One last arc, with an apparent emphasis on two of the show’s most charismatic characters – Senjougahara and Kaiki. Well, if you count whatever Kaiki has as charisma. Maybe enigmatic, then? Though he’s actually fairly straightforward – in fact, it seems he makes a point of being the most straightforward in terms of goals and values. Compelling, then? I’ll go with compelling.
Anyway. If it were necessary to put up a brave face, I’d have plenty of material to work off of. Strong chosen characters. The fact that this arc is being given so many episodes. The fact that this is the last arc, considering how well Monogatari tends to finish its stories and seasons. The optimistic comments I’ve heard from people familiar with the source material. The fact that we’re now dealing with a problem that Isin has personally established as the end boss (even though that automatically means he’s going to screw with that expectation in some fundamental way).
But the thing is, there’s no need for any of that – I think Monogatari Season 2 is far and away the best set of stories and episodes this show has ever constructed. It’s always been distinctive, creative, and uncompromising, but I don’t think its various elements have ever come together to make such compelling and well-articulated stories. There have been moments, certainly – Kanbaru’s arc in the first season, a great deal of Senjougahara and Hanekawa’s material throughout, Kaiki’s show-stealing in Nise. And it’s played with very interesting concepts throughout, as… well, as I’ve talked about at length for close to a year now. But the comparison of S1 to S2 feels like the difference between a creative, passionate apprentice and a confident, practiced craftsman.
So yeah, courtesy of last week’s final push, Monogatari is now really Up There for me. Here’s to finishing strong.
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