Owarimonogatari 2nd Season

Owarimonogatari 2nd season is the final, conclusive ending to Araragi Koyomis adolescence life, wrapping everything up cleanly in one of the most satisfying endings in anime. The journey you get to up to this point is 100% what makes this season so much more impactful. The way in which Nisio Isin mixed up the timeline to really make you think about what character motivations and plot points are relevant in certain points of time add so much depth, nuance and just plain fun in piecing together all the bits of the puzzle up to this point. In fact, this "final" season isn't even the present day in the timeline up to this point in the LN release order; its Hanamonogatari from 4 seasons ago! Creating those gaps makes everything have such a satisfying click if you really invest yourself up to this point in the story, and finally get the whole picture of the massive 100 episode puzzle. The depth and complexity of all the interweaving character stories is so ridiculously profound that this show is probably the ONLY one that can make me sit through 99% pure dialogue with almost 0 action on the screen, and conversations possibly lasting the entire 20 minute runtime of an episode. STORY --------- You start the season by finally getting the answer to the cliffhanger from Koyomimonogatari in Mayoi Hell, then it develops into a calm-before-the-storm Hitagi Arc before going into the final, Ougi confrontation arc. The way this final arc was handled was nothing short of a writing masterclass, with an ending so satisfying I may even prefer it over Code Geass' ending as it manages to tie up every loose end up to this point in a neat, tidy and short 7 episode runtime. It didn't feel rushed, nor slow, and went full circle with the Monogatari story by returning to the main focus of Kizumonogatari. Almost all character stories up to this point has always been about how Araragi confronts the evil sprouted from another persons human flaws. However, as stated by Oshino, thinking you can save someone from their own flaws is hubris; in the end they themselves must "save themselves". At the very beginning of the Monogatari series in Kizumonogatari, Araragi was that flawed character, struggling with his isolationism and acceptance of his inability to be selfish, and he ultimately saved himself. And now, after all the stories up to this point from the Vampire, Cat, Crab, Snail, Monkey, Snake, Bee and Bird, we FINALLY come full circle in Owarimonogatari 2nd Season to confront his own flaws one last time, and of course, he must save himself yet again. The way this season utilities Oshino's "you can't save people" ideology on its nose in the final climax blew me away, along with countless other philosophies which were conveyed through Ougi as a medium for Araragi's final character development. It was especially impactful since I myself realised that I had been watching the show with the exact mindset that which Araragi discovers is his human flaw. Overall that final conclusion and confrontation was just the most perfect way to address the one final question in Araragi's character to close his story of Adolescence, and wrap up the stories of all other characters. Despite initially not quite knowing where it was going, I couldn't have asked for something better. ANIMATION --------------- Like previous seasons, I really enjoy the animation for the unique atmosphere that it brings to all the entries, since it sets itself apart from basically any other anime. There are absolutely 0 humanoid background characters, with most shots being huge, colorful liminal spaces completely empty and devoid of life for the main characters to set the stage. In between, you get cuts to real excerpts from the light novel itself to give introspection to tiny details or thoughts that characters are having. And of course, it wouldn't be a Monogatari season without camera shutter effects while rapidly rotating a character towards the camera as they drop metaphorical wisdom. Animation definitely plays a huge part in enjoyment, since without it, I'm not sure how anyone would be able to sit through 10-20 minute conversations. Studio Shaft can never truly get enough praise for the work they did to make the show engaging, and even though most of the show isn't movie level like in the Kizumonogatari III fight, the animation is done perfectly for what it needs to do. OST ----- Contrary to most people, I actually don't really like most openings and endings for Monogatari. However, the final opening in the Ougi arc was a rare one I really enjoyed, and I would put it right under Mousou Express. The opening manages to nail perfect lyrics that describe the conflict in the arc, but beyond that I won't spoil anything. Outside of OPs and EDs, there are plenty of good BG OST throughout the season, which also play a big role alongside the animation in setting the unique tone. Conclusion --------------------- As the finale, this season really felt like the perfect end to the 6 month long journey I took watching this series. It's a unique experience you can't really get from any other anime, with how the story is structured, Studio Shafts animation style and characters with so much depth that I could actually form attachments to them, which I don't usually find myself doing. Every character's emotions are written realistically, every chapter has a Japanese pun you won't get unless you're an expert, and almost every Monongatari story left a message that genuinely made me think about how we percieve friendships, define justice, confront negative emotions and most importantly love yourself. Thats just not something you can get from any anime, so I'll really miss it once I finish Zoku Owarimongatari. This was truly a series I will never forget, and I look forward to rewatching chronologically to catch all the tiny little details I probably missed. My Overall Ranking of Monogatari Seasons: 1. Monogatari 2nd Season 2. Kizumonogatari III 3. Owarimonogatari 2nd Season 4. Kizumonogatari I 5. Kizumonogatari II 6. Owarimonogatari 7. Bakemonogatari 8. Nisemonogatari 9. Hanamonogatari 10. Koyomimonogatari 11. Tsukimonogatari 12. Nekomonogatari: Kuro

Originally I was only planning to watch Bakemonogatari because it was recommended to me saying it is like Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. I did not expect after a few months I would watch the whole series and finally reach this point that I am just in awe of the trip I have taken. If this was the end, then the journey was worth it because the destination is beautiful. Though the whole series is far from perfect, as it has it's weaker season but overall, majority of them were amazing. This basically concludes everything we have seen and neatly wraps it all up with the one person we have seen the whole time. Obviously you have to be a fan to reach this far, because if you aren't, I don't know why you would even bother to watch this just to hate on it. Since this is like the very last one. So there's no point of reading this review if you aren't a fan of the other series. And if you plan to watch this first? Well that's just stupid. You can watch it in the release order or chronological order, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you made it here, I hope you can enjoy it as much as I did. A satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series that does not need a continuation but if it does have one, I shall welcome it.

