plot twists, but Nisemonogatari is completely unafraid to simply yank the existing narrative out from under the audience and swerve into a different direction entirely, for minutes or even entire episodes at a time. All of this, of course, is beautifully depicted. Nise, like its predecessor, is not traditionally animated. There are no background characters--at all--and much of the scenery is CG rendered, giving even mundane spaces a bizarre otherworldly feel. Characters' conversations are filled to the brim with rapid visual cuts--closeups of faces, shots visually depicting metaphors for and puns based on what is being said, miniature flashbacks, and more. These are, if not the most dynamic visual depictions of conversations ever animated, certainly in the running.

  Of course it is impossible to talk about these asides without mentioning the other asides. Which is to say, yes, Nisemonogatari like its predecessor and like its successors, often veers straight into "fetish porn minus the sex" territory. This is, to an extent, what you sign up for, as the series is marketed as an ecchi among its many other genres (truly the franchise contains multitudes), and it is genuinely quite hard to blame anyone for avoiding the series simply because it, say, has no qualms about depicting a hundreds-of-years-old vampire with the body of a little girl bathing in the nude with Araragi as the two talk. At the same time, unlike a lot of works that pull similar tricks, Nise is more or less inseparable from these scenes. It is a part of the show's identity as much as the easier sells discussed above, and while I would not really go so far as to call these scenes defensible, I think that again, to a degree you get what you sign up for, and criticizing Nise to too heavy a degree for its strange preoccupation with fanservice almost feels disingenuous given the amount of western work that exists that juggles a similar mixture of experimentation with medium and form and, frankly, crassness. It can indeed feel a bit like explaining the appeal of gangsta rap or grindhouse films to someone who's not sold on either, and it's equally tempting to explain these scenes away as "symbolic" or decry them as unnecessary to the show's character, but I feel that both approaches are equally flawed. The fetish material exists, is present, and must be by every individual viewer, reckoned with differently.

  And look at that, a paragraph apiece to the story, the visuals, and the fanservice(!), and only now do we get to the aural element. Nonetheless! The sound design in Nise remains fantastic. Both in terms of its soundtrack (the use of multiple opening themes is one of the franchise's best characteristics) and indeed its lack of it in places. The Monogatari series does more with voice acting on its own than most anime. Individual lines are doubled up, reverbed, echoed, or distorted for emphasis, sometimes to the backdrop of complete silence. Few anime show this much restraint in their sound design, and it must be applauded.

  So what to make of Nisemonogatari? Well, it lacks the emotional heights of Bakemonogatari itself, so it is perhaps not an improvement, but it's a refinement of the formula, and anyone who liked what Bake had to offer will find more of it here. To neophytes, start at the franchise's beginning with Bake, but make this your second stop.

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• 

  Grassman

  80/100
  An unorthodox representation of relationships, justice, fakes, and sex.

  Nisemonogatari picks up right after the events of Bakemonogatari. With Oshino gone, Araragi is left to deal with the various aberrations that posses those around him, alone. He takes a more leading role in protecting those he most cares about, his sisters being the focus of the two arcs (Karen Bee and Tsukihi Phoenix). Instead of being an assistant of Oshino, he becomes a more active protagonist. This will propel Araragi to question his philosophy and relationships with his friends and family.

  

  Story and Characters

  Whereas Bakemonogatari utilizes most of its run time to introduce and develop its characters and their distinct motivations and personalities, Nisemonogatari introduces philosophical concepts and explores the reactions of its established cast of characters towards these adversarial situations.

  The Karen Bee act focuses on the topic of justice and the relationship of Karen Araragi and Koyomi Araragi. Deishu Kaiki works as the main antagonist throughout the first part of the series, but we soon realize its just a matter of perspective, a recurrent theme throughout the series. Kaiki is introduced to us in a menacing tone with demonic visuals, but we later meet him casually eating at a doughnut restaurant. Araragi's real struggle in the Karen Bee arc is mending his relationship with Karen, finding conviction in his new purpose in life, and understanding his feelings for Senjougahara.

  Araragi doesn't exactly loves his sisters. Even if he would do anything to protect them, it is because he believes its his duty to do so, and not because he loves them. He constantly criticizes her self-destructive nature and black-white (yellow-black if you will) view on the world. Even when Araragi utilizes similar methods to solve his problems. However through learning about each other's views on justice they come to a mutual understanding of each other, culminating in the infamous toothbrush scene (more on that later). Apart from developing their relationship further, each character grows individually. Both learning how to approach adversity with new methods. Araragi learns from Senjougahara to not be vengeful and to be more level headed. On the other hand Karen will continue to be a vigilante of justice, but she has a newly founded conviction that is more realistic (and less heroic); and will be sure to take care of herself to not hurt those around her.

