Bakemonogatari, Part 2: Monster Tale

Monogatari

by NisiOisiN, VOFAN (Illustrator)

Bakemono, literally "altered thing," which translates as "monster." Monogatari, literally "thing narrated," which translates as "tale." Combined into a neologism by he of the reversible nom de plume, they yield BAKEMONOGATARI, the monster tale that kicked off a series whose anime adaptations have enjoyed international popularity and critical acclaim.
A self-described loser, Koyomi Araragi is struggling at a prep school that he should never have gotten into. He has all but quit caring, but as a senior, he faces the chilling scenario of not being able to graduate. It's time to cram, but the supernatural aberrations that keep on popping up in his provincial town won't let him be.
Previously, our hero turned into a vampire and back, gained an acid-tongued girlfriend, and couldn't find his way home thanks to a lost child. In this second of three parts, which introduces Suruga Kanbaru and Nadeko Sengoku, he becomes embroiled in a case that riffs on a classic English story from 1902.

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Manga, Supernatural, Japanese Literature

323 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Nisio Isin (西尾維新 Nishio Ishin), 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 Kubikiri Cycle, which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age.

He currently works with Kodansha on Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine, and Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from light novels and otaku culture. He was also publishing a twelve volume series over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher.

In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first volume in his Zaregoto series. His Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Katanagatari novels have been adapted into anime series. Nekomonogatari (Kuro) has been adapted into an anime TV movie, and Kizumonogatari will be release in theaters this year. Monogatari Series: Second Season, adapted from 6 books in Monogatari Series will air in July 2013. Another of his works, Medaka Box (manga), has been adapted into a two-season anime series.

Reviews

[Claudio · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part it's very well translated but I can't get over the fact that "senpai" and "oniichan" are literally translated as "my senior" and "big brother." Maybe I'm just too used to the subtitles in the anime, but I would've much preferred they kept the original words as loans for a matter of textual flow.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Again, NisiOisiN nails the dialogue and banter between characters. Some of the conversations were so quick witted and funny, I would find myself re-reading them and laughing all over again. Also, Kanbaru is my new favorite character. The way she interacts with Araragi is so engaging.

[Caleb Kovalenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still don't know my personal rating for the first novel due to conflicting feelings about it, but i have enjoyed the sequel so much more! I especially enjoyed reading about Kanbaru, one of the new characters introduced in this book, who was very lively and countered Araragi's personality really well during their dialogues. (which is a positive, because one of their witty combacks back-and-forth conversations lasted for about 50 pages)
I wish the second arc in the book had more to offer and focused a bit more on the character it has introduced.

[Ricardo Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up liking this part 2 better than part 1. Suruga Kanbaru might be tiring sometimes, but overall both stories (Suruga Monkey and Nadeko Snake) were quite darker than I expected them to be when I started.

The first is a take on the Monkey Paw horror short story.
The second is a tale about a snake curse, with some nice twists in the end.

Really liked this volume and I'll say it again, it felt like reading a more mature version of xxxHolic.

[HoneyAndBlood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jak 1 tom był trochę ciekawy to ten był po prostu obrzydliwy

[Doc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be careful of what you wish for or it might consume you.

Continuing this tale of abominations the main character Koyomi Araragi is adjusting to life as his new girlfriend does what she can so he is not a complete scholastic loser (outside of math which he is actually not bad at.) However something seems off as we are treated to the stories of Suruga Kanbaru and Nadeko Sengoku which build upon the original part of the story wonderfully without burdening the reader to have to read it to understand what is going on (though I still suggest you read it anyway.)

Like part 1 of 3 this story is split into two stories with people who have come into the life of our quasi vampiric main character while his experiences with the supernatural world continue to affect those around him and himself as we are treated to a tale of wishes gone wrong and how sometimes affections can really crush when a curse takes on a life of its own. Onward and upward to part 3 which if I am not mistaken has been hinted at in the first 2 parts. Let's just hope things don't go to hell as we reach the finale.

[Michael Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are few, if any, recent authors I've read as witty as NisiOisiN. He's consistently hilarious and works the humor into the plot naturally and often. He also plays at deep moral quandaries fairly well and is undeniably creative when it comes to unique plot concepts. All of his characters have depth and development, and he enjoys taking standard archetypes and twisting them around to where they're barely recognizable.

Long story short, he's brilliant. This one is not one of his deeper novels, but it's probably the funniest one so far. Kanbaru is a delightful character and getting to know her is really the main focus of the novel. We get a glimpse of Sengoku, but we have to wait a bit to really get to know her.

I hope that these novels keep getting translated to English, because I hope to finish reading the series. The anime is brilliant in it's own right, but it misses out on some things that can only really be done well in print.

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...

[India · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was really cute

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

por favor paren con los chistes de colegialas

[Nicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veamos cómo se sigue ampliando este universo. Todo lo que yo sé, de lo poco que vi el anime, es de Araragi involucrándose con excentricidades para salvar a chicas… pero bueno, ya van cinco… ¿La trama cambiará de hilo conductor? ¿O continuará hasta llegar a la veinteava chica salvada?

✅ Presentación de Kanbaru Suruga y Nadeko Sengoku

✅ Por muy poco, creo que mi personaje favorito es Kanbaru (un poco por encima de Senjougahara).

✅ Araragi-kun y Senjougahara llevan dos semanas de relación. ¿Cómo progresará está pareja?

✅ Me gusta que todos pongan el dedo en la llaga y le señalen a Araragi que ser “taaaaan amable” termina siendo malo.

✅ Me gusta que Yoshino-san se consolide como un pilar importante para la trama. Digamos que la lectura sigue a Araragi, Senjougahara, Hanekawa y ahora, Kanbaru como personajes recurrentes y que aportan.

⏺️ “Así que fue un vampiro, un gato, un cangrejo, un caracol, un mono... y ahora una serpiente.” Tsubasa, cuando estuvo encantada por un gato. Senjougahara Hitagi, cuando se encontró con un cangrejo. Hachikuji Mayoi, cuando se perdió con un caracol. Kanbaru Suruga, cuando ella le pidió un deseo a un mono.Todas ellas recibieron ayuda de Oshino.