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) I’m not much of a driver myself. I have a license, and I know how to drive, but I much prefer using my own two legs for some nice exercise or Uber for a new-age taxi. As such, whether my destination is the grocery store or the nearby local mall, a car rarely enters the equation for me. Sooner or later, self-driving cars will take over the road, and I will not have to even think about driving whatsoever (since the vehicle will do everything anyway). Owarimonogatari 2nd Season also drives itself, too. Neither towards groceries nor knickknacks but rather towards storied anime success. STORY The first Owarimonogatari season stands as one of the best entries in the entire series, what with its higher emphasis on a spooky new character, its symmetrical leanings, and its strong themes. So, with the sequel now upon the masses, how does the continuation carry the torch? To get everything aflame, the anime moves forward with its usual approach of distinct arcs within a single run. Three in total create this sprint: Mayoi Hell (two episodes), Hitagi Rendezvous (two episodes), and Ougi Dark (three episodes). Mayoi Hell finds Araragi literally dead and alongside Hachikuji once again. Hitagi Rendezvous is less formal than the wording suggests insofar as Araragi meets up with Senjougahara for a much-needed date. Ougi Dark brings Gaen and the gang together to talk about the mysterious Ougi Oshino herself. Where the latest-released installment before this one (Koyomimonogatari) took a brief pitstop for an extra dosage of fun, these next few arcs get back on the plot track. Not to say that they ditch the silliness outright, though. For example, Mayoi Hell serves the narrative purpose of stripping Araragi of a key feature of his but also gives the audience one of the best Hachikuji “I fwubbed!” performances ever. Hitagi Rendezvous progresses the relationship between the crab and the pervert one more step while also providing the saucy quips from Senjougahara that have been absent for far too long. And Ougi Dark reveals the actual identity of Ougi and makes Ononoki succumb to the lighthearted-yet-unfortunate end of Tsukihi’s and Shinobu’s handling. In other words, Owarimonogatari 2nd Season remains just as similar to the rest of its family in its structure and direction. The same applies for its thematic roots, too. This time, the anime discusses what it means to do the right thing versus the right thing. It pops up in each arc with Araragi in some manner. He helps Hachikuji when he possibly shouldn’t. He competes with Senjougahara in a romantic rivalry. He goes above and beyond for Ougi. Moreover, the show challenges the concept of “right” itself, forcing Araragi to think about this word given who he is, what he is doing, and why he is worrying about it in the first place. While not the most profound setup imaginable, this theme still allows for that thoughtful edge that the series keeps tucked away behind the mystery and the comedy it regularly touts. Not everything goes right, though. Truth be told, the actual events and plot in general do not have as much weight or as much engagement when compared to the past. A particularly built-up moment involving a certain someone comes to mind when it comes and goes without a whole lot of fanfare befitting the moment. Nevertheless, Owarimonogatari 2nd Season remains a solid “conclusion” to this series. Witty wordplay, cultural knowledge, cool ideologies, interesting twists. That is to say, it’s tough to hate on such a robust story. ART & ANIMATION Not much else can be said about the visuals within Owarimonogatari 2nd Season that hasn’t been said already. This far into the series, the show has its visual direction and signature flair basically down to a science. Tons of different styles, colors, shapes, perspectives, and cuts. Fun and personality-filled character designs of both an old and new nature. Quick scenes of high-quality animation. Head tilts. It’s all there once again to stare at and appreciate in all its splendor. Some shout-outs are still in order, though. The callbacks to the “scraggly” style of the opening and ending tracks as Araragi traverses the underworld with Hachikuji were a nice touch. Plus, the fact that Ougi delivers a bunch of metaphors within Araragi’s dream by using the known constellations as a replacement for the planetarium he and Senjougahara slept through made for a neat moment, too. And showcasing a game of cricket (with cake and tea time to boot) to keep stimuli high during a long-winded explanation also deserves recognition for, as always, refusing to let the conversations stagnate on a cinematic level. In short, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” CHARACTERS This series has almost always been home to a wide range of characters. Some seasons will contain a large handful to choose from, and some seasons will instead keep the focus on just one person in particular. For Owarimonogatari 2nd Season, it goes mostly with the latter, giving nearly all the attention to Araragi. Not to dismiss them outright, the supporting cast do have their opportunities throughout this specific season, too. Hachikuji earns herself a much more fitting, much more deified position despite her stature and her snail-driven background. Senjougahara gets “put in her place” per se as she learns to lose like a champ. And Ougi becomes humanized after his ending goes down a different route than even he could have predicted (and, in the process, revealing his official gender if the previous pronouns have not done so already). Yet Owarimonogatari 2nd Season, much like the first season which predates it, puts Araragi in that limelight. For a show which prioritizes (for the most part) everybody else but him, this infrequent look into the main protagonist turns into a special occasion of sorts. Araragi has pretty much been a man of questionable morals yet an honorable guy who cares deeply for the people close to him. However, he brings up several of the significant events which have affected him over the course of this myriad set of tales, signaling how he understands that this bizarre journey of his has impacted his life in ways unforeseen. The audience thinks about his progress in turn. What has improved for him, how his failures have shaped his course. He’s clearly been through a lot, and this season adds to this fact. His conversations with Hachikuji have him reflect on the choices he has made up to this point and whether he would perform the same ones again if given the chance. His date with Senjougahara has him growing closer to her with “vows” the two share together. And his final talk with Ougi has him looking inwards at himself about who he really happens to be. These moments, combined with his imminent graduation from high school into college and therefore pre-adulthood, find Araragi overcoming his adolescence. He had naturally been moving towards maturity as he became studious once again in school and thought about others before himself these past several months. But, here in Owarimonogatari 2nd Season, a last solid push pushes him onto that side with nary a trouble. This season has also reaffirms an idea arguably much more important and much more intriguing: that not everything about Araragi (or anyone for that matter) must be fixed or changed or redone. In real life, mundane issues or traumatic happenings can drastically morph people, but this situation is not always the case. Just because someone comes upon a new perspective does not mean that his or her entire personality flips or that he or she undergoes a physical transformation. Often, they remain mostly the same yet gain a newfound idea, outlook, or lesson that will be carried with them indefinitely. The same applies for characters in anime, and Araragi here in this season of the franchise represents a prime example. His maturity does not equate to him ditching his…

[STORY: 10/10] The "Monogatari" series comes together well to create a masterpiece of a story. This show is much deeper than a lot of people think. It is filled to the brim with philosophical arguments and great storytelling. The focus isn't mainly on action, though it does have some visually stunning action scenes. A lot of the time, it will just be conversations between characters, but this is the blood that keeps this series alive and flourishing. Without it, you'd have a normal show with above-average production. This type of show isn't for everyone, but I personally love it. [ART: 10/10] The animators went all out animating this show, as detail and flamboyance embody the artistic direction of this show. Each character's design and set piece is carefully planned out, and it shows. [SOUND: 10/10] The voice actors become their characters when they act them out, that's how into them they get. They really care about their role, you can tell. And sound effects are well done as well, nothing seems off in that department. [CHARACTER: 10/10] Most every character is important to the main plot of the story and if they aren't the main character, the style of the show makes it seem as if they don't even exist. Whether they are designed as set pieces or outlines, the show really puts emphasis on those we really care about. These characters are no joke either, pretty much none of them are one-dimensional wastes of time, which is very appreciated. [ENJOYMENT/OVERALL: 10/10] Though some parts of the series are better than others, the series as a whole is truly an amazing body of work that I consider a masterpiece. This story is filled to the brim with beautifully crafted characters, artwork, sound design, and an amazing story that philosophically challenges the observer to think. A masterful work by Isin Nisio.

Owarimonogatari 2nd Season is Volume 3 we the fans have waited for since the end of the first season back in the year 2015. Shaft has delivered however, Since making the promise back on the year 2013, Shaft compromised with the fans of the Monogatari Franchise to animate everything and anything penned by NisiOisin regarding the Monogatari Series. So How does this second season of Owarimonogatari fare? PLOT Araragi Koyomi High School year is drawing into a close and Owarimonogatari delivers a finale and freeing every knot conjured in the series quite masterfully. On Mayoi Hell Araragi is forced to come to an understanding of himself and face off to the fact that there is no point of dwelling on the past. As his graduation nears he is freeing the knots of his youth and battling his inner demons that hold him hostage for every one of his seemingly reckless actions. actions that he later learns after openly giving it some thought, would have happened with or with out him and ultimately hell is a place you go on your own accord, as to your own conscience you must feel guilt to be be punished as that is something that would resurfaced on the later arcs. While Dead, Araragi has his life played before his eyes and learns that there isn't much if any to change given the chance. Mayoi Hell does one thing well, and that is it forces our MC to learn his place. he needs to learn everything doesn't depend on him and moving alongside the plot highlights his greatest hits while in high school. On Hitagi Rendezvous Araragi learns to be dependent on others and perhaps more perceptive of those whole love him, as there are people out there that would match him in kindness or maybe stupidity to stake out their neck for Araragi Koyomi while on his date after so long with Senjougahara Hitagi. Hitagi wants intimacy and seeks to get on first name basis with her boyfriend, we are shown and reminded on our cast youth as it cn be attributed to their inexperience, we are shown how a young couple waited so long for this intimacy and it becomes accomplished by coming to terms and dealing with your issues together. Ougi Dark dealt with inner demons given shape or should I say corporeal form, Sometimes you don't have to battle your demons but accept that they're your own self criticism and they'll leave you alone as so long as you learn that you are not perfect, as you're young you're entitled to your mistakes, but it is up to you to own up to them and accept them as part of yourself. As Owariimonogatari 2nd Season was one giant metaphor for struggle, It closes a story of a youth whose life went to shit when he became familiar with the supernatural. Which he later lived through, confronted and came up on top. Sound The Choice of OST and OP/ED by Shaft was amazing, it played well with the sequences and further cemented points trying to get across. Characters: The monogatari cast are the incarnation of the 4th wall. they're well knit and developed throughout their lives on the series a more mature outlook in life and told you their tale for your entertainment. Art: The art was consistent of the other adaptations and the symbolism was ever so present. as always Shaft doesn't disappoint. Enjoyment: The monogatari series is an absolute masterpiece, well put together and the characters have a little of both relativity and absurdity, why wouldn't they on this case. It's a story of youth given the breath of teh supernatural confronting themes ever so present on everyone life and some not so much as they're metaphors to problems. I highly recommend and before I forget, Watch Koyomonogatari Episode 11 - 12 before watching this installation.

