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Monogatari
Bakemonogatari, Part 1: Monster Tale
There’s a girl at their school who is always ill. She routinely arrives late, leaves early, or doesn’t show up at all, and skips gym as a matter of course. She’s pretty, and the boys take to whispering that she’s a cloistered princess. As the self-described worst loser in her class soon finds out, they just don’t know what a monster she is.
So begins a tale of mysterious maladies that are supernatural in origin yet deeply revealing of the human psyche, a set of case files as given to unexpected feeling as it is to irreverent humor. So begins the legendary novel that kicked off the MONOGATARI series, whose anime adaptations have enjoyed international popularity and critical acclaim.
This first of three parts introduces Senjogahara and Hachikuji, and fans of the blockbuster prequel KIZUMONOGATARI will be delighted to meet their favorite crazies again: the weirdly reliable narrator Araragi, class president among class presidents Hanekawa, shady problem-solver Oshino, and a certain pale, blonde former vampire.
So begins a tale of mysterious maladies that are supernatural in origin yet deeply revealing of the human psyche, a set of case files as given to unexpected feeling as it is to irreverent humor. So begins the legendary novel that kicked off the MONOGATARI series, whose anime adaptations have enjoyed international popularity and critical acclaim.
This first of three parts introduces Senjogahara and Hachikuji, and fans of the blockbuster prequel KIZUMONOGATARI will be delighted to meet their favorite crazies again: the weirdly reliable narrator Araragi, class president among class presidents Hanekawa, shady problem-solver Oshino, and a certain pale, blonde former vampire.
237 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
433 people are currently reading
2385 people want to read
About the author
NisiOisiN
299 books959 followersNisio Isin (西尾維新 Nishio Ishin), frequently written as NisiOisiN to emphasize that his pen name is a palindrome, is a Japanese novelist and manga writer. He attended and left Ritsumeikan University without graduating. In 2002, he debuted with the novel Kubikiri Cycle, which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age.
He currently works with Kodansha on Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine, and Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from light novels and otaku culture. He was also publishing a twelve volume series over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher.
In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first volume in his Zaregoto series. His Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Katanagatari novels have been adapted into anime series. Nekomonogatari (Kuro) has been adapted into an anime TV movie, and Kizumonogatari will be release in theaters this year. Monogatari Series: Second Season, adapted from 6 books in Monogatari Series will air in July 2013. Another of his works, Medaka Box (manga), has been adapted into a two-season anime series.
He currently works with Kodansha on Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine, and Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from light novels and otaku culture. He was also publishing a twelve volume series over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher.
In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first volume in his Zaregoto series. His Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Katanagatari novels have been adapted into anime series. Nekomonogatari (Kuro) has been adapted into an anime TV movie, and Kizumonogatari will be release in theaters this year. Monogatari Series: Second Season, adapted from 6 books in Monogatari Series will air in July 2013. Another of his works, Medaka Box (manga), has been adapted into a two-season anime series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
February 18, 2017
NisiOisiN knows what he's doing.
July 9, 2017
Like reading a confusing anime, filled with sexism and casual paedophilia. I'd rather watch the anime; then I'd at least get to listen to a great soundtrack and watch nice animation. It gets a 2 rather than 1 because I finished it. Not my cup of tea. A shame, since it could have been, but the fanservice is just smothering my excitement. oh well. At least the talk about names and kanji was super nice, I have a feeling that works out better written out than animated!
February 26, 2017
Review also published here
Bakemonogatari is an odd one for certain. Well, I guess that is actually a given for any one of NisiOisiN's works. He is a strange writer at the best of times, and the Monogatari series could be considered his magnum opus in terms of peak strangeness. The series is as divisive as I can see any piece of media with a cult following getting. Some love it to bits, others will hate it to their very core. Some may appreciate the witty wordplay with little moving parts beyond metaphors and rolled eyes, while others will be floored by how little actually happens in the included stories.
To dial back a little, this is part one of Bakemonogatari only. Unlike the japanese original, which was split into two volumes, the english release is a three-parter. As a result, this one here only includes the stories "Hitagi Crab" and "Mayoi Snail", but not "Suruga Monkey" as well like in Japan. To cross-reference the highly popular anime adaptation from 2009-10, this release covers episodes 1 through 5 only. I'll also have to say that, if you've already watched that particular anime adaptation, you can mostly skip reading this book, because unlike with Kizumonogatari (which got a dreadful 3-part movie adaptation), most scenes are copied pretty accurately, despite some liberties the animation studio took with scenery and keeping it visually busy.
However, taken on its own, I enjoyed this first volume. It was a good way to refresh my memory of the series which I watched many years ago, and some things are a little less mindboggling than in the anime, due to giving the reader more introspective sections and time to piece things together without the dramatic visualizations, flashing screens and rapid-fire of dialogue lines. Watching the anime in japanese with english subtitles is certainly entertaining, but can get quite overwhelming with how much information it conveys. The book is easier to digest in that regard.
It also helps that the translator tried to localize some wordplay and references to the point where they'd be understandable to an english-speaking audience - there are still a few japanese language-related subjects in here, like the way you could interpret and read certain character combinations and how the meaning of a name can change drastically depending on perspective and circumstance, but I felt it was well-handled here. So kudos to the translating and editing staff at Vertical for the solid job here, as with Kizumonogatari, which frankly wasn't nearly as tough in this way.
Looking at the stories, "Hitagi Crab" explores the traumatic life of Senjougahara Hitagi, who had her "weight" stolen by a Crab a few years earlier and lives an isolated life trying to hide the fact. Araragi happens to find out and offers his help in solving the oddity. Senjougahara is a difficult, sharp-tongued person with more thorns than petals, and her relationship with Araragi borders almost on abusive.
In "Mayoi Snail", Araragi comes across a lost grade schooler on Mother's Day, while he is reluctant to return home himself, and together with Senjougahara they attempt to take the kid to its destination. The child, Hachikuji Mayoi, is funny to read about and offers a neat counterbalance to Hitagi's sharpness.
Both stories are rooted in family-related drama for all involved, straddling the line between comedy and touchy subjects.
Either way, if you expect action, you'll be disappointed. Sorely so. Unlike with Kizumonogatari, where the protagonist Araragi had to fend off three vampire hunters and the vampire Kiss-shot Accerola-Orion Heart-under-Blade, this is a more passive pair of stories that relies much more on dialogue and simple character interaction. In fact, large sections of "Mayoi Snail" take place sitting on a park bench, or walking around looking for a certain address, before returning to the park bench.
The focus is squarely on the dialogue, the banter, the wordplay and tension between the characters. Environments and outside descriptions are mostly absent, unless they directly concern the characters in some way. You'll be unlikely to get lost in the setting, like you could with many western fantasy authors. Instead the author aims to get you into the characters' heads, and develop an understanding of their circumstances. A lot of the dialogue and Araragi's inner monologues aim to elaborate on those points specifically, putting them into various different contexts and deliberating back and forth. And as convoluted as the chatter can be here, the prose itself, the style of the narrative, is very straightforward and often simplistic.
To me, this is an interesting thing to read about, but it is also plain to see that it will not be enough for a lot of readers. If you don't enjoy the characters for what they are and represent, your enjoyment will suffer greatly.
And let me get one more thing out of the way: This isn't a book for children. The cover may be inviting and anime/manga still have a reputation of being "for kids" in the West, but this is anything but a kids' story. Bakemonogatari deals with the characters' traumatic experiences and their reactions to them, and while there's always a sense of comedy and tongue-in-cheek writing here, some subjects can be pretty sobering when they surface.
Beyond that, there is also a degree of sexual topics in here; while Senjougahara's story deals with those in a rather frank manner, it may seem too much to some readers, and downright offensive to others. It makes certain cultural differences between the West and Japan stand out quite strongly. Even accounting for that, I feel that NisiOisiN elaborates a little too much on these touchy subjects here, though they still serve to underline the characters here and there.
Despite a bunch of points in my review seeming negative, I do want to stress that I enjoyed the book. I'm hoping the second part will be with me next week. The close-up on weird, eastern folklore-inspired abberations and very personal dramatic experiences is very appealing to me, even with all its quirks. There's neat trivia in here that I didn't know before, and the squabbling between Araragi and the rest is entertaining and can even shift your perspective on your own past actions at times. The witty dialogues are often refreshing, easy to visualize and made me laugh more often than they made me cringe.
I still enjoyed the more directed nature of Kizumonogatari more, having a real sense of danger that didn't really exist here, but for as different as they may be, both Kizu- and Bakemonogatari share three important aspects: They are engaging, entertaining and introspective. If that's your thing, like it is mine, then you'll be in for a treat!