🧶 El SenjougaharaxAraragi me parecía apropiado… hasta que conocí el AraragixKanbaru
Se me hacían divertidas las interacciones entre Senjougahara y Araragi. Hasta que conocí la relación de “amistad” entre Araragi y Kanbaru. Ya sabes, aprendí que se puede bromear sin humillar y empequeñecer al otro.

Es divertido desde fuera, pero tener una pareja así definitivamente no es saludable. Es como si Araragi al ser tan amable y acepto-pasivo, la aceptó como novia solo porque ella se lo pidió. No es que le guste realmente, sino que él acepta todo.

Pero bueno, el que lidia con ella es Araragi. Si a él le parece bien, entonces la relación está bien. .

—Oh, solo tenía curiosidad por saber cómo eras cuando hacías deporte...
—Bueno, con tanto tiempo sin practicar, es probable que no valga la pena volver. No te preocupes. Incluso si no practico deportes, tengo la intención de mantener esta figura.
—... No fue por eso que pregunté.
—Pero, Araragi-kun, te atrajo este cuerpo tan elástico y egoísta que nunca ha roto con un chico, ¿verdad?
—¡No hagas que parezca que estoy detrás de tu cuerpo! ¿Qué es eso de un... cuerpo egoísta? Seguramente podías encontrar una mejor manera de decir eso.
—Ya veo. Así que no estás detrás de mi cuerpo. —Dijo Senjougahara como si se estuviera haciendo la tonta. —Entonces puedes esperar un rato para esa parte, ¿verdad?

⏺️ También, es entretenido porque ella misma le advirtió: “me gustan los extremos”. Y si cumplió: en su primera reunión de estudios, ella hablaba de irse a vivir juntos y qué hacer después de la preparatoria… cuando solo llevan dos semanas de salir, no sé han dado ni un beso, no han visto si el zapato calza ni han salido en citas.

⏺️ Por otro lado, solo llevaban dos semanas de salir, y Araragi solo piensa en sexo y sexo, muslos, piel, piernas, tetas…

Se merecen el uno al otro, en cuanto a cosas inapropiadas.



🧶 Kanbaru es mi waifu #1 por poquito

—Lo pensé mucho. Sabía que eras la persona adecuada a la que acudir
—Para ser específica, cuenta conmigo.— Se jactó Kanbaru. —Puedo seducir a cualquier chica más joven que yo en diez segundos, eso es lo máximo que me toma.
—¡Traerte aquí fue el error más grande de mi vida! ¡No necesitaba ese tipo de ayuda! ¡No estaba aquí para arruinar la vida de una chica! No me digas que viste al equipo de baloncesto como nada más que un harén personal…
—Yo no iría tan lejos.
—¡¿Qué tan lejos irías?!
—Me gustaría quitar el ‘nada más que’.
—¡Eso apenas cambia algo!
—¿Hm? Entonces ella es la amiga de tu hermana más joven... Lo que significa que tienes una hermana pequeña…
—De hecho, tengo esa y otra, es decir dos….
¡……………!
¡Oh, no! ¡Ahora la lesbiana sabe de mis hermanitas!
—Jejejeje... Ya veo, tus hermanitas... Je, je, je, je, je, je, je. ¿Me pregunto si son como tu...?
—No tengas pensamientos raros... y cielos, ¡¿qué es esa horrible sonrisa que dudo que haya visto antes?! —[¡¿Esa es una sonrisa que deberías estar dirigiéndome, el objeto de esa devoción desinteresada de la que tanto te enorgulleces?!]—Si tienes curiosidad. Ellas se parecen a mí. Ambas.
—Oh, por favor. Nunca pondría un dedo sobre tus hermanas pequeñas. Sí, seducir a una chica más joven que yo puede ser más fácil que respirar para mí, pero no hay razón para que yo haga algo así con tus hermanas, siempre y cuando seamos cercanos.
—Maldita seas, eso es una amenaza, y una muy obvia…
—¿Una amenaza? Dios mío, qué acusación más mordaz. Tales palabras chocantes de un venerado senpai podrían hacer que una persona nerviosa como yo entrara en pánico y, bueno, ¿quién sabe lo que podría hacer? ¿No crees que hay algo más que deberías decirme ahora mismo?
—G-Gah…—.[Estaba sucediendo... ¡Ella estaba absolutamente influenciada por la Senjougahara actual! La definición misma de una mala influencia].

✅ Creí que me gustaba el tira y daca entre Senjougahara… hasta que conocí el AraragiXKambaru.

⏺️ Es muy fácil que Kanbaru y Araragi tengan una conversación de tira y toma de argumentos. Pero a diferencia del tira y daca entre Senjougahara y Araragi, el punto central no es humillar y empequeñecer a Araragi como persona. No. Solo son insinuaciones o bromas sucias. Digamos que nadie queda mal

⏺️ Exceptuando el terrible momento en que se involucró con una excentricidad para cumplir sus deseos, ella es una persona trabajadora y honesta. Digamos que esa terrible decisión fue un momento crucial para hacerla mejorar como persona.

✅ Así, Kanbaru es una eterna positiva. Ve lo mejor de todo. Es muy amable. Muy humilde. Trabajadora. Servicial.

—Uh-uh. No me tomó mucho tiempo ponerme esta ropa. En verano, en mi casa siempre estoy ropa interior.
—Kanbaru... lo digo por pura preocupación, pero sabes que no puedo garantizarte tu castidad si sigues avivando las llamas de mis deseos terrenales.
—Estoy preparada para eso.
—Bueno, yo no lo estoy, ¿de acuerdo?
—Confío en tu sentido de la razón.
—No confío en mí mismo.

🧶 ¿Qué pasa con Araragi?

Todo tipo de personas me han dicho que soy amable con todos, pero había un precio; a causa de eso había pasado por algunas malas experiencias. No es que sintiera que mis esfuerzos fueran en vano, pero no se sintió bien cuando terminé sin poder ayudar a alguien que de otra manera podría haber funcionado.

Es el tipo de héroe que tiene la necesidad de ayudar, sin que nadie le haya pedido ayuda. En otras palabras, es un entrometido. Un bienintencionado entrometido.