Owarimonogatari’s Second Season is essentially the climax of the series, or at least one of them. We finally get to see others take care of Araragi in the same manner he takes care of others. Owarimonogatari II features and resolves Araragi’s Ghost Stories in a similar fashion it has featured and resolved every other character’s. Having said that, from a purely execution perspective, it is about as average as it gets. It looks, feels, sounds, and is, essentially, simply another arc. It does not try to do or be more than Araragi’s resolution. From a plot perspective, it ties everything together so elegantly it’ll leave you thunderstruck. Owarimonogatari II brings just about everything that’s ever happened in all of Monogatari together with unwavering purpose. It is simultaneously shocking and wholesome how related things are in the series that seemed completely unrelated. Owarimonogatari II is a storytelling spectacle. Owarimonogatari II is so good it almost warrants a rewatch of the entire series solely to pick up on more of the nuances that it strives on. I only half remembered some things referenced in Owarimonogatari II. I had many, “oh, that’s why that happened” moments. One last thing I’d like to point out about the plot is that even though there are technically three different arcs in Owarimonogatari II, it certainly feels like just one. To me, it’s a stretch to say that there is a snail arc, a crab arc, and a darkness arc in Owarimonogatari II. I would call it borderline ludicrous to say there’s a snail arc. We learn absolutely nothing new about Hachikuji, she serves solely as a plot device in Owarimonogatari II. To me, all of Owarimonogatari II is a vampire arc. Owarimonogatari II is probably what most people watch the Monogatari series for. Owarimonogatari II is the amalgamation of themes and storylines in the Monogatari series, it is the end goal. Having said that, I still don’t think it’s in the top 3 arcs of the series. I’d probably put it somewhere between 4 and not the worst. Don’t get me wrong, Owarimonogatari II is good, but it’s no Kizumonogatari II, Nekomonogatari: Shiro, or Sodachi Arc. Again, I’d put it somewhere below those but not last. Owarimonogatari II is THE must-watch arc of all Monogatari; however, you do need to watch everything before this to fully enjoy it. And I mean everything, Kizumonogatari, Koyomimonogatari, Nisemonogatari and all. Leave no stone left unturned if you’re planning on watching Owarimonogatari II.

#3. Review for Owarimonogatari Second Season. It will contain spoilers which will be noted beforehand. Episodes Seen: 7/7 Owarimonogatari S2 is the pure definition of what a masterpiece should have to give us the perfect conclusion to a perfect series. Owarimonogatari S2, or by its translated name: “End Story”; is the ending of the Final Season of the Monogatari series, an adaptation of the third volume of the Owarimonogatari novel that finishes the main storyline, placed chronologically after the events of Koyomimonogatari. If you are here, that means that you have already seen the whole series starting from Bakemonogatari, otherwise this review may ruin the experience as it will contain (for obvious reasons) a lot of spoilers. Remember, Owarimonogatari Second Season is placed after Kizumonogatari and before Zoku Owarimonogatari when it comes to the aired watching order. Story: 10/10 (HUGE SPOILERS HERE) If you have watched any Monogatari anime, you should know that they’re mainly divided by short arcs presenting most of the times stories that aren’t placed chronologically or simply sometimes there’s no direct correlation to the arcs within the same anime adaptation. Owarimonogatari S2 follows the story of our good guy Araragi Koyomi, who, after his death on the events of Koyomimonogatari wakes up in a strange but lovely place: hell. Here we see our lovely and cute Hachikuji Mayoi, who disappeared (or died) a long time ago, saving our main and giving him the right steps to get away from hell. (END OF SPOILERS HERE) I’m not going to get deep into the other arcs and the meaning behind and explanation and stuff due to many reviews here already said that and you should go check some of them and check the synopsis as well. What you should know about this anime’s story is that is perfectly well-written and Ougi Dark, the last arc of this season is a completely beasty-masterpiece in all ways you want to see it, and I didn’t really find a better way to finish an amazing series rather than this. Art: 10/10 Well, SHAFT is particularly known for its surreal and kind of strange animation and art style, then, Owarimonogatari S2 doesn’t really provides us with anything new we haven’t already seen on the previous series (except for Kizumonogatari of course), the animation, art style and character’s design is awesome and perfectly executed as always has been. The best I can tell you here is to pay close attention to the art on Hitagi Rendezvous planetarium scene and Ougi Dark’s conclusion. Sound: 9/10 Same stuff as the art, it keeps being awesome and beautiful, the openings and the ending keep being catchy and wonderful. Soundtrack is damn well-made (keep track of the Hitagi Rendezvous arc’s music) and it feels like SHAFT is always improving with each year they make a new Monogatari adaptation. Thumbs up in here. Character: 10/10 (SPOILERS HERE) It is really delightful how the Monogatari series makes a perfect character development through each single arc of every single anime. This is time for our loved Senjougahara Hitagi to show us how extremely cute she can be and how much she is into loving Araragi, and how she manages to gives us the most heartwarming scenes in the whole series. Then we also got Koyomi’s time to shine in what regards to character development together with Oshino Ougi in the final arc, as said before, I won’t be getting specific with every arc but it is really hard not to talk about one of the best episodes I’ve ever watched on an anime and that’s Ougi Dark arc. Also we are presented with Ougi’s real being, and why she appears to be so strange and complex throughout the series, many questions answered in time and surely it won’t leave you indifferent. (SPOILERS END HERE) Enjoyment: 10/10 I’m going to give it a ten because there’s no greater rating to give, enjoyment might be sometimes subjective, and as a huge fan of the Monogatari series is hard to say this is not enjoyable, it will be as simple as giving a huge lie. It is also great to see how an “extensive anime” (of about a hundred episodes or so) never get to bore us. What I’d expect since I was watching Hanamonogatari was “hey, this series is great, but surely in further adaptations it’ll be consumed by some gross fan service or rushed ideas to keep the anime alive”, thanks god I was wrong. Overall: 10/10 An overall 10/10 for one of the best animes you can watch out there and one my personal favorites. It has such an amazing way to tell, develop and finish an awesome story; perfect animation and background art combined with a subtle yet wonderful soundtrack; three main arcs that are really impressive and perfectly executed, with a huge and carefully written character development. Owarimonogatari for me set a before and after in regards of enjoying anime. My words may or may not go through you, but after watching this one, you surely won’t have any words to say about such an amazing masterpiece.