Bakemonogatari is an odd one for certain. Well, I guess that is actually a given for any one of NisiOisiN's works. He is a strange writer at the best of times, and the Monogatari series could be considered his magnum opus in terms of peak strangeness. The series is as divisive as I can see any piece of media with a cult following getting. Some love it to bits, others will hate it to their very core. Some may appreciate the witty wordplay with little moving parts beyond metaphors and rolled eyes, while others will be floored by how little actually happens in the included stories.
To dial back a little, this is part one of Bakemonogatari only. Unlike the japanese original, which was split into two volumes, the english release is a three-parter. As a result, this one here only includes the stories "Hitagi Crab" and "Mayoi Snail", but not "Suruga Monkey" as well like in Japan. To cross-reference the highly popular anime adaptation from 2009-10, this release covers episodes 1 through 5 only. I'll also have to say that, if you've already watched that particular anime adaptation, you can mostly skip reading this book, because unlike with Kizumonogatari (which got a dreadful 3-part movie adaptation), most scenes are copied pretty accurately, despite some liberties the animation studio took with scenery and keeping it visually busy.
However, taken on its own, I enjoyed this first volume. It was a good way to refresh my memory of the series which I watched many years ago, and some things are a little less mindboggling than in the anime, due to giving the reader more introspective sections and time to piece things together without the dramatic visualizations, flashing screens and rapid-fire of dialogue lines. Watching the anime in japanese with english subtitles is certainly entertaining, but can get quite overwhelming with how much information it conveys. The book is easier to digest in that regard.
It also helps that the translator tried to localize some wordplay and references to the point where they'd be understandable to an english-speaking audience - there are still a few japanese language-related subjects in here, like the way you could interpret and read certain character combinations and how the meaning of a name can change drastically depending on perspective and circumstance, but I felt it was well-handled here. So kudos to the translating and editing staff at Vertical for the solid job here, as with Kizumonogatari, which frankly wasn't nearly as tough in this way.
Looking at the stories, "Hitagi Crab" explores the traumatic life of Senjougahara Hitagi, who had her "weight" stolen by a Crab a few years earlier and lives an isolated life trying to hide the fact. Araragi happens to find out and offers his help in solving the oddity. Senjougahara is a difficult, sharp-tongued person with more thorns than petals, and her relationship with Araragi borders almost on abusive.
In "Mayoi Snail", Araragi comes across a lost grade schooler on Mother's Day, while he is reluctant to return home himself, and together with Senjougahara they attempt to take the kid to its destination. The child, Hachikuji Mayoi, is funny to read about and offers a neat counterbalance to Hitagi's sharpness.
Both stories are rooted in family-related drama for all involved, straddling the line between comedy and touchy subjects.
Either way, if you expect action, you'll be disappointed. Sorely so. Unlike with Kizumonogatari, where the protagonist Araragi had to fend off three vampire hunters and the vampire Kiss-shot Accerola-Orion Heart-under-Blade, this is a more passive pair of stories that relies much more on dialogue and simple character interaction. In fact, large sections of "Mayoi Snail" take place sitting on a park bench, or walking around looking for a certain address, before returning to the park bench.
The focus is squarely on the dialogue, the banter, the wordplay and tension between the characters. Environments and outside descriptions are mostly absent, unless they directly concern the characters in some way. You'll be unlikely to get lost in the setting, like you could with many western fantasy authors. Instead the author aims to get you into the characters' heads, and develop an understanding of their circumstances. A lot of the dialogue and Araragi's inner monologues aim to elaborate on those points specifically, putting them into various different contexts and deliberating back and forth. And as convoluted as the chatter can be here, the prose itself, the style of the narrative, is very straightforward and often simplistic.
To me, this is an interesting thing to read about, but it is also plain to see that it will not be enough for a lot of readers. If you don't enjoy the characters for what they are and represent, your enjoyment will suffer greatly.
And let me get one more thing out of the way: This isn't a book for children. The cover may be inviting and anime/manga still have a reputation of being "for kids" in the West, but this is anything but a kids' story. Bakemonogatari deals with the characters' traumatic experiences and their reactions to them, and while there's always a sense of comedy and tongue-in-cheek writing here, some subjects can be pretty sobering when they surface.
Beyond that, there is also a degree of sexual topics in here; while Senjougahara's story deals with those in a rather frank manner, it may seem too much to some readers, and downright offensive to others. It makes certain cultural differences between the West and Japan stand out quite strongly. Even accounting for that, I feel that NisiOisiN elaborates a little too much on these touchy subjects here, though they still serve to underline the characters here and there.
Despite a bunch of points in my review seeming negative, I do want to stress that I enjoyed the book. I'm hoping the second part will be with me next week. The close-up on weird, eastern folklore-inspired abberations and very personal dramatic experiences is very appealing to me, even with all its quirks. There's neat trivia in here that I didn't know before, and the squabbling between Araragi and the rest is entertaining and can even shift your perspective on your own past actions at times. The witty dialogues are often refreshing, easy to visualize and made me laugh more often than they made me cringe.
I still enjoyed the more directed nature of Kizumonogatari more, having a real sense of danger that didn't really exist here, but for as different as they may be, both Kizu- and Bakemonogatari share three important aspects: They are engaging, entertaining and introspective. If that's your thing, like it is mine, then you'll be in for a treat!
February 13, 2020
So here's the thing with Bakemonogatari and Monogatari in general, it is extremely dialogue heavy. Very little actually happens in the anime, and the same can be said of the books thus far. It is all regularly witty, humorous, and sometimes thought provoking the dialogue.
The anime is infamous for entire episodes of dialogue where the camera angles shift to give us views of scenery just so it feels like something is happening.
Despite the lack of a very compelling plot, this book and the anime that's based on it are wonderful. The wordplay, witticisms, observations of Japanese culture, humanity, morality, and the world at large are all enjoyable.
There's a lack of any background characters, because the author wants us to focus all our effort on the main characters. In this book, there are five. That's right, we only hear from five people. Five people whose collected dialogue and internal monologues make up the entirety of the story.
It's a bit difficult to explain how this can be so compelling, but the truth of the matter is, they're just very well rounded and engaging characters. Each one seems simple at first glance but has layers upon layers of depth and development.
Hitagi Senjougahara is the main focus of this novel and what a wild ride she leads us on. Very heavy themes are discussed(Child abuse, divorce, sexual assault, to name a few), and the tone can be very dark at times. It can also be surprisingly light hearted and discuss things as trivial as teenage sexuality and high school crushes.
Primarily a paranormal style mystery fantasy novel, there's lots of mention and twisting of Japanese myths and legends. Over the course of the anime, myths from all over the world is discussed. As the first book was a near mirror image of the five episodes it covers, I'm excited to read more.
For fans of the anime, it adds a different flavor. We don't get the jaw dropping anime visuals, beautiful character design, and wonky architecture we all love, but we do get a better look at the inside of Araragi's head, more of the witty banter, and a bit more of the hard hitting discussions.
The anime is infamous for entire episodes of dialogue where the camera angles shift to give us views of scenery just so it feels like something is happening.
Despite the lack of a very compelling plot, this book and the anime that's based on it are wonderful. The wordplay, witticisms, observations of Japanese culture, humanity, morality, and the world at large are all enjoyable.
There's a lack of any background characters, because the author wants us to focus all our effort on the main characters. In this book, there are five. That's right, we only hear from five people. Five people whose collected dialogue and internal monologues make up the entirety of the story.
It's a bit difficult to explain how this can be so compelling, but the truth of the matter is, they're just very well rounded and engaging characters. Each one seems simple at first glance but has layers upon layers of depth and development.
Hitagi Senjougahara is the main focus of this novel and what a wild ride she leads us on. Very heavy themes are discussed(Child abuse, divorce, sexual assault, to name a few), and the tone can be very dark at times. It can also be surprisingly light hearted and discuss things as trivial as teenage sexuality and high school crushes.
Primarily a paranormal style mystery fantasy novel, there's lots of mention and twisting of Japanese myths and legends. Over the course of the anime, myths from all over the world is discussed. As the first book was a near mirror image of the five episodes it covers, I'm excited to read more.
For fans of the anime, it adds a different flavor. We don't get the jaw dropping anime visuals, beautiful character design, and wonky architecture we all love, but we do get a better look at the inside of Araragi's head, more of the witty banter, and a bit more of the hard hitting discussions.
