Bakemonogatari
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese popular light novel
series written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin
and illustrated by Taiwanese
illustrator
Vofan; the series is published by Kodansha
under the Kodansha Box
imprint
. The story centers on Koyomi Araragi, a third year high school student who has recently survived a vampire
attack, and finds himself mixed up with all kinds of apparitions; gods, ghosts, mythological beasts, and spirits. An anime
adaptation by Shaft
started airing on July 3, 2009 and went through a total of 15 episodes. The prequel novel, Kizumonogatari was recently announced as being green-lit for an anime movie production, while the sequel Nisemonogatari has been green-lit for a TV anime production planned for January 2012.
The series tends to introduce only one new heroine per chapter, each involved with a different "apparition". Most of them have an item which symbolises their spectres, such as Hitagi's stapler - the claw of a crab, Mayoi's back pack - the shell of a snail, Suruga's arm - the arm of a monkey, and Nadeko's big hat and baggy jacket - the head and skin of a snake. The events of the previous chapters play an important role in the subsequent ones. The series primarily focuses on conversations between characters; it contains a fair number of parodies of other series, as well as Nisio Isin
's trademark word play
and metahumor.
as a series of short stories for Mephisto magazine. While his previous Zaregoto
series featured large casts of characters, each Bakemonogatari story tends to introduce only one new character. The previously published stories, and some new ones, were eventually collected in two volumes as part of the Kodansha Box
launch titles on November 1, 2006, and December 1, 2006, respectively. The first volume contains three stories titled , and ; the second volume comes with two newly written stories titled and .
A prequel to the series, titled was published in the first issue of Pandora magazine, it was later released as a separate volume on May 7, 2008 as . The first volume of , a sequel to the series, was released on September 2, 2008, and contains . The second volume, containing was released on June 10, 2009. The first volume of , another prequel to the series was released on July 29, 2010, and contains . The second volume of Nekomonogatari which contains was released on October 29, 2010. Kabukimonogatari containing was released on December 24, 2010. Hanamonogatari containing was released on March 31, 2011. Otorimonogatari containing was released on June 30, 2011. Onimonogatari containing was released on September 28, 2011. Kodansha will release one more "Monogatari" novel series during December 2011 for Koimonogatari: .
– was released on August 3, 2009. The script was written by Nisio Isin
and is to be bundled with the CD.
has made several chibi
figures for the series, releasing them as separate sets. The first set contains the characters Koyomi Araragi, Hitagi Senjōgahara and Tsubasa Hanekawa. The second set contains Suruga Kanbaru, Mayoi Hachikuji and Nadeko Sengoku and The third set contains the Araragi sisters Karen and Tsukihi, as well as Shinobu Oshino.
The company also made a separate, normal size figure for Hitagi Senjōgahara, Suruga Kanbaru, Nadeko Sengoku, Tsubasa Hanekawa, Mayoi Hachikuji, and Shinobu Oshino.
They have also made figma
figures of several of the characters: Koyomi Araragi, Hitagi Senjōgahara, Mayoi Hachikuji, Suruga Kanbaru, and Nadeko Sengoku.
Alter, Bandai, Kotobukiya, and others have made figures of some of the other characters as well.
, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo
with an assistant of Tatsuya Oishi, written by Fuyashi Tō and featuring a character designs
by Akio Watanabe
based on Vofan's original concepts. The music for the series is produced by Satoru Kōsaki under the supervision of Yota Tsuruoka. The series was scheduled to be 15 episodes long but broadcasted only the first 12 episodes. The remaining three episodes were distributed on the official website, the final episode airing on June 25, 2010. A flyer included with the release of Nekomonogatari volume 1 announce that the prequel novel, Kizumonogatari, would be adapted into an anime as well, again by SHAFT.
and composed by Satoru Kōsaki featuring vocals of the heroines in the corresponding chapters. The ending theme for the series, titled was produced by Supercell
and released on August 12, 2009 featuring vocals by Nico Nico Douga
- turned-pro singer, Nagi, formerly known as Gazelle, and peak ranked 5th in Oricon
singles charts.