—Supongo que el lado positivo para ella es que terminó por reunirse contigo cuando las cosas estaban llegando a su punto culminante, tu planeas hacer algo por la chica, ¿verdad?
—¿Me equivoco al hacerlo?
—No, no necesariamente. No busques ni huyas de la pelea. Pero es un poco difícil de entender. Me siento apenado por ella, pero ¿por qué ir tan lejos? ¿Porque es la vieja amiga de tu hermana pequeña? O porque, ¿su apellido te recuerda a tu novia?
—¿Eh? No, quiero decir, ella está tan angustiada. ¿No es normal que quiera hacer algo?
—Qué buena persona eres.—Dijo Oshino. Lo dijo en un tono tan desagradable.

Además, no sé si yo soy muy exagerada o muy conservadora [o si solo es fanservice], pero Araragi-las-quiero-todas-para-mi, quiere sumar a Kanbaru a su harem y suele tener algún pensamiento lascivo hacia alguna chica, aunque sea una niña (como con Mayoi, al hablar de sus pechos o Nadeko, al hablar de su bonito cuerpo).

Se me hace incómodo, sabiendo que ya tiene una novia y aún así, está dispuesto a dejar que otras chicas se propasen con él. Hanekawa ya le hizo ver que él tiene una voluntad muy débil y que lo que hace, es una falta de respeto.



🧶 Oshino Meme se consolidó como mi personaje masculino favorito
Si, por encima de Araragi. Quien diría que un vagabundo de camisa hawaiana y experto en excentricidades, sería entretenido de ver.

Además, su capacidad para ver a través de las personas y captar sus verdaderas intenciones… Es magia. ¿Cómo puede saber tanto?

Sus explicaciones sobre el evento paranormal es lo que le da sentido a cada excentricidad y es el momento que más espero en cada arco. Es divertido ver cómo mezcla explicaciones importantes y azotes verbales.



🧶 Personajes
SECUNDARIA NAOETSU
—Araragi Koyomi, tercer año. Seguimos sabiendo solo superficialmente de su encuentro con el vampiro, pero hemos aprendido que tiene una necesidad casi patológica de ayudar a todos los que se encuentra.

—Senjougahara Hitagi, tercer año. Solía ser el as del equipo de atletismo en la escuela media, hasta que se encontró con su excentricidad y duró enferma por dos años. Actualmente es la novia de Araragi. Una chica tsundere, decidida, le gustan los extremos.
*Senjougahara obtuvo sin esfuerzo la séptima puntuación más alta de la clasificación general

—Kanbaru Suruga está en segundo año. 17 años. Era el as del equipo de baloncesto y es la persona más positiva que se puede encontrar en el mundo. Tiene una admiración enorme hacia Araragi y un amor romántico hacia Senjougahara. Es lesbiana. Su excentricidad es el Rainy Devil, que le ocasiona tener su brazo izquierdo transformado en una pata peluda de mono (con una fuerza enorme).
*Piénsalo como la mano de un diablo, no la pata de mono
*Sus padres murieron hace muchos años en un accidente de tráfico

—Hanekawa Tsubasa, tercer año. el lujurioso gato de la Representante-chan. Seguimos sin saber detalles de su excentricidad. Solo sabemos que ocurrió en la semana dorada y ya olvidó todo. Es “la representante de clases entre las representantes de clase” según Araragi. Una chica muy estudiosa, amable, sin ninguna palabra negativa hacia otras personas.
*Hanekawa Tsubasa obtuvo el puntaje general más alto. No hace falta decirlo. Ella tomó el primer lugar en todas las materias. Y al parecer todas con una puntuación cercana a la perfectaElla me obligó a convertirme en vicerepresentante de la clase en un intento de rehabilitación, por haberme confundido con un delincuente.


OTRAS HEROÍNAS
—Hachikuji Mayoi. Actualmente es un fantasma que encarna la excentricidad del caracol perdido. Siempre está vagando por algún lugar, así que estaba seguro de que tarde o temprano me la volvería a encontrar.

—Sengoku Nadeko, 14 años, segundo año de escuela media. Era la compañera de clase de Tsukihi Araragi hace unos 6 años, cuando asistían a la escuela primaria. Era la chica rara que le gustaba hacer cosas sola. Era una chica reservada de pocas palabras que constantemente miraba hacia el piso. Es afectada por al excentricidad de una Jagirinawa.

—Karen Araragi. Hermana mayor de Araragi. Prefiere las actividades al aire libre. Mis dos hermanas son unidas, una al lado de la otra, sin importar cuándo, dónde, qué o por qué

—Tsukihi Araragi. Hermana menor de Araragi. Prefiere permanecer en la casa. Araragi dice que es la más astuta de las dos. Segundo año de escuela media.


OTROS
—Oshino Meme, benefactor de Araragi-kun. Es un monje con camisa psicodélica hawaiana. Es un vagabundo súper fuerte, pacifista y tiene un conocimiento profundo del mundo sobrenatural. Tiene más de 30 años. Tiene una actitud despreocupada, va de viaje en viaje sin residencia permanente. Tiene una manera frívola y burlona de hablar.
*Oshino Meme. Un experto en el tema de las excentricidades. Un especialista, una autoridad.Era como un avatar de capricho. Si bien lo conozco desde las vacaciones de primavera, aún no podía entender grandes franjas de su personalidad

—Oshino Shinobu. Niña de unos ocho años, llevaba un casco de piloto viejo y gafas protectoras, con la piel blanca y el cabello rubio.
* Las ruinas de un vampiro. Los restos huecos de una hermosa excentricidad. <
Mientras viva, es una carga que tendré que llevar. .
*Como vampiro, ella era noble de nacimiento. Y ahora vive en este edificio abandonado con un hombre sucio de mediana edad. Realmente ha caído bastante bajo…
*es una vampira legendaria de una noble línea de sangre. Un vampiro, el rey de las excentricidades



🧶 Frases que me gustan sin motivo alguno

—Te equivocas. Senjougahara-senpai fue solo mi amor no correspondido. Para mí, Senjougahara-senpai fue mi pura, perfecta e ideal senpai. Para mí era suficiente el simple hecho de estar a su lado.—Kanbaru continuó con su sonrisa. —Soy lesbiana.