(Note: This is more for the series as a whole than solely Owari season 2, but I do touch on some points) I've been making my way through the Monogatari series for a couple of months now and I've finally reached the end. At least, the end until Zoku Owarimonogatari comes out. When Bakemonogatari unexpectedly blew me away, I strapped myself in and prepared for the wild ride that I felt I was fully prepared for. There were moments that tested my faith, like both Nekomonogataris and Tsubasa Tiger, but I held strong and kept on watching. With each moment that tested my resolve in the series, there were so many others that blew me away, like the Kizumonogatari movies, the rest of Monogatari SS, and Ougi Oshino and her story. Maybe Monogatari won't leave me as my #1 anime of all time, but it definitely ranks in the top 3, if not concluding as my favorite series of all time. Owarimonogatari S2, however, contains the brilliant conclusion to a fascinating series and set of characters. In a sort of irony that only Monogatari could pull off, the series comes full circle to conclude. It's impossible to describe how perfectly the ending was pulled off without spoilers, but suffice it to say that the story of Koyomi Araragi ends, as it began, with him going above and beyond for someone incredibly dear for him, a situation that he found himself in time and time again throughout the series. It's hard to say that Owarimonogatari S2 is something of an adrenaline pumping experience but that, I think, is what makes this series so special. It shrugs off adrenaline pumping action and achieves it instead with words and interactions. Sure, it may drag at times, but usually you find yourself having an epiphany over that seemingly irrelevant conversation, gaining insight into who Koyomi Araragi, or the latest girl he's helping out, is on the inside. It's incredible how deep and developed every single character is by the end of the series, despite many of the 'side characters' not having exuberant amounts of screen time. The dialogue simply builds their personalities so well that more episodes with them aren't necessary, no matter how much we wish there was more Kanbaru. I would recommend the Monogatari series to anyone, but especially anyone with an interest in character-driven stories and interaction-driven exposition. It is a unique anime experience to be sure. I had no idea how much I would come to enjoy the series, but I sure am glad that I started. In fact, I'm already planning to re-watch it in the future, with a different order. So what are you waiting for? It's time to watch Bakemonogatari already!

Owarimonogatari (End Story) Season 2 is an anime adaptation based on the novel based on the light novel "Owarimonogatari Volume 3" and I just have to say finally! We have finally have made it to the conclusion of the Monogatari Series (unless Zokuowarimonogatari is going to be adapted) and this conclusion is the most satisfying and deserves to be one of the best Monogatari Series arc I have ever watched. Story: 9 The Monogatari stories are pretty much one of the best out there in the light novel area, and the story gets even better. The story consists of three arcs in each of the three episodes. Episode one covers up the "Mayoi Hell" arc, the Second episode covers "Hitagi Rendezvous", and the third/final episode covers the "Ougi Dark"arc. For "Mayoi Hell" this arc has memorable nostalgia. Other than nostalgia, it gives the main character questions what if he didn't do all of these things and just focus on himself or what the main character actions are doing good. For "Hitagi Rendezvous" we get an in-close relationship arc of both Senjougahara and the Main character Araragi. The date is not like in your average anime. Nothing crazy at all. We get to see two of our characters experiencing heartwarming and developing relationships and see what it leads to. For "Ougi Dark" we reached to the climax where we see characters expressing their thoughts on what they are going to do in the future and the climatic showdown between Araragi and the antagonist. These 3 arcs also answers most of our questions were answered from Koyomimonogatari. Thank god the director decided to not leave important details out. The pacing is pretty good too. Overall the story got me emotional, thinking, laughing, happy, and I praise Nisio Isin for his great writing. Also, keep in mind with the life lessons, too. Art: 10 Shaft really knows what to do when animating this light novel. They have been doing this for the past 10 adaptations in three seasons and they still got it. -Polished visuals and colors -Good Lighting -Colors and artstyle in backgrounds, animation, and character fits specific scenes. Lets not forget about the filming technique that they used which is the "French New Wave" and it works perfectly in the Monogatari Series especially in this adaptation Sound: 9 Like the animation, the sound can adapt to the setting and the tone. Each arc gets a different soundtrack and its very good if I must say. Of course many people would forget about the music being played in the Monogatari Series, but I suggest don't. When its a happy scene, there's happy music, when there are funny scenes: there are pleasant and relaxing music, when the scene gets serious: there are eerie and mid silent music, and when its sad: there's emotional music. The composer deserves praise for this. Character: 8 For those who are Monogatari fans (including me), we can admit that we wanted these characters to come back. Boy, we missed these characters. Of course, a character is developed through conversations, some which leads to life lessons and morals. Also, characters, that I thought were going to be average harem troops, instead that their own complexity and uniqueness and that still remains in Owarimonogatari 2nd Season. Araragi also receives some good character development. But I do want to point out Teori who I think the character is boring and not as interesting, but his back story raised my interest a little bit. Therefore, it deserves an 8. Enjoyment: 9 Its been 8 years since Bakemonogatari first aired, and then 8 years later we would finally reach towards the conclusion to this fantastically written stories of aberrations and Asian folktale which good character development and personality, and depth of story. Of course, I watched the whole series on repeat from first to third/final and I can do the same to Owarimonogatari 2nd Season watching from first to thrid/final.

The first season has a 9/10 because it had really focused arcs, even with the second arc being dialogue driven. Those were fresh arcs with mostly fresh characters because of the continuation of linking everyone else into the timeline. However, this 2nd season ends up being too tidy in a very chaotic series. All the loose ends are explained as coincidences but the writing makes too smooth of an ending. This would be a 10/10 if I liked a clean ending. If you dig underneath the supernatural, horror, fan service, and complex storylines, it is a harem genre at heart. So they created a clean ending. It feels too smooth and clean for such a chaotic series that purposefully shows you events out of order. Some episodes are still highlights so it gets a 7/10.

