Bakemonogatari
Now that half of you have already heard the Nadeko OP thanks to the Kobato anime and I've finally caught up with Bakemonogatari in the midst of chaos/school/procrastination, it's time for a more justified review! It's basically spoiler-free (or you won't realize it's a spoiler if you know nothing about the show), so feel free to read \o/
Oh yes, before anything, Bakemonogatari is rated 17+ due to its violence and fanservice/sexual situations |D; (kudos to you if you can tell what I want to imply here!)
I have always been interested in the show -but like many other shows that I am curious about- I haven't really watched it due to...err, various reasons. Anyway. I was finally motivated to give it a try not because of the recent Hanazawa Kana OP that surfaced in the CLAMP fandom, but rather because of my new found admiration for Kamiya Hiroshi. I tried watching his signature work, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei first (which is also produced by SHAFT), but it doesn't seem to be the type of stories I'd like and of course I wouldn't want to stick to a show I don't think I'll enjoy from the beginning to the end just because of one seiyuu *laughs* So yes, I went to Bakemono instead, which is another popularily discussed title nowadays with a Kamiya lead. To make me look less of an insane fangirl, other factors that motivated me to watch Bakemono instead of other shows that I've been dragging on since forever include my FMA flists are gonna kill me lol:
1) The screencaps look delicious.
2) It's SHAFT. I've never watched a full SHAFT show before (and I still haven't as Bakemono hasn't ended yet) despite how many good things I've heard about them, so maybe it's time.
3) Oh god the cast list with all the big names. I can't resist Saitou Chiwa and Sawashiro Miyuki nowadays.
4) The ED appealed to me a lot the first time I heard it. It's actually one of the best songs I've heard this year! In fact, it's rated first on Gendou's ranking right now, finally beating even YUI's again (FMA2's OP). That's surprising since usually it's big shows' themes (read: Gundam and FMA) that will top the chart.
5) EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT BAAAW.
E-hem. I talk too much tonight. Onto the actual review! It's hard to write a summary without giving away spoilers, but Bakemonogatari is a series of ghost stories (hence its name) that are rooted from real life events. Basically some female victims have oddity problems, and our ever kind hero help them out one by one. Doesn't sound too exciting but that's the best way I can put it, forgive me orz. It has quite a bit of focus on conversations, puns and humour. And some not-your-average-type of romance. Yep. It's hard to persuade you what makes the hero an interesting hero when you haven't watched the show so let's not attempt, but at least I can tell you I like and feel for Koyomi a ton after finishing 12 episodes - much more than I first expected. On the other hand, Senjougahara Hitagi, our heroine, isn't your usual loud/cheerful loli or the soft-spoken perfect girl. In a way, she's the abusive, creepy/mysterious type who has trouble expressing emotions who would threaten people with staplers and whatever school stationaries you can think of- hence why she calls herself a tsudere (but I swear she's more like a yandere...*shivers*).