”Ni siquiera necesitas decirme a dónde vamos. La aguja de mi brújula siempre apunta en la dirección hacia la que te diriges”
(y así sucesivamente)

—No necesitas decirme eso. De hecho, creo que ya eres bastante importante. No sé si quedará espacio a tu lado si te haces más importante.
¡Nkk...! ¡No, esto era de esperar! ¡Necesitaba seguir!
—¡Me voy a hacer músico!
—¿Oh? Entonces creo que me convertiré en tu instrumento.
Ni siquiera sé lo que eso significa, ¡pero qué línea tan genial! Sus acciones invertidas en mi habían sufrido una repentina alza. Hombre, ¿por qué?
—¿De qué se trata todo esto? No necesitas decirme estas cosas porque posiblemente no podría amarte y respetarte más de lo que ya lo hago.

—Por favor, escúchame. Creo que tengo una muy buena idea sobre el tipo de persona que eres. Realmente creo que no mereces menos. Incluso si no fueras su novio, incluso si lo que ocurrió el mes pasado nunca hubiese sucedido, no importa cómo nos hubiésemos conocido, te habría visto como alguien digno de mi respeto. Lo juro, por mis piernas.
—... Oh. Si lo juras por tus piernas, ¿qué puedo decir?
—Cierto... Te respeto tanto que incluso si me llevas a una montaña solitaria con el pretexto de que Oshino-san tiene un trabajo para nosotros, solo para obligarme a cada deseo lujurioso que tu corazón acuna, puedo perdonarte con una sonrisa.
—¡No quiero ese tipo de respeto!
¿Y ‘pretexto’? ¡Ella no confiaba en mí en absoluto!
—¿Eh? Espera. ¿De verdad no estamos procediendo a eso? Espera, ¿estás haciendo que la chica haga el primer movimiento? A-ja... Tu plan es insistirle a tu novia que no la engañaste porque te sentiste tentado.

—[...] pero, Araragi-kun. No sé cómo ves esto, pero no es como si fuese a vivir aquí para siempre.—Dijo Oshino, con un tono frívolo.—Eventualmente, terminaré de recopilar e investigar. Algún día me iré de esta ciudad. Y cuando lo haga, no podrás venir a pedirme consejo, ¿sabes? Nuestras deudas también se habían saldado. Ha pasado un tiempo desde que comencé a vagar de un lugar a otro, pero esta es la primera vez que he hablado tanto con una sola persona. Existe el hecho de que te has involucrado con una excentricidad tras otra, pero lo que es un poco extraño de ti es que intentas lidiar con cada una de ellas. Dices todo tipo de cosas sobre las chicas, ¿no? Que son entrometidas, o que son buenas cuidando a otros. Pero todos esos rasgos se aplican a ti, Araragi-kun, no es que sea algo malo. Tengo tanta envidia de tu personalidad que sigo diciéndote cosas desagradables, pero creo que eres bueno tal y como eres. Pero, ¿qué planeas hacer una vez que me haya ido?”

Oshino continuó.
—Las excentricidades existen como si fuera natural que estuvieran allí, no son algo que deberías buscar. Haz eso y podrías terminar siendo el perpetrador. Creo que te preocupas demasiado, Araragi-kun. Eres sobreprotector. Tienes una tendencia a tratar de hacer algo, incluso cuando puedes dejarlo estar.
—Pero… Una vez que me dé cuenta, ¿qué se supone que debo hacer? Sé sobre estas cosas, ya sea que quiera o no, por lo que no puedo mirar hacia otro lado o pretender no saber.

—No puedo entrar en el lado humano y evitar las excentricidades. Si lo hiciese, al primero que necesitaría desterrar seria a mí mismo. Y luego a Shinobu. Y eso, no estaría sucediendo.— No era algo que pudiera hacer.
—Yo no diría que eso es verdad.—dijo Oshino.—De todos modos este trabajo es todo conocimiento y pericia. ¿Un mitad humano, mitad criatura que caza espíritus? Suena bien, como un personaje de manga.”
—Bueno... tal vez sea posible, ya que incluso hay un especialista con camisa Hawaiana en el campo…
&
—Y… Si alguna vez en tu vida te apetece, Araragi-kun... puedes abandonar a Shinobu y volver a ser un ser completamente humano, espero que tampoco lo olvides.

🧶 Extras que quiero recordar
*ganaste poder proporcional a la sangre que Shinobu-chan te succiono... Si piensas que tiene alrededor de una décima parte de tu poder como vampiro durante las vacaciones de verano, aún estarás sobreestimándote.”

*¿Has olvidado lo terrible que era Shinobu-chan como vampiro legendario? No puedes enfrentarte a ella. Simplemente no tienes una oportunidad. El rango del Rainy Devil sería mucho más débil incluso que el lujurioso gato de la Representante-chan

*cuando uno maldice, se cavan dos agujeros

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

On his second attempt, NisiOisiN pulls out all the stops and manages to craft an elegant two arcs that build on the first with a deeper narrative, intriguing mysteries, complex characters, and an intensity that wasn’t present in Hitagi Crab and Mayoi Snail.

While the focus is not on them, Hachikuji and Senjougahara provide a great source of comedy and intrigue, while newcomers Kanbaru and Nadeko prove to be fascinating characters in their own right. Each character is built out with such uniqueness and excitement, each having distinctive relationships and dynamics with Araragi which each make for original conversations and comedy for every character. In particular, Kanbaru is the only character whose perverseness exceeds Araragi’s, making him uncomfortable, which—if you can handle very sexually charged flirting and comedy—is absolutely hilarious. I ended up liking Kanbaru more here than in the show. Nadeko’s dynamic is different, as the innocent and oblivious character who has a hard time keeping up with Araragi’s mile-a-minute conversations. It’s easy to classify Nadeko as having the weakest characterization, but, hey, you have to start somewhere, and it makes me excited and anxious for the directions her character take in Second Season. And she’s a fun character in her own right regardless, even if her conversations don’t have the same entertaining back-and-forth energy as everyone else.

NisiOisiN crafts two unique mysteries which build on themselves in fascinating ways and culminate in exciting climaxes. I’m probably a bit more a fan of Nadeko Snake, although I give credit to Suruga Monkey for adding depth to my least favorite arc from season one of the show, even if the fight scene at the end couldn’t quite compare to the frantic and hyper-violent animation in the show. Nadeko Snake presents a moment I didn’t feel got enough attention in the show with a lot more weight:
Araragi being unable to save everyone. This is such an important turning point for his character, going from someone who selflessly helps everyone—a trait that makes Senjougahara at times think she’s ordinary, like Araragi would have saved her and anyone else, regardless of who they really are—and you see how this tension can build in a relationship. But at the end of the arc, Araragi realizes there are times he can’t save everyone, and he does have to choose who he will help. I feel this is such a defining moment for him to love the people he wants to save, instead of being driven by altruistic ideals to help everyone. It’s a subtle difference, but it does wonders to his characterization.

