How do people like this crap? This movie was basically two hours of Arararagi and Shinbo jerking their SHAFTs.
We start out thinking about touching Hanekawa’s boobs. Then we touch Imouto’s boobs, then we stare at at Imouto No. 2’s butt. Then Arararagi flips Hanekawa’s skirt, and she tells him what a gentle and kind person he is. Then Arararagi spends most of the rest of the time chatting it up with a catgirl in her underwear. He finds time somehow to sleep with both of his sisters at once.
The plot, such as it is, is Arararagi rescuing another girl from some supernatural monster. How many times have we seen the same thing now? Not that it really matters since this is basically porn. Most of the show involves girls in their underwear. The rest involves intellectual masturbation with dialogue that thinks it’s much more clever than it is, and Shinbo’s usual visual wankery.
- Storytelling – D – Story?
- Voice – F – I am so sick of Shinbo doing stuff like this.
- Characters – D – Arararagi is harem Jesus.
- Attention Grab – F – Pretty darn boring.
- Production – C – Looks nice but Shinbo.
- Overall – D
Recommendations – Watch one of Shinbo’s better series, like ef memories, or NisioIsiN’s much better story in Katanagatari
I have to agree actually – getting tired of this sort of series/anime from Shinbo and Nisioisin, its like they spend most of the time messing around with girls in underwear and forget that they might want to be putting in things like plot, story, or even character progression (gasp). Cant say I’m much of a fan of either Shinbo or Nisioisin, however, I absolutely love ef Memories and Katanagatari. Both series demonstrate what these people can do when they try, and probably when there are people telling them to stop. It looks nice, but its devoid of any and all substance, its pretty much the same as the last Shaft series in the monogatari franchise, but it has dispensed with any pretence of being anything other than visual fuckery with pretentious dialogue for the sake of visual fuckery and pretentious dialogue. Naturally, it will sell well, because its Shaft and Nisioisin. Shame really considering how good ef memories and Katanagatari are, especially when you compare them to this.
Completely agree. When these people can create things like ef Memories and Katanagatari, why are they wasting time on stuff like this? I guess it sells, but I’m sure they have enough money at this point. Why not create something actually worthwhile?
Surprised that I’m not the only one irked by the “pretentious dialogues” and over-the-top fetish spam. I guess I’m not going insane after all.
No, I think Shinbo is starting to get on everyone’s nerves, even his fans.
Part of the problem with Shinbo is that he hasnt moved on or progressed in any way. He has a particular style, which in its own way is very nice, and rather different from other anime directors, however, this style is rather restrictive, and often incorporates a lack of character or story progression. In recent years I have seen Shinbo series and been struck by his apparent inability to tell stories (something that is obviously wrong considering how good ef Memories is). He has made his name with this particular style, with series such as Bakemonogatari, and Madoka, but there hasn’t been any real progression, he has just stuck with one particular style, and it has slowly become stale and lifeless.
Now, Shinbo’s style and apparent inability to tell stories (at least in recent years) is further reinforced by Nisoisins horribly pretentious dialogue that thinks it is far better than it really is. There are times when watching this and his other monogatari series (with the exception of Katanagatari) where the dialogue appears to have no real meaning and is simply being used because Nisioisin can. Nekomonogatari is a classic example of dialogue that is entirely meaningless, and to make matters worse truly believes that it is being clever and profound.
I feel that Nekomonogatari is in a way the inevitable conclusion of Nisioisin and Shinbo works, at least in their current form, and shows that while they had some good ideas early on, neither has really learned, and simply copied what made them successful without ever trying to change or experiment with different ways of directing or writing. It comes across as a creative dead end, and an incredibly boring one at that.
I’ve been corrected, Shinbo didn’t actually do ef memories. So… maybe his inability to tell stories isn’t obviously wrong. 🙂
I don’t know how much of the problem with the dialogue is Nisoisin and how much is Shinbo. Katanagatari had ridiculous dialogue too, but it came across as funny rather than pretentious. I think Shinbo’s delivery contributes a lot to making the dialogue seem so pretentious. Now I think meaningless is different from pretentious, Katanagatari’s dialogue is arguably meaningless too, but it certainly doesn’t come across as believing it’s something profound.
Pretty much. Nisioisin I’m not sure about though. Katanagatari was different from Bakemonogatari, and Medaka Box is substantially different from them both. He at least is trying new things.
Yeah, there are some entertaining bits, but on the whole I couldn’t help but be bored by seeing basically the same story we saw during the web-only conclusion to Bakemonogatari. Maybe there’s some thematic point to it, but I wasn’t nearly interested enough to dig it up.
Thematic point? Maybe if seeing Class Rep in her underwear counts as a thematic point.
Because deep down, we’re all perverts.
Some are bigger perverts than others though…
The first episode that was full of incest fanservice was vomit (and to think I don’t oppose incest per se… it’s the ecchi execution that turns my stomach round). But I did like the rest 3 eps. 1. the opening was the best from the Monogatari series up till now for me (I looove visual transitions/transformations), 2. Hanekawa fanservice and the cursed cat aren’t that bad, and oh well I have a soft spot for lingerie and erotic poses, 3. although ‘pretentious’ the quotes and dialogues have still something to say. But surely I’m getting really tired, and 4. Araragi finally admitted that he saves girls coz he is a total perv. The idiotic thing is… that although I hate or simply feel nothing for lots of things about this series, I still love certain aspects and my curiosity gets the better of me and I fall into this trap and (self-)torment… It’s quite frustrating (I guess for you, too, to whom I rant without making much sense perhaps?)
The first part was definitely the worst part. It all had really heavy fanservice though.
1) think I skipped the OP
2) could more accurately be described as “Hanekawa boob fanservice” as Hanekawa was not really there most of the time.
3) a little, but certainly not an entire movie’s worth
4) yep, best part.
I got hooked on Bakemonogatari with the Senjougahara arc. That was some good stuff. But every new girl that Arararagi sexually harasses makes his older relationships seem cheaper and cheaper.
More proof that you’re lazy when it comes to anime research. Shinbo didn’t have anything to do with the ef-series. That’s the Silver Link guys.
Oops. I stand corrected then. Shinbo has never created a good anime. (well, first season of zetsubou sensei and soredemo were ok)
I checked and saw it on his MAL, but apparently he was just a storyboard director for episode 2.