[Qilin]

Here it is once again. The unholy union of Nisio and Shinbo is back, and it definitely did not disappoint this time. After Nisemonogatari, I'd say that this is certainly a welcome return to form. Not to say that Nisemonogatari was all that bad, just that it had a different focus. Admittedly, the opening dialogue with Koyomi and Tsukihi was probably closer to Nise than Bake, but I loved it for what it was.

You really can't enjoy a Nisio Isin work if you can't tolerate entire blocks of insane, seemingly irrelevant banter. The appeal is generally in the interplay of ideas through lots and lots dialogue, how supposedly simple concepts are deconstructed, and then rebuilt, and then broken down again. This kind of wordplay and manipulation of ideas is Nisio Isin's forte as an author, I believe. Unfortunately, it's not something that translates well into a visual medium. SHAFT is probably the only studio that could have pulled this one off.

As for the rest of the episode(s), it had a more fast-paced feel that makes it closer to Bake. The action segments there were also quite reminiscent of those in Bake. What's more, we are once again graced by Oshino's presence. His presence was sorely missed. The episode also had some excellent bits of characterization for Tsubasa, which I'm grateful for.

It's these kinds of productions that give me hope that Zaregoto can be adapted effectively into the animation medium, though I'm well aware of the small chance of that happening.