**Bakemonogatari** is a TV anime adaptation of the first installment of Nisio Isin's light novel "Monogatari Series."
Produced by Shaft and directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, it aired in 2009 and became a legendary work in anime history.
The story follows Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student, as he encounters girls afflicted by various "oddities" and works to resolve their problems.
Shaft's signature visual techniques - rapid text cuts, abstract background art, and the iconic "head tilt" - create a truly one-of-a-kind world.
The series also spawned numerous iconic anime songs, including "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari" by supercell and "Renai Circulation" by Kana Hanazawa 🦀
✨ Highlights
🧑 👥 Main Characters
❓ FAQ
🌟 注目コメント
01① Shaft x Akiyuki Shinbo's One-of-a-Kind Visual Direction
Bakemonogatari's visual presentation is completely in a league of its own among anime.
Rapidly inserted text cuts, abstract backgrounds incorporating live-action footage, and the famous "head tilt" known as the "Shaft angle."
Despite being a dialogue-heavy series, it never lets viewers get bored visually - this innovative visual beauty is its greatest charm 🎨
02② Nisio Isin's Wordplay Explodes in Dialogue
It's no exaggeration to call Bakemonogatari a "dialogue drama." Throughout the entire series, character banter forms the core of the story.
Nisio Isin's signature wordplay, parodies, and meta-references come one after another.
The venomous wit and retort exchanges between Hitagi Senjougahara and Koyomi Araragi are especially addictive 🗣️
03③ Legendary Songs That Made Anime Music History
The ED "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari" (supercell) is the ultimate masterpiece that reigns at the top of anime song rankings.
A unique feature of Bakemonogatari is that each heroine has her own different OP. "staple stable" by Chiwa Saito, "Renai Circulation" by Kana Hanazawa - every single one is a masterpiece.
"Renai Circulation" in particular went massively viral overseas, becoming so popular it turned into a meme 🎵
04④ The Essence of Humanity Depicted Through Oddities
The "oddities" in Bakemonogatari are not mere monsters.
Senjougahara whose weight was stolen by a crab, Hachikuji who is lost by a snail, Kanbaru possessed by a monkey's paw - every oddity is a manifestation of the characters' emotional wounds and suppressed feelings.
Resolving an oddity means that person must confront their own psychological issues - a deeply layered structure 💔
05⑤ The Grand Gateway to the Monogatari Series
Bakemonogatari is merely the beginning of the Monogatari Series.
It is the origin point of a grand series continuing through Nisemonogatari, Nekomonogatari, Kabukimonogatari, Otorimonogatari, Koimonogatari, Tsukimonogatari, Owarimonogatari, and more.
The exhilaration of seeing character relationships and foreshadowing established here brilliantly paid off throughout the entire series is exceptional 📚
06① Koyomi Araragi's Encounter with Oddities
Koyomi Araragi encountered a vampire oddity during spring break and became a half-vampire.
Though he returned to being human with the help of oddity specialist Meme Oshino, a trace of vampire power remains.
Because of this experience, Araragi develops a personality that cannot ignore people involved with oddities 🧛
07② Hitagi Senjougahara - The Girl Who Lost Her Weight
The story begins with Araragi catching Hitagi Senjougahara as she falls down a staircase.
She had almost no "weight." Her weight had been stolen by a crab oddity.
The past trauma hidden behind her venomous and aggressive attitude approaches the heart of the story 🦀
08③ The Lost Cow and Mayoi Hachikuji
Mayoi Hachikuji is an elementary school girl trying to visit her mother on Mother's Day.
But she can never reach her destination. She is possessed by an oddity called the "Lost Cow."
The mismatched banter between Araragi and Mayoi is guaranteed to make you laugh, but the truth behind it is heartbreakingly sad 🐌
09④ Suruga Kanbaru and the Curse of the Monkey's Paw
Suruga Kanbaru, a star basketball player, is Senjougahara's junior from middle school.
Her left arm is possessed by a monkey's paw oddity called the "Rainy Devil." Instead of granting wishes, it acts on the dark desires in the owner's subconscious - a terrifying oddity.
The explosion of passion hidden behind her sporty and cheerful personality is breathtaking 🐒
10⑤ Nadeko Sengoku and the Snake Curse
Nadeko Sengoku, a classmate of Araragi's sisters, is cursed by a snake oddity called "Jagirinawa."
Snake-like marks appear on the body of this quiet and shy girl.
Nadeko's OP theme "Renai Circulation," with Kana Hanazawa's impossibly cute singing voice, is a legendary song that captivated the entire world 🐍
Koyomi Araragi
The protagonist of this work. A third-year student at Naoetsu Private High School. After being caught up in a vampire incident during spring break, he remains a semi-human with a trace of vampire powers. He is kind-hearted and cannot ignore people involved with oddities. While he tends to play the straight man, he often becomes the comic relief himself - a beloved character 🧛
Hitagi Senjougahara
The main heroine of this work. A girl whose "weight" was stolen by a crab oddity. She boasts immense popularity as a "sadistic-dere" character combining sharp tongue, tsundere, and yandere traits. Her romantic relationship with Araragi becomes a major axis of the story 🦀
Mayoi Hachikuji
An elementary school girl possessed by the Lost Cow oddity. Her routine of deliberately mispronouncing Araragi's name with "I stuttered" is one of Bakemonogatari's most iconic scenes. Cheerful and energetic, but a deep secret is hidden in her very existence 🐌
Suruga Kanbaru
Senjougahara's junior from middle school and a star basketball player. Her left arm is possessed by the monkey's paw oddity "Rainy Devil." She has a bright and sporty personality, but her obsession with Senjougahara attracted the oddity 🐒
Nadeko Sengoku
A classmate of Araragi's younger sisters who has admired him since childhood. She is cursed by a snake oddity. She appears to have a quiet personality, but she is a key character who shows shocking developments in later series installments 🐍
Meme Oshino
An oddity specialist, a middle-aged man in an aloha shirt living in an abandoned cram school. He gives Araragi advice with a nonchalant attitude. His creed is "You don't save people - people just save themselves" - a key person in the story 🏚️