January 4, 2022
This might be the worst book I've ever read.
I don't say that lightly.
I wanted to enter the world of Japanese Light Novels, and this one was highly esteemed. People on Amazon called it "brilliant," a "masterpiece." I do not understand.
To start, you need to understand the genre of "Light Novels," which I didn't. Read this excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Light novels have a reputation as being "mass-produced and disposable," an extreme example being Kazuma Kamachi who wrote one novel a month for two years straight, and the author turnover rate is very high."
At first I thought my issue might be the translation, after all, you can't really experience exactly what the author intended through a translation. But no, I recently read another Japanese novel, "Silence," and that was a masterpiece, even with translation. Some praised the original Japanese for its clever puns using kanji that can't be recreated in English. That may be the case. It does not redeem this awful piece of writing.
This book is mostly dialogue between two characters, usually consisting of one character insulting the main character, and the main character thinking "wow that was a good one." It never was a good one. The author constantly affirms how good their writing is, commenting things like "that was clever" every time they write a pun. There are a few moments of self awareness, like the time the main character said: "That sounded painful. Well, not as painful as listening to us talk, I bet." He was correct.
There are other times the author seems to just leave character notes in the story. The characters literally describe each other as tropes. At one point someone does something uncharacteristic of them, and the author literally wrote in response "You're not adding any more breadth to your character by breaking it entirely!" Yes, that's correct! Why did you do it then? And why did you leave your note about doing it in the text?
It's not as if all this painful dialogue serves an interesting story– the story feels random and arbitrary. I admit there are a few ideas with potential, but they're never realized due to poor execution.
Also, there are so many weirdly pedophilic sections. The portagonist, a high schooler, has multiple interactions with a 5th grader. In the course of their interactions he has a chance to look up her skirt, he "grabs her chest," and found it more plump than he expected, and just talked way too much about this child's body. Every time one of these things happens, the protagonist says something like "I would've enjoyed this if I were a pedophile, but I'm not." They even have a lengthy conversation about when he grabs her chest. None of it needed to be included, and the fact that it was raises some serious questions.
How is any of this acceptable? How can anyone rate this trash dump of a book a 4 or a 5? Just to recap:
The book is mostly dialogue. The dialogue is juvenile and bad. The story it serves is bizarre and inconsistent. There is inappropriate sexualization of minors. None of this would be saved by a few japanese puns. It's a bad book. Don't read it. The light novel genre isn't for me.
I don't say that lightly.
I wanted to enter the world of Japanese Light Novels, and this one was highly esteemed. People on Amazon called it "brilliant," a "masterpiece." I do not understand.
To start, you need to understand the genre of "Light Novels," which I didn't. Read this excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Light novels have a reputation as being "mass-produced and disposable," an extreme example being Kazuma Kamachi who wrote one novel a month for two years straight, and the author turnover rate is very high."
At first I thought my issue might be the translation, after all, you can't really experience exactly what the author intended through a translation. But no, I recently read another Japanese novel, "Silence," and that was a masterpiece, even with translation. Some praised the original Japanese for its clever puns using kanji that can't be recreated in English. That may be the case. It does not redeem this awful piece of writing.
This book is mostly dialogue between two characters, usually consisting of one character insulting the main character, and the main character thinking "wow that was a good one." It never was a good one. The author constantly affirms how good their writing is, commenting things like "that was clever" every time they write a pun. There are a few moments of self awareness, like the time the main character said: "That sounded painful. Well, not as painful as listening to us talk, I bet." He was correct.
There are other times the author seems to just leave character notes in the story. The characters literally describe each other as tropes. At one point someone does something uncharacteristic of them, and the author literally wrote in response "You're not adding any more breadth to your character by breaking it entirely!" Yes, that's correct! Why did you do it then? And why did you leave your note about doing it in the text?
It's not as if all this painful dialogue serves an interesting story– the story feels random and arbitrary. I admit there are a few ideas with potential, but they're never realized due to poor execution.
Also, there are so many weirdly pedophilic sections. The portagonist, a high schooler, has multiple interactions with a 5th grader. In the course of their interactions he has a chance to look up her skirt, he "grabs her chest," and found it more plump than he expected, and just talked way too much about this child's body. Every time one of these things happens, the protagonist says something like "I would've enjoyed this if I were a pedophile, but I'm not." They even have a lengthy conversation about when he grabs her chest. None of it needed to be included, and the fact that it was raises some serious questions.
How is any of this acceptable? How can anyone rate this trash dump of a book a 4 or a 5? Just to recap:
The book is mostly dialogue. The dialogue is juvenile and bad. The story it serves is bizarre and inconsistent. There is inappropriate sexualization of minors. None of this would be saved by a few japanese puns. It's a bad book. Don't read it. The light novel genre isn't for me.
May 24, 2017
Saving one of the best for last seemed to be what happened to me this year in terms of my reading.
I've mentioned before how Monogatari is a truly unique and beautiful work of fiction. It takes real, human characters, breaks them down and analyzes their psyche and motivations through symbolism, and it still has time to make inappropriate jokes and have sappy love confession scenes. This book contains the first two arcs of the series, being the Hitagi Crab and Mayoi Snail arcs. And even though the high diction and complicated syntax shouldn't work (when's the last time you heard a group of teenagers talking like they were the literature panel of Yale?), it does.
I'm gonna split this review into three parts: one where I discuss the Hitagi Crab arc; one where I discuss the Mayoi Snail arc; and when where I dissect the characters and the two arcs together. Let's get going!
Hitagi Crab rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Hitagi Crab is a perfect arc to intro into Monogatari with. It's both dishonest and entertaining, and it even manages to introduce our main trio without spoiling the major conflict between them. Tsubasa Hanekawa has yet to be developed (unless you've seen the anime or read Kizumonogatari like I have), but so far she's a very kindhearted character who I definitely won't mind seeing more of. Koyomi Araragi is still our unassuming, loser lead, who's both relatable and pitiable. However, they both pale in comparison to our spotlight character of this arc.
I wouldn't be lying if I said that Hitagi Senjougahara is one of the best female characters in fiction. She's entertaining, she's witty... but she's also incredibly dense, complex, and heavy. Her affliction of having a crab take her weight perfectly represents her problem, because her hard outer shell protects her delicate personality inside. Every scene that she's in almost becomes like a language arts lesson, except analyzing her dialogue and the subtext behind it actually becomes like a fun game, almost. Also, her insults for Araragi are absolutely hilarious.
Mayoi Snail rating: 5 out of 5 stars
It's funny, even though Mayoi is supposed to be the character in the spotlight for this arc, Hitagi still manages to outshine her even when she's not supposed to be in the spotlight. But I'll still talk about Mayoi first. Mayoi is fun, even if she is only meant to enrich Araragi's character. And the plot twist that she herself is the aberration haunting Araragi is really well done, especially when you realize that Hitagi can't see her but Araragi and Hanekawa can. She really does a great job fulfilling her purpose, as Araragi does come out of this arc a stronger and more well defined character.
And now, I heap more praise on Hitagi. The entire undercurrent of her dialogue in this arc is that she likes Araragi and wants to ask him out, but she doesn't want him to think that it's just because he helped her get cured. However, because Hitagi is so good with words and Araragi is so dense, it takes them the whole arc to figure out how to ask each other out. I think the defining moment of their relationship comes right before Araragi notices Mayoi, when Hitagi asks him if he wants a girlfriend. Araragi asks what'll happen if he says yes, and Hitagi simply says that if he says yes, he'll get a girlfriend. And at the end of the arc, that's exactly what happens.
Hitagi and Araragi's relationship is honestly one of the most realistic teenage relationships I've seen in literature. They aren't in love. They aren't meant to be. It wasn't love at first sight. Araragi was simply in the right place at the right time for Hitagi to fall for him, and it's less that he likes her and more that he realizes that one day, he could. And they both know that. They're not lovers destined to be together. They're simply two teenagers, both hormonal and lonely, who both find the other attractive. And honestly, that's the most accurate portrayal I've seen of a high school relationship in any book thus far.
Overall: 5 out of 5
Monogatari truly is a magnificent series. Full of deep, meaningful character, crackling dialogue, and an interesting supernatural twist, I highly recommend you read it, even if you aren't into anime or Japanese culture. The Japanese culture and folk lore is rather strongly flavored in this book, but it's explained well enough that even someone mostly unfamiliar with it such as myself can read it and understand it. Monogatari is a brilliant piece of work.
And it makes me feel like an intellectual when I read it. So, that's a bonus.
