Anime Hajime Review: Koyomimonogatari

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Koyomimonogatari and all previous entries in the Monogatari series. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Since that fateful Golden Week, Koyomi Araragi’s (voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya) life has been anything but normal. The world of oddities have not allow for it.

Time and time again, Koyomi has had to put his life on the line. On more than one occasion, death has been one mistake away. However, as long as there's someone who needs his help, he will face the danger. This attitude has saved the lives of an ever growing number of people.

It has also made him the center of attention. Though he has built a strong network of allies, the cost of doing so is still unknown. The worst thing he can do now is become complacent. Koyomi’s mind must remain sharp. The second he looks away, everything may come crashing down.

For all the good Koyomi has done, the repercussions of his actions remain a mystery. Perhaps, it’s all in his head. Maybe nothing awaits him at the end. Yet if there’s one thing his encounters with oddities have taught him, it’s this. There are always consequences.

Series Positives

It didn’t hit me until the last episode. Aside from the film trilogy, which is on the horizon, it’s done. A staple of this site and it got done. We have now caught up with the Monogatari series.

Koyomimonogatari marks the eighth, most recent anime entry in the franchise. This isn’t a series new to online releases. Yet, the half-length episodes were a different presentation. Despite that, this was still Monogatari through and through.

In fact, Koyomimonogatari was perhaps the one that ran with what this series is famous for the most.

The visuals were the most Avant Garde they’ve ever been. The dialogue was some the thickest. I would also say this was one of the most sexual, but Nisemonogatari made a rather large claim to that title. This one was maybe the most self-aware of it, though. I can’t remember another instance when the show called out Koyomi's harem for what it was.

This was not my favorite in the series. Yet, the label of Monogatari, and the undeniable weight that carries, was alive and well.

What the Series Is

Koyomimonogatari was an interesting beast. Of all we have looked at, this one stands out. From a certain point of view, that’s a strength.

To classify, I would call this a reunion show. Like I said, we’ve been with this story for some time now. Over the course of such a long period, it’s easy to forget how far we've come. And how big everything has gotten.

Many elements have grown. Many elements have gotten sidelined. And many elements have run their course. At the core, I’m referring to the slew of characters we have come to know.

Dialogue has been a hallmark of this series. It has also been, on many occasions, a formidable barrier. I’d be lying if I said I absorbed all that got said the first go around. To review a Monogatari series takes about twice as long as any other anime. Look away, even for a moment, and you can get lost in it all.

It got frustrating. But here I am at review number eight. And I’m still praising this show and its dialogue.

Why?

It’s because the characters delivering said dialogue have made it worth it. Koyomimonogatari was the first time we got to just spend time with these characters. Every single one.

Koyomi's been a great anchor. Yet, he's always needed someone to play off of. Granted, he's not been part of all the best dialogue exchanges. But he was there for most of them in general. And the ones here were some of his greatest.

My favorite aspect of Koyomimonogatari was seeing everyone again. Each episode, for the most part, focused on a single character. Some made appearances throughout, but each segment had its own dominant figure.

A quick side note. Reusing the opening credits from a given character’s main arc was a nice touch.

As always, it was great to have both Hitagi Senjogahara (voiced by Chiwa Saito) and Tsubasa Hanekawa (voiced by Yui Horie). They're usually given the best material and this was no different.

Then there was Shinobu Oshino (voiced by Maaya Sakamoto) and Ogi Oshino (voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi). These two continue to be at the top of this impressive cast.

We also got time with Tosugi Ononoki (voiced by Saori Hayami) and Suruga Kanbaru (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro). They're treats to have around. They provide some of the funniest bits of the series.

Of course, there were Koyomi’s younger sisters, Karen (voiced by Eri Kitamura) and Tsukihi (voiced by Yuka Iguchi). These two are perhaps at the bottom of my radar. They aren’t awful and they weren’t bad here. I just find them to be the least engaging. Remember, though. This is Monogatari. Even when something not that interesting, it’s still pretty interesting.