I also think it’s worth noting that NisiOisiN really does a much better job with his fanservice and ‘flirting’ this time around. While Vol. 1 was full of sexually charged moments that translated well onto the screen with appropriately over-the-top sound effects and a comedic tone, but failed to illicit the same response on the page, Vol. 2 seems to have a better understanding of what feels like comedy and what doesn’t, and dials back what doesn’t. One moment that I feel was still a bit of bad choice is when Kanbaru tells Araragi to comment on Nadeko’s body, he does, and then she cries. It’s uncomfortable and isn’t funny—although maybe it’s meant to be a growing moment for Araragi that he can’t say whatever he wants to some people like he says to others, and that not everyone will respond to his jokes in the same way. He is still a high schooler, after all. Aside from this moment, however, I really think NisiOisiN has much better control of the moments which have turned so many off from the series. Now I simply have to wait and see how he pulls off the toothbrush scene…

[Sean Newgent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vertical presents two more tales of the Monogatari series by NisiOisiN in Bakemonogatari Part 2. Despite being the same style of witty banter and fast-paced writing fans of the series will expect from the author, this duo of tales is a smidge weaker than those that came before.

Let me start with Vertical and Ko Ransom's issue which I have brought up in previous novels--these need a better editor. The fact Suruga's name was misspelled at one point in the book is perhaps the worst faux pas an editor can let pass. I understand that light novel releases in America aren't given the fine-tooth comb approach because they are rather niche and don't afford a ton of editing--fans will buy it regardless--but I feel like all someone needs to do is read the book once to correct any offensive mistakes. The rest of the issues can be attested to light novel style writing (discussed in my review of Part One).

Suruga Monkey is a fine riff on the Monkey's Paw story but lacks the charming discussions of the Hachikuji and Senjogahara arcs. Kanbaru is my favorite character in the series but it takes both of these tales to give her enough time to really display her full and rather eccentric character. Her feelings toward Senjogahara are explored pretty decently and the ending has good emotion--in fact the story really deals with the idea of unrequited love in the context of same-sex romance quite well. But I only wish Kanbaru had been given more time for witty conversations. Her bits in Nadeko Snake are where she begins to finally gel in the overall "harem" of the story which I think is a little late.

But that's really small nitpicks compared to Nadeko Snake, which is the weakest story Monogatari has offered yet. The only entertainment value it has is the interactions between Araragi and Kanbaru. Everything else from the story of a snake curse to Nadeko herself is absolutely weak and pathetic. Nadeko has a pretty bad rep among fans of the series and I am removed enough from the show lately that I can't remember how I felt about her. And this story cements why I can't remember anything...she's entirely forgettable. Which in a way plays into who she is as a character and maybe that was the author's intent. But in a series that thrives on having really well-fleshed out characters Nadeko is super boring. Nadeko Snake is this flatlined little adventure where I didn't even feel any sort of emotional connection--something that was always if not effective at least there in the other tales. Here she's cursed because she turned down a guy, we find out about it through Araragi's discussion with Oshino rather than from her own mouth, and the majority of the expository dialogue, generally reserved for the girls to build emotion and connect you with them, is given to Araragi in an overlong chapter with Oshino. It's all extremely amateur and surprisingly weak for as consistently excellent as Monogatari has been.

Bakemonogatari Part 2 has a great new character in Kanbaru, even if it takes a while for her to get interesting, and an entirely forgettable character in Nadeko. It's not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination--I enjoyed reading it wholeheartedly. Half the mature, interesting YA tale I expected but half is just a lot of nothing. Hopefully there aren't any more stories quite as flat as Nadeko's.

[Andrew Dato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part two of my ongoing read of the series. Being a huge fan of the anime I decided to sit down and read the source material and see what I like about it

Now Bakemonogatari part two is the second part in what I consider the prologue or act one of the series. The series is divided currently into 3 Seasons (4 for the untralsated ones) that make a fantastic story arc of Araragi Koyomi. You can look at his works like three act structure. Season 1 sets up a premise that might be generic, season 2 subverts your expectations and actually deconstructs your original perception of the series, season 3 being conclusion the deconstruction with a little bit of reconstruction of the genre. Bakemonogatari does the same thing with its stories. Crab and snail from part 1 sets up Araragi as this force of good helping people with their problems. Actually solving the issue and having a good ending. Part two has two stories which we can label monkey and snake that completely subverts your expectations of what the story should be.

Monkey and snake do a great job presenting the issues and flaws in Araragi’s character and how he can not always find a solution. He wants to save everybody and has a bad case of risking his life to save everybody. But sometimes that is not the solution, the solution is not to make everybody happy but to compromise and save who you can. That is the beauty of these stories in this book. They completely break down your perception of what this series is and shows you the flaws of this.

As well it works to start trying to deconstruct the harem genre as well. Araragi is in a committed relationship and Kanbaru is not a fawning junior trying to get his attention but someone who is a bigger pervert then he is and has feelings for someone else. The relationship between these two characters in this book is a thing a beauty. Their clever word play, the quips, the back and forth, and many more details work so well in building this friendship between them. It’s not about whose going to win a harem but actually this great relationship of friends between the two of them that grows.

Which the word play is on point in this book. The back and forth between the characters is so well done and fun that it’s so much fun to read. Again this is the star of the series, two characters having a conversation that has zero bearing on the plot but is just so much fun.


My recommendation for this series always comes with the biggest but. This series is majority dialogue that doesn’t go anywhere. It’s about two characters having a clever back and forth and then eventually returning to the plot. There is a lot of filler but it is fun filler and if you don’t mind it, this will be a very fun and rewarding experience to go through.

[Nate Wynter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, lots of foreshadowing and a nice moral pay off in the end. The dialogue was witty and engaging, and you could clearly read the scenes. It wasn't a perfect book since it's part of a larger series, but it was pretty amazing!