I've mentioned before how Monogatari is a truly unique and beautiful work of fiction. It takes real, human characters, breaks them down and analyzes their psyche and motivations through symbolism, and it still has time to make inappropriate jokes and have sappy love confession scenes. This book contains the first two arcs of the series, being the Hitagi Crab and Mayoi Snail arcs. And even though the high diction and complicated syntax shouldn't work (when's the last time you heard a group of teenagers talking like they were the literature panel of Yale?), it does.
I'm gonna split this review into three parts: one where I discuss the Hitagi Crab arc; one where I discuss the Mayoi Snail arc; and when where I dissect the characters and the two arcs together. Let's get going!
Hitagi Crab rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Hitagi Crab is a perfect arc to intro into Monogatari with. It's both dishonest and entertaining, and it even manages to introduce our main trio without spoiling the major conflict between them. Tsubasa Hanekawa has yet to be developed (unless you've seen the anime or read Kizumonogatari like I have), but so far she's a very kindhearted character who I definitely won't mind seeing more of. Koyomi Araragi is still our unassuming, loser lead, who's both relatable and pitiable. However, they both pale in comparison to our spotlight character of this arc.
I wouldn't be lying if I said that Hitagi Senjougahara is one of the best female characters in fiction. She's entertaining, she's witty... but she's also incredibly dense, complex, and heavy. Her affliction of having a crab take her weight perfectly represents her problem, because her hard outer shell protects her delicate personality inside. Every scene that she's in almost becomes like a language arts lesson, except analyzing her dialogue and the subtext behind it actually becomes like a fun game, almost. Also, her insults for Araragi are absolutely hilarious.
Mayoi Snail rating: 5 out of 5 stars
It's funny, even though Mayoi is supposed to be the character in the spotlight for this arc, Hitagi still manages to outshine her even when she's not supposed to be in the spotlight. But I'll still talk about Mayoi first. Mayoi is fun, even if she is only meant to enrich Araragi's character. And the plot twist that she herself is the aberration haunting Araragi is really well done, especially when you realize that Hitagi can't see her but Araragi and Hanekawa can. She really does a great job fulfilling her purpose, as Araragi does come out of this arc a stronger and more well defined character.
And now, I heap more praise on Hitagi. The entire undercurrent of her dialogue in this arc is that she likes Araragi and wants to ask him out, but she doesn't want him to think that it's just because he helped her get cured. However, because Hitagi is so good with words and Araragi is so dense, it takes them the whole arc to figure out how to ask each other out. I think the defining moment of their relationship comes right before Araragi notices Mayoi, when Hitagi asks him if he wants a girlfriend. Araragi asks what'll happen if he says yes, and Hitagi simply says that if he says yes, he'll get a girlfriend. And at the end of the arc, that's exactly what happens.
Hitagi and Araragi's relationship is honestly one of the most realistic teenage relationships I've seen in literature. They aren't in love. They aren't meant to be. It wasn't love at first sight. Araragi was simply in the right place at the right time for Hitagi to fall for him, and it's less that he likes her and more that he realizes that one day, he could. And they both know that. They're not lovers destined to be together. They're simply two teenagers, both hormonal and lonely, who both find the other attractive. And honestly, that's the most accurate portrayal I've seen of a high school relationship in any book thus far.
Overall: 5 out of 5
Monogatari truly is a magnificent series. Full of deep, meaningful character, crackling dialogue, and an interesting supernatural twist, I highly recommend you read it, even if you aren't into anime or Japanese culture. The Japanese culture and folk lore is rather strongly flavored in this book, but it's explained well enough that even someone mostly unfamiliar with it such as myself can read it and understand it. Monogatari is a brilliant piece of work.
And it makes me feel like an intellectual when I read it. So, that's a bonus.
September 9, 2017
It's hard to see how this book gets so much acclaim.
You have your loser passive protagonist who is a vampire without any real interesting parts. He meets two girls suffering from uninteresting animal themed curses who hate his guts, abuse him, and are generally unlikable all around. Of course, he has to go save them, despite them physically abusing him at times (which is ok, because he heals fast.) The saving is also particularly uninteresting, because apparently we can't have much in the way of actual action in the book either.
What we do have are endless passages of teenagers talking as unrealistically as possible:
Just two normal teenagers, right?
Oh, the author also does something else.
He varies between that kind of wordplay and brief passages of single sentences.
Kind of like this, but with a slightly longer sentence thrown in to provide some visual variety. Maybe two in a mini-paragraph, kind of like a cell phone novel.
So essentially it's a stereotypical light novel that tries to hide itself with a lot of pointless wordplay and by reducing the actual things that light novel fans might like, like action scenes, an engaging world (the only real location is Oshino's abandoned building, and it's not particularly that interesting) a long story (this is more or less two novella's slapped together), or real worldbuilding (Araragi's past is just repeated in a couple of sentences, and the story is episodic.)
If you've seen the anime, it gets a lot of flack because it's done rather cheaply by Studio Shaft, who is notorious for their cost cutting and use of odd angles, colors, rough drawing styles, and more to add interest to what are relatively standard anime. Reading the book, it now makes sense why it is such; this is very much like what would happen if the Shaft guys wrote a novel. So much surface style and weirdness, so basic and banal a plot it hides.
You have your loser passive protagonist who is a vampire without any real interesting parts. He meets two girls suffering from uninteresting animal themed curses who hate his guts, abuse him, and are generally unlikable all around. Of course, he has to go save them, despite them physically abusing him at times (which is ok, because he heals fast.) The saving is also particularly uninteresting, because apparently we can't have much in the way of actual action in the book either.
What we do have are endless passages of teenagers talking as unrealistically as possible:
As frivolous and flippant as Meme Oshino was, he was an expert in his field, and I was sure even he would feel faint at the slapdash, perfunctory, and fantabulous logic of it.
..."PTA stands for Parent-Teacher association. It's an English term for a school organization made up of guardians and instructors." Senjogahara answered from the front."It also stands for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, a medical term. But I doubt that's what you are talking about Araragi, so the first explanation should be the right one."
Just two normal teenagers, right?
Oh, the author also does something else.
He varies between that kind of wordplay and brief passages of single sentences.
Kind of like this, but with a slightly longer sentence thrown in to provide some visual variety. Maybe two in a mini-paragraph, kind of like a cell phone novel.
So essentially it's a stereotypical light novel that tries to hide itself with a lot of pointless wordplay and by reducing the actual things that light novel fans might like, like action scenes, an engaging world (the only real location is Oshino's abandoned building, and it's not particularly that interesting) a long story (this is more or less two novella's slapped together), or real worldbuilding (Araragi's past is just repeated in a couple of sentences, and the story is episodic.)
If you've seen the anime, it gets a lot of flack because it's done rather cheaply by Studio Shaft, who is notorious for their cost cutting and use of odd angles, colors, rough drawing styles, and more to add interest to what are relatively standard anime. Reading the book, it now makes sense why it is such; this is very much like what would happen if the Shaft guys wrote a novel. So much surface style and weirdness, so basic and banal a plot it hides.
August 19, 2017
(2.5)
Just plain weird. I couldn't follow half the plotline and the dialogue didn't make much sense.
I really didn't like the main character. He seemed so winy and a little dumb.
Though, I liked some of the other characters, and I thought the ending was cute.
Just plain weird. I couldn't follow half the plotline and the dialogue didn't make much sense.
I really didn't like the main character. He seemed so winy and a little dumb.
Though, I liked some of the other characters, and I thought the ending was cute.
May 11, 2018
The first half was alright, but the second half was a slog... I really only enjoyed the last couple of chapters of it. So many of the exchnages between Araragi and others are just... soooo cringy, it's honestly hard to read. Definitely won't be picking up the subsequent volumes.
June 4, 2019
This really just wasn't for me. I snagged the second one for 3 bucks so I might read the second one.
This guy just seems so creepy, and mentions several times "I'm not a pedophile" while his friend constantly verbally abuses him and calls him an idiot the entire novel was annoying.
This guy just seems so creepy, and mentions several times "I'm not a pedophile" while his friend constantly verbally abuses him and calls him an idiot the entire novel was annoying.
March 17, 2022
4.3
senjogahara my dearest yass slay queen gaslight gatekeep girlboss
senjogahara my dearest yass slay queen gaslight gatekeep girlboss
May 20, 2018
This book felt like the author just churned out some inane conversation tied loosely to a sketched out plot. He's got the start of an interesting character in Araragi, but we don't get very much. The other female characters (and yokai) he has to deal with are even less fleshed-out. Granted, this is part one in a three-part series (so far), but it's not off to a promising start. It feels very thrown-together to meet a publishing deadline.