  Araragi and Senjougahara's confrontation with Kaiki is an important step for their relationship and their individual views on the world. Araragi learns that sometimes you do not have get yourself killed to solve a problem, and address the situation internally. Senjougahara forgives Kaiki for all of the misfortune he has caused her and is ready to move on, she decides not to dwell on the past and appreciate the present, one where she can live happily with Araragi. This marks the complete transition of a reserved and aggressive Senjougahara, into a more kindhearted one (even if she remains a tsundure).

  Kaiki is the first to introduce us into the concept of fakes. This presents a question that bugs the minds of our characters throughout both arcs, but the Tsukihi Phoenix explores it more deeply. Is it better to be real or fake? Or is there even a difference? What are the positives and negatives of being fake? Kaiki, being the cynic that he is, takes pride in being a fake con man. In his eyes that doesn't invalidates his motivation of gaining wealth, it empowers him because he has aspirations (to be real) instead of being a natural born "real con man". Kagenui, another character knowledgable in the supernatural and ex-companion of Oshino and Kaiki, presents a different point of view. Her view on fakes is similar to that of Karen at the beginning of the series, fakes are evil and should be stopped. This is her motivation to kill Tsukihi Araragi, a fake human that is in reality an immortal phoenix. Araragi's becomes uncertain if he should accept his other little sister after this revelation. Just as he learn to accept Karen's fake sense of justice, Araragi learns to accept her immortal sister as a fake human but real sister. Even if he despises Kaiki for being a fake, he still loves his sister.

  

  "The fake is of far greater value. In its deliberate attempt to be real, it's more real than the real thing."

  Animation and Sound

  Nisemonogatari is a less outgoing with its visual directing compared to Bakemonogatari. It has a lot less abstract imagery and experimental sequences. However, it maintains that trademark Monogatari aesthetic. It utilizes clever visual and sound editing to deliver its jokes, it has fantastic and aesthetically pleasing shot compositions, and constantly utilizes symbolism and color to transmit information through its visuals rather than its dialogue.The most notable uses of symbolism (in my opinion) are the introduction of Kaiki, the bee outfit of Karen, and Tsukihi's egg. Even if Tsukihi's origin is that of a phoenix she is still molded by her family and is more than just a fake sister, the same way an egg is cooked by a flame, she is who she is because of the Fire Sisters. Might I also add that Platinum Disco is the best.

  There is nothing much to criticize here apart from the increase in "fan-service" and decrease in the surreal stylistic direction of Bakemonogatari. The explicit sexual imagery and near incestuous relationships can disturb some viewers, but it serves a purpose, at least most of the time. Sexuality is a medium used by the creators to define the relationships Araragi has with the girls around him. Hanekawa being glorified for its body, Sengoku trying to seduce Araragi but failing, Kanbaru having a more dominant role over Araragi, Senjougahara being uncertain of having a more intimate relationship with Araragi as expressed by her in the last episodes of Bake but finally giving in during Nise. However the most important uses of sexuality in Nise are the relationships between Araragi with his sisters, and Shinobu. Araragi finally loves his sisters as represented by the toothbrush scene and the kiss that Araragi gave Tsukihi. Just the way Tsukihi and Karen have a strong bond between each other (and sleep together naked), Araragi uses his sexuality to demonstrate his new feelings for his sisters. In the same way Shinobu and Araragi forgive each other, at least a little bit, with one another through a very intimate bath scene.

  

  Conclusion

  Nisemonogatari suffers from slow pacing, cryptic dialogue, less astounding visuals, excessive fan-service, and a lack of a reason for the audience to care about what is happening on screen. It can feel tiring at times to have to watch Nisemonogatari, as scenes often go for longer than they should without much happening. However with all of these flaws, upon further inspection there is a lot to appreciate here. If you are new to the franchise (start with Bakemonogatari), and when you reach Nise try not to pay much attention to the fan-service if you are not into stuff like this. If you are a fan of the Monogatari series and dislike Nise, I would like you to re-watch it with a different perspective.

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• 

  CreativeUsername39

  70/100
  Despite some flaws, Monogatari's divisive second instalment is still one with plenty of merit.

