Must see it!;D
After a long hiatus (2 and a half years) without watching animes I've come across several good surprises during these past 3 months watching as many of them as possible. (And some really bad surprises as well, such as Vampire Knight and High School of the Dead).
From the same studio of Baccano!, Durarara!!, FMA, R.O.D. TV and Shiki and from the same writer of Katanagatari comes the rare jewel, Bakemonogatari.
The story is quite simple, actually. It goes on something like this: Koyomi Araragi is a young boy with a fast healing ability who gets involved with 5 girls that are being possessed/disturbed by spirits and ends up lending a hand to them helped by Meme Oshino.
From this plot summary one would think that this is probably an average anime with a dull story. Don't be deceived by it. The way the individual stories are developed is unique in every sense. From the supernatural to the inner aspect everything is minutely explored to deliver a powerful blow in your mind.
What impressed me the most on Bakemonogatari (and what made so many people despise it) were the incredibly rich visual complements, the hard-to-understand and long dialogues and, specially, Senjougahara. Her independence, pro-activeness, irony, sarcasm and seldom cuteness turned her into my favorite anime character. The best tsundere I've seen so far!
The other characters are amazing as well, with a very interesting background. The character development doesn't follow your normal standards here. It actually requires a bit of effort to relate their reactions to the entities that are disturbing them and the way those conflicts are solved. Such complexity makes this series a one of a kind in times of a total lack of creativity. Isin Nisio has a witty writing style and the adaptation to the screens was masterfully done, as well.
For those complaining that Araragi, Meme and Shinobu had little development they'll have their share in Kizumonogatari ;D
There is a little bit of fan service on it, but, most of times it goes unnoticed causing no hindrances to the overall enjoyment.
As mentioned before, the visual part of this anime is wonderful. It's very original and complex. The blending of art, situation and atmosphere in this series is something you probably won't find elsewhere. Also, the music is never off and the openings are something else, again an intricate blending work.
Bakemonogatari is the kind of show that, most of times, will divide viewers into haters or lovers. You have to be prepared for a very unique experience if you want to watch it. It's one hell of a trip, but it's well worth your time!
Story: 9/10
Art: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
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