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Owarimonogatari 2nd season is the final, conclusive ending to Araragi Koyomis adolescence life, wrapping everything up cleanly in one of the most satisfying endings in anime.

The journey you get to up to this point is 100% what makes this season so much more impactful. The way in which Nisio Isin mixed up the timeline to really make you think about what character motivations and plot points are relevant in certain points of time add so much depth, nuance and just plain fun in piecing together all the bits of the puzzle up to this point.

In fact, this "final" season isn't even the present day in ... the timeline up to this point in the LN release order; its Hanamonogatari from 4 seasons ago! Creating those gaps makes everything have such a satisfying click if you really invest yourself up to this point in the story, and finally get the whole picture of the massive 100 episode puzzle. The depth and complexity of all the interweaving character stories is so ridiculously profound that this show is probably the ONLY one that can make me sit through 99% pure dialogue with almost 0 action on the screen, and conversations possibly lasting the entire 20 minute runtime of an episode.

STORY
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You start the season by finally getting the answer to the cliffhanger from Koyomimonogatari in Mayoi Hell, then it develops into a calm-before-the-storm Hitagi Arc before going into the final, Ougi confrontation arc. The way this final arc was handled was nothing short of a writing masterclass, with an ending so satisfying I may even prefer it over Code Geass' ending as it manages to tie up every loose end up to this point in a neat, tidy and short 7 episode runtime. It didn't feel rushed, nor slow, and went full circle with the Monogatari story by returning to the main focus of Kizumonogatari.

Almost all character stories up to this point has always been about how Araragi confronts the evil sprouted from another persons human flaws. However, as stated by Oshino, thinking you can save someone from their own flaws is hubris; in the end they themselves must "save themselves". At the very beginning of the Monogatari series in Kizumonogatari, Araragi was that flawed character, struggling with his isolationism and acceptance of his inability to be selfish, and he ultimately saved himself. And now, after all the stories up to this point from the Vampire, Cat, Crab, Snail, Monkey, Snake, Bee and Bird, we FINALLY come full circle in Owarimonogatari 2nd Season to confront his own flaws one last time, and of course, he must save himself yet again.

The way this season utilities Oshino's "you can't save people" ideology on its nose in the final climax blew me away, along with countless other philosophies which were conveyed through Ougi as a medium for Araragi's final character development. It was especially impactful since I myself realised that I had been watching the show with the exact mindset that which Araragi discovers is his human flaw.

Overall that final conclusion and confrontation was just the most perfect way to address the one final question in Araragi's character to close his story of Adolescence, and wrap up the stories of all other characters. Despite initially not quite knowing where it was going, I couldn't have asked for something better.

ANIMATION
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Like previous seasons, I really enjoy the animation for the unique atmosphere that it brings to all the entries, since it sets itself apart from basically any other anime. There are absolutely 0 humanoid background characters, with most shots being huge, colorful liminal spaces completely empty and devoid of life for the main characters to set the stage. In between, you get cuts to real excerpts from the light novel itself to give introspection to tiny details or thoughts that characters are having. And of course, it wouldn't be a Monogatari season without camera shutter effects while rapidly rotating a character towards the camera as they drop metaphorical wisdom. Animation definitely plays a huge part in enjoyment, since without it, I'm not sure how anyone would be able to sit through 10-20 minute conversations. Studio Shaft can never truly get enough praise for the work they did to make the show engaging, and even though most of the show isn't movie level like in the Kizumonogatari III fight, the animation is done perfectly for what it needs to do.

OST
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Contrary to most people, I actually don't really like most openings and endings for Monogatari. However, the final opening in the Ougi arc was a rare one I really enjoyed, and I would put it right under Mousou Express. The opening manages to nail perfect lyrics that describe the conflict in the arc, but beyond that I won't spoil anything.

Outside of OPs and EDs, there are plenty of good BG OST throughout the season, which also play a big role alongside the animation in setting the unique tone.

Conclusion
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As the finale, this season really felt like the perfect end to the 6 month long journey I took watching this series. It's a unique experience you can't really get from any other anime, with how the story is structured, Studio Shafts animation style and characters with so much depth that I could actually form attachments to them, which I don't usually find myself doing. Every character's emotions are written realistically, every chapter has a Japanese pun you won't get unless you're an expert, and almost every Monongatari story left a message that genuinely made me think about how we percieve friendships, define justice, confront negative emotions and most importantly love yourself. Thats just not something you can get from any anime, so I'll really miss it once I finish Zoku Owarimongatari.

