Today we begin Bakemonogatari’s hella controversial fourth arc! Yep, it’s time for Nadeko. I had a bit of a tough time writing about this one, but not really because of the Nadeko material itself – more because this episode’s structure made it difficult to establish a single thesis and then explore it throughout a variety of scenes. Fortunately, I’m pretty sure the second episode will offer an extremely straightforward opportunity to explore What’s The Deal With Nadeko, so I’m looking forward to that. And this one was still a very strong episode!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
We open with the shrine. Trees winding up the broken shrine gate like snakes in the very first image
Araragi’s hanging out with Kanbaru
Nadeko Sengoku rushes past
“If I’d realized who she was sooner, this story might not have ended the way it did.” The classic ‘if only I’d noticed something’
Nadeko, the traditionally “cutesy” little sister type, gets a traditionally cutesy OP
Mayoi was “cute” as well, but her behavior was anything but, and the camera never focused on her in any kind of leering way. With Nadeko, things are very different
A literally fuwa fuwa love song
The text speaks of traces of scales pressed into her skin
As if she were bound by ropes
Should I even reference how rarely this argument works out – the “deeper meaning” behind fanservice, the classic “you will be ashamed of your words and deeds”
“I hear this mountain is crawling with snakes”
Oshino tasked them with putting a talisman on the shrine
This episode looks pretty beautiful – Monogatari’s varied color palettes mix very well with this bamboo forest
The shrine is a mess
Kanbaru gets tired the moment they arrive. She’s still part-apparition
The slow percussion soundtrack, Kanbaru’s fatigue, and the wind
Dead snakes pinned into the tree
He invites Hanekawa to go to the bookstore with him
She’s helping him pick study guides. He’s finally worried about his future
It was the Kitashira Snake Shrine
Hanekawa’s physical presence is intense. Araragi can’t stay focused
It’s a big contrast from Kanbaru, even though Kanbaru was wearing far more revealing clothes
Nadeko arrives, and heads for the occult section
Hanekawa points out he was being too friendly with Kanbaru
Hanekawa warns him that his “being kind to everyone” isn’t actually a great quality. Even if Senjougahara says she’s okay, he should be more considerate
“You need to read between the lines”
We learn Hanekawa’s knowledge extends beyond facts to emotional inference
“Being kind to everyone is a form of irresponsibility, too.”
Hanekawa says she plans to spend a couple years seeing the world
We get a brief allusion to Hanekawa’s home not being a good place, along with a red screen
He leans on Kanbaru, he leans on Hanekawa, and he leans on Kanbaru again
He wants Kanbaru to break the ice for this conversation. She frankly is a better choice than Senjougahara
The snake gets pinned as well
We get a flashback to her in second grade. Her infantile impression of Araragi
And Nadeko strips to just bloomers. She’s super uncomfortable
They see the scales
“You’re a grownup now, so you wouldn’t get nasty thoughts from seeing me naked, right?”
She’s ashamed and crying as they make jokes
“I don’t want a body like this.” It feels like it could mean two things – either her scaled body, or her fundamentally womanly, “sexual” body
“Save me”