Last episode was great. Kaiki and Senjougohara are the best. I don’t want to jinx this episode by assigning any expectations to it. Let’s roll!

Episode 22

0:09 – His style cannot be stopped

0:15 – Looks like we’re done with costumes now. The battle is over!

0:52 – His character is just too compelling. He makes everybody else look bad by being such a vivid articulation of the secretly sympathetic villain

1:24 – Nice backgrounds in this place. That shiny floor makes the mirroring effect come naturally

1:38 – I think he’s starting to like this outfit

3:17 – And now they’re… visiting the aquarium together? Well, it’s nice making new friends

3:29 – Can’t wait for those two to meet. Although I guess I could say the same about any good pair of characters in this show – when characters are written with as much personality and distinctive voice as this cast, it’s pretty much a joy seeing any of them talk to each other. This show is serious dialogue porn

3:45 – Nice shot, mirrored vertically once again. The horizon line’s white shifting to blue in both directions, the curve of the cave’s roof splitting the curve of the beach

3:56 – And again. Shinbo really likes these shots, and with good reason – not only do they create pretty, quirky compositions, they also kind of feed into the otherworldly sterile perfectness of all of this show’s environments. This doesn’t feel like a place, it feels like a series of ostentatious sets

4:22 – Looks like Senjougahara’s back to her old self

5:07 – Kaiki arc yeaaah

5:56 – This is adorable. Goddamnit Kaiki, will your endearing mannerisms never stop emerging?

6:19 – Uh… what’s this place? We never get shots of the city/town that look like this – it seems like only Kaiki, the outsider, can actually see the town as a whole, see the various buildings as more than generic shapes seen every day and taken for granted. Or perhaps it’s an indicator of his perspective as the one adult – he sees a city where most of the other characters see a school, a house, and then a bunch of places where adults do stuff. From their perspective, those buildings might as well be props, or eternal construction sites

6:25 – Again, so much more detail and specificity to this shot than usual. But this effect did not extend to Okinawa… hm

7:39 – Always teasing us with allusions to their relationship. Damn you, Isin

8:08 – Parents? What world are we living in?!? Again, unlike Araragi, who’s basically oblivious to everyone outside of his friends, or Nadeko, who sees others as terrifying, unknowable presences, Kaiki’s just a normal adult, and so his version of Monogatari sees parents as the people they are

8:43 – I like the transition from “they knew nothing about their daughter” to this line. It’s like he’s interviewing a schoolmate who never actually talked to her – the most precise thing they can say about her as a person is “she seemed nice”

8:49 – Kaiki tires of your pleasantries

9:24 – This is what Nadeko’s room looks like? I remember it being somewhat more cavernous and dramatic. I guess it seems a bit bigger to a small person in a big, scary world. I also like how we now get to see the overt impression Nadeko was attempting to give off without her dark, self-victimizing filter

9:59 – He doesn’t pull any punches

10:14 – Wow, he’s… extremely good at this. Or was told this information earlier/later, and is now lying to appear this perceptive. But he actually is this perceptive, so there’s no real reason to lie about it. But he needs no purpose to lie, so he might be doing it anyway

10:28 – Balls of steel. If you’re committing to a big lie, you can’t act ashamed of it – if they’ve bought the lie, then it’s already true in any meaningful sense, so where are the pictures of my imaginary daughter? Kaiki the pro

10:54 – Kaiki experiences a feeling so complicated

11:20 – Another very nice shot with a very unusual degree of detail

11:32 – And again. What is he outside of, a bar? Those don’t even exist in Monogatariland

12:50 – Don’t try to be honest with me. It’s easier to separate my normal read of your personality from the actually relevant facts that way

12:57 – Another pretty shot

13:03 – Don’t try to make my job easy or anything, Monogatari

13:40 – Damn. If this is what their town actually looks like, it’s quite beautiful. Granted, Kaiki would probably prefer a dramatic setting for his story, so who knows

14:00 – Isin you goddamn troll bastard

14:32 – Here’s a location we’ve seen many times, so we can directly see the increased detail work and more grounded nature of the backgrounds. Kaiki’s perspective also tends to favor broader shots, taking in the whole of an environment

14:54 – I like his “do I reaaally have to throw away this money?” expression

15:26 – Crazy God Nadeko is so great. This arc, goddamnit

15:42 – Being a god is hard work, but Nadeko will do her best!

16:40 – A highly valued power in the land of externalized regrets

17:09 – How exciting for everyone!

17:10 – This show is too good

17:51 – Murder: the ultimate common interest

18:17 – This sequence here. The best possible response

18:30 – Can Kaiki just be the main character permanently?

19:06 – She’s clearly put a lot of thought into this. Why is this so easily the funniest Monogatari arc we’ve had?

19:37 – The real or the fake, Kaiki?

19:38 – Not getting away with flashes as critical as these. Can’t consider that revelation trustworthy, though

19:58 – Nadeko is stealing the show in an arc heavily featuring Kaiki and Senjougahara. What is the world coming to

20:32 – Kaiki half-heartedly waving off a flailing Nadeko. This arc has everything

21:20 – Sorry about the damn video here, but I had to get this moment. Kaiki almost pulling back his hair and revealing his true self before remembering he has no reason to care about how this ends for Nadeko. Isin sure does love his character-relevant hair

21:57 – And he’s great with the kids. See? Even these two have an extremely entertaining non-rapport

And Done

Well that was entertaining. I’m not sure what I was expecting from the return of Crazy God Nadeko, but that was… that was pretty great. Kaiki’s put-upon toleration of her hyper nonsense was also great, as was seeing the town from his perspective. Not much to say – Kaiki arc is Kaiki arc. Finishing strong so far!