Owari (エンディング) means ending right? But Not Owari (エンド) 2? and Zoku ( 続く) but... Spoilers (スポイラー) (いけない) So Owarimonogatari's 2nd Season gets itself to the buildup arc with Mayoi Hell, Hitagi Rendezvous leading itself to Ougi Dark. Mayoi Hell sorta deals with Tsukimonogatari's villain as well as the entire explanation of showing that Ougi is the main villain of the entire series, it starts with....Arararagi getting killed and well, brought to Hell (れんごく) with Mayoi being his guide. If anything Mayoi Hell shows off Tadotsuru's motives and his stakes in all this and how he has the many connections towards Gaen and Meme, since KIZUMONOGATARI. Hitagi Rendezvous arc is where Hitagi arranges a date with Araragi and though that is the basic premise of it, the most intriguing thing about this arc was about the constellation dream Araragi has with Ougi. This was ALSO LA's favourite of the arcs as it shows off Hitagi's deredere side to the maximum. The constellation dream is the most interesting and even though it's coming from Ararararagi it shows in more detail, foreshadowing, past events that all points to Ougi, whether to be the villain or not?. LA thought long and hard about this and really the constellation dream makes the Monogatari series go full circle and in MANY layers, as such LA will be talking about it in layers (たまねぎ) Layers? The first (いち) layer shows that the Serpens (Nadeko) is stopped by Asclepius (Araragi) like the snake charmer Ophiuchus as the constellation but is unable to by the Crab (Hitagi) interrupts Asclepius and uses that chance for Kaiki to actually stop Nadeko. This reference is ALSO in reference to Araragi cleansed of his immortality from Mayoi Hell much like Asclepius turned mortal from Zeus Second (に) layer in all this is that the snake is the Shirohebi, the apparition that has been mentioned within this 2nd season as well as Nadeko's arcs, in which Araragi will defeat Shirohebi but will be stopped by Hitagi as Araragi after the events of Mayoi Hell, is human thus he might die in the process of defeating Shirohebi. Third (さん) layer is that the snake might actually be the snake is Ougi as a she was the one to release all the anomalies to the girls of the series thus is like a hydra, thus Araragi as Hercules will defeat her, but Hitagi will stop him as Gaen might kill Araragi due to Shinbou being turned full vampire and will have no need of him. Four (よつ) & fifth (ご) layer is as a result of the constellation dream and what Ougi latter tells is that Ougi is like the principles of the universe itself, thus for LA's interpretation is fate itself and will stop any rule breakers thus sending off the anomalies to the girls since they technically broke the rules of the universe and in turn fate thus the hydra analogy with Ougi in the third layer Sixth (ろく) layer to all these layers and making itself multilayered is who is who?...is Ougi the snake or Shirohebi, or Gaen?. How will Hitagi thanks to this foreshadowing will stop Araragi from defeating the snake and finally is Ougi REALLY is the villain as she is suppose to be the allegory of fate or Gaen really the villain? Symbolism at it's finest, Nisio Isin is a true master in his craft to dupe the audience but now to bring all his arcs he's built up into this one constellation dream with MANY outcomes, showing off that it's not as predictable as it seems (あか せぐろかもめ) Ougi Dark arc is the culmination and confrontation of Ougi and "what" she really is. Ougi Dark also brings into plan what to do with Shinobu and Hachikuji as well. Ougi Dark being an unknown all this time creating trouble for everyone is finally confronted by and ONLY Araragi. The "battle" as it were is the same as most Monogatari stories battles (sans Kizumonogatari) and the revelation of who Ougi Oshino truly was, made the "battle" an anticlimax but true to Nisio Isin, this was a given, though the revelation of Ougi Oshino's true identity was actually VERY well done and di much more to Araragi even though it was Ougi's arc, it's what happened after that made it an anticlimax and latter on with Hachikuji and Shinobu an anticlimax and thus something of a happy ending for all, something like a inverse to Kizumonogatari's finale. In all, LA's favourite arc became Ougi Dark, then Hitagi Rendezvous then Mayoi Hell but all tied up quite nicely, heck Ougi Dark made sense to be right next to Sodachi's arc in the first season as a result of the revelation, so again even in a meta-sense, it...made sense. SHAFT once again helms the animation is is just the same, wacky and expected nature of the Monogatari series and much like what the direction is suppose to show the characters emotions in consistency different ways, it's still a nice touch once again to make what is essentially a "talky"-focused anime, so as much as LA feels like is in the minority of all this but the animation as quick paced and sometimes nonsensical it is, but not is quite well done and makes you pay attention, this IS Akiyuki Shinobu, this IS Monogatari, it's kinda to be expected Voice cast, well the original voice cast is back and MAN did Chiwa Saito did AMAZINGLY as per always along with Kaori Mizuhashi as Ougi, Satsuki Yukino as Gaen and Hiroshi Kamiya as Ararararararagi, Emiri Katou as Hachikuji, Yui Horie as Hanekawa, Saori Hayami as Yotsugi, Yuka Iguchi as Tsukihi and as always Maaya Sakamoto as Shinobu (this time fully in her mature cadence since Shinobu is full vampire). What else can LA say but great cast as always. What the conclusion to Owarimonogatari's 2nd Season entails, it is in a meta-sense that it's a foregone conclusion, but the foregone conclusion flew by LA's head considering this was Nisio Isin we were talking about, but with how the foregone conclusion has the anticlimax, the conclusion especially with Ougi Dark was still well done. It's because of LA looking TOO deep into the constellation dream (but will still say that constellation felt like a perfect encapsulation of what the Monogatari series' past events, just don't look too deep in terms of foreshadowing) and made it predictable or wanting it to be that way that made Ougi Dark NOT predictable but predictable in terms of character conclusions, but the revelation was amazingly well done and no thanks to LA's overhyped red herring of the constellation dream MAKING itself predictable for all as it is still for LA at least lead to the same result, LA can forgive the anticlimaxes in Ougi Dark. Nisio Isin thought this through, he did it again! Owarimonogatari 2nd Season is NOT the end as Ougi said as it's the end of A story, but many stories to come has not ended, but Owari is not Owari thus more sequels in a sense but the owari-monogatari's 2nd Season finale was greatly done as well as the buildup it had (including deredere Hitagi then yeah) and finally the resolutions were good to great in a sense, in a sense of interpretation or dream as it were. Interpretation (かいしゃく) as it were is numerous and how the finale's climax is up to you, but LA's interpretation though anticlimaxes came, LA still in the end liked Owarimonogatari 2nd Season as a whole, flaws and all. What was the saying "Expect the unexpected?" (はてし)

