Staplers~
Well, it’s been a long while, but I felt like writing. : P
When I went through the trailer for last season. Two things caught my eye. One is, of course, Canaan (because I’m a TM Otaku) and the other is Bakemonogatari. The trailer was strange in that it didn’t have very much of the anime itself in it, but rather Shaft kanjis, yet the mysterious air that surrounds it brought me in immediately. And then Senjougahara appeared. If anything, I’m a sucker for character design. If a girl can look beautiful and gar at the same time, then I’m probably sold in watching the show. And during that time that was all it had. Yet it proceeded all expectation and became the top anime of the season amongst 2channers.
However, what was it that made it so good? Character design can only go so far. I was skeptical of the show at first. I complained about the artsy background, that didn’t seem to add very much into either the visual aspect nor the metaphorical aspect (or at the very least a definite metaphorical aspect) of the show. I complained, less so, about the not-so-random kanjis being thrown about. I fear that this show might end up as another Maria+Holic or, even worse, Pani Poni Dash. It’s been too often that I feel shafted when watching Shaft stuff. Horrible pun, I know. Kill me : P.
Story wise, Bakemonogatari is unusual, but is in no way unique. There is plenty of supernatural-myth anime around, some of which I won’t bother to announce. In the end it is about struggles that people face when they grow up. Feeling betrayed by family. Feeling homeless. Repressed desire. These are all very common themes that surrounded many anime.
No, what made this the best anime in the season is Senjougahara-sama and Arararagi-kun, and the relationship between the two. Bakemonogatari is about people’s problems, but behind that, it is about a romance between two. Everything that happened (aside from Nadeko Sengoku, but she’s awesome 
) leads towards the abrupt ending (at least to the tv-airing) of Senjougahara and Araragi lying there, below the stars, as Senjougahara gave herself to Araragi. The lines from that scene was just beautiful.
It was even more beautiful when you realised how awkward Senjougahara is when it comes to relationships. There was never a time where she was acting particularly dere, but my god, in her very straight forward and unique way she bares herself to Araragi. When you think about it, considering what Senjougahara went through in the past, it was almost unthinkable for her to even get into a relationship, and yet, she still went into a level of intimacy that was, to me, unknown.
Bakemonogatari reigns supreme as last season’s top anime, not because of the staples, the shaftiness, Sengoku, or the fancy pantsu. But because of the well paced dialogue and the well developed intimacy that was created from the very beginning to the very end without me realizing it. It’s certainly a hit or miss series, but you should watch and ep or two.