This was truly a series I will never forget, and I look forward to rewatching chronologically to catch all the tiny little details I probably missed.

My Overall Ranking of Monogatari Seasons:

1. Monogatari 2nd Season
2. Kizumonogatari III
3. Owarimonogatari 2nd Season
4. Kizumonogatari I
5. Kizumonogatari II
6. Owarimonogatari
7. Bakemonogatari
8. Nisemonogatari
9. Hanamonogatari
10. Koyomimonogatari
11. Tsukimonogatari
12. Nekomonogatari: Kuro

Koyomimonogatari is the weirdest entry thus far for Monogatari.

Each episode goes forward in time by about 1 arc, so you start the season with Bake, and end off in the current timeline, with each episode only running 10 mins

The first half is snooze-fest short stories that are incredibly forgettable; pretty much filler bits of knowledge that can add depth to the already told stories. Most of these filler bits are incredibly inconsequential, unremarkable and boring, so much so that it takes effort to remember what happened in this half despite watching it 1 day ago.

However once you catch up to the main story and season ... 2 at episode 7, Ougi shows up, and it instantly gets interesting. The season ends off strong too with a really good climax+cliffhanger which was unexpected given the lax, filler nature of the season up to that point.

Overall since the beginning is a boring 6-7 out of 10 and the last half is a pretty good 9ish, this is a solid 8

TLDR; Overall up to this point in Monogatari, this season is by far the best since it builds off what was already established from the previous 5 seasons excellently, and elevates the side characters even further. Its an amazing payoff that respects the viewers intellect by introducing more and more mysteries, character conundrums and witty dialogue that you can come to expect from Monogatari, but now at its peak.

STORY
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Monogatari Season 2 is the culmination of everything that makes the Monogatari series so captivating, featuring the most interesting, thought provoking arcs up to this point. The foundation and tiniest plot points from Bake, Kizu, Nise, ... Neko and Hanamonogatari are so well integrated into all the arcs in this season that it gives it a WHOLE new layer of character complexity and introspection with each and every interaction - which is exactly what this series is all about; character driven stories of how they "save themselves".

Each arc in this season is focused on previously introduced characters that have their own unique human flaws that they must overcome. These character qualities are their own deeply personal, selfish, unspoken ideologies and emotional hang ups that may be effecting/hurting no one but the character themselves, yet they must overcome to combat harmful supernatural apparitions which will hurt those they care about. What makes Monogatari so different from other series trying this formula is that the obstacles faced tend to be related to incredibly deep philosophy not commonly explored in storytelling, and is certainly not the surface level mediocrity most of us have gotten used to - for example Toradora's "I'm a tsundere and I can't get over it" or My Hero Academias "I lack the confidence to be a hero".

In previous seasons Nisio Isin explores the philosophy and morality of Schadenfreude, concepts of absolute good and evil directly inspired by works of Friedrich Nietzsche, and even slam dunks on Immanuel Kant's philosophy of universal moral law via a *high school cat girl*. If not for the depth and complexity Nisio Isin was willing to go for these characters, the show would have fallen flat as a boring dialogue session. Instead, the effort and talent put into writing these characters and plot lines to get these deep philosophical messages through to the viewer functions as the core of the Monogatari series. The light novel could seriously be studied at a university literature course.

The first few arcs of Monogatari Season 2 are already superior to prior entries, but what truly knocks this season out of the park is Otorimonogatari and Koimonogatari, featuring Kaiki Deishuu. Despite being one of only two adult male characters so far, he somehow makes it as the most interesting character in the entire series. Every single interaction and dialogue between Kaiki and any other character is genuinely intriguing, as he holds such a malicious and selfish philosophy that somehow comes across as likeable due to his mature line of thinking, as the only character in the show who actually thinks like an adult. His previous arc in Nisemonogatari is one that touched base on Nietzche absolutes, a good arc which I now realize was kind of a "fake story" (nise-monogatari) used as a perfect setup to introduce him for his big role in Koimonogatari. I won't spoil anything, but the way his character is handled in this arc is nothing short of brilliant, earning him a spot on my personal top characters list.

There is of course one caveat to this season story and every Monogatari story; you will never truly understand it. From what I've heard, a native Japanese speaker could pick up the Light Novels for Monogatari and feel completely stupid in their own language with the amount of depth and creativity in which Nisio Isin molded the Japanese language to do whatever the fuck he wanted it to, playing with kanji, puns, wordplay, and poetic structure to give new meanings and convey his messages. Some nuance will be lost on the average foreigner. However, definitely not enough to make the show boring.

