Mr Sausage wrote: ↑Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:15 am
What I'm curious about is how this show fits into the Monogatari series as a whole.
Michael Kerpan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:15 pm
Based on reading, it seems like a lot of the Monogatari series covers the same time periods we've already run across (or seen referenced in flashbacks). But it seems to move into new territory eventually. The sheer quantity of additional material is pretty daunting.
I've written a rundown of the remainder of the anime below, with the installments in the correct order.
After
Bake comes
Kizu (2016-2017, 3 films), the prequel story given a
very quick recap at the beginning of the series. The reason for the long gap between installments -- and Tatsuya Oishi's absence from any other
Monogatari adaptations -- is because Oishi spent years refining the storyboards for the trilogy of films. Why did the storyboards take so long? Well, Oishi has said that he likes to put himself into the characters' shoes when making anime, and he made the bold decision to omit the narration from a series known for its hefty amounts of dialogue, letting just the visuals convey Araragi's thoughts. We experience Araragi's spring break as it comes to him.
The long production process also allowed the films to look as fantastic as they do. Seriously, just look at the
teaser trailer. I strongly recommend watching these even if you do not plan to watch the whole series.
Nise (2012, 12 episodes) is a sequel to
Bake, detailing the events during Araragi's summer vacation. The first arc is more of a "hangout" one at first where we get to catch up with the main cast before the plot becomes more focused. Considered to be one of the weaker installments in the series, but it's not without its moments.
Neko (Kuro) (2012, 4 episodes) connects
Kizu and
Bake. This one is pretty underrated, because while it goes over events we've heard about before (Golden Week), it contains a lot of interesting character development. This finishes the First Season of the series.
Neko (Shiro) (5 episodes),
Kabuki (4 episodes),
Hana (5 episodes),
Otori (4 episodes),
Oni (4 episodes), and
Koi (6 episodes) comprise the Second Season. They aired in 2013 with the exception of
Hana, which was delayed for production reasons and aired at once in 2014. All of these come after
Nise, but they skip around in the series' timeline quite a bit.
Tsuki (2014, 4 episodes) takes place after
Koi. Another underrated installment, but I can't get into details without spoiling Second Season.
Koyomi (2016, 12 half-episodes) is set throughout the series, starting at
Neko (Kuro) and finishing a little after
Tsuki, with one half-episode for each month. Due to the unusual format, this originally streamed via a mobile app!
Owari (2015 and 2017, 20 episodes) jumps all over the place, and its final episodes make up the climactic arc of the "main story." The first 13 episodes (sometimes said to be 12, as the first arc aired as a two-episode special) aired in 2015, adapting two of the three
Owari novels. It's speculated the last novel was adapted later because the producers were figuring out how to adapt 2016's
Koyomi, as you can
technically watch the first 13 episodes of
Owari before watching
Koyomi. That order isn't series-ruining, but trust me, it's better in the original order. As with
Tsuki, I shouldn't go into plot details here.
Zoku Owari (2018) is one of the latest in the timeline, and is basically a coda for the main story. As such, it's paced more slowly than the other installments. This finishes Final Season (although the novels go into Off, Monster, and now Family Season because the author can't stop writing).
Also, I'm glad Kanbaru has gotten good reception here -- she's my favorite character! And speaking of characters, while there are some more members of the "main cast" introduced past
Bake, you two have already been introduced to a large portion of them.