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, at the end of the day I just want some Meme Oshino.

NisiOisiN wasn't being subtle at all about Araragi's motives and failings; which is mostly being 'too kind', oh what a failure! (It is: kindness too the point of idiocy sometimes or a lack of resolve. That's the kind of kindness Araragi has and it's not particularly endearing or worthy of respect but I can live with that except he keeps bringing the point home again and again per chapter. We got it, bro. No need to repeat yourself.)

I like the characters, some observations about them are memorable (like when Araragi mentions how when a shy, delicate character appears in anime/manga he tends to get exasperated easily but faced with Sengoku in real life he just wanted to protect her). Kangaru is nice and fresh and a good counterpoint to Senjogahara (whom I wish appeared more in this volume). Lots more fanservice and exaggeration and I sink more and more into a love/hate relationship with this series.

The problem that people have with the translations for Zaregoto is that they kept the honorifics without explaining what they were whatsoever. My opinion on this really is; if you're reading a thing that was translated it's your job really to know more about this but they totally tried to avoid that here by translating the honorifics as well. A good compromise in theory but giving us stilted shit like 'my senior Araragi' and 'big brother' when 'Araragi-senpai' and 'oniisan' would have served just as well. In fact 'my junior Kangaru' was so foreign to mine eyes I completely failed to translate it back to kouhai. I'm not a big fan, but here we are.

[Sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew going into this second volume in the series that I might have a tough time with it -- I've watched the first season of Bakemonogatari a few times and each time, Suruga Monkey and Nadeko Snake are two arcs that I find comparatively forgettable in the grand scheme of Monogatari arcs (especially in comparison to Suruga and Nadeko's later arcs). So, it's true that this isn't my favorite installment in the series. But even with that in mind, the charm of this volume is undeniable to me, and I did really enjoy myself reading.

Kanbaru really carries this whole book on her back, in my opinion. Araragi helps, yes, but Kanbaru really steals the show for me. While I feel like it's the interactions between Senjogahara and Araragi & Hachikuji and Araragi that really make the first book shine, I feel like Kanbaru does that all on her own in this volume. She is so damn funny and has such a varied character.

When she's not being completely hilarious, though, I find her story to be so heartbreaking. There are moments where she's so emotionally raw and open that it goes straight to my core. I'm really glad that Nisioisin didn't shy away from writing a tragic gay story of unrequited love because Kanbaru's is incredibly powerful. She literally had no one -- except Senjogahara. But for no reason other than the fact that she isn't Araragi, and can never be or become Araragi, she lost all chances at love with her. That is so damn painful.

I feel like it makes the friendship that blossoms between her and Araragi all the more rewarding. Kanbaru would be well within her rights to hate him and be bitter (or even be ashamed or guilty that her rival in love, who she nearly killed, tried to help her), but she doesn't -- she gained a new best friend as well as her senior & love Senjogahara back. And the dynamic between Kanbaru and Araragi is so refreshing because it's not quite the same as his conversational dynamic between Senjogahara herself or with Hachikuji -- to me, it seems like they're almost on a level playing field and are able to riff on each other as equals. The way Kanbaru fawns over him combined with the way that she's constantly stressing him the hell out with her joking advances is so much fun. And you can also tell that Araragi genuinely does love her too, both as a friend and a junior; after all, one of the biggest things that they have in common is their love for Senjogahara, which is a pretty big part of them both.

Senjogahara is his girlfriend; Hachikuji is like a neighborhood girl; Hanekawa is his idol and savior; Shinobu is his burden... but Kanbaru is literally just his friend. His junior, yes, but his friend. Simple as that. It's completely refreshing in the grand scheme of Araragi dynamics.

So, yes. Kanbaru really steals the show for me in this volume. Her perviness, her athleticism, her insecurities, her struggles, her tragedy, her fears, her backstory, the uncertain hope for her future, everything she wishes and gives up on and gains... she just steals the show for me.



This volume also introduces Nadeko but there's really not that much that can be said about her here. Nadeko Snake is honestly more about Araragi and his perils of wanting to save people than it is about Nadeko, really. It also features this sweet spot in he and Kanbaru's relationship where they're fresh after their fight in Suruga Monkey and are now as close as can be, it's so nice. Nadeko does end up being one of my favorite characters in her later arcs, Otorimonogatari and Koimonogatari, so it's nice being able to see a bit of a foreshadowy feeling and taking a look at her personality in the very beginning here.

I will say that I liked the light novel version of Nadeko Snake MARKEDLY much more than the anime adaptation of it, because the anime adaptation is just pure fanservice slop of a girl in middle school, in my opinion. I never felt like Araragi (or Kanbaru for that matter) were gawking at Nadeko sexually when she was in a place of pain and vulnerability in front of them in this book. But the anime completely sexualizes and objectifies her. It makes me sad that a story that, in reality, is pretty understated, treated Nadeko like that. That was my main worry going in to reading this arc, so the fact that the sexualization aspect was comparatively barely present (of course there are a few creepy comments but they're pretty much just laughed off or waved away), was a pretty big relief to me.

In terms of criticism, I would say that this book IS markedly less funny than the first, despite being plenty funny as it is. I only say that because I marked up the first book like crazy with a highlighter, picking out all my favorite passages and exchanges, and I did the same for this book as well, but there weren't half as many parts in this one that I wanted to mark up. I also feel like Nadeko Snake isn't as powerful a story to end on as Mayoi Snail is, though maybe it's useless to compare them -- to me, Nadeko Snake feels more like a mini-sequel to Suruga Monkey than a standalone story, and there's almost no standout moments with Nadeko herself (though maybe that's purposeful since the theming of this story was that she couldn't save herself-- she had to 'be saved'). It does also feel like Nadeko Snake is setting up a bunch of things that we're going to have to deal with later, so there's less things we can wrap up neatly with a bow.

But as far as sequels go, I feel like this one DOES do a very good job. There is a sense of time moving and the characters growing and changing, both in big and little ways. Both the day to day aberrations that Araragi has to face, and the overarching problems he has to worry about eventually, are beginning to sink in on him in this volume (what will he do after high school? After Oshino goes away? Will he abandon Shinobu eventually? What is his end goal in dating Senjogahara? What is he supposed to do about the fact that the aberrations in his town are getting worse? Is it a good thing that he keeps trying to save everyone?). It honestly makes me very excited to jump in to the next volume ASAP! Can't wait!!

