EPISODE 1
Shaft continues with their clever way of hiding how low their budget was by having 10 seconds of real life monkeys on the screen.
But what we also get is more Snail bantering, oh frisky Snail you. I miss the times when Second Season spoilers One of them also being a lesbian introduced in Monogatari-like fashion.
But do you know what Shaft definitely doesn't lack? Top tier music and voice acting. I skip like 60% of OPs and Shaft managed to create OPs that I didn't skip once. Also Sawashiro. Always Sawashiro. Yes.
Oh yes, With Kanbaru's introductory scenes and Snail confirming it even further, the show made you believe Monkey is definitely gonna increase Araragi's harem. Pretty clever considering you can't mention the name of the series without someone losing their shit shouting "HAREM"(with an insulting adjective or two) at your face. There's no way you'd ever see the twist coming, right? Nisio Isin is literally the new Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla of writing.
Jokes aside, we get more best couple dialog and Senjougahara not mincing her words. Once again, Senjougahara's way to dere. No seriously, if you didn't realize it already, her every teasing moment needs to have a heartwarming positivity, the conversation about killing Araragi further proves it(in a way).
And do you know what Senjougahara has while other girls acting "dangerous" don't? Threats that actually sounds threatening. With that flawless logic and her very introduction, you just don't know with that woman.
Well you thought Senjougahara was scary? Hanekawa's lens glare and voice amplifier are not screwing around, standing in the middle of a goddamn street, she jelly as hell. But she helped him regardless so it's alright.
Funfact: Lens glare was also in play in Snail arc when she was expressing something gloomy that bothers her too. It's nothing new in the medium, but still worth mentioning in this case.
EPISODE 2
After Araragi getting BTFO at the end of the last episode, we get a conversation that felt just surreal. From Senjougahara behaving like it's nothing to Araragi's "humble" lie. Of course, it's Araragi's point of view so it's most likely greatly exaggerated in all fields, but it doesn't make this situation any less ridiculous. Also Senjougahara service, dayum her intensity is nuts.
Books. Lots of books. Instead of a messy room, it's just books. Seriously, absurd locations like these really enhance the show, you never what you'll see next.
And this is the best Monogatari reaction face ever, hands down.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Yeah, slight foreshadowing, but her involvement was spoiled since the OP first played so that's quite irrelevant.
You can't listen to Kanbaru's story and not feel bad. Alright, Nisio Isin executed her struggles very well, but you have to applaud the music, Sawashiro and dramatic/weird shots which improve it so much more. Bake is dense with atmosphere.
I know I praised Senjougahara for her sexual innuendos, but Kanbaru's teases on the way to Meme are on a whole new level, telling us how it is
By the way, uke and seme is about who is on bottom and who on top. I always thought it's dude exclusive though(and maybe it is?).
That being said, what the fuck started happening after that? Seems like wordplay crack with so many random real life shots and with astroboy Aroragi, I still have no idea what any of that meant. I guess translating something like that was suffering.
EPISODE 3
Loli Kanbaru, deredere Senjougahara, normal school skirts. Rare stuff indeed
Seriously though, the commotion around a monkeyman beating up middle school girls when they were sleeping in their beds was kinda too mild, don't you think?
The show was obviously trying to make Meme seem suspicious and unsettling before the fight. And they definitely succeeded making his huge assistance really satisfying. What a bro, makes you feel bad for doubting him.
And there goes the entire budget on the fighting scene, to be fair it was hype as fuck, but mostly thanks to "Rainy Devil" track. The OST really is a 10/10.
And then Comfygahara™(mhm that hoodie) knocks. More Senjougahara-dere. Knowing her verbal pattern makes her kinda predicrable, but I'd say even more charming.
Anyway, she saves the day and everyone's happy.
Now, if I had to compare this arc with the last one, Snail arc, I'd say it's weaker in every way.
Firstly the curse itself is less unique and with few annoyances(like the above mentioned beaten up middle schoolers), the plot reveals and twists were more obvious and less interesting, my favorite banter masters Snail and Crab had less screen time, and the plot device was even worse.
While there were few people disagreeing with me for saying that Araragi's family problems were just a plot device in Snail arc, this one is just blatant. I'm talking about the cause itself, Kanbaru loving Senjougahara. After that, her feelings are completely forgotten, said only once or twice how they hanged out and that's it.
I know, I know, Kanbaru might've got over her, especially considering her personality changed, but it still leaves a sour taste like it was all pointless. At least they could've shown it or something.
Then again, comparing it to my favorite 10/10 arc here makes it seem like I don't love the shit out of it, the arc itself was amazing and my only problem with it was already said. The bantering and some supernatural stuff on the side with great visuals and OST is everything Monogatari is about and this arc does it almost almost perfectly, definitely in my top 5 arcs.