Owarimonogatari wasn't the most heavily emotional part of the Monogatari series for me, those bases are pretty much already covered, but it was still just as self-actualizing and personally affecting, and it managed to provide an ending which tied everything together so well it’s honestly kind of mindblowing how beyond perfect it is. Seriously, Nisioisin has been playing 4D Chess this whole time. Every series staple since Bakemonogatari comes full circle, and it’s like the greatest puzzle in the world being solved as all aspects of the series up until this point get synthesized into one narrative singularity. Even the fucking recurring jokes are revealed to have been foreshadowing the final narrative roles of each character, and that’s just astounding. And with this season focusing on Araragi and the conclusion to his character, the ending also paves the way for Araragi to move on into adulthood, as he finally "loses his adolescence," an event which has been hinted at a lot up until now. The results of which are reflected in his appearance in Hanamonogatari, where Araragi has evidently become a different person and is even wise enough to effectively help Kanbaru sort out her own issues. In fact, the advice Araragi gives Kanbaru and his ability to help her without directly involving himself are key here, as Araragi must not only “lose” his adolescence in this season, but also comes to terms with it. I won’t be spoiling anything too specific, but be wary as I will be talking about some key character developments essential to understanding the overall conclusion to the series. The writing regarding this return focus on Araragi was as strong as ever, and the scenes throughout each episode demonstrate that. The whole season is essentially a breakdown of Araragi as a character, reflecting on who he is, what he’s done, and what the results were over the course of the series. And in addition to the phenomenal character interactions and thematic staging, the season’s visual direction and overall production quality strongly highlight this as well, with some of the most striking images (and backgrounds) of the entire series and a profoundly atmospheric and evocative original soundtrack. Perhaps most notable of these two qualities is the series’ return to dramatic shifts in art style and color palette reminiscent of the original Bakemonogatari, and the season’s use of beautiful orchestral arrangements that lend the show a truly penetrating sense of tension during it’s eerier scenes, sorrow during it’s more somber ones, and vivid joy in it’s uplifting ones. And these callbacks to the style of Bakemonogatari are quite appropriate for this season, as the events that took place during that time are what primarily affect Araragi’s change here. From the outset, Araragi’s character arc centers around his tendency to put himself in danger in an effort to relieve the distress of others, something which, in addition to his own mutilation at the hands of of those he’s trying to help, has routinely led to further issues down the road that stem from the initial problem. And as Araragi continually fails over and over again to solve these issues with the same method of self-sacrifice, we see him come to resent those past actions. But while Araragi's previous behavior may not have been able to totally fix everything and had some unintended consequences along the way, if it weren't for his involvement, none of the characters in the series would be the better selves that they are now. And likewise, as Araragi finally faces himself and learns how to become a more balanced individual this season, it can’t be denied that the actions of Hanekawa, Senjougahara, Oshino, Hachikuji, Shinobu, Kanbaru, Ononoki, and all of his other friends had aided him in doing so, the same way he had aided them before. When the time is right, he even says this in his own words: “Everyone else saved me, and if I didn’t save myself? That’s something I just couldn’t allow to happen.” Up until now, Araragi has spent the entire series “saving” others, but he’s never really had to do it for himself, like Oshino always says. He had the chance to in Kizumonogatari, but he doesn’t. He runs away from that idea, believing that he should be punished for his actions, and that’s why when he narrates the story, he calls it a tragedy. As the show goes on, Araragi’s always thinking this way, that all he does is make mistakes, and maybe the world and everyone he knows would be better off without him. As his self-identity is disrupted, he dejectedly falls further into the mindset that he is worthless and a burden, and that’s what makes it so moving when he finally breaks free from it. Faced with the physical manifestation of all his self-doubt and pressured from all sides to suppress it, Araragi instead chooses to forgive that self-doubt, accepting it as a part of him, and by extension, accepting himself. He refuses to give in to despair, admitting to himself that even if some of his choices didn’t turn out for the best, he was not wrong in making them, and it’s one of the most powerful moments in the entire series. Helping those in need is a part of who Araragi is, and that’s okay, but in coming to terms with his self-criticism, he also learns from it. By confronting his lurking feelings, he comes to recognize that without his mistakes he never would have found so many people who enjoy having him around, and in turn make his life more enjoyable too. After all, his loved ones have always given him their all just the same as he has for them, so how could he possibly think he wasn’t also worth saving? This whole arc really resonated with me a lot, as I’m sure it did with many others, especially considering how often in the past I personally have had to deal with my own self criticism and regrets. Throughout high school I was often extremely hard on myself and always felt like I was messing everything up, which all came to a head during my senior year. And while the feelings I had at the time ultimately seem pretty trivial in retrospect, at the time it culminated in thinking I was a failure who hadn’t lived up to expectations, despite knowing full-well that I had so many people who loved me for who I was and would always support me regardless of any blunders I make. But that’s the thing, those negative emotions often don’t seem to make sense. They emerge regardless, even when it seems illogical. From a purely objective standpoint, Araragi lives probably the best life there is out of all the characters in the show. He has a stable, financially well-off family life with both parents, an enormous house with his own room, a loving girlfriend who always sticks by him, and next to no social pressures weighing on him to be a certain way. And yet, Araragi still feels inferior. He has everything he could ever want, so why would he be unhappy? Because he hasn’t suffered as his friends have. Because he hasn’t seen the same kinds of hardships. Because he has always been allowed to be himself. And isn’t that wrong? Shouldn’t there be a consequence for that? And that’s just it. Araragi has watched his friends endure so much, all while he lives seemingly carefree, and he hates himself for it. That’s why he tries so hard to take all of their pain onto himself, because he doesn’t want them to feel it, and believes that comparatively, he hasn’t felt it enough. All of Araragi’s pain is self-inflicted. And like Araragi at the end of this season, by the end of my senior year, I too had realized this. And so I took those feelings of failure and self doubt head-on, realizing that they needed to be confronted no matter how painful they were for me to accept. Rather than shutting my emotions inward and continuing to deny that I deserved to be happy, I moved on and decided that I was worth it. Because despite my imperfections and the mistakes of my past, I am good enough, even if my choices make my life or the lives of others harder sometime…

What a fantastic ending to a fantastic series! I have enjoyed Monogatari in its entirety since its humble beginnings in Bakemonogatari. Even through some of the rougher, boring parts of the series, I’ve stuck through with it, because I believed that the show was slowly building up to something grand. I am happy to say that Owarimonogatari was a fantastic closing to that build up and an exceptionally satisfying way to end the story of Koyomi Araragi. The second season of Owarimonogatari consists of 3 arcs: Mayoi Hell, Hitagi Rendezvous, and Ougi Dark. Since this was a fairly short season, it’ll be difficult to avoid spoilers, but I will try to explain why I liked each of these arcs without giving too many of the surprises away. In Mayoi Hell, Koyomi finds himself in a strange place where only Mayoi exists. There, the two reunite in the lewd way that one would imagine a reunion between Hachikuji Mayoi and Koyomi Araragi to be. Shortly after this heartwarming reunion, Mayoi begins escorting Araragi out, giving the two a chance to softly recap the series and ponder the decisions that Araragi made. I like this part because of the way it shines a light on the many possibilities that the viewers might not have even known existed. Araragi made many decisions throughout this series and their consequences aren’t always immediately apparent. Here, he gets a chance to ponder them and state his feelings on whether he feels he did the right or the wrong thing. It is a nice and somber series of scenes that really shows off his kind-hearted nature. The arc is closed off by Araragi’s reunion with two of the apparition hunting experts, from whom he discovers the significance of the Gods and the shrines that exist in his town. Here, the viewers also learn the identity of the shadowy figure responsible for the strange occurrences in this town and the one who ordered the attempt on Araragi’s life… Hitagi Rendezvous is an arc all about Araragi and Senjougahara. Since the two had been far too busy to be together for the past 6 months of the story, Senjougahara hatched the idea of going on a date soo grand that it would be enough for 6 months’ worth of dates. Koyomi and Hitagi have a wonderfully unique chemistry and having an episode that focuses entirely on that was an absolute treat. Their interactions are cute and hilarious throughout the date, closing out with the sweetest reveal about their relationship that I could not believe I did not notice up until this point. The episode closes out with the appearance of the mysterious Ougi, who provides some information to counter what Araragi learned from the specialists in Mayoi’s arc. These revelations put Araragi’s personality to the test in preparation for the final encounter… Ougi Dark is the final arc. Araragi meets the shadowy machinator face-to-face. Here, Araragi learns the secrets behind all of the events that transpired thus far, as well as the true identity of the mysterious Oshino Ougi. This was the arc that cemented my love in this series and made it absolutely worth sticking with. Though Araragi is an incredibly flawed protagonist, he is without a doubt a “good guy.” Because of his martyr-esque personality, Araragi has put himself through unspeakable pain in order to protect the well-being of those around him. The two previous arcs heavily examined to what extent Araragi is willing to go for the sake of someone else. It is only fitting that his final test would be a battle against his own personality. When all else is gone, does he have the capacity to, for once, save himself..? The conclusion that follows is a bittersweet ending with SHIORI by Claris playing in the background, beautifully closing out this amazing series. Story: 9 Art: 8 Sound : 8 Character: 9 Enjoyment: 10

THERE ARE SPOILERS i think it was really good and ougi being koyomi was my guess personally if they released hanamonogatari later it could've had more impact because we already know survive so if it wasn't then we would we be like is ougi really gonna go away but overall i think it was good despite hanamonogatari spoling a bit so hopes shaft will do more highlight of this season mayoi is back as a goddess really happy about it wish we had more screentime with nadeko also cutting her hair definitely P.S. i'll wait for zokuowarimonogatari and hope shaft animates off season and monster season BEST GIRL SHINOBU