[Turt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it! Only thing I disliked is how snakes kept on being referred as poisonous, not venomous.

If it bites and kills you - venomous.

If you bite it and it kills you - poisonous.

[Jordan DeMoura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suruga Monkey:

Suruga Kanbaru enters the fray and she's another interesting, engaging character with a rich interiority that we are treated to glimpses of. She contains multitudes, with thoughts and feelings that cross the human spectrum, oftentimes in contradiction with one another. This arc is a great riff on the classic monkey's paw story that takes some twists and turns to reveal more clearly the psychology of our newest heroine. A great depiction of adolescent heartbreak, yearning, and the pain of being a lesbian in love with a straight girl, and the rest of the complicated, messy emotions that come with that. She's also just funny and reading her banter is enjoyable which helps a ton. 9/10.

Nadeko Snake:
Spoiler Warning:
This arc introduces Sengoku Nadeko: a shy, meek, passive girl. Emphasis on the word passive because she's a notable landmark in this series as the first character to be drawn into supernatural peril by no fault of her own. All the others were in some sense, active participants in their unique circumstances. They invited the abberations in. But nadeko is different, she's ultimately just a victim. Which provides a nice twist to the status quo up to this point but does suffer from making Nadeko a character that's not as easy to get invested in. She doesn't have the complex inner world that some of the other characters do by this point. But the arc makes up for it by expressing some really interesting ideas in this arc. The snake curse that afflicts her can be read as a metaphor for the way she's objectified by her classmates. The boy that confesses to her is upset she turns him down and decides to curse her. She is only valuable or precious to him insofar as he can still perceive her as potentially accessible to him. Once he feels she is no longer within his grasp he cares little for her well-being. She's good as an object for him to fawn over but not as a person with her own emotions and thoughts and ambitions. Her supposed 'friend' also curses her out of spite since she had a crush on the boy that confessed to Nadeko. This objectification manifests itself as an invisible snake, constricting various parts of her body. Fear of these snakes being seen make her wear clothes that cover nearly all surfaces of her body other than her face. When our main character makes a sexual remark about her body, she instantly breaks down in tears and decries how she hates her body that she's been cursed with. Her body itself is viewed as an affliction. Sounds a lot like a young girl's experience with objectification and being sexualized for the first time to me. And this arc is a really fantastic exploration of this. 9/10.

[Ladz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content warnings: Body horror, blood, animal violence against children, threats of violence

Araragi figured how to get rid of a crab that takes on people’s burdens and uncovered the truth behind the strange young girl with an enormous backpack. But one of Senjogahara’s friends and one of his sisters’ classmates both have aberrations attached to them, and he sees no other option that roping in Senjogahara and Hanekawa into helping him out with it.

This volume does a lot more digging into the world of aberrations and their relationship to what everyday people see, with plenty of deliberate wordplay and theming.

The kids continue to be belligerent and annoying to each other in ways that only teens can be. They’re constantly squabbling over personal philosophies and tripping each other up on relatively minor miscommunications in a way that’s authentically annoying. I think what I also appreciate in this one is that there’s an acknowledgement that, after high school, university isn’t the only path. So much happens to expand the view of what tradition is and how natural paths unfold, especially in the context that every cast member has been haunted by the supernatural on one occasion or another.

Araragi is the best boy. He might not be the smartest (after all, he figures if vampires exist in the world, so can lesbians), but his heart is continuously in the right place. Neither human nor vampire, the teen boy is nigh-unkillable. The violence that happens to his body is unsettling, especially in the context that he’s putting himself in that harm to keep others safe, regardless the strength of the personal attachment. I’d call it a fatal flaw if he weren’t functionally immortal, but, like the girls around him, Nisoisin gives the reader plenty of cause to be worried. As Araragi moves further from his vampirism, I’m looking forward to seeing this evolution.

What I also enjoyed in this one is how Nisioisin flirts with relatively common stories, like that of The Monkey’s Paw, but then twists away from it to make the lore way more grounded in Japanese folklore rather than an homage to something more Western. It’s really well done and suggests that, as exemplified in the long exchanges, he has a command of what he’s doing on page. The fun is in the exploration of common themes with unique twists, which is something I’m appreciating about this series with each volume.

For my next entry into the series, I’m going to read the prequel, Kizumonogatari, as it is largely Hanekawa’s backstory, as a lead-up into Volume 3.

[Bryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the anime of this despite its moments of weird problematic male gaze, and while for me the light novel suffers from its prose conventions, it still has a lot of things to love about it. These chapters of the story aren't my favourite; Kanbaru's problems are interesting, and there is a good point in the fact that men don't have a lock on libido and sexual suggestion, but I just don't enjoy reading her interactions with Araragi. What I did love about it was Araragi's tendency to sacrifice himself even if that's not really the solution, and how what really saves Suruga is not Araragi 'defeating' her, or dying, but that Senjogahara shows up and tells everyone to quit playing the losing game and just behave like human beings who can relate to each other. Yes, of course there is the trick of it, that the devil can't attack her without breaking its vow, so it has to give up, but the heart of it is in Senjogahara, and that is lovely.

As for Sengoku, I remember the anime version of her story being much, much creepier than it was in writing -- but that might just be because I am conflating my memory of this original chapter about her with the later one in which she is absolutely terrifying in her self-obsession and willingness to harm others. And the moment in the Sengoku story when Kanbaru reminds Araragi that sometime he might have to pick just one person to save, and that she hopes he'll pick Senjogahara -- that was a nice moment.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this volume substantially more than the first part of Bakemonogatari, maybe because I this time really did get what Nisio Isin is trying to do with the story and its theme, rather than just seeing the good execution but not the real sense behind it, as was my case with the previous part.

