Nisemonogatari, Part 2: Fake Tale

Monogatari #3, Part 2

by NisiOisiN, VOFAN (Illustrator)

Originally planned to be the series’ conclusion, “final” chapter “Tsukihi Phoenix” invites us back to the seemingly eventless country burg where supernatural afflictions abound and characters change their trademark hairstyles at the drop of a hat. Rest assured, dear reader, that the story continued in Japanese and will do so in translation. In the first half of Fake Tale, lost soul Araragi helped resolve his bigger little sister Karen’s feverish run-in with a fraud. In this second half, he must attend to his littler little sister Tsukihi’s issues, but not before staging the Toothbrush Episode that the acclaimed anime adaptation’s viewers find quite memorable—whether they like to or not. As fraught with ominousness as a dark empty street, as unexpectedly full of feeling as an acid-tongued girlfriend, as sidesplittingly funny as a horny retired jock, and (maybe even) as educational as college in the best MONOGATARI tradition, this volume also introduces us to “ghostbusters” Yozuru Kagenui and Yotsugi Ononoki.

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

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2009

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

[Strider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read another novel of the Monogatari series and there were some really memorable scenes. The toothbrushing part was literature at its best :D I feel kind of bad that I enjoyed it... Araragi has one of the most unique and interestingly written POV I have ever seen. It is pure fun with some deep meaning time to time but it never gets too serious. However the morality of our protagonist's thinking is questionable to say it nicely so I am sure that it will turn off a lot of readers. (Actually there are some parts in the series which made even me think about whether its alright or not and I usually do not have problem with these. On the other hand this can be one of the strongest points of the series because it does not have to fear from any restrictions)

I liked the theme of the whole Nisemonogatari arc about fakes. It was brilliantly written in the whole story with a lot of different examples (like the two sisters, both in their thinking about justice and even in their existence) on real and fake things and also it made the reader think about their value. Also the contrast Kagenui, Kaiki and Oshino have on the same thing is really fascinating and I truly wish that one day we will get a novel about their younger days.

The secret of Tsukihi was also great and I really liked the idea behind it, one of the most creative abberations so far.

The only negative part was with Mayoi this time. They usually have funny conversations but in this novel it was only ok for me. All the other interactions were at top level as always.

The two books of Nisemonogatari were a great follow-up to Bakemonogatari and it brought the usual quality while introducing new and unique characters.

[Brandon Guidry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a hate crime of an experience. It very clearly illustrates that Araragi is the worst part of this series at this point. Dude gets much better in Owari, but god. Nisemonogatari, as a whole, wastes both Karen and Tsukihi. It treats them as really stupid fucking tropes rather than characters with tropes attached to them. Nisi is pretty good about not falling down that mountain (or at least landing somewhat effectively if he does fall [looking at you Mayoi]), but shit does he crash into the planet with this arc. The last section can be pretty decent if you squint, but I didn't have the energy to by the end. Thank fuck we have Neko/Hana/Koi after this.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

This, so far, was my least favorite of the series. There was about 150+ pages of cringe-worthy filler before the story got going.... and I understand that Nisioisin has a predilection for stuffing lots of dialog into each Seinfeldian episode about nothing (that turns out to really be about something) but it was a bit of a slog. The translation, too, seemed to contribute to a peculiar turn of phrase here, there, and everywhere. Ultimately, the end was satisfying, but the journey was exhausting.

[AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one and the previous one are weaker compared to the first four but it's not too bad. I have come to realize ( and it did take me this long. Yes.) that the Monogatari series is just dialogues and Araragi getting bullied or getting beaten up by aberrations. haha. But all the characters are interesting now. They all used to be super annoying at the start but they are all shaping up better now. So that's good. The translation by James Balzer is not as good as Ko Ransom but it doesn't stand out too much. These books are moving into the ecchi territory more and more as they progress too. But I do keep reading them without a break. So they're amazing.

[Rebeka · Rating 1 out of 5]

More of the same in the Monogatari series, but with gratuitous incest this time around. You can invent specious reasons for why the main character must touch his sisters' naked breasts, and also be tongue-in-cheek and self-aware about it, but does it really change anything about the fact that you still chose to write your main character harass his younger sisters and it be a positive experience?