October 13, 2019
Um, WHAT?! This story was so fragmented and weird. It was broken up in the worst way and so hard to put together. I see it has pretty good reviews and I honestly don't understand. I don't even know what was trying to happen here. I did not like this one at all.
October 18, 2022
NisiOisiN's Monogatari Series is what James Joyce hoped to be able to achieve when writing Ulysses.
August 24, 2020
Who knew crabs and snails could be so random?
Just as a warning there is some mature content, violence, and all around insulting remarks in this story so if you are overly sensitive to such things then venture no farther for I can not let you be scarred further by this story.
NisiOisiN is a special kind of crazy which shows in this book as once normal school student Koyomi Araragi finds himself helping a fellow student who has an unusual weight problem and an even worse problem with sharp things (especially her tongue) and later on he meets a lost little girl after getting into a fight with his own sisters and decides to help her. A lot of the stories seem kind of random but from what I can tell they are actually pretty well thought out and (as the author mentions) main point of the story is not about the problems that arise and are eventually handled but rather the interesting dialogues between these unique characters who seem to have a flair for getting affected by the supernatural while having to deal with real world problems as well.
Also, before I end this review I want to note that this book has an audio book from Audible for those that have a hard time following along the character interactions so you basically get a performed reading that you can hear from narators Eric Kimerer, Cristina Vee, Erica Mendez, and Keith Silverstein. Personally I like getting the audio books with the kindle books so I can listen to them at work and this one was done well.
Just as a warning there is some mature content, violence, and all around insulting remarks in this story so if you are overly sensitive to such things then venture no farther for I can not let you be scarred further by this story.
NisiOisiN is a special kind of crazy which shows in this book as once normal school student Koyomi Araragi finds himself helping a fellow student who has an unusual weight problem and an even worse problem with sharp things (especially her tongue) and later on he meets a lost little girl after getting into a fight with his own sisters and decides to help her. A lot of the stories seem kind of random but from what I can tell they are actually pretty well thought out and (as the author mentions) main point of the story is not about the problems that arise and are eventually handled but rather the interesting dialogues between these unique characters who seem to have a flair for getting affected by the supernatural while having to deal with real world problems as well.
Also, before I end this review I want to note that this book has an audio book from Audible for those that have a hard time following along the character interactions so you basically get a performed reading that you can hear from narators Eric Kimerer, Cristina Vee, Erica Mendez, and Keith Silverstein. Personally I like getting the audio books with the kindle books so I can listen to them at work and this one was done well.
March 9, 2024
Es droši vien pabeigšu Bakemonogatari daļas, bet diezin vai turpināšu ar šo grāmatu sēriju.
Īsumā - japāņu 12. klases skolnieks iekļūst dažādos paranormālos piedzīvojumos ar dažādu vecumu un tipu meitenēm un sievietēm, un atrisina viņu pārdabiskās problēmas. Šeit atradīsi ļoti daudz vārdu spēles, mājienus un atsauces uz japāņu (pop)kultūru, kuru, ja godīgi, tāds vidējais cilvēks nezinās un nesapratīs. Pat es, kas ir redzējusi relatīvi daudz anime un apjauš to kultūru, turklāt esmu redzējusi to anime, kas ir balstīta šai grāmatā, reizēm jutu, kā attiecīgā doma vienkārši pārlidoja pār galvu un bija no konteksta jāizvelk ideja. Nav neiespējami, taču es nezinu, cik baudāms būtu pamatstāsts bez tā.
Kādēļ tad es neturpināšu? Teiksim tā, japāņu 'vieglās noveles' ir ļoti salīdzināmas saturiski ar YA literatūru, tikai vēl nedaudz juvenīlāk. Mani netraucē tas, ka es novelē iejūtos pusaudža puikas prātā. Mani netraucē arī ne-politkorekti varoņi. Mani traucē gan, ka ir sajūta, ka noveli ir arī uzrakstījis pusaudzis Tumblr. Valodas un rakstības stils arī ir ļoti neveikls, līdzīgs kādam pirmajam mēģinājumam spēlēties ar teksta formu.
Protams, tādēļ vien teksts iet zibensātrumā uz priekšu, taču es biju diezgan garlaikota, un ne jau tāpēc, ka zināju, kā stāsti beigsies.
Viens vienīgs citāts ieķērās man acīs:
Īsumā - japāņu 12. klases skolnieks iekļūst dažādos paranormālos piedzīvojumos ar dažādu vecumu un tipu meitenēm un sievietēm, un atrisina viņu pārdabiskās problēmas. Šeit atradīsi ļoti daudz vārdu spēles, mājienus un atsauces uz japāņu (pop)kultūru, kuru, ja godīgi, tāds vidējais cilvēks nezinās un nesapratīs. Pat es, kas ir redzējusi relatīvi daudz anime un apjauš to kultūru, turklāt esmu redzējusi to anime, kas ir balstīta šai grāmatā, reizēm jutu, kā attiecīgā doma vienkārši pārlidoja pār galvu un bija no konteksta jāizvelk ideja. Nav neiespējami, taču es nezinu, cik baudāms būtu pamatstāsts bez tā.
Kādēļ tad es neturpināšu? Teiksim tā, japāņu 'vieglās noveles' ir ļoti salīdzināmas saturiski ar YA literatūru, tikai vēl nedaudz juvenīlāk. Mani netraucē tas, ka es novelē iejūtos pusaudža puikas prātā. Mani netraucē arī ne-politkorekti varoņi. Mani traucē gan, ka ir sajūta, ka noveli ir arī uzrakstījis pusaudzis Tumblr. Valodas un rakstības stils arī ir ļoti neveikls, līdzīgs kādam pirmajam mēģinājumam spēlēties ar teksta formu.
Protams, tādēļ vien teksts iet zibensātrumā uz priekšu, taču es biju diezgan garlaikota, un ne jau tāpēc, ka zināju, kā stāsti beigsies.
Viens vienīgs citāts ieķērās man acīs:
This woman had complete mastery over all things insulting.
July 12, 2025
*Reread
I loved it and appreciated it way more than the first time I read it, to the point I thought I didn't pay any attention when I read it for the first time, also I understanded it much better (maybe this has to do with the fact that when I first read it I was a 13 yr old kiddo).The story itself isn't very amusing compared to other monogatari arcs, hitagi crab and mayoi snail are pretty short to others, this doesn't mean they are bad, ofc not at all. The dialogue is pretty witty and smart the characters introduction is pretty cool and the concepts of using cliches for each character as a satire and the meaning of the way the words are written in japanese works pretty well. The characters have conflicts and fears that are very well handed, and portrayed by Sr nisio.
~| Now talking about the arcs. Hitagi crab is a very good introduction to the series, working with the tsundere cliche with hitagi (as well as in mayoi snail :3). The point of the arc I could say it was the weight of stuff, hitagis weight at the start was like 5kg (I think?) meaning the lack of emotions she had and how she only carried the weight of the problems she brought from the past, one she gets over her trauma she ends up weighing 40kg-50 (?) meaning she finally moved on and regained her emotions and affectiveness as kilos (??). Also Araragi by the end weights 100kgs, this could mean that he now carries hitagis weight and also her feelings,, or he has developed feelings towards her or will (by mayoi snail), although later Don Nisio writtes some kind of a jokie saying "The gods surely are an undiscerning bunch". But I think he just says it to mess up with the readers meow he seems silly Doobie (idk). *Random; Hitagi has always been a very comfortable character for me she makes me very happy, since I pretty do relate to some stuff she says or behave, so the arc was lovely for me it makes me very calm T-T,,, I also read part of it listening to the ost so it was a vibe!! Tehe
The ending foreshadows pretty much all of stheeries, el famous: "you can only save yourself". With Srta hitagi changing as a person to get over her trauma, meow, a person can't move on if they aren't willing to personally, no matter how hard other tries to help, if they don't want to, they won't get better.