Opening themes
Ending theme
Note: DVD/BD versions of episodes always have an opening of a titular character, i.e. all Hitagi Crab episodes now have staple stable as opening, all Mayoi Snail episodes have Kaerimichi and so on.
; Koyomi Araragi ranked sixth in the Best Male Character while Hitagi Senjōgahara ranked seventh in the Best Female Character.
The anime adaptation won the Users' Special Award in the 2nd annual DEG Japan Awards/Blu-ray Prizes.
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
series written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin
Nisio Isin
, 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 , which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age...
and illustrated by Taiwanese
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
Vofan; the series is published by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
under the Kodansha Box
Kodansha Box
Kodansha Box is a publishing line from the major Japanese publishing house, Kodansha. Each book is packaged in a silver cardboard slip cover. Single-handedly edited by Katsushi Ōta who describes the lines as: "A collection of works on the theme of the adolescent mind...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
. The story centers on Koyomi Araragi, a third year high school student who has recently survived a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
attack, and finds himself mixed up with all kinds of apparitions; gods, ghosts, mythological beasts, and spirits. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation by Shaft
Shaft (company)
is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...
started airing on July 3, 2009 and went through a total of 15 episodes. The prequel novel, Kizumonogatari was recently announced as being green-lit for an anime movie production, while the sequel Nisemonogatari has been green-lit for a TV anime production planned for January 2012.
Plot and setting
Bakemonogatari centers on Koyomi Araragi, a third year high school student who is almost human again after briefly becoming a vampire. One day, a classmate named Hitagi Senjōgahara, who never talks to anyone, falls down the stairs into Koyomi's arms. He discovers that Hitagi weighs next to nothing, in defiance of physics. Despite being threatened by her to keep away, Koyomi offers his help, and introduces her to Meme Oshino, a strange middle-aged man living in an abandoned building, who cured him of being a vampire.The series tends to introduce only one new heroine per chapter, each involved with a different "apparition". Most of them have an item which symbolises their spectres, such as Hitagi's stapler - the claw of a crab, Mayoi's back pack - the shell of a snail, Suruga's arm - the arm of a monkey, and Nadeko's big hat and baggy jacket - the head and skin of a snake. The events of the previous chapters play an important role in the subsequent ones. The series primarily focuses on conversations between characters; it contains a fair number of parodies of other series, as well as Nisio Isin
Nisio Isin
, 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 , which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age...
's trademark word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
and metahumor.
Characters
- Koyomi, the main character of the story, is a third year high school student who is close to failing every class except math. Shortly before the first novel begins, he was attacked by a vampire during spring break, and became a vampire himself. Although Meme Oshino helped him become human again, there are several lingering side effects; he can see in the dark, his eyes turn red when he gets angry, and he heals incredibly fast and can recover from horrendous wounds within hours. He remains scared of morning sunlight despite the fact that it no longer has any negative effects on him. He started dating Hitagi at the end of Mayoi Snail. Other characters seems to speculate that Koyomi is a lolicon, particularly Mayoi and Hitagi. Koyomi is the only person who thinks that his family relationship is bad, while Karen and Tsukihi believe otherwise. Koyomi, Karen and Tsukihi's parents were also revealed to be police officers.
- Hitagi, the main character of Hitagi Crab, is a weak-looking girl with an "incurable disease". She is in the same class as Koyomi, but he has rarely heard her speak. When she was in the first year of high school, she encountered a mysterious crab, after which she became weightless. Ever since, she has avoided contact with everyone else, and threatening everyone who discovers her secret. She called herself a tsundereTsundereis a Japanese character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms , meaning to turn away in disgust, and meaning to become 'lovey dovey'...