Let's be honest here, it's hard not to give this show a great review. I wish I could rate it a 10 and be done. But the more I think about it, the less satisfied I am with Owari Season 2 being the "End" of the main story of the series. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the hell out of this season, but it didn't have the impact I was looking for. Story: 7 Outside of the second arc of the show having no real point, the story was just as good as most of the other seasons. Most of the ongoing plots are wrapped up nicely, and it sets up for a great continuation. The fact that it sells itself as the "final season", however, is something that detracts from it in my opinion, as it is quite clearly not. *spoiler* While it does wrap up the ongoing background plot, it does so in a very open ended manor that left me wanting more conclusion. The ending itself seems rather sudden, and a lot of the lead up to it seems wasted. But overall, it was still a solid end to the first two seasons. Art: 9 The art itself was up to par with the rest of the series, however, there was some kind of touch that it was missing, probably due to having a different director. The monogatari series had been losing its uniqueness slowly over the years when it came to the visuals, but in Owari S2, they seem to be all but absent, or rather a shell of their former self. That's probably a harsh way to describe it as I still rate it a 9, but that is how I feel, nonetheless. Sound: 10 They definitely didn't lose their touch here. Great ED, and dark cherry mystery was immediately one of my favorite OPs from the series. Character: 8 For most characters in the show, this was a nice wrap up. I would have loved to give the show a 10 here, as I think the characterization in the series as a whole is fantastic, but I can't help but feel a little injustice being done to Ougi's character at the end. I won't go into detail here, as I would have to actually discuss the shows ending, but it seems like she goes against her entire principals at the end of the show. Also, many of the characters are simply in the series to make a cameo type appearance. And while it is obvious that they could not include every character, some of these cameos seem random and/or unneeded. Enjoyment: 8 What can I say, I have yet to dislike anything to come out of this series. While this season didn't quite live up to what I wanted it to be, I still had a blast watching it, and did enjoy the ending, though not as much as I would have liked. Also, one of the best jokes in the entire show is in the first few minutes of episode one. Overall: 8 As a conclusion to the series, I find Owari S2 to be rather unfitting. However, as a bridge to the later installments, I think it works out fine. As long as this season isn't treated as the end, it stands up well with it's piers. With interesting (if somewhat foreseeable) reveals and twists, a decent ending, and outstanding story telling, Owari S2 doesn't disappoint and works as a great bridge between the initial saga of the series and potential later installments.

It's starts off after the end of Koyomimonogatari Koyomi meet's Hachikuji in hell and it tells the story on finding out who is Ougi Oshino, is she a normal typical villain? an oddity? a darkness? or something new? you better be ready cause you're going to one hell of a ride in this 2nd season of Owarimonogatari first of all the story is amazing from start to finish they executed it perfectly from those 3 arcs the story doesn't dragged you on at all they know the perfect scene so that we watchers wouldn't get easily bored with the philosophical story for example the humor, the little bit of detail on the character, and so on. The Story (10/10) The Art is amazing not as amazing as Kizu (exc. Hanekawa's design don't really like it that much) but it's still great to look at you won't be disappointed. The Art (9/10) The sound is amazing giving you the chills all over the body and they placed it nicely during the serious moment they gave you the serious tone, when the humor is on it gives you a light tone The sound (10/10) Once again the character development is amazing we get to see another story how koyomi actually struggles with himself, Mayoi on what is she doing during in hell, more romance between hitagi and koyomi that they perfectly executed, and another side of Ougi Character (10/10) do you think i enjoy they story? hell yeah i do i would watch it all over again they nailed the story so hard Enjoyment (10/10) In the end this anime is a masterpiece the story from start to finish is perfect Mayoi hell, Hitagi rendezvous, and Ougi dark is amazing. The ost with the violin is beautifully well made giving me the chills all over my body. this the perfect follow up and there's no way this story is going to disappoint you Overall (10/10)

I would really like to point out that i gave it overall 10 because i have watched the whole story and know of each and every small details in the plot.. If you did not watch the previous titles of this series then i bet you will give it low rating because you did not understand the plot at all! This was by far the most intresting/informative title in this series.. I was really waiting for season 2 of this and i have to say that the wait was worth it! Finally we get to know who Ougi is.. i like how the charecter development worked out. NISIOISIN is GOD when he writes stories with intresting plots. Then there is SHAFT STUDIOS who turned his stories into the best anime Adaptation possible. Every episode/title in the series made me want more! Some of the quotes in between are intresting as well. I would recommend anyone who is intrested in watching this anime to please go on google and check the release order of the whole series and watch all previous titles before watching owari S2. I bet you will get better understanding of the plot this way. Good luck!

This series as a whole really touch me in a sense. Which I myself to think about it pretty much a lot, just a bit yap for a reflection regarding flaws of myself and to mind others and such. The Yap: I hate people as an obstruction from my self to grow, but then i think to my self was i needed to grow as a person? if i my self was perfect as a person as it is. To think of someone to pursue perfectness, to become better, to become someone who think highly of himself. In which cases they themself just need for a reason to there and somewhich doesnt even felt like it was there. In needless pursue of happiness every person have to be something in other persons life and to be good at it, but what if he wasnt? What if he didnt want to be good at it? Can someone be great in a relationship when they themself didnt even trying enough to satisfy others even their themself? To be someone who thinks highly of himself doesnt mean he thinks highly of himself as a whole, in a sense do i have to do something out of the line to be someone i didnt yearned for. Doesnt that it self construct a hypothecal statement he himself wasnt a person who thinks highly of himself at the first place? People yearns, then that means other people other themself also yearns. If someone doesnt fullfill the things which other expected, why does other people expect to yearn of other people? Unspeakable things, something that havent done yet, and something that havent thinked about yet. Yet we as a person have the need to think in that far extent. Maybe out of context a bit but then this series genuinely change me as a person for the better, atleast Im trying to be one.