  The second instalment in the Monogatari series is a divisive one. It has been labelled by many as the franchise’s least interesting entry, more concerned with fanservice than with interesting storytelling or compelling characterization. It does however have its fair share of fans, willing to defend it as a misunderstood gem. Personally, I love Nisemonogatari…up until a certain point.

  As opposed to Bakemonogatari’s five, Nise is comprised of two arcs. Those being Karen Bee and Tsukihi Phoenix, each one focusing on one of Koyomi Araragi’s siblings, the Fire Sisters. Two girls whose goal it is to bring justice wherever they go seemingly having a similar fixation on helping those in need as their brother, even though, unlike him, they don’t try to hide that.

  __Karen Bee__

  I’ll say right out of the gate that I think Karen’s arc leaves nothing to be desired. It is an interesting, well structure arc with, I would argue, great character writing and development.

  Nise’s primary theme is that of fakes. The show explores topics such as personas, masks that people put on and how those differ from our real selves. Now Monogatari has already touched something similar before, mainly in Tsubasa Cat. That said, Karen Bee puts its own spin on it by bringing up the question of how much it really matters if the personas that we put on are not completely true to our real self. After all, is it really so bad to be a little bit of a fake?

  The arc explores these intriguing themes masterfully through the incredibly interesting new characters in the form of Karen and the arc’s villain, Deishuu Kaiki, as well as the returning Koyomi Araragi and Hitagi Senjougahara (I know Karen was briefly in Bake but still “new” to the spotlight).

  

  Karen is a great character. She is hardly one of the most popular Monogatari girls, and I’m not sure why that is. Her bombastic, boisterous, somewhat snarky personality made her incredibly likeable and fun to watch, and her gradually revealed inner turmoil is very compelling and unique. She is unlike any other Monogatari character and made for a great addition to the cast.

  

  The sinister conman, Deishuu Kaiki, makes for an absolutely perfect villain for this arc, given its themes, and what he brings to them. Kaiki is basically Monogatari’s take on an 80s cartoon villain. Everything about him just screams evil. Except for him himself. What do I mean by that? Well, things such as his blatantly shady design, and the direction of just about every scene he is in, are all going out of their way to make him look like the Devil himself. The guy is literally introduced standing menacingly in the shadow of a black, dead tree against an eerie blood-red sunset. And yet, Kaiki himself never really acts cartoonishly evil. His general demeanour is that of a bored asshole but not much more than that. This contrast makes for a lovably strange and weirdly fun bad guy, who still manages to be decently threatening, as he is deadly competent and ruthless at what he does. All that, and the fact that he is eventually given some very interesting worldviews, he is truly everything one could possibly want in a Monogatari villain.

  

  Koyomi and Hitagi are both handled incredibly well here as well. Admittedly, the former is mainly a vehicle for the development of Karen and Hitagi in this arc, but it is done in a way where there is additional depth added to his character, as we do learn about his views on and relationship with the concept of “real” and “fake.” And Hitagi continues her journey of coping with her dark past, as she comes face-to-face with the man she holds responsible for a lot of it. Kaiki, with whom she has a troubled, deeply unpleasant history. Her development is once again handled very gracefully, as she remains one of the series’ most interesting characters.

  

  This is also the first time we get to hear the resident 600-year-old vampire loli, Shinobu Oshino, speak. In Nise, we get a more solid idea of her personality than we did in Bake. And she is a ton of fun, being a snarky, prideful and humorously condescending little asshat, while still having a few moments of softness and weaknesses like her adorable love of sweets. She is very believable, both as someone who was once a dignified, powerful being, while still being a person outside of that.

  

  I have heard people say that Nise meanders quite a bit. I’d assume that, in case of Karen Bee at least, they are referring to the first two episodes, which mainly consist of Koyomi having conversations with characters like Mayoi, Nadeko and Suruga. Conversations that don’t really add a ton to the arc’s story. Honestly, I get what they mean if that’s the case. That said, I don’t really have a problem with that, as I felt that these conversations were enjoyable and decently well integrated into the story. Not to mention, they do a good job setting up some future developments.

  __Tsukihi Phoenix__

  So far, I have done nothing but shower Nisemonogatari with praise. Unfortunately however, this stops here. As I've mentioned before, I only really love this season up until a certain point. In my opinion, the second arc, Tsukihi Phoenix, is thoroughly underwhelming.