I can never decide whether Bakemono's animation is godly awesome or awfully frustrating. The animation style is SHAFT's signature, there's no way you would not recognize its unique use of camera angles, still shots, and references. Don't get me wrong, SHAFT's animation is nowhere near bad - in fact, it's either absolutely stunning when they are doing it, or it's simply non-existant. If you are new to SHAFT/Bakemono, the first thing that will put you off is probably the almost-too-unique animation style because it almost never shows you the important parts (like how we didn't get a detailed shot of the protagonist face in the first episode even though he had been on screen for who-knows-how-many-minutes). I got used to it after a few episodes until the infamous episode 10 was totally pushing its limits, but that's because SHAFT didn't finish animating that episode on time so we got all those black/red/white panels instead of actual action...it shall be fixed in the DVD release, hopefully. (SHAFT desperately needs more animators. It's not that they don't have the money. Man, more staffs from KyoAni should definitely transfer to SHAFT instead!) It's still something fresh to watch once in a while though, so as long as not all the animes I watch have animation like that then I'd say I like it. *laughs*
The voice acting was absolutely amazing for the most part. My highlights cannot exclude Kamiya Hiroshi as Araragi Koyomi, our male lead, of course. Whether it's dialogue, inner thoughts or narration - he executed Koyomi's character and wide range of emotions such flawlessly. My favourite moments were Koyomi almost breaking down after realizing Mayoi's identity in episode 5 and near the end of episode 10. Especially the latter, because there was essentially nothing shown on screen (I felt that I was listening to a drama CD rather than watching an anime!) and it's the excellent seiyuu work that kept me from smashing my keyboard. Kamiya's perfect acting just won my heart, period ♥ Other than that, Saitou Chiwa's Senjougahara Hitagi also deserves recognition (and she is, everyone's talking about her in forums and such). Hitagi's character is something different from her usual cute/cheerful moe little girl image. I thought they would have chosen someone else (Kawasumi Ayako comes to my mind) for Hitagi instead since Chiwa's image does seem unfitting at first (her Louise voice is way too deep in my heart already), but she portrayed her so perfectly that I'm impressed. No complaints. Sawashiro Miyuki pulled off another great performance with another different voice of hers (seriously, how many different voices does this girl have?! She can voice a little loli to a high class lady to a young man to an old woman. There isn't anything she can't do). And even though I'm not a big fan of Horie Yui lately, I have to say the voice she used for Hanekawa Tsubasa was one of the most pleasant I've ever heard from her. I can't really explain what's so good about it, but while you can still hear that it's Horie Yui, it's something different from her usual moeblob voices. (which can get on your nerves sometimes...) I'm only mentioning a few above, but really, very good job from all the seiyuus for making it a good show.
The music also deserves a ton of recognition. Not only there is a different opening theme for each heroine (and the animation sequences along with them are also very eye-catching and creative), but they are actually decent-to-very-good songs. Needless to mention is the ED that captured my heart in first sight hearing, and in my opinion, the best song in the whole show. Some of the bgms, however, gets a bit repetitive as they get played episodes after episodes. They still do the job right though.
Character-wise, I am the most fond of Koyomi and Hitagi, following by Suruga and Nadeko. I will leave my reasons out since I am getting tired after typing all this |D; *runs*
Okay, ending this review since I'm ridiculously tired (partly from the cold/flu pill orz). To conclude (or not because there are still 3 more episodes to broadcast), Bakemonogatari left a good impression on me as my first ever full SHAFT show (my toppest of the top choice this year is still Eden though - that hasn't changed). It has a strong production, a somewhat unique plot and an interesting story telling that you don't see everywhere else. Just make sure you pick a good fansub to watch it so you can get the fullest out of the humour/puns/on screen text (and hopefully you won't get turned off by the bizarre animation), believe me, it would make your ride 10 times more enjoyable lol. Also leaving you a quote from the show to get you interested:
"Different conclusions are reached when one fact is viewed from two separate points of view. When that happens, there is no immediate way to judge which point of view is the correct one. There is no way to conclude one's own conclusion is the correct one. But for that exact reason, it is also premature to decide one's own conclusion is wrong."
(Spoilers)Although my favourite quote in the show was still Hitagi telling Koyomi that he deserve to die ten thousand times. Because this comes out from Saitou Chiwa(Hitagi), not Kamiya Hiroshi(Koyomi). xD; Don't know if the line was in the original novel too, or if the staffs simply had too much fun that they had to throw in a Tieria reference.(end spoilers)
Wow. I actually wrote a long semi-formal review for once, now that's impressive *O*
PS. Does anyone know where can I find Endless Eight DVD sales report? Because come on, we all want to know whether KyoAni/Kadokawa have to learn a lesson, or if otakus really would buy absolutely anything. =w=;
PS2. Gundam corner. Something's wrong. We have a single-eyed Allelujah, yet another 20-year-old looking Setsuna is beside him. So is that Neil or Lyle!? Looks more like Lyle to me...*disappointed* But nonetheless, for once Alle and Lockon are the ones with normal clothes. *laughs*
Oh yes, before anything, Bakemonogatari is rated 17+ due to its violence and fanservice/sexual situations |D; (kudos to you if you can tell what I want to imply here!)