Otherwise, this one just dragged. There really wasn't anything exciting or fun about it.

[Mistborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit down on the series, this book is not bad tho but I'm not really enjoy reading it, I think it's stretch a bit too long and some joke quite overdone. But the part I don't like the most is the fact that's though this is tsukihi's book but there's not much interact between her and araragi even in the latter part.

[Jordan DeMoura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank God that’s over.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

At this point you're probably thinking: D, why do you keep saying you hate the Monogatari series but still keep buying the books and still giving them good ratings?

1, I bought the first book and with L giving me a copy of Another Holic I actually have all NisiOisiN novels translated into English so far. I'm not going to stop now. Especially when it looks like Vertical is going to continue translating Zaregoto. (Which I still think is a stronger series.)

2, There are actually parts of Nisemonogatari that made me laugh. Like Karen coming back home from meeting with Kanbaru, convinced that nothing will surprise her ever again, only to see her house and go 'I've never been this surprised in my life!'

3, The question of fakeness is joined by the idea of evil: are people inherently good or evil? Are some people's goodness actually a fake? But doesn't that give more value to the thing pretending to be good, seeing as how they have to make more effort into appearing so?

The question of what the value one gives a fake would have made me give this four stars actually, had the fan service not been, as always, over the top. The loooooooooong conversation with Hachikuji and her 'are we not going to talk of anything that isn't foreshadowing?' is funny, but also a bit on the nose and maybe even clumsy.

Looking forward to next one because Hanekawa.

[Michael Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, finally, I have reached the book that contains the most infamous scene in the entire Monogatari Series, the toothbrush scene. Is it poignant satire of fanservice in the anime/light novel industry, or is it some kind of weird fetishism no one had ever really thought existed?

I lean towards the former, it's just too over the top and out there for me to seriously think it's genuine fanservice that the author expected anyone to enjoy. Monogatari is a convoluted mixture of intellectual thought experiments, philosophical discourse, obscure allusions, satire, gag humor, and plenty of fanservice.

It's a strange, yet enthralling series, and this story has the strangest scene. Yet, it also has one of the more interesting discussions on the meaning of justice. It has a good deal of witty banter, and some of our characters get some well done development.

I wonder if NisiOisiN is pleased or annoyed at the fact that all most people know about his work is that an older brother brushes his little sister's teeth? I like to think that it makes him chuckle and is exactly what he expected.

[myinon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume covers the second half of the Araragi sisters’ story with Tsukihi Araragi being the main focus. We also get to interact with two new and fascinating characters, Yozuru Kagenui and Yotsugi Ononoki. It also turns out that these are affiliated with Meme Oshino and Deishuu Kaiki. This makes for an interesting side story which I hope gets covered in later volumes. As with Nisemonogatari Part 1, this volume continues the theme of real vs. fake and how to deal with them.

This was a pretty enjoyable read, and is also the volume that contains the infamous toothbrush scene. Those that have seen the anime will know what I am talking about. This volume also marks where I’ve stopped watching the anime, which means that everything beyond this point will be entirely new content!

All in all, a great volume to add to the collection. Best sister, by the way, is Karen.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But Hachikuji, trying to be clever can backfire. You don't want to get too convoluted in your approach."

I wonder just how aware Isin was when he wrote such a line. It seems this book, the second volume of Nisemonogatari, was released before the Bakemonogatari anime adaptation started airing, yet Isin seems to have predicted Akiyuki Shinbou's near-pretentious take on Isin's kinda-pretentious novel series. Not that I dislike Shinbou's style, but its abstraction sometimes borders on the cold, in comparison with Isin's more emotional approach to his characters (well, that's probably more true for Kizu- and the end of "Tsubasa Cat" - basically any Shinobu-centric material).

Also, holy shit, how could I have been so dense as to not notice the similarities between this series and Gegege no Kitarou, or specifically Araragi's anime design and Kitarou's?