~| Okie Doki, Mayoiiiiii Snailllll tehe , okok, I really did enjoy this arc is fun asf mayoi and Araragi interactions are very funny and also her conflict with going to see her mom it's pretty sad, the fact that she avoids interacting with people to not make them lost and she is a ghost that can't return home kills me T-T I almost cried of joy when she "arrived" her house. Well, Having 3 characters (4 if we take hanekawa) that have mostly problems with their family interacting on mother's day in a random neighborhood park, it's pretty funny if you think it that way,, each one having different perspectives of how a family works and ways of thinking about it, and also how they behave based on their life experiences with their parents, specially between Araragi and hachikuji that they debate all the time about the divorce of hachikujis parentss. Its also a story about love obviously, the start of the relationship between hitagi and Koyomin ♡, with hitagi confessing to him and asking him about being a partner ,, although only having talked 3 days, also telling him about putting effort in their relationship towards the future and learning to love each other I think it's a very beautiful, although Koyomin doesn't deserve her... Grrrrrrr fucking Koyomin... waaaaa BUT the I love you so so cute I love them sm!! I really do love their relationship and dynamic they make me so freaking eppy :'3 !! (me and him frfr)
It was very heart warming coming back to this amazing series, after the off season anime Wich I really liked,, I'm very very very excited to continue experiencing it again from 0, now with a more clear mindset. And I'm also very happy I can share it with my partner who has more knowledge about it than me!! I can't wait to yap about it with him :Ddd.
I'm sorry if idk how to write... I tried my best I'm not used to do this and I have probably said a ton of stupid nonsense stuff.... It was fun also sorry for being dummy,,, TvT...
Cya soon in Bake 2... Nyaha
I loved it and appreciated it way more than the first time I read it, to the point I thought I didn't pay any attention when I read it for the first time, also I understanded it much better (maybe this has to do with the fact that when I first read it I was a 13 yr old kiddo).The story itself isn't very amusing compared to other monogatari arcs, hitagi crab and mayoi snail are pretty short to others, this doesn't mean they are bad, ofc not at all. The dialogue is pretty witty and smart the characters introduction is pretty cool and the concepts of using cliches for each character as a satire and the meaning of the way the words are written in japanese works pretty well. The characters have conflicts and fears that are very well handed, and portrayed by Sr nisio.
~| Now talking about the arcs. Hitagi crab is a very good introduction to the series, working with the tsundere cliche with hitagi (as well as in mayoi snail :3). The point of the arc I could say it was the weight of stuff, hitagis weight at the start was like 5kg (I think?) meaning the lack of emotions she had and how she only carried the weight of the problems she brought from the past, one she gets over her trauma she ends up weighing 40kg-50 (?) meaning she finally moved on and regained her emotions and affectiveness as kilos (??). Also Araragi by the end weights 100kgs, this could mean that he now carries hitagis weight and also her feelings,, or he has developed feelings towards her or will (by mayoi snail), although later Don Nisio writtes some kind of a jokie saying "The gods surely are an undiscerning bunch". But I think he just says it to mess up with the readers meow he seems silly Doobie (idk). *Random; Hitagi has always been a very comfortable character for me she makes me very happy, since I pretty do relate to some stuff she says or behave, so the arc was lovely for me it makes me very calm T-T,,, I also read part of it listening to the ost so it was a vibe!! Tehe
The ending foreshadows pretty much all of stheeries, el famous: "you can only save yourself". With Srta hitagi changing as a person to get over her trauma, meow, a person can't move on if they aren't willing to personally, no matter how hard other tries to help, if they don't want to, they won't get better.
~| Okie Doki, Mayoiiiiii Snailllll tehe , okok, I really did enjoy this arc is fun asf mayoi and Araragi interactions are very funny and also her conflict with going to see her mom it's pretty sad, the fact that she avoids interacting with people to not make them lost and she is a ghost that can't return home kills me T-T I almost cried of joy when she "arrived" her house. Well, Having 3 characters (4 if we take hanekawa) that have mostly problems with their family interacting on mother's day in a random neighborhood park, it's pretty funny if you think it that way,, each one having different perspectives of how a family works and ways of thinking about it, and also how they behave based on their life experiences with their parents, specially between Araragi and hachikuji that they debate all the time about the divorce of hachikujis parentss. Its also a story about love obviously, the start of the relationship between hitagi and Koyomin ♡, with hitagi confessing to him and asking him about being a partner ,, although only having talked 3 days, also telling him about putting effort in their relationship towards the future and learning to love each other I think it's a very beautiful, although Koyomin doesn't deserve her... Grrrrrrr fucking Koyomin... waaaaa BUT the I love you so so cute I love them sm!! I really do love their relationship and dynamic they make me so freaking eppy :'3 !! (me and him frfr)
It was very heart warming coming back to this amazing series, after the off season anime Wich I really liked,, I'm very very very excited to continue experiencing it again from 0, now with a more clear mindset. And I'm also very happy I can share it with my partner who has more knowledge about it than me!! I can't wait to yap about it with him :Ddd.
I'm sorry if idk how to write... I tried my best I'm not used to do this and I have probably said a ton of stupid nonsense stuff.... It was fun also sorry for being dummy,,, TvT...
Cya soon in Bake 2... Nyaha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2022
This book was just a bunch of stupid shit. It's a jolly good time. It's mostly the main character's monologs broken up by the conversations he has with his friends. It's absolutely not something I would recommend to anyone, and it's absurd how many people enjoy it. The entire point of this book is just puns and random shit that the author found funny. One thing I didn't like was many of the reference jokes were just references and not really jokes, and some if the jokes were pretty generic. Also, sometimes the conversations will go through contrivances in order to make another joke, and while many may find this unnatural, as a dumbass highschooler, the target audience of light novels, I can confirm that conversations move on through shit like that, but I can understand that's hard to get over for many.
For those who read this with that in mind and thoroughly disliked it, what can I say. Everything I've just described is best put in the afterword. This isn't meant to be a story, it's meant to be dumb fun.
Enough of why I enjoy this chaos, though. I've been seeing people talk about how araragi is a Boring, bland, normal person, and I must say that you're quite cynical like araragi if you think that. Koyomi is not a normal person: koyomi araragi is a vampire. It's that simple, though there is more. Other than the fact that koyomi araragi is a pedophile, he can also do an actual non-pathetic job of playing a straight man, which is something I almost never see in people who aren't at least a little crazy in public.
What I mean is that his retorts almost always hit when he has one, but sometimes he just backs down when he can't have a good one, which many people don't do, rather, many people just say some cringey shit to not look as pathetic, but when the average teenage guy approaches you and calls you an npc for standing around instead of talking with someone, you, like them 24/7, will struggle to have a creative comeback. Yet many will still say shit bc they're butthurt. Now, it's different here bc the characters are actually really good at insulting koyomi and are usually creative when it comes to it, but it still stands that koyomi knows when to back down, which prevents this story from being entirely cringey. This may sound like very little, but it gets even more painful irl than listening to koyomi and hachikuji talk.
Another thing is that his retorts actually relate and add to the insults. He sort of beats himself down with the insulting person, which would make him easy to talk to irl, as well as a fun time. The only downside is that the specific sorta contrived feeling insults leave him at a standstill, which makes sense, but it takes away from those jokes a little as well. So yeah, that's why koyomi is actually a decently written character, and not some edgy cynical piece of shit even if he comes off that way at times. He's easily funnier and more entertaining than any high schooler I know, and feels like a person who could exist, which bad stories fail to do. He is by no means bland, boring, and especially not normal.
For those who read this with that in mind and thoroughly disliked it, what can I say. Everything I've just described is best put in the afterword. This isn't meant to be a story, it's meant to be dumb fun.
Enough of why I enjoy this chaos, though. I've been seeing people talk about how araragi is a Boring, bland, normal person, and I must say that you're quite cynical like araragi if you think that. Koyomi is not a normal person: koyomi araragi is a vampire. It's that simple, though there is more. Other than the fact that koyomi araragi is a pedophile, he can also do an actual non-pathetic job of playing a straight man, which is something I almost never see in people who aren't at least a little crazy in public.
What I mean is that his retorts almost always hit when he has one, but sometimes he just backs down when he can't have a good one, which many people don't do, rather, many people just say some cringey shit to not look as pathetic, but when the average teenage guy approaches you and calls you an npc for standing around instead of talking with someone, you, like them 24/7, will struggle to have a creative comeback. Yet many will still say shit bc they're butthurt. Now, it's different here bc the characters are actually really good at insulting koyomi and are usually creative when it comes to it, but it still stands that koyomi knows when to back down, which prevents this story from being entirely cringey. This may sound like very little, but it gets even more painful irl than listening to koyomi and hachikuji talk.
