[Anime Review] Monogatari Series Second Season (2013)

Posted on February 8, 2014 by thegrandshuckett in Anime & Manga // 0 Comments

Plot Summary: In this chapter of the Monogatari series, Tsubasa and Hitagi discover that Koyomi has gone missing and has urged them in a text message not to look for him. However, in his absence, new dangerous apparitions begin to appear and target Tsubasa and Nadeko, who are left to try and deal with them. Meanwhile, Koyomi and Shinobu are dealing with serious problems of their own.

Directors: Akiyuki Shinbo and Tomoyuki Itamura

Writer: Nisio Isin (original light novels)

Episode Runtime: 24 minutes / 26 Episodes

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Psychological, Romance, Supernatural

Studio: Shaft

English Network: Crunchyroll

Main Cast:

Hiroshi Kamiya as Koyomi Araragi
Chiwa Saito as Hitagi Senjōgahara
Maaya Sakamoto as Shinobu Oshino
Yui Horie as Tsubasa Hanekawa
Kana Hanazawa as Nadeko Sengoku
Emiri Katō as Mayoi Hachikuji

Review: by Nena

I've been a Monogatari fan for a couple of years now, so I was fairly excited for another season of vampires, ex-vampires, apparitions, loli ghosts, strange camera angles, and text that flashes across the screen too quickly for anyone to read without pausing. One thing I can say about this series is that it definitely stands out from the crowd. For the most part, that's a good thing.

What I Liked:

The animation style and visual effects were as interesting as always. I liked that the story arcs were fairly standalone within the overarching plot, so there was a different energy (and different opening/ending themes) as each character took their turn in the spotlight.

The characters themselves hadn’t changed much since previous seasons, so the familiarity of it all felt almost like going back to another year of school with friends–if said friends had a habit of getting possessed by supernatural entities.

My favorite story arc was probably “Mayoi Jiangshi” because it involved time travel, the results of which were both hilarious and horrifying. We also get to meet Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade, an enigmatic and powerful character who also has the coolest name ever.

What I Didn’t Like:

The last story arc was pretty boring until the last two episodes. It was extremely dialogue-heavy, even more so than the usual Monogatari standard. If the entire season had been like this, I honestly don’t know if I would have finished. I understand that the plot for this anime is heavily reliant on conversations between the characters, but if all you do for practically an entire episode is have two characters talk to each other on the phone, you’re bound to lose some viewers’ interest.

3.5

Summary

This season was pretty much on par with previous seasons in the Monogatari series. Hardcore action fans may want to look elsewhere, as the fight scenes are few and far between. However, Monogatari Series Second Season definitely has a unique and captivating animation style as well as some great comedic and heartwarming moments that will appeal to most general anime fans.

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