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW In june of 2021 i started watching the Monogatari-Series with Bakemonogatari. Although it is the 3rd entry in the series chronologically, it came out first, back in 2009 and is considered to be the best starting point for new viewers. However, right after the first few minutes passed i was completely confused. "Why is the artstyle so weird?" , "Why does a flash of text appear between two scenes?" ,"What is going on with the narrator?" and "Why is the first scene a panty-shot?". Im sure i am not the only one who got confused here. This is the most unique show i have ever seen and i´ll try to explain how my confusion turned into excitement! Story - 10/10 At first glance, the Monogatari series seems like an absolute MESS. There are so many different seasons with weird names. Some contain 26 episodes, some only 4.There are also three theatrical released movies to be found. Finding the correct order to watch it turned out surprisingly simple. This is my ranking of the different seasons. Note that the number in brackets () is telling the order in which i watched the show. 1. Owarimonogatari (10) 2. Monogatari Series 2nd Season (7) 3. Owarimonogatari 2nd Season (11) 4. Kizumonogatari II (3) 5. Nisemonogatari (5) 6. Kizumonogatari III (4) 7. Tsukimonogatari (9) 8. Bakemonogatari (1) 9. Hanamonogatari (8) 10. Nekomonogatari Kuro (6) 11. Kizumonogatari I (2) The story is told completely out of order. Sometimes you have up to three seasons covering the same events of a single night from the perspective of three different persons. This can turn out confusing for the viewer but here it works fantastically. Everything is connected and every single season foreshadows an event of another one. During the show you will encounter a lot of strange mysthic things like ghosts, spirits, sorcerers and of course : vampires. The vastly different stories of all the side characters are beatifully connected to our main character and the more you watch, the more it starts to make sense. It is like piecing a giant puzzle together. It is HARD to keep up with this show. Don´t let the slow pacing fool you. Every piece of information you get is necessary for completing the giant puzzle. And the crazy part is, that the show does not feature many action scenes or hype moments. It simply consists of dialogue....dialogue...and more dialogue. Entire episodes are filled with conversations between two characters. The other important thing about this show is the hard fanservice. Fanservice is always regarded critically in the anime community. But this show manages to include A LOT of very, very explicit fanservice without it feeling cheap or lazy. However if you are a person who does not like this kind of stuff, you will not enjoy this show. The overabundance of NSFW content, especially in "Nisemononogatari", will turn a lot of people of, and i can absolutely understand that. Animation - 9/10 The artwork in the Monogatari Series is definitely a highlight. It is hard to explain to someone who has never seen it,but it feels very unique and almost Avant-Garde. I think it is a love-or-hate aspect of the show. There will be people who hate the surrealistic backgrond art and the colorful transitions. I absolutely loved that. So many anime that come out today look way to similar to another, to the point where people confuse artstyles or even characters for another. The Monogatari Series however can´t be confused with anything else in that aspect and the fact that the animation improved slowly season per season makes, it feel even better. The three movies (Kizumonogatari I,II,II) are a beast of their own in that department. The higher budget really shows and if this review would cover only the movies, i would score this category a easy 10 out of !0. Sound - 9/10 The Soundtrack is super important in the series because if you just have two characters sitting in a room talking to each other, the musical score has to fit the tone and conversation. This was executed perfectly in the Monogatari Series and the different tunes get stuck in your head over time. My favorite song has to be Kaiki´s Character theme "Ominous". It perfectly pertrays his personality. Over the course of that many seasons you will encounter a variety of openings with wildly different genres. But there is not a single opening that didn´t fit the arc or the character it is based on.My favorites are "Ambivalent World" , "Fast Love" , "decent black" and of course the absolutely LEGENDARY "Platinum Disco".The endings where also beautiful, with "Kimi no Shiranai" beeing the most memorable. Characters - 10/10 This is maybe the strongest aspect of the show. I can safely say that the Monogatari Series has BY FAR the biggest and best cast of characters i have ever seen in an anime. Our main character, Koyomi Araragi, is instantly likeable and following his inner monologue and thought process is an absolute blast. Not a single side character feels unnecessary or out of place and they all are so deep and well written that anyone of them could be the protagonist in their own anime. About halfway through the series we encounter our main "villain" and he turned out to be maybe the most creepy and intelligent villain i have seen since Meruem from "Hunter x Hunter". But the difference is that the villain of the Monogatari Series does not use "force" to oppose the main character.Every single information about him is just deliverd through dialogue. When i noticed that i asked myself : "It is just dialogue, so what is there to fear?". O how i was mistaken. Enjoyment - 9/10 This was one hell of a ride. Looking back at the show after finishing it feels like i watched a 1000 episodes. A lot of the time my brain did nothing other than processing dialogue and information. But even now there are still things that i didn´t get the first time. This can be daunting especially if you are the kind of persons who wants to have all the information delivered to you on a silver plate. I don´t know who to recommend this show to. I also don´t know the genre of the show.Only a very small number of people will enjoy this show because it is so different and that is fine.If this review has evoked your interest then just start watching "Bakemonogatart".But if you start to watch it and don´t enjoy it i will not judge you. - Marco_Yooo FINAL SCORE - 10/10

SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING Today, I'm going to be reviewing the conclusion to my favorite anime series of all time. Usually, I just go ahead and talk about everything at once, but today I'm going to format this review differently. Today I'm going to rate every episode individually, and talk about the plot of each of them. So lets get into it. Episode 1 - Mayoi Hell (Part 1): This is the beginning of Owarimonogatari 2nd season, and it starts off strong. We see our main character, Koyomi Araragi, searching for the eccentric Mayoi Hachikuji, a ghost of a 10 year old hit by a car 10 years ago. During his search, he ends up in hell, and finds who he's looking for there. After an explanation from Hachikuji about her circumstances and everything else Araragi wants to know, Hachikuji and Araragi set out to get to the top of hell, so Araragi can return back to earth. This episode starts the Mayoi Hell arc off very well, and keeps you engaged through and through. It's nice to see Araragi and Hachikuji reconcile and go on an adventure through hell. We also get tons of information on all our questions. Episode 2 - Mayoi Hell (Part 2): As Araragi and Hachikuji's journey comes to a close, they find Tadatsuru, a character introduced a few installments back in Tsukimonogatari. They talk for a bit until Tadatsuru gives Araragi a way to return back to earth. On his way back though, he reaches down and grabs Hachikuji without thinking, bringing her back up into the world when she isn't supposed to be there. This is a nice conclusion to this arc. Episode 3 - Hitagi Rendezvous (Part 1): It's White Day, and Koyomi Araragi appears at his girlfriend's, Hitagi Senjougahara, house and asks her out on a date, to which she accepts. This arc is a break from all the chaos as nothing bad happens, it's just our main character and his girlfriend going on a date. Episode 4 - Hitagi Rendezvous (Part 2): After going to a planetarium, Araragi falls asleep and dreams about Ougi Oshino, a relatively new transfer student at his school, which he knows very well after unraveling the mystery of a classroom that existed and didn't at the same time. He continues his date with Senjougahara, ending it off with a promise to use each other's first names. This was a good arc, which gave us insight into Araragi and Senjougahara's relationship. The dream about Ougi Oshino was very important, as it gives us an insight into Ougi Dark, the final arc of Owarimonogatari 2nd Season. Episode 5 - Ougi Dark (Part 1): This is one of the best arcs in the whole entire Monogatari series, according to the community, including me. It wraps up the Monogatari series fantastically in an emotional and happy way. We start off this arc with a meeting between Koyomi Araragi, our protagonist, Izuko Gaen, an apparition slayer, Shinobu Oshino, a 500 year old vampire confined in a little girl's body who lives in Araragi's shadow, Mayoi Hachikuji, who I've already gone over, and Yotsugi Ononoki, a living corpse owned by Yozuru Kagenui. They discuss multiple things, with the first being the consequences of bringing back an already dead person from hell. After discussing for a little bit, the group acknowledges that there is only one solution that doesn't result in Hachikuji's eternal death: making her a god by having her swallow a talisman linked to a shrine in their city. The next topic is what the true identity of Ougi Oshino is. They decide that Ougi is darkness itself, the true embodiment of it. This first episode sets up for a stellar finale to this arc and the whole series. Episode 6 - Ougi Dark (Part 2): Nothing worth talking about happens in this episode, as it is just the set up for the final episode. In the end though, Ougi visits the remains of the burnt down cram school in the outskirts of town, where she meets Araragi waiting for her. Episode 7 - Ougi Dark (Part 3): The conclusion to this arc, and the whole series. After encountering each other at the remains of the cram school, Araragi confronts Ougi about lying about her identity, revealing that Ougi Oshino is the darkness, and is also Koyomi Araragi himself. The darkness appears behind Ougi in the form of a black hole, and it starts to suck in everything around it. Araragi explains that he created Ougi out of his own self hate, and that Ougi is the darkness that resides inside of him. As the darkness grows bigger and bigger, Ougi applauds Araragi for figuring it out, before revealing that she is sacrificing herself to the darkness to save everyone from the darkness, from herself. Araragi gives one final goodbye. But as Ougi gets sucked up, Araragi comes to the realization that he cannot accept Ougi's fate. Changing his mind, he runs forward and pushes Ougi out of the way of the black hole, and he falls on top of her. After Araragi tells Ougi that he wouldn't let her die, Araragi's old friend Meme Oshino arrives. He reveals that Ougi is his niece, and Tsubasa Hanekawa, another one of Araragi's friends, appears and passes out. This leads Araragi to realize that Hanekawa brought Oshino all the way from Antarctica to resolve this. Araragi passes out, and he wakes up in his bed the next day. After leaving for his high school graduation ceremony, he encounters Hitagi Senjougahara, hi girlfriend, and Hanekawa. And thus the curtains close on Koyomi Araragi's high school life, and the Monogatari series itself. This was an amazing ending and really solidified the Monogatari series as my favorite anime series ever. I recommend this to everyone with a pulse in hopes that they'll enjoy it and love it just as much as I do.