Another thing is that his retorts actually relate and add to the insults. He sort of beats himself down with the insulting person, which would make him easy to talk to irl, as well as a fun time. The only downside is that the specific sorta contrived feeling insults leave him at a standstill, which makes sense, but it takes away from those jokes a little as well. So yeah, that's why koyomi is actually a decently written character, and not some edgy cynical piece of shit even if he comes off that way at times. He's easily funnier and more entertaining than any high schooler I know, and feels like a person who could exist, which bad stories fail to do. He is by no means bland, boring, and especially not normal.
January 4, 2023
Content warnings: Mention of an attempted rape, death of a child, cults, injuries, blood, threats of violence
This light novel series starts off with a fairly simple premise: a former vampire catches his classmate who slipped on a banana peel, only to find that she weighs literally nothing. And if full of stationery. And haunted by a crab. In the second half of the book, the two of them encounter a little girl haunted by a snail aberration, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Full of friendship, interesting exchanges, strange happenings, and explorations of past trauma that don’t get resolved with the resolution of the haunting, there is so much to like and see in this work told almost entirely through dialogue but does not at all feel like reading a script.
The teenagers in this series are so appropriately thorny. They try to be so mean but lose the plot halfway through and fall off into edgy. They rib at each other because they care, and because that’s what friendship looks like sometimes. It’s fun and a little refreshing.
One of the things that really simmers in the background is the world-building. It’s, by all means, contemporary Japan with trappings like modern technology and stresses that come with being a high school student. But there are also aberrations (monsters) and vampires. Where they come from and how they interact is a bit of a mystery that I don’t think gets answered in this first series, but honestly? I don’t think it needs to. These stories are character-driven to an aggressive degree. Somehow, NISIOISIN avoids the pitfalls of “blank room” syndrome despite having the majority of the scenes progressing entirely through dialogue. It’s masterful and fascinating—the fact that there is so much word play also makes it quite enjoyable to read.
Another thing I’ll mention that really kept me on the hook is how trauma gets addressed. Some pretty upsetting things have happened to all the characters that directly fed into their hauntings. But resolving the hauntings doesn’t resolve the trauma. Instead, normal is reset. That resonates with me since there is no magical cure for past hurts, but there are ways of moving forward.
I’m excited to see what new problems Araragi will help solve for girls who ultimately save themselves.
This light novel series starts off with a fairly simple premise: a former vampire catches his classmate who slipped on a banana peel, only to find that she weighs literally nothing. And if full of stationery. And haunted by a crab. In the second half of the book, the two of them encounter a little girl haunted by a snail aberration, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Full of friendship, interesting exchanges, strange happenings, and explorations of past trauma that don’t get resolved with the resolution of the haunting, there is so much to like and see in this work told almost entirely through dialogue but does not at all feel like reading a script.
The teenagers in this series are so appropriately thorny. They try to be so mean but lose the plot halfway through and fall off into edgy. They rib at each other because they care, and because that’s what friendship looks like sometimes. It’s fun and a little refreshing.
One of the things that really simmers in the background is the world-building. It’s, by all means, contemporary Japan with trappings like modern technology and stresses that come with being a high school student. But there are also aberrations (monsters) and vampires. Where they come from and how they interact is a bit of a mystery that I don’t think gets answered in this first series, but honestly? I don’t think it needs to. These stories are character-driven to an aggressive degree. Somehow, NISIOISIN avoids the pitfalls of “blank room” syndrome despite having the majority of the scenes progressing entirely through dialogue. It’s masterful and fascinating—the fact that there is so much word play also makes it quite enjoyable to read.
Another thing I’ll mention that really kept me on the hook is how trauma gets addressed. Some pretty upsetting things have happened to all the characters that directly fed into their hauntings. But resolving the hauntings doesn’t resolve the trauma. Instead, normal is reset. That resonates with me since there is no magical cure for past hurts, but there are ways of moving forward.
I’m excited to see what new problems Araragi will help solve for girls who ultimately save themselves.
March 21, 2017
Bakemonogatari, Part 1 is the first in a three part tale of Koyomi Araragi and how he deals with and interacts with different aberrations that he has come into contact with. The stories themselves are rather short but enjoyable. This particular novel deals with two characters, the stationary-obsessed Hitagi Senjogahara and the elementary school student, Mayoi Hachikuji.
I’m still not entirely sure what it is about Nisioisin’s writing, or this series in general, that draws me to it, but I really do like this work. Maybe it has something to do with the actual stories of aberrations and how Koyomi Araragi deals with them. Maybe it has to do with the silly back-and-forth bantering between the characters that make up the majority of the text.
The one thing that I do know is that I will be continuing to read Bakemonogatari and the rest of the Monogatari series.
I’m still not entirely sure what it is about Nisioisin’s writing, or this series in general, that draws me to it, but I really do like this work. Maybe it has something to do with the actual stories of aberrations and how Koyomi Araragi deals with them. Maybe it has to do with the silly back-and-forth bantering between the characters that make up the majority of the text.
The one thing that I do know is that I will be continuing to read Bakemonogatari and the rest of the Monogatari series.
December 17, 2017
2.5 stars.
The supernatural stuff was interesting but the dialogue got a little too rambling for my taste.
The supernatural stuff was interesting but the dialogue got a little too rambling for my taste.
April 8, 2018
Deeply woven tale of supernatural mysteries. Beautifully written with some great belly laughs included.
I would recommend this for people who enjoy light mysteries or fun adventures.
I would recommend this for people who enjoy light mysteries or fun adventures.
December 24, 2024
Tough series to talk about but I want to be better about actually commenting on novels I read instead of just rating. Since this series is told in a series of arcs I will address each arc within the books individually.
Hitagi Crab:
The series begins with a thoughtful and affecting exploration of escapism through the character Hitagi Senjogahara. She's not only a fascinating character but one that is a joy to read about. Her behavior in this first arc seems really outlandish, inscrutable, even downright offputting at times. It isn't until you learn her circumstances that suddenly her behavior all begins to make sense and fall into place. Her banter, if one can call it that, with the main character is engaging and (mostly) fluid and surprisingly incisive at interrogating her characteristics and outlook. Ultimately, it's a story about the burden of our experiences. The weight we have to carry. And why it's important to carry it. While escapism is appealing on the surface, this story does a great job of showing how it's self-destructive and alienating. The weight of your past can be tough to carry but it's what gives you substance; it's what makes you who you are. Life without it may be easier but it's hollow and empty. To quote Cowboy Bebop (and by extension the Beatles): 'You're gonna carry that weight'. Senjogahara's story to reclaim herself is deeply moving and poignant and introduces a fundamental idea that the series will frequently revisit: you can't save another person, they can only save themselves. But what this first arc does a great job at is articulating that while this idea is true, it's qualified by the fact that someone else can help shoulder the weight with you and that's what truly matters. I also think that Senjogahara's traits are a fantastic representation of how a person might respond and change as a result of her specific type of trauma. 10/10 from me for this arc.
Mayoi Snail:
The second arc introduces us to a new character: Mayoi Hachikuji who unfortunately I find significantly less interesting to read about than Senjogahara. This arc also introduces some of the main character's (and the author's) worst tendencies: ill-advised humor that's painfully unfunny at best and horribly demeaning at worst that does a fantastic job of destroying any and all emotional investment the current arc has cultivated in me by that point. A big part of the appeal of this series lies in the banter between the characters so when you have an arc like this one where the banter isn't all that engaging, the book honestly just feels kinda like a slog. However, it does introduce some interesting things: like teasing out many of the characters' family situations as well as some of the series' more philosophical points regarding perspective and point-of-view. Perspective is king in this arc: the characters quite literally do not see the same reality as the other. Their perception is colored and skewed by their past experiences, the context they bring to the present moment. The novel does a good job of articulating this and expanding the relationship between Araragi and Senjogahara as they vow to bridge their differences in perspective through honest communication. Senjogahara's parts in this arc are the best part of it and are what save it from being forgettable. 7/10 for this arc as a whole but 10/10 for the parts where Senjogahara is talking. She's so good.
Hitagi Crab:
The series begins with a thoughtful and affecting exploration of escapism through the character Hitagi Senjogahara. She's not only a fascinating character but one that is a joy to read about. Her behavior in this first arc seems really outlandish, inscrutable, even downright offputting at times. It isn't until you learn her circumstances that suddenly her behavior all begins to make sense and fall into place. Her banter, if one can call it that, with the main character is engaging and (mostly) fluid and surprisingly incisive at interrogating her characteristics and outlook. Ultimately, it's a story about the burden of our experiences. The weight we have to carry. And why it's important to carry it. While escapism is appealing on the surface, this story does a great job of showing how it's self-destructive and alienating. The weight of your past can be tough to carry but it's what gives you substance; it's what makes you who you are. Life without it may be easier but it's hollow and empty. To quote Cowboy Bebop (and by extension the Beatles): 'You're gonna carry that weight'. Senjogahara's story to reclaim herself is deeply moving and poignant and introduces a fundamental idea that the series will frequently revisit: you can't save another person, they can only save themselves. But what this first arc does a great job at is articulating that while this idea is true, it's qualified by the fact that someone else can help shoulder the weight with you and that's what truly matters. I also think that Senjogahara's traits are a fantastic representation of how a person might respond and change as a result of her specific type of trauma. 10/10 from me for this arc.