I have always been interested in the show -but like many other shows that I am curious about- I haven't really watched it due to...err, various reasons. Anyway. I was finally motivated to give it a try not because of the recent Hanazawa Kana OP that surfaced in the CLAMP fandom, but rather because of my new found admiration for Kamiya Hiroshi. I tried watching his signature work, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei first (which is also produced by SHAFT), but it doesn't seem to be the type of stories I'd like and of course I wouldn't want to stick to a show I don't think I'll enjoy from the beginning to the end just because of one seiyuu *laughs* So yes, I went to Bakemono instead, which is another popularily discussed title nowadays with a Kamiya lead. To make me look less of an insane fangirl, other factors that motivated me to watch Bakemono instead of other shows that I've been dragging on since forever include my FMA flists are gonna kill me lol:
1) The screencaps look delicious.
2) It's SHAFT. I've never watched a full SHAFT show before (and I still haven't as Bakemono hasn't ended yet) despite how many good things I've heard about them, so maybe it's time.
3) Oh god the cast list with all the big names. I can't resist Saitou Chiwa and Sawashiro Miyuki nowadays.
4) The ED appealed to me a lot the first time I heard it. It's actually one of the best songs I've heard this year! In fact, it's rated first on Gendou's ranking right now, finally beating even YUI's again (FMA2's OP). That's surprising since usually it's big shows' themes (read: Gundam and FMA) that will top the chart.
5) EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT BAAAW.
E-hem. I talk too much tonight. Onto the actual review! It's hard to write a summary without giving away spoilers, but Bakemonogatari is a series of ghost stories (hence its name) that are rooted from real life events. Basically some female victims have oddity problems, and our ever kind hero help them out one by one. Doesn't sound too exciting but that's the best way I can put it, forgive me orz. It has quite a bit of focus on conversations, puns and humour. And some not-your-average-type of romance. Yep. It's hard to persuade you what makes the hero an interesting hero when you haven't watched the show so let's not attempt, but at least I can tell you I like and feel for Koyomi a ton after finishing 12 episodes - much more than I first expected. On the other hand, Senjougahara Hitagi, our heroine, isn't your usual loud/cheerful loli or the soft-spoken perfect girl. In a way, she's the abusive, creepy/mysterious type who has trouble expressing emotions who would threaten people with staplers and whatever school stationaries you can think of- hence why she calls herself a tsudere (but I swear she's more like a yandere...*shivers*).