I was so happy to see Nadeko Sengoku (voiced by Kana Hanazawa) get her own segment again. She's gotten the raw end. Sure, she may have been the main focus in Second Season’s biggest crisis. But that was an exception to the role she's played. She’s usually the cute background girl. It was nice to have another conversation with her.

Yet there was one character I was so thrilled to see. It was fantastic for Mayoi Hachikuji (voiced by Emiri Kato) to be part of the series once again.

It was nice that Koyomimonogatari was able to have all these characters. But how to use them? What the show did wasn’t a bad idea. The vast majority of Koyomimonogatari wasn’t critical to the main story.

The show took place at different spots along the timeline. These were side-stories. Take them or leave them, they were just extra bits. This is why I classify this series as a reunion. It was a good refresher.

Koyomi

Series Negatives

Koyomimonogatari. With a title like that, I thought this was going to be an in-depth look into Koyomi’s past. Even though he's been the character we’ve spent the most time with, he’s also been one of the most mysterious. We may know his personality and characteristics. But things like his vampire past are still hidden away in shadows. This series didn’t fix that. If anything, it added to it.

I don’t know how well this has come across. If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, perhaps you’ve noticed something. This is the most reoccurring series on the site. I've spent a lot of time with it. Why then am I not freaking out that there isn’t a follow up to watch yet?

It’s because I used that word “yet”. Yes, this is the most recent entry. But it's not the final entry. Do I have confirmation that a continuation is coming? No, I don’t. Then why can I be so confident?

Two reasons. One, the story’s not done. It’s far from done. The way this show ended, there needs to be more. Plus, the series’ popularity hasn’t gone away. So, I believe the chances are high.

Second reason. If this were, indeed, the final chapter, it undoes everything. All the praise goes away in an instant. You don’t go this far with a series, end it like this, and then not keep going. So, I refuse to accept this as the end. Only time will tell I suppose.

What the Series Isn’t

Koyomimonogatari was an interesting beast. Of all we have looked at, this one stands out. From a certain point of view, that’s a weakness.

I’ve said it already. The majority of this series does not continue the plot. You could, in theory, ignore most of it. No other entry can claim that. Even when Monogatari wasn’t at its best, stuff was always added. Or things were getting cleared up. That didn’t happen for a good chunk of Koyomimonogatari.

Because of this, everything happening on screen could get scrutinized a bit more. When there’s not a plot to pay attention to, you notice things.

The visuals, while still fantastic, were some of the gimmickiest to date. Things were a little too big. A little too extravagant. There was nothing to hold them back. Thus, it was hard to keep track of where a given scene was taking place.

The dialogue was, again great, but meatless. This was heavy stuff, but none of it was important. You could avert your attention to other places and not miss anything. Since when is that a thing you could do in Monogatari. I don’t recommend it, but the point is you can.

When there’s nothing to ground this series there’s nothing to keep you around. Don’t believe me, I can prove it.

Notice how I’ve been saying most of this series, the majority of this series. The final two episodes were important. By important I mean, this was the biggest thing to happen in the series since the beginning. The only thing that can compare to what happened was when Koyomi got his vampire powers. You can skip the first ten episodes, but do not overlook the last two.

Other than “holy s@#$, that happened,” what of everything else? Once the story had a purpose again, everything focused up. The visuals were perfect. The dialogue was spot on. It was the Monogatari we have come to know.

Final Thoughts

Koyomimonogatari, other than the final two episodes, is filler. The ones who will enjoy this are the fans of the series. Thus, if you're a fan, I can’t recommend this one any stronger.

There’s more time spent with the characters we've come to love. All the Monogatari-isms are at their best. While there was nothing holding it back, think of it this way. There was nothing holding it back. This was a chance for the series to try something different and not have it affect all it has built. Plus, the final two episodes are a must. The rest could’ve been garbage and these two would’ve saved the day.

As I said in the beginning, we still have the film trilogy to look forward to. As for the anime, it was inevitable, but it is at last time to play the waiting game.