Very Good, but falls short of its Predecessor.

Written by oghma on March 20, 2012 at 9:34 AM

I stumbled upon Bakemonogatari and loved every minute of it. I was thrilled to find a second season in the works. And while I enjoyed it overall, I still feel it fell short of the first season.

The Good:
The animation is still amazing. This series, like the first season, has its own unique style and once you get used to it you can just drink it in. Its creative in a way I rarely see modern anime. The series also continues to be character driven at its core. The development of relationships in this series, particularly between Koyomi and Shinobu, really make it shine. The series more about how characters react to supernatural problems instead of the supernatural problems themselves.

The Bad:
Not really a fault but worth noting: you really need to see the first season for this show. Jumping in here is good way to leave scratching your head with no idea whats going on. This series also seems to drag its feet. There are several episodes that don't move the plot forward and seem as if they are just padding. Also many of the characters that I loved from the first season are barely in this one at all. I can't really fault the series for trying to broaden itself but I feel let down that many of the characters that brought me back are only in the background. Finally this series also seems to go with the Fan Service angle way more then the first series. Don't get me wrong, I like fan service, but I think it got way more emphasis then season 1. It also tends to favor younger girls, something I'm not really comfortable with. Again just personal taste.

The Verdict:
Overall I think this series is very well done and supremely entertaining if a bit drawn out and pervy at times. Watch it if you would like a unique supernatural series, but only after watching the first season.

4/5 Stars