If you go into this book already knowing what awaits you prose & dialogue wise, I think this is a book that you can enjoy if you don't fight against it, accept it as an unusual way of telling a story and just stick with it. Also, this is just a part of Bakemonogatari, so ending and conclusion of the whole novel have yet to be experienced by the reader, which makes it hard to rate this fragment of a story. But I'd say that it works pretty well. I am a lazy reader, I like things getting presented to me, and I don't really think that much about what is or was happening. Thus, it really was helpful to get the second (or fourth in total) story about Sengoku, to contrast her from all the other cases and with that also highlight an important factor about all those cases: Every person did bring the aberration upon themselves. This is not a story about a guy running around slaying monsters, this is a story about how things can go wrong if you try to go against fate and fight against things that you shouldn't fight to a certain extent. "Try to shape your life but also try to accept the unchangeable" is what could be said to be the topic of the novel so far, in my opinion.

[rxsOwO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bakemonogatari Part 2 is a fantastic sequel to an already fantastic book. The Bakemonogatari series follows a high school senior named Koyomi Araragi, who turned into an unfortunately weak vampire in an event we don't get to see in parts one or two. Throughout his average high school life, he encounters people with something haunting them, an aberration. Aberrations can be curses purposefully attached by others out of hatred or, most commonly, a manifestation of stress, anxiety, or past trauma. With the help of a creepy homeless man who lives in an abandoned cram school, Araragi saves these people from the aberrations that are haunting them.
This series is hilarious. The dialogue between Araragi and the cast of characters, the people he rescues from the aberrations, is well-written and funny. All the main characters are standard anime/manga archetypes, but NISIOISIN manages to turn your average tsundere into a compelling character with reasons behind how she acts. The characters are the highlight of this series, but the action is nothing to sneeze at. While one page is a casual conversation, the next is an intense battle with an invisible snake. This book has a lot to offer for some people, but it is not for everyone. The dialogue between characters takes up most of the book, so if you don't enjoy it or think it's funny, this series won't have much for you.

[Chelsea Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars: ‘Bakemonogatari: Part 2’ (Book #2 of ‘Monogatari’) by NisiOisiN.
→ Age Range: Adult.
→ Genre: Fantasy, Light Novel.
→ Trigger Warnings: Nudity, Sexual Profanity, Self-Harm.

In-depth Rating:
→ Plot: ★★★
→ Character Development: ★★★★
→ Setting: ★★
→ Entertainment Level: ★★★★
→ Writing: ★★★

General Comments: Similar to ‘Part 1’, environments and outside descriptions are mostly absent, unless they directly concern the characters in some way; you are unlikely to get lost in the setting. Instead, the focus is squarely on dialogue, banter, wordplay and tensions between the characters. As convoluted as the chatter can be, the prose itself, the style of the narrative, is very straightforward and often simplistic.

Favourite Quote: ‘It’s impossible for someone to replace someone else. Just like it’s impossible for someone to become someone else. No matter how much like them, no matter how much you adore them.’

Time Read: Two Days.
→ Audiobook: No.
→ Audiobook Narrator: -

[Xandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the banter between Kanbaru and Araragi, and while the feminist part of my brain can nitpick some less than ideal moments the story as a whole is interesting without being bogged down by the unsavory bits like the first book was.

Unlike the first book, this one reminded me of why I love the series so much. I was scared to continue this walk down memory lane but I'm glad I did because the topics hit all the notes I needed at that time in my life. The unrequited and ultimately impossible crush on a straight person, the feeling of worrying that by constantly draining resources from your caregivers makes you a leech who shouldn't even be there, and the seemingly unending search for something, ANYTHING to cure what ails you to no avail is handled so well. It didn't make me cry this time around but God did it hit me in the feels.

Honestly, I'm still not sure if I can recommend this series to anyone, but I definitely think it's worth reading.

[lauren castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

while ill always have some issues with some things about the series (mainly the gross comments about kids), i love it so much. i love all the characters and their dialogues it’s just so funny and entertaining. the writing just flows so well and im glad the translation doesn’t ruin the humor. protag is still pretty flat in my opinion but he’s not awful. senjogahara annoyed me a little bit scratch that their whole relationship annoys me because he’s kind of inconsiderate to her and she treats him like any orher person sometimes. idk the romance felt unnecessary to me and im not too interested in their relationship atm. plus in the second part of this book the araragi barely thought about senjogahara and i just feel like their lack of communication is very immature. anyways most of my issues are pretty small and i overall enjoyed reading this a lot.

[Keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narration repeating itself and speaking positively of itself at times is pretty annoying. I'd go as far as to say it takes up 2 or 3 pages of the book, maybe 4. Other than that, the first chapter of this one the new character is a 6th grader, and I the 2nd chapter, she's a dumbass highschooler. Because of that, she's pretty annoying in the first chapter, though in thr 2nd one she's put to great use, and the 4th overall chapter was the dumbest one yet. While both chapters are written a little differently, they still aren't written too well, only cutting down a little on the most annoying aspects I mentioned at the beginning. It sort of feels like it doesn't quite know what it is at times, with the contrast between being funny and serious smooth at times and appalling at times. It's still really funny stuff, though.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story is a five star riff on the Monkey's Paw which has some great banter, a clever setup and wonderful character beats that weave into the wider mythology. The best of the Bakemonogatari stories so far, perhaps.

Nadeko Snake didn't feel quite so satifying though in reality I'd only dock half a star for it. It's still clever, it's still witty but it's poorly paced and leans to heavily into the smartass pseudo erotica even for my tastes. Kanbaru is a sexually aggressive lesbian constantly being overtly forward towards the male lead, it's a bit much and a lot of the sexual jokes ... I dunno I don't find them quite as edgy as I used to (I still laughed though, mind). The main issue was that this took a long time to get to the crux of it, and then the crux of it felt a little like an afterthought. No big, mind, I'm all in with this.

[Strider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great volume by NisiOisin. We had two arcs again. The first was about Kanbarou and I liked her much more here than in the series. Her dialogues were pure gold in the whole book. Both of the stories were well-constructed and their length was almost perfect too. The other new character was Nadeko who will have quite a big part in the story later. It was a really enjoyable add to the Monogatari series and it displayed the strongest parts of the author: great character dynamics and dialogues.

[AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two stories in this volume and I enjoyed the second one more than the first one. It still has the same kind of issues the first volume had for me, which is, annoying characters. But other than that it is fun and witty and well written as usual. And I have just noticed this curious thing because I am reading a wheel of time book now, NISIOISIN has a tendency to repeat the same things over and over again about characters and reminding what had happened before a lot like Robert Jordan. And that is kind of annoying but it is not too bad.