I can never decide whether Bakemono's animation is godly awesome or awfully frustrating. The animation style is SHAFT's signature, there's no way you would not recognize its unique use of camera angles, still shots, and references. Don't get me wrong, SHAFT's animation is nowhere near bad - in fact, it's either absolutely stunning when they are doing it, or it's simply non-existant. If you are new to SHAFT/Bakemono, the first thing that will put you off is probably the almost-too-unique animation style because it almost never shows you the important parts (like how we didn't get a detailed shot of the protagonist face in the first episode even though he had been on screen for who-knows-how-many-minutes). I got used to it after a few episodes until the infamous episode 10 was totally pushing its limits, but that's because SHAFT didn't finish animating that episode on time so we got all those black/red/white panels instead of actual action...it shall be fixed in the DVD release, hopefully. (SHAFT desperately needs more animators. It's not that they don't have the money. Man, more staffs from KyoAni should definitely transfer to SHAFT instead!) It's still something fresh to watch once in a while though, so as long as not all the animes I watch have animation like that then I'd say I like it. *laughs*
The voice acting was absolutely amazing for the most part. My highlights cannot exclude Kamiya Hiroshi as Araragi Koyomi, our male lead, of course. Whether it's dialogue, inner thoughts or narration - he executed Koyomi's character and wide range of emotions such flawlessly. My favourite moments were Koyomi almost breaking down after realizing Mayoi's identity in episode 5 and near the end of episode 10. Especially the latter, because there was essentially nothing shown on screen (I felt that I was listening to a drama CD rather than watching an anime!) and it's the excellent seiyuu work that kept me from smashing my keyboard. Kamiya's perfect acting just won my heart, period ♥ Other than that, Saitou Chiwa's Senjougahara Hitagi also deserves recognition (and she is, everyone's talking about her in forums and such). Hitagi's character is something different from her usual cute/cheerful moe little girl image. I thought they would have chosen someone else (Kawasumi Ayako comes to my mind) for Hitagi instead since Chiwa's image does seem unfitting at first (her Louise voice is way too deep in my heart already), but she portrayed her so perfectly that I'm impressed. No complaints. Sawashiro Miyuki pulled off another great performance with another different voice of hers (seriously, how many different voices does this girl have?! She can voice a little loli to a high class lady to a young man to an old woman. There isn't anything she can't do). And even though I'm not a big fan of Horie Yui lately, I have to say the voice she used for Hanekawa Tsubasa was one of the most pleasant I've ever heard from her. I can't really explain what's so good about it, but while you can still hear that it's Horie Yui, it's something different from her usual moeblob voices. (which can get on your nerves sometimes...) I'm only mentioning a few above, but really, very good job from all the seiyuus for making it a good show.
The music also deserves a ton of recognition. Not only there is a different opening theme for each heroine (and the animation sequences along with them are also very eye-catching and creative), but they are actually decent-to-very-good songs. Needless to mention is the ED that captured my heart in first sight hearing, and in my opinion, the best song in the whole show. Some of the bgms, however, gets a bit repetitive as they get played episodes after episodes. They still do the job right though.
Character-wise, I am the most fond of Koyomi and Hitagi, following by Suruga and Nadeko. I will leave my reasons out since I am getting tired after typing all this |D; *runs*
Okay, ending this review since I'm ridiculously tired (partly from the cold/flu pill orz). To conclude (or not because there are still 3 more episodes to broadcast), Bakemonogatari left a good impression on me as my first ever full SHAFT show (my toppest of the top choice this year is still Eden though - that hasn't changed). It has a strong production, a somewhat unique plot and an interesting story telling that you don't see everywhere else. Just make sure you pick a good fansub to watch it so you can get the fullest out of the humour/puns/on screen text (and hopefully you won't get turned off by the bizarre animation), believe me, it would make your ride 10 times more enjoyable lol. Also leaving you a quote from the show to get you interested:
"Different conclusions are reached when one fact is viewed from two separate points of view. When that happens, there is no immediate way to judge which point of view is the correct one. There is no way to conclude one's own conclusion is the correct one. But for that exact reason, it is also premature to decide one's own conclusion is wrong."
(Spoilers)Although my favourite quote in the show was still Hitagi telling Koyomi that he deserve to die ten thousand times. Because this comes out from Saitou Chiwa(Hitagi), not Kamiya Hiroshi(Koyomi). xD; Don't know if the line was in the original novel too, or if the staffs simply had too much fun that they had to throw in a Tieria reference.(end spoilers)
Wow. I actually wrote a long semi-formal review for once, now that's impressive *O*
PS. Does anyone know where can I find Endless Eight DVD sales report? Because come on, we all want to know whether KyoAni/Kadokawa have to learn a lesson, or if otakus really would buy absolutely anything. =w=;
PS2. Gundam corner. Something's wrong. We have a single-eyed Allelujah, yet another 20-year-old looking Setsuna is beside him. So is that Neil or Lyle!? Looks more like Lyle to me...*disappointed* But nonetheless, for once Alle and Lockon are the ones with normal clothes. *laughs*