ANIMATION
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Animation wise this show would have never got it's foot off the ground if it wasnt for the animation that pulls the average casual watcher in like a subway surfers clip to accompany the super long but necessary dialogues between characters. Single conversations will commonly last half the episode or more, but feel so short thanks to Shaft's editing style which is constantly cutting to different shots, shifting angles, and subliminal flashing of the actual Light Novel's text. The animation choices for backgrounds also get props for how they atmosphere and tone set in Monogatari as a whole; They purposefully create liminal, colourful yet bland locations completely empty and devoid of life for the main characters to set the stage.


OST
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For OST theres not much to say; its a very subjective field but by the metrics of viewcount on youtube or spotify, or even just the popularity of an opening like Renai Circulation, you can tell they go far beyond what was needed. Personally, I didn't like any of the previous openings or endings since they all felt very lighthearted, so I usually skipped them. But this season had me never skipping any openings, which was a huge step up for me. The Mosou Express op is definietely one of the best I've heard in a while thanks to the opening.. continuity? I wont spoil.

TLDR/Conclusion
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Overall up to this point in Monogatari, this season is by far the best since it builds off what was already established from the previous 5 seasons spectacularly, and elevates the side characters even further. Its an amazing payoff that respects the viewers intellect by introducing more and more mysteries, character conundrums and witty dialogue that you can come to expect from Monogatari, but now at its peak. As with the previous seasons, you can still expect a show so incredibly unique in tone, structure, and philosophy to any other story that you would be hard pressed to find something similar not only Anime and Manga, but in storytelling as a whole.

Story: 2

First 6 episodes: Legit a business meeting, very boring

Next 6 episodes: Decent progression and pacing but all the fights were satire

Overall, it always feels like nothing EVER goes wrong in the show. Everything goes how the MC would like it, and there are never any dangers to him at all. AND THERES ALWAYS THIS STUPID FUCKING SOUNDTRACK (Called Determination) ALWAYS FUCKING PLAYS WHEN THIS SHIT HAPPENS. Like, can there be ANY sense of tension at all??

Art: 7

There are some bits that are super satisfying to watch, like a teleportation technique that gets alot of detail. Some fights have some nice terrain destruction as ... well.

Overall, could be improved but generally decent.

Sound: 8

Takehito Koyasu carried, made me root for clayman honestly.

Some fights have this nice bass boost for an effect of strength, which also works quite nicely. SFX in fights was actually quite good overall tbh, with VA's carrying badly written conversations quite well

Character: 7

Veldora carries really really hard in this aspect. Especially in the last couple episodes. Besides that, Clayman is pretty meh and i fucking hated Shion until the last couple episodes, which made her OK. The other demon lords were also not nearly as threatening as I thought. They kinda just become

Enjoyment: 5

I'm not gonna lie, the first 6 episodes had me doing the right arrow key a few times, which is a pretty good indicator of my enjoyment. Honestly, the dick measuring contests of strength were not bad, but it always felt like the protaganists were way too strong.

Overall: 6

Damn man, this anime was going strong. The demon lord shit is cool as hell, but they threw away alot of potential with it. The script was fucked, but they managed to do pretty well with the other areas; if the story wasnt such a steamroll of victories for the protaganist and a business meeting, this second part would have been a solid 8 or maybe even a 9.

Despite my low review, if you are thinking of watching it, I highly reccommend you do. The anime has done really well in every aspect for the last couple seasons besides this one, so I think next season will be a lot better. Think of this season like watching a much worse version of Noragami season 1 as a preface to an upcoming Noragami aragoto

I'll try not to make this review seem too one-sided since it's my first review.

I've gotta say it, I almost didn't watch this anime because of the reviews. I thought this was some boring-ass, badly-planned, antagonist spotlighted story with good animation and music to back it up. And while there is some truth to what these reviewers claim, I think they are just picky. Before you disregard the anime because of the reviews, please give it a try.

As you may know, this 1st season is actually a 24 episode prologue. Don't let this steer you away. This never felt like a prologue, and all it ... does is make the world and the characters the author has created seem even more vast, with tons of new ideas being teased at the end of the season.

To address the flaws, yes, the anime is not Naruto. The main character does not need to appear in the fucking plot every second of your life. This is creative and brave of the author. It makes this anime more interesting and less "shounen" than it could have been. (btw I love Naruto don't flame me).

I can't really think of much else that I really wanted to address, so to close this off, I want to say this one more time. Give it a try. 10 episodes in you will know if you love it, or ya hate it. Its just one of those animes.