Mayoi Snail:
The second arc introduces us to a new character: Mayoi Hachikuji who unfortunately I find significantly less interesting to read about than Senjogahara. This arc also introduces some of the main character's (and the author's) worst tendencies: ill-advised humor that's painfully unfunny at best and horribly demeaning at worst that does a fantastic job of destroying any and all emotional investment the current arc has cultivated in me by that point. A big part of the appeal of this series lies in the banter between the characters so when you have an arc like this one where the banter isn't all that engaging, the book honestly just feels kinda like a slog. However, it does introduce some interesting things: like teasing out many of the characters' family situations as well as some of the series' more philosophical points regarding perspective and point-of-view. Perspective is king in this arc: the characters quite literally do not see the same reality as the other. Their perception is colored and skewed by their past experiences, the context they bring to the present moment. The novel does a good job of articulating this and expanding the relationship between Araragi and Senjogahara as they vow to bridge their differences in perspective through honest communication. Senjogahara's parts in this arc are the best part of it and are what save it from being forgettable. 7/10 for this arc as a whole but 10/10 for the parts where Senjogahara is talking. She's so good.
January 16, 2023
This book is a goofy mix of spirits, mystery, and high school drama. A lot of fun and easy to read, if you don't mind tons of dialogue moving the story forward. Some might not like the wandering nature of how the conversations often go, but to me, it gives a vibe of just hanging out and chatting, which I think can be refreshing in a story when done well.
I saw the show so I know there are stories I enjoy more yet to come, but 5 stars for this one since it was just an overall fun read.
I saw the show so I know there are stories I enjoy more yet to come, but 5 stars for this one since it was just an overall fun read.
August 4, 2024
Good start to an amazing series, wish I was Japanese to fully appreciate some of jokes but fun nonetheless. A great setup for some of the cast, but not sure ill be reading part two anytime soon (much more interested in nonfiction, at no fault of the book)
March 4, 2025
well this series is going to be a wild ride and is gonna take some getting used to regarding the writing style and characters of senjogahara and araragi bc i'm scared of how unhinged this is gonna get
April 17, 2021
Absolute masterpiece.
March 6, 2023
Εγώ: Δεν υπάρχει τίποτα που να μπορεί να μσ συγκινήσει σε χαρακτήρες με πολύ μεγάλα μάτια και ασιατικά ονόματα
10 χρόνο κοριτσάκι: Χάνεται 😢😢
10 χρόνο κοριτσάκι: Χάνεται 😢😢
January 3, 2020
Bakemonogatari was the first novel in the Monogatari series by NisiOisiN and would kick off a twenty-book opus that would be adapted into one of the best anime ever made. Kizumonogatari was the first English released light novel in the series and it was great--if not overshadowed by an adaptation that makes the whole "the book is better than the movie" concept feel more situational than not. Bakemonogatari, consisting of two novellas, may actually be a better book than Kizu.
Bakemonogatari starts with the story of Hitagi Senjogahara who has had her weight taken from her by a crab aberration. Hero Araragi Koyomi works with her to solve her weightlessness, learning how it is tied into her family's dramatic past.
The second novella is about Mayoi Hachikuji, a ten year old girl who is lost on the way to seeing her mother. Araragi along with Senjogahara tackle this case, again using the past to learn why this girl can't seem to find her way home.
Both stories are pretty great with a lot of snappy dialogue, unique characters, and well-earned reveals at the end of each. Senjogahara as a quick-witted, mean, and variably violent romantic interest for Araragi is excellent and Mayoi adds another dimension of witty fun. Her being punched by Araragi and beaten up is a little weird but I guess that's the charm of Monogatari, it's a lot of random nonsense that somehow has heart.
I liked Mayoi's story better than Senjogahara's. Senjo's is a little flatter and straightforward while Mayoi's has a couple layers of emotion from the actual aberration to Senjo's admitting her love for Araragi. And the fact that this, the first book in what is essentially a harem series, immediately places Araragi in a relationship with one of the women without any of the wishy-washiness endemic to the genre is commendable.
It's a reminder that Monogatari is a smarter series than its contemporaries, treating the teenaged (or older) reader as a person with a brain and not a horny fanboy (or girl). I have a real problem with light novels because they are sloppily written fan fiction pumped out with assembly line swiftness that only seem to act as scripts for crappy anime. They usually are written from the first person for the very reason of allowing the reader to insert him or herself in and the main character is so vaguely defined as a way of letting you step into their shoes.
NisiOisiN pumps out novels pretty fast but I also feel like he has the raw talent that most light novel authors lack. This is a guy who knows how to write dialogue, who has created a unique main character with an actual personality; Bakemonogatari reads not as wish fulfillment but as an actual novel . I'm sure my future reveals will continue to tear into light novels and I am sorry to those who enjoy them.
My only real problem with this book is, much like the previous, Vertical needs to hire a better editor . There are some glaring issues like saying Koyomi was attacked over summer break (it was spring). Also, I wish the translator would get rid of some of the overused punctuation. I know light novel authors write in a certain style and there is a lot of ellipses and dashes for whatever reason...but I feel these novels would be better in English were they translated and edited to fit the English mold. It wouldn't take anything away; the majority of the dashes in the middle of sentences were completely unnecessary.
Overall, another great chapter in this story and a fun little read for those looking for something stupid with a bit of heart.
1. Kizumonogatari ★★★★☆
2. Bakemonogatari Part 1 ★★★★☆
Bakemonogatari starts with the story of Hitagi Senjogahara who has had her weight taken from her by a crab aberration. Hero Araragi Koyomi works with her to solve her weightlessness, learning how it is tied into her family's dramatic past.
The second novella is about Mayoi Hachikuji, a ten year old girl who is lost on the way to seeing her mother. Araragi along with Senjogahara tackle this case, again using the past to learn why this girl can't seem to find her way home.
Both stories are pretty great with a lot of snappy dialogue, unique characters, and well-earned reveals at the end of each. Senjogahara as a quick-witted, mean, and variably violent romantic interest for Araragi is excellent and Mayoi adds another dimension of witty fun. Her being punched by Araragi and beaten up is a little weird but I guess that's the charm of Monogatari, it's a lot of random nonsense that somehow has heart.
I liked Mayoi's story better than Senjogahara's. Senjo's is a little flatter and straightforward while Mayoi's has a couple layers of emotion from the actual aberration to Senjo's admitting her love for Araragi. And the fact that this, the first book in what is essentially a harem series, immediately places Araragi in a relationship with one of the women without any of the wishy-washiness endemic to the genre is commendable.
It's a reminder that Monogatari is a smarter series than its contemporaries, treating the teenaged (or older) reader as a person with a brain and not a horny fanboy (or girl). I have a real problem with light novels because they are sloppily written fan fiction pumped out with assembly line swiftness that only seem to act as scripts for crappy anime. They usually are written from the first person for the very reason of allowing the reader to insert him or herself in and the main character is so vaguely defined as a way of letting you step into their shoes.
NisiOisiN pumps out novels pretty fast but I also feel like he has the raw talent that most light novel authors lack. This is a guy who knows how to write dialogue, who has created a unique main character with an actual personality; Bakemonogatari reads not as wish fulfillment but as an actual novel . I'm sure my future reveals will continue to tear into light novels and I am sorry to those who enjoy them.
My only real problem with this book is, much like the previous, Vertical needs to hire a better editor . There are some glaring issues like saying Koyomi was attacked over summer break (it was spring). Also, I wish the translator would get rid of some of the overused punctuation. I know light novel authors write in a certain style and there is a lot of ellipses and dashes for whatever reason...but I feel these novels would be better in English were they translated and edited to fit the English mold. It wouldn't take anything away; the majority of the dashes in the middle of sentences were completely unnecessary.
Overall, another great chapter in this story and a fun little read for those looking for something stupid with a bit of heart.
1. Kizumonogatari ★★★★☆
2. Bakemonogatari Part 1 ★★★★☆
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