Anyway, the Monogatari series holds a strange position for me, where I can see clearly that the novels are "mere" light novels, but I can't help but be drawn to the near-useless banter between characters. It seems bizarre for someone who puts so much weight into his interest in belles-lettres, but I suppose my excuse is that I just hate the "ideal" of Narrative so much I have no choice but to love when a book puts much of its focus on silly conversations, waiting nearly 200 pages before actually getting into the real plot (and even then the tried-and-true final battle characteristic of many a light novel is somewhat subverted with Araragi getting destroyed physically and ending the feud with the "ghostbusters" with a variant on a Touma monologue [as in A Certain Magical Index] - not that subversion in itself is always a good thing).

The highlight of this novel's banter, by the way, is Hachikuji and Araragi's discussion concerning the latter's character design for SHAFT's Bake- adaptation. Basically, we have finally come to the point where the "anime adaptation" jokes have reached their logical conclusion, coming to the release of the actual anime adaption. I am only now realizing SHAFT's constant delay of the Kizu- movies may have been purely an inside joke concerning how Oshino and Araragi were adamant that the latter's spring break could not be adapted properly into an anime.

Speaking of Kizu-, this novel suffers the same issue as its other half, with almost-egregious references to the players of that prequel novel. Bake- had a strange advantage in being written before Kizu-, so the reader got a hint that something hellish happened to Araragi over spring break, leading to his becoming a vampire, and subsequently getting near-cured by near-cursing his vampire assailant, but the details weren't quite ironed out. Nisioisin followed Bake- by realizing the ever-referenced prequel events into an actual concrete prequel. Afterward, he jumped ahead to the direct sequel to Bake-. The difference between Bake- and Nise- is thus: the newer novels were written with the assumption that the readers have encountered the vampire hunters Dramaturgy, Episode, and Guillotine Cutter. So now, what?, Isin has no choice but to make contrived references to those guys just to hammer into our heads that Nise- came right after Kizu- was released? Comparing Ononoki back to Dramaturgy works, I guess, since it justifies the series's inclusion of aberrations' metamorphoses, perhaps to show Ononoki's Unlimited Rulebook isn't just an absolute non-sequitir (of course, the Kizu- film trilogy's late release didn't help the anime, which really augmented the gravity of Tsukihi's supposed death).

Also, I have to say SHAFT did a better job setting up the Tsukihi-is-an-immortal-aberration-masquerading-as-a-human twist than Isin. Tsukihi, like her sister Karen, barely existed earlier in the series, appearing essentially as dual alarm clocks for Araragi in every episode's epilogue, without getting any real screentime otherwise. Karen gets adequate screentime in her own novel, but Tsukihi is unfortunately set aside in favor of more Karen screentime, as well as more banter with Hachikuji, and the setting-up of Kagenui and Ononoki. Shinobu then grabs the novel's focus by mimicking Karen from earlier in the book, and Kaiki comes back for a significant portion. By the time Araragi gets back to his house, Kagenui and Ononoki are already there, waiting to kill Tsukihi, an event which occurs almost immediately upon her opening the door. At least the anime made us care a bit more for Tsukihi with the PV for that extremely cute "Platinum Disco" OP, infectious enough that I skipped classes back in 2012 the day I reached the "Tsukihi Phoenix" part of the Nise- anime, simply so I could get more of that kawaii head bob she does in her little dance.

And really, good job trying to end your series by introducing two more ghostbusters like Oshino (I mean Kaiki in "Karen Bee" and Kagenui in "Tsukihi Phoenix," the ending of the series being Nise- overall, though I suppose it still works to say Kagenui and Ononoki are two ghostbusters in this novel, specifically [and even if not, Kaiki isn't noted to be an acquaintance of Oshino's until this book anyway]). Of course, chronologically speaking, this is the end of my experience with the Monogatari anime (I've seen Neko- [Kuro] and the Kizu- films, which were released later, but were set before Nise-), so I don't know just how important/relevant Oshino's friends might be later on, other than that Kaiki returns at some point, and Ononoki gets a "Yotsugi Doll" episode, meaning she's guaranteed a return, even if I don't know whether Kagenui comes back herself.

