Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season

Bakemonogatari holds a high place in anime history, rightfully so.
Off & Monster Season takes everything we've seen so far and... makes it better!
Love the characters? Here's even more reasons to love them!
Love the stories? Here's another story that's fantastic!
Love the artwork? Not only is there 'classic bakemonogatari' art? There's even more art styles! And yes they are 100% fitting to the story.

Even if you haven't seen the series? You might still enjoy this, it's just that good. But knowing the history is kind of important, many small references are slipped in which need you to ... pay attention to 'catch' them. Hey! Just like all the previous seasons! It rewards viewers for paying attention and never once insults their intelligence.
10/10 how does it keep getting better? Segoi!
PS: Nadako is cute throughout this, even cuter than before! (But don't tell Shinobu I said that)

Animation: Not much to say. Shaft is not a flashy studio like Ufotable or Mappa. But where they lack in eye candy they more than make up for in art direction. Every frame serves a purpose. Every frame has personality. And in this entry, those qualities are as present as ever.

Nadeko Draw

Story: Definitely one of the stronger stories so far. A very moving culmination of a decade’s worth of character development for a very complex, well-written character. As with past stories, Nisio Isin’s usage of his aberrations to give shape to the inner complexities of his characters is fascinating, and with this story, very well ... executed. This story seems like a great improvement on the author’s unique storytelling method, and Shaft presented it very well.

Music: Some pretty clever usage of Renai Circulation’s main melody. Definitely an old fashioned approach to scoring, but executed perfectly. A tasteful use is heard in the main opening, but also the utilization in character themes was done very well. Also very appropriate to the theme of the story. A story where the main character is confronting their storied past is perfect for this form of musical expression.
As for the ending. YOASOBI loves their 4-on-the-floor dance grooves, but I would be lying if I said this song wasn’t catchy as hell. And the visuals were also quite simple, but stunning in their own right. Quite a testament to their confidence and commitment to making quality music.

Overall, one of the best if not the best stories of the entire franchise so far. Quite simple in some ways, such as the music, but I don’t view that negatively at all. In my opinion, the later installments to the monogatari series, such as Hana, Tsuki, and all of Owari, were straying from the simplicity that really made me enjoy the earlier installments like Bake. So seeing Nadekomonogatari really makes me feel refreshed. The vision is still alive. 9.6/10

I'll try to keep this review updated as the episodes come out.

Can Monogatari really be Monogatari without Koyomi-kun? After binging this arc, I would have to say no. So far, the season feels like little more than a mid spin-off.

I don't get the decision to take one of the most boring characters from the franchise, and waste a whole half season on her. While there was some development, it seemed there should have been more to this than the writers actually presented. OK, she can now draw some shikigami. OK, she is less a victim and more a participant. Is she really a better person? Is she a worse person? I'm not feeling either. ... She's still about as swallow as a person as can be. Ononoki-chan, who is a freaking corpse, has more depth, and is better rounded. And the Ougi plot device is back. 😒

Not only was the character writing at issue, so was the narrative. It blundered along constantly. And this 6th ep was so poorly done. 5 minutes of story and 18 minutes of filler epilogue. It was so lazy, as to leave me disdainful. Never thought I'd ever say that about anything Monogatari.

Not everything is a complete travesty though. We get some very nicely rendered artwork, as per the franchise. I think they may have made Segoku and Ononoki a little too cutesy, but that's just my taste. I could have done with a lot less of the completely gratuitous and sophmoric fanservice. The director should have wielded it like a fencing foil, not a battle axe. The animation was not quite up to par with what I have come to expect from the franchine. The hand drawn stuff was fine, but way too many instances of cheaply done 2D and 3D CGI. I've seen a lot worse (looking at you Stampede) but I still found it distracting.

I will give props to the VAs, who help hold this arc up nicely. Both Sengoku and Ononoki were skillfully done. Good use of his cast by the director. Almost enough to make up for the writing and animation flaws.

I'm finding this season kind of off. It's not unwatchable, but I can't help but think this should have been much better. If I was grading, I'd give this 78/100; a C+. But I am used to Monogatari stuff being in the B+ to A- range. This is firmly in the disappointment camp. I can only recommend this to the hard core Monogatari freaks out there.