  As you would expect of Monogatari, the arc mainly consists of interactions between characters. However, with the exceptions of a few moments (the toothbrush scene anyone?), those interactions lack the series' usual level of wit and come off as significantly more dry. They are not...tedious per se, as some interesting stuff is being brought up in them, but they do feel like they are more concerned with building-up to the arc's climax than they are with being entertaining while they last. So is the climax worth it at least? No, not really. It's a simplistic action sequence without any particularly exciting choreography, resolved in a rather unconvincing manner, involving a certain character making a confusing, very sudden 180.

  

  Speaking of character, that is another area in which Tsukihi Phoenix is lacking. I was rather disappointed with how Tsukihi Araragi was handled here. Not only is she not allowed to do much of anything in the story, with Koyomi and Shinobu being the proactive characters in her stead, she also does not have any real depth to speak of. We learn some interesting stuff about her, sure. But it’s more things regarding what she is, rather than who she is. The reveals in Tsukihi Phoenix don’t lend any insight into this character’s personality, emotions or anything else that has to do with Tsukihi as a person. At the moment, she is more interesting as a plot device than as a character. A shame really because her personality is actually quite entertaining, with her snark, and occasional outbursts of borderline psychotic intensity, that humorously clash with her usual pleasant demeanour.

  

  The other characters are not any better here. The arc introduces us to Yozuru Kagenui and Yotsugi Ononoki, and both come off as rather one-note and unmemorable.

  Yozuru has some personality with her mix of eccentricity and the feeling of intensity that she gives off, but the attempts at giving her depth fall flat, as her views and thought processes that we learn about are not as interesting as the show thinks they are. The fact that it was her who was responsible for the previously mentioned confusing 180 doesn’t help. As for Yotsugi, while she does become a more interesting character in The Second Season, here she is only really defined by a single joke in the form of her odd, deadpan demeanour and way of speaking. She is mildly amusing, but this doesn’t exactly make for the most compelling character introduction.

  This arc doesn’t do any disservice to Koyomi and Shinobu. That said, they are both very static throughout it, so they don’t do much to make up for the flatness of Tsukihi or the lacklustre first impressions left by Yozuru and Yotsugi.

  Thematically, I don’t think this arc adds a whole lot either. The stuff it brings up feels like a rehash of what was already sufficiently covered in Karen Bee, just with a less engaging story and weaker character writing.

  __Visuals and Sound__

  Much like Bake, Nise is very well done from the technical stand-point. The visuals keep all of their energetic flare and trippy creativity, and the new OPs are easily on pair with those of the first series. Marshmallow Justice and Platinum Disco are show stealers, but I quite enjoy the more calm tunes of Futakotone too. Something that I always enjoyed about Monogatari’s visuals is that some arcs kind of seem to have their own unique colour pallet, and it’s especially on display in Nise. Karen Bee is vibrant and warm, with all its yellows and oranges, while Tsukihi Phoenix goes for a colder pallet, with plenty of soothing blues, whites and greys.

  Voice acting-wise, the returning cast knock it out of the part once again, and the newcomers are excellent as well. Eri Kitamura perfectly encapsulates Karen’s energy and fierceness and Yuka Iguchi’s performance as Tsukihi, is oddly charming in how equal parts mature and childish sounding it comes off. Maaya Sakamoto, Schinichiro Miki, Ryouko Shiraishi and Saori Hayami, are also all fantastic matches for their respective characters’ personalities and unique quirks.

  Okay, I’ve managed to not talk about fan service even once in my Bakemonogatari review, but considering how famous Nise is for it, I should probably address it here. Yes, this one turns the fan service up to 11. But in all seriousness, I don’t mind. Much like Bake sometimes did, I think Nise does an excellent job using fan service to better get across the characters’ emotions and dynamics (e.g. the conversation between Koyomi and Nadeko). Not to mention, sometimes it can get so ridiculous that it’s honestly just really funny to me (e.g. the toothbrush scene).

  __Conclusion__

  Nisemonogatari is a strange part of the Monogatari series. It’s a masterpiece until it isn’t. But while I may have come off as harsh in some parts of this review, I actually like Nise quite a bit. Sure, I’m not crazy about one of its two arcs, but that arc is ultimately just four episodes, with the first seven being the exact kind of Monogatari goodness that I fell in love with in Bakemonogatari. So, would I side more with Nise’s detractors or defenders? Honestly? I’m leaning pretty heavily towards the “defender” side overall. While it’s nowhere near the highest point of Monogatari for me, it still has plenty of the kind of stuff that makes me love this series as much as I do.

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