Lastly, I'm now in limbo with this series, w/r/t Araragi's harem and the question of Best Girl. For whatever reason, I strongly disliked Hanekawa when I watched the Bake- anime, and, while I don't remember much of her character in the Nise- adaptation, I do recall not getting into the Neko- (Kuro) episodes simply because they were Cat-centric. Hell, I don't remember the events of that subseries at all, aside from Shinobu's sword and the animation going into overdrive when Shinobu fights Black Hanekawa, with the fanservice shot of a bandage covering Shinobu's loli vampire pusi (I don't care enough to deflect why I might have remembered that scene, though I will use the partial excuse that the animation itself finally seemed worthwhile after a long time of monotony). But anyway, my point is that the Kizu- novel made me appreciate Hanekawa a hell of a lot more. Then the events nearer to the end made me appreciate Heartunderblade/Shinobu as more than loli fanservice. I loved Tsukihi mostly because of her theme song, and I liked Karen mostly because of the toothbrush scene, so my enjoyment of the Nise- anime was perhaps disproportionately higher than that of Bake- or Neko- (Kuro) (though by now I like Kizu- the most, from what I've seen). Hanekawa is essentially absent in this volume (aside from connecting Araragi's cram school with Kagenui's destination) and Shinobu is almost completely different from her original character (though at least she acknowledges it), so I'm back to not knowing who I like best. If I'm not mistaken, I think Nadeko was my favorite from the Bake- anime, and I guess that still kinda holds true since I'm more than fine with the shy "nadeshiko" types, and of course Nise- makes her more interesting with her sneaky attempts to seduce Araragi under the guise of her alleged childlike innocence, but I don't know. It may be safest to just crown Hachikuji with the title of Best Girl, at least for now. Hopefully I can give myself a more concrete answer upon reading the Neko novels. It might be a pain if I have to keep reading every installment before I can determine Best Girl, but whatever, I'm gonna read 'em all anyway.

Postscript: I can overlook translating honorifics and ruining the ideas behind common usage of "onii-chan" and "nee-chan," but the fact that they used "animes" as the plural of "anime" just crosses a line. Too many memes, man.

[Ricardo Matos · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first 160 pages are random rubbish and fanservice. If those first pages had been scrapped, I'd give it 3 stars. The story isn't nearly as good as any of the previous entries. Once the story actually gets going, it's still fun Nisioisin.

[Basil Roselló]

Nisemonogatari... Nisemonogatari. La que en principio iba a ser la última historia de la saga. La historia de las dos hermanas pequeñas de Koyomi Araragi: Karen y Tsukihi. La historia de una abeja y de un fénix. Una historia llena de falsedades e impostores. Qué puedo decir. No, en serio, qué puedo decir sobre estos libros.

Podemos empezar con lo malo: el fanservice es HORRIBLE. En Bakemonogatari tenías algo de vez en cuando que podías ignorar, pero aquí hay planos imperdonables y escenas de las que mejor no hablar. El primer episodio de Tsukihi Phoenix es de lo peor que he visto nunca. Por otro lado, el pacing es... muy malo. Karen Bee es innecesariamente largo y Tsukihi Phoenix no termina de arrancar hasta la segunda mitad. Sin embargo, prefiero este formato antes que el anime. Por ejemplo, Karen Bee funciona muchísimo mejor como libro, con la presencia de las Fire Sisters siempre en el fondo de todo lo que hace Araragi, y Tsukihi Phoenix tiene partes que añaden muchísimo a la historia, como las partes en las que habla de Senjogahara post-Kaiki o como Kagenui y Ononoki reflejan a Karen y a Tsukihi.

Pero, al mismo tiempo, es Monogatari y tiene momentos chulísimos que me hacen recordar por qué me gusta tanto la saga. Las conversaciones de Araragi con Mayoi son igual de divertidas que siempre, el nuevo rol de Shinobu me encanta y tengo mucha curiosidad por cómo se desarrollará, amo cómo está hecha la trama con Senjogahara, y las protagonistas de las historias, Karen y Tsukihi, me parecen dos adiciones ultradivertidas e interesantes para la serie. Aunque tampoco salgan tantísimo en sus respectivos arcos.

También me ha gustado mucho cómo trata el tema central de la temporada: lo falso contra lo real. La reflexión sobre qué es la justicia en Karen Bee y la naturaleza falsa del hombre, así como los lazos de familia, en Tsukihi Phoenix... Todo encaja a la perfección con el tono de la serie y me ha hecho pensar mucho por mi cuenta. Es una pena, de verdad, que la serie tarde tanto en entrar a fondo