and always speaks in an abusive style. At the end of Mayoi Snail, she admits that she loves Koyomi, and subsequently enters into a relationship with him. After the events in Tsukihi Phoenix, she overcame all of her trauma, and finally became a completely common cheerful girl. She starts referring to Araragi with a cute nickname, chuckling at small things and sending e-mails full of EmojiEmojiis the Japanese term for the picture characters or emoticons used in Japanese electronic messages and webpages. Originally meaning pictograph, the word literally means e "picture" + moji "letter". The characters are used much like emoticons elsewhere, but a wider range is provided, and the icons...
s, although her sharp tongue is still there, but toned down. She seems to also have a father complex, getting excited when she uses her father's blanket, so much so that she can't fall asleep. Koyomi says that he loves Hitagi the most. She seems to not be on very good terms with Karen and Tsukihi. So far in the latest novels, she is either just mentioned or just plays a small part. In Nadeko Medusa, Nadeko says that if they were to meet in different circumstances, they would have been friends but Hitagi says that she hates cute brats like Nadeko. Her next story is revealed to be Hitagi End.
- Mayoi, the main character of Mayoi Snail, is the ghost of a fifth-grade elementary school girl. She was killed in a traffic accident while trying to reach her mother's home, and has since unsuccessfully attempted to do so. She can only be seen by people who do not want to reach their destination. Koyomi met her in a park on Mother's Day and offered to help her find her mother's home. She makes a lot of spelling mistakes and has a habit of mispronouncing Koyomi's family name. Her family name before her parents got divorced was She later graduates to become a "Wandering Spirit," after Koyomi and Hitagi help her reach her destination. In Mayoi Jiangshi, Koyomi and Shinobu accidentally travels back in time 11 years, the day before Mayoi's death. Koyomi, wanting to prevent Mayoi from turning into a wandering spirit, helps her travel to her mother's house. After they returned to the present, they found out the whole town was being infested with zombies. In this history, Koyomi has not met Mayoi, so in the events of Tsubasa Cat, he didn't get the information on Shinobu, or went near Mister Donuts, so Black Hanekawa killed him, causing this timeline's Shinobu to vow to destroy the world and make zombie vampires, or 'Jiangshi'. On a search for a power spot, Koyomi and Shinobu manage to attract the zombies but managed to be saved by a grown Hachikuji. It seems that Mayoi was not happy that she became a spirit, but was happy that as a spirit, she was able to meet Koyomi. Koyomi also stated that he's the happiest when talking to Mayoi.
- Suruga, the main character of Suruga Monkey, is Koyomi's underclassman, star player of the school's basketball team and one of Hitagi's acquaintances from junior high school. Immediately after she entered senior high school, she became aware of Hitagi's secret and was threatened by her, just like Koyomi was. She's an admitted lesbian, fujoshiFujoshiYaoi fandom refers to readers of yaoi , a genre of male-male romance narratives aimed at a female audience, and more specifically those who participate in communal activities organized around yaoi, such as attending conventions, maintaining or posting to fansites, creating fanfiction or fanart,...
, loliconLolicon, also romanised as lolikon or rorikon, is a Japanese portmanteau of the phrase "Lolita complex". In Japan, the term describes an attraction to underage girls or an individual with such an attraction...
and masochist. Back in elementary school, she inherited what she thought was a Monkey's Paw but was actually a Rainy Devil from her mother. She started stalking Koyomi after she discovered he was dating Hitagi. She became friends with Koyomi and Hitagi after Koyomi rids her of the Rainy Devil. She also has been growing her hair longer since. In Suruga Devil, there seems to be a rumor about a devil solving other people's problem. Fearing that she might be the rumored 'Devil', she decided to investigate and found out that the rumored Devil is actually an old basketball rival of hers named, Numachi Rouka. Numachi has her left leg in a cast, which Kanbaru recalled was from an accident years ago during a match. Numachi informs her that what she does is collecting other people's misfortunes in order to make herself feel better about her injury. After Kanbaru's encounter with Numachi, the next morning her left arm (which still have traces of the Rainy Devil), has been completely healed. Kanbaru later found out that aside from Numachi collecting misfortune, she's also been collecting the devil's part. So far Numachi has collected the devil's left leg, and the devil's left arm (which was Kanbaru's) and several other devil's parts. After receiving Kaiki's gift (which is the devil's head), Kanbaru then decided to challenge Numachi to an 1-on-1 for the rights of all the devil's parts. It seems that Kanbaru is still worried about the effects of the Rainy Devil after it has been dispersed to the point that whenever she goes to sleep, she would bind her devil's arm to a pillar so that she wouldn't start sleepwalking and committing crimes and check the newspaper everyday so that she can make sure she didn't do anything unconsciously. She also has dreams of her mother once in a while which give her weird life lessons. Her mother and her father were revealed to have eloped as the Kanbaru family did not agreed on their relationship. Kanbaru is also the only person that Kaiki will ever treat in a good way.
- Nadeko, the main character of Nadeko Snake, is Tsukihi’s friend back in elementary school. She always wears a waist pouch, always casts her eyes downward, has her bangs covering her eyes, has a shy personality, and can be easily amused. Koyomi played with her a lot whenever she visited his house after being invited by his sisters. She was put under a curse and was going to die until Koyomi found out and offered her his help. She refers to Koyomi as Koyomi-onii-chan. She's quite protective of her hair (particularly her forelocks) thinking that it's her place to guard more than her panties. When she finally combed her forelocks aside in Nisemonogatari, Koyomi commented that she has a glare just like a serpent. In Nadeko Medusa, during Halloween, Nadeko met a girl named Ougi, and after which she was able to see a white snake. In Nadeko's class, the atmosphere is strained because of the curses that happened in Nadeko Snake, and since Nadeko is the class rep, she's been pressured to do something about it. She called Koyomi for advice, and after which, the serpent told her to go to the shrine, where it pressures her, as the snake wants her to atone for what she caused by finding the remains of the snake when it was alive. She tries not to involve Koyomi, but he manages to find her at night and takes her to his house. She wakes up next to Tsukihi and managed to bring up the topic of Koyomi's girlfriend, in which Nadeko feels resentment toward Hitagi and ended up snapping at her teacher and to her class. The serpent then tells Nadeko that its remains were in Araragi's house so she goes there and rummages Koyomi's room. She found Koyomi's hidden magazines and saw that the bookmark was the remains. The serpent tells her that, as a reward, it'll grant her a wish and unsurprisingly, she wants Koyomi to like her back. Koyomi returns and saw what she was doing and cautioned her to put the bookmark down. Because of misunderstanding and some of Shinobu's provocation, she then eats the bookmark and becomes an oddity. It turns out that the serpent this time was just Nadeko being delusional, as she's been going crazy since she found out that Koyomi had a girlfriend. Nadeko then tries to kill Koyomi, but Hitagi interferes and asks her to wait until after graduation. The book ends with Nadeko welcoming Koyomi, Hitagi and Shinobu back at the snake shrine in March, with Nadeko saying: "Koyomi-onichan, I'll give you all my affection, OK?". In the official guidebook, Nisio Isin did an interview with all of the voice actors, and asked Kana Hanazawa on what character she would like to play, in which Kana Hanazawa replied that she'd like to play an evil character, probably becoming the basis of Nadeko Medusa. It seems Hitagi and Shinobu both dislike Nadeko. The story will continue in Hitagi End.
- Tsubasa, the main character of Tsubasa Cat, is Koyomi's classmate and the class representative. Koyomi describes her as "the class representative of all class representatives." Prior to the novel's beginning, she was possessed by a bakenekoBakenekoA is, in Japanese folklore, a cat with supernatural abilities akin to those of the fox or raccoon dog. A cat may become a bakeneko in a number of ways: it may reach a certain age, be kept for a certain number of years, grow to a certain size, or be allowed to keep a long tail. In the last case,...
during Golden Week due to stress over her family. Although it has since been resolved with the help of Shinobu and at the cost of her own memories, the problems emerge again right before the school festival because of different stress. It was revealed by the bakeneko at the end of episode 14 of the anime that the source of the aforementioned stress was her feelings for Araragi. Despite Black Hanekawa possessing a female body, the spirit itself is male. In Tsubasa Tiger, on her way to school, she met a tiger that is able to talk. Her house also burns down which causes Black Hanekawa to appear, due to the stress of her house being burned down, which causes Black Hanekawa to look for the tiger warning that if the tiger hurts Hanekawa, Black Hanekawa herself will kill the tiger. It turns out that the tiger was a manifestation of Tsubasa's jealously towards the people around her. Just like Black Hanakawa, "Kako" which is the name Tsubasa gave to the tiger, is also a new type of Kaii. In the end Tsubasa reabsorbs Kako back into her body and fully accepts Black Hanekawa as a part of her. This leads to half of Hanakawa's hair becoming white and forming a stripe-like pattern with her hair. Which in turn causes her to dye her hair black every morning. Tsubasa Tiger was written in Tsubasa's perspective instead of Koyomi's. Her catchphase is "I don’t know everything, I just know what I know." Koyomi stated that he respect Tsubasa more than anyone else.
- Meme is a middle-aged man who lives in an abandoned building. Koyomi calls him "psychedelic alohaAloha shirtThe Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
guy". Being an expert in the apparitions field, he solves Koyomis and others' problems, although requiring compensation. His catchphase is "You are really energetic, did something good happen?"
- Shinobu is a girl who lives with Meme in the abandoned building. She appears to be an eight-year-old girl, but she was originally a beautiful vampire who had lived for more than 500 years. After the events at the end of Koyomi Vamp, she was left in a weakened condition with no powers or traces of her original personality, and therefore had to abandon her name. She was named Shinobu by Meme at the beginning of Hitagi Crab, suggesting her kanjiKanjiKanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
name Shinobu , having "heart" under "blade" , matches with her original personality. She doesn't openly talk to anyone until "Karen Bee." Ever since "Tsubasa Cat" where she starts living in Araragi's shadow, she no longer needs to suck his blood on a regular basis in order to stay alive. She forms a physical connection with Araragi where they can feel each others emotions and senses. In Mayoi Jiangshi, in the alternate timeline, Shinobu went berserk when Koyomi was killed by Black Hanekawa so she swore to destroy the world and created the Jiangshi that has been swarming the town. It seems that she truly cares about Koyomi and when she saw Koyomi was alive in the alternate timeline, she started weeping blood. Koyomi states that he will die with Shinobu when the day comes. It seems that she does not like Nadeko very much, and in Nadeko Medusa where she slept over, Shinobu manages to prevent Nadeko and Koyomi from sleeping on the same bed, in which Shinobu tells Nadeko that she's lucky that she's cute enough to be able to stir up protective feelings from Koyomi. Her next story was revealed to be Shinobu Time.
- Karen, the main character of Karen Bee, is one of Koyomi's sisters. She's older than Tsukihi and enjoys doing outdoor activities. Despite being younger, Karen is taller than Koyomi, much to Koyomi's dismay. In Karen Bee, her hot-headed personality and her habit of acting before thinking lead her to be stung by a bee, which lead to being poisoned with a terrible fever that lasted for 3 days. Like Hitagi, she refused any help from anyone which eventually leads to her and Koyomi fighting each other. Later, it was revealed that it was set up by Kaiki. Karen and Tsukihi are nicknamed . It was revealed that the reason she and Tsukihi found boyfriends was so that Koyomi would become jealous. They found boyfriends in Koyomi's image with Karen's boyfriend being shorter than her. She and Tsukihi also thought that Koyomi's girlfriend was Tsubasa. In Suruga Devil, she became a high school student and she also has gotten closer with Araragi to the point that Kanbaru worries that their relationship would go down a wrong turn. It also seems that when Karen went to high school, her and Tsukihi's 'Fire Sisters' duo was broken off.
- Tsukihi, the main character of Tsukihi Phoenix, is one of Koyomi's sisters. She's the youngest of the Araragi family. Unlike her sister Karen, she prefers doing indoor activities. Contrary to her personality, she constantly changes her hair style and is short-tempered to the point that Koyomi describes her as having hysteria. She is actually the reincarnation of a phoenix and has been since before she was even born. The phoenix entered the baby's body when it was still in the womb and by now both beings' minds have become one. She is immortal, except the only thing that can end her life is a natural death from old age. Tsukihi and Karen are nicknamed . It was revealed that the reason she and Karen found boyfriends was so that Koyomi would become jealous. They found boyfriends in Koyomi's image with Tsukihi's boyfriend being taller than her. She and Karen also thought that Koyomi's girlfriend was Tsubasa.
- Deishū was first introduced in Karen Bee. He is a man who dresses in a fully black suit. He was the first con artist of the five who tricked Senjougahara's family out of their money after she had her weight taken away by the crab. He was also responsible for making her parents divorce. He returns to the town that the main characters are from in order to trick middle school girls out of their money. This time he was the one responsible for selling the information about the snake curse that led up to the case involving Nadeko. He was a member of the club that Oshino, Yozuru and Gaen were in during university. He argues that he doesn't believe in the existence of kaiis and that he only uses them to trick people out of their money. He is however very knowledgeable about the details surrounding them. In Tsukihi Phoenix he sold the information about Tsuhiki being a phoenix to Yozuru. His specialty is non-existent and impostor kaiis. Kaiki knew Kanbaru's mother in the past and he promised to take care of Kanbaru if anything happened. It also turns out that Kaiki was once in love with Kanbaru's mother and that Kanbaru is the only person Kaiki will ever treat in a good way.
- Yozuru was first introduced in Tsukihi Phoenix. She is an onmyōji and one of Meme's clubmates at the university. As a rule imposed she imposed on herself, she's not allowed to step on the ground. Between the three kouhais during university she was the only one that graduated. She fights by using her fists and is powerful enough to punch through multiple floors at once. During Tsukihi Phoenix she received information from Kaiki concerning a phoenix. Her specialty is immortal kaiis.
- Yotsugi was first introduced in Tsukihi Phoenix. She is Yozuru's shikigami. She always address herself with the masculine first-person pronounGender differences in spoken JapaneseThe Japanese language is unusual among major languages in the high degree to which the speech of women collectively differs from that of men. Differences in the ways that girls and boys use language have been detected in children as young as three years old ....
bokuJapanese pronounsPronouns are used less frequently in the Japanese language than in many other languages, mainly because there is no grammatical requirement to include the subject in a sentence. So, pronouns can seldomly be translated from English to Japanese on a one-on-one basis.The common, English pronouns, such...
and thinks of Yozuru as her sister. She has an ability called Unlimited Rulebreak where she can shape-shift her finger. She was challenged to a fight by Shinobu in the end of Tsukihi Phoenix and was beaten to a bloody pulp by her. Just like Shinobu who had her name set by Oshino, her name was helped set by Kaiki. She was once a human and was resurrected as a tsukumogami by Yozuru.
- Gaen was first introduced in Tsubasa Tiger. She is a young-looking woman who wears clothes that are too big for her. She was the senpai of Oshino, Kaiki and Yozuru and it is implied that she has a connection to Kanbaru as her last name is the same as Kanbaru's mother. Gaen knows everything, to the degree where she can predict the future; as a result, she likes to brag about this and her catchphrase is "There is nothing I don't know, I know everything."
Light novels
The series was first created by Nisio IsinNisio Isin
, 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 , which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age...
as a series of short stories for Mephisto magazine. While his previous Zaregoto
Zaregoto Series
is a Japanese novel series written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin and illustrated by Take. The series was published in Japan between February 5, 2002 and November 2005 by Kodansha Books. It was followed by a spin-off series also published by Kodansha Books, , focusing on the Zerozaki clan...
series featured large casts of characters, each Bakemonogatari story tends to introduce only one new character. The previously published stories, and some new ones, were eventually collected in two volumes as part of the Kodansha Box
Kodansha Box
Kodansha Box is a publishing line from the major Japanese publishing house, Kodansha. Each book is packaged in a silver cardboard slip cover. Single-handedly edited by Katsushi Ōta who describes the lines as: "A collection of works on the theme of the adolescent mind...
launch titles on November 1, 2006, and December 1, 2006, respectively. The first volume contains three stories titled , and ; the second volume comes with two newly written stories titled and .
A prequel to the series, titled was published in the first issue of Pandora magazine, it was later released as a separate volume on May 7, 2008 as . The first volume of , a sequel to the series, was released on September 2, 2008, and contains . The second volume, containing was released on June 10, 2009. The first volume of , another prequel to the series was released on July 29, 2010, and contains . The second volume of Nekomonogatari which contains was released on October 29, 2010. Kabukimonogatari containing was released on December 24, 2010. Hanamonogatari containing was released on March 31, 2011. Otorimonogatari containing was released on June 30, 2011. Onimonogatari containing was released on September 28, 2011. Kodansha will release one more "Monogatari" novel series during December 2011 for Koimonogatari: .
Drama CD
The drama CD titled – a reference to the parlour game Hyakumonogatari KaidankaiHyakumonogatari Kaidankai
was a popular parlour game during the Edo period in Japan.The game was a simple one. In a room, as night fell, one hundred candles were lit. Guests and players gathered around the candles, taking turns telling kaidan. After each kaidan, a single candle was extinguished, and the room slowly grew...
– was released on August 3, 2009. The script was written by Nisio Isin
Nisio Isin
, 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 , which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age...
and is to be bundled with the CD.
Merchandise
Good Smile CompanyGood Smile Company
Good Smile Company is a Japanese manufacturer of hobby products, such as scale figures and the Nendoroid and figma product lines. In addition to manufacturing, its business includes figure design and marketing...
has made several chibi
Chibi
is a Japanese slang word meaning "short person" or "small child". The word has gained currency amongst fans of manga and anime. Its meaning is of someone or some animal that is small. It can be translated as "little", but is not used the same way as chiisana [小さな] but rather cute...
figures for the series, releasing them as separate sets. The first set contains the characters Koyomi Araragi, Hitagi Senjōgahara and Tsubasa Hanekawa. The second set contains Suruga Kanbaru, Mayoi Hachikuji and Nadeko Sengoku and The third set contains the Araragi sisters Karen and Tsukihi, as well as Shinobu Oshino.
The company also made a separate, normal size figure for Hitagi Senjōgahara, Suruga Kanbaru, Nadeko Sengoku, Tsubasa Hanekawa, Mayoi Hachikuji, and Shinobu Oshino.
They have also made figma
Figma
is a Japanese action figure line produced by Max Factory and distributed by Good Smile Company. A large number of the figures are based on bishōjo anime characters, and are available with various accessories, such as exchangeable faces...
figures of several of the characters: Koyomi Araragi, Hitagi Senjōgahara, Mayoi Hachikuji, Suruga Kanbaru, and Nadeko Sengoku.
Alter, Bandai, Kotobukiya, and others have made figures of some of the other characters as well.
Anime
The anime series was announced in April 2008 and started broadcasting on July 3, 2009 on Tokyo MX. The series is part of Kodansha's Nisio Isin Anime Project and is produced by ShaftShaft (company)
is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...
, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo
Akiyuki Shinbo
, born September 27, 1961 in Fukushima, Japan, is a Japanese animation director. Shinbo started his career as an animator in 1981 at Studio One Pattern. He then made his directorial debut with Metal Fighter Miku in 1994. He is most notable for his involvement in a number of Shaft works since 2004...
with an assistant of Tatsuya Oishi, written by Fuyashi Tō and featuring a character designs
Model sheet
In animation, a model sheet, also known as a character board, character sheet, character study or simply a study, is a document used to help standardize the appearance, poses, and gestures of an animated character...
by Akio Watanabe
Akio Watanabe
is a Japanese animator, character designer and animation director currently living in Tokyo, Japan. He often goes by the pseudonym Poyoyon Rock...
based on Vofan's original concepts. The music for the series is produced by Satoru Kōsaki under the supervision of Yota Tsuruoka. The series was scheduled to be 15 episodes long but broadcasted only the first 12 episodes. The remaining three episodes were distributed on the official website, the final episode airing on June 25, 2010. A flyer included with the release of Nekomonogatari volume 1 announce that the prequel novel, Kizumonogatari, would be adapted into an anime as well, again by SHAFT.
Theme songs
The opening themes were written by meg rockMegumi Hinata
is a Japanese singer, lyricist and musician. She is currently signed to Mellow Head.-Biography:Megumi Hinata began learning to play the piano at the age of four, and said she first became interested in music in the latter half of elementary school, which she spent in the United States...
and composed by Satoru Kōsaki featuring vocals of the heroines in the corresponding chapters. The ending theme for the series, titled was produced by Supercell
Supercell (band)
Supercell is a Japanese 11-member music group led by composer and lyricist Ryo which formed in 2007 as a dōjin music group. Supercell started out by making use of the Hatsune Miku singing synthesizer to produce vocals for songs submitted to the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website...
and released on August 12, 2009 featuring vocals by Nico Nico Douga
Nico Nico Douga
is a popular video sharing website in Japan managed by Niwango, a subsidiary of Dwango. Its nickname is "Niconico" or "Nico-dō", where "nikoniko" is the Japanese ideophone for smiling. Nico Nico Douga is the thirteenth most visited website in Japan...
- turned-pro singer, Nagi, formerly known as Gazelle, and peak ranked 5th in Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
singles charts.
Opening themes
- "staple stable" - Chiwa SaitōChiwa Saitois a Japanese voice actress employed by I'm Enterprise.Saitō is one half of the voice acting duo "coopee", along with Natsuko Kuwatani. In the "Divine Design" arc of the Getbackers drama CDs, she voices a character who battles the character voiced by Kuwatani. She is a member of the voice acting...
(ep 1-2, 12) - - Emiri KatōEmiri Katois a female Japanese voice actress working for 81 Produce.-Anime:*Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka *Angel Beats! *Arc Rise Fantasia *Ad Lib Anime Kenkusho is a female Japanese voice actress working for 81 Produce.-Anime:*Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka (Karen Ayanokouji)*Angel Beats! (Sekine)*Arc Rise Fantasia...
(ep 3-5) - "Ambivalent World" - Miyuki SawashiroMiyuki Sawashirois a female Japanese voice actress and singer who works for Mausu Promotion.She voiced Puchiko in the English dubbed releases of Di Gi Charat the Movie and Leave it to Piyoko, making her one of the few Japanese voice actors to have reprised a role in English in addition to the original Japanese...
(ep 6-8) - - Kana HanazawaKana Hanazawaa voice actress represented by Office Osawa talent agency. She is notable for voice acting leading roles for a number of anime television shows and other anime-related media in Japan.-Anime voice roles:Leading roles in bold2003...
(ep 9-10) - "sugar sweet nightmare" - Yui HorieYui Horieis a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She is sometimes affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.She hosts a radio show called and is the founding member of the singing group, Aice5. She is also a member of the band Kurobara Hozonkai, with the name YUIEL...
(ep 11, 13-15)
Ending theme
- - Supercell
Note: DVD/BD versions of episodes always have an opening of a titular character, i.e. all Hitagi Crab episodes now have staple stable as opening, all Mayoi Snail episodes have Kaerimichi and so on.
Episode list
| # | Title | Endcard | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
Reception
The light novel series ranked sixth in the 2009 issue of Takarajimasha's light novel guide book Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!
is an annual light novel guide book published by Takarajimasha. The guide book publishes a list of the top ten most popular light novels and their characters according to readers polled on the Internet. An introduction to each of the works comes with each listing, along with an interview of the...
; Koyomi Araragi ranked sixth in the Best Male Character while Hitagi Senjōgahara ranked seventh in the Best Female Character.
The anime adaptation won the Users' Special Award in the 2nd annual DEG Japan Awards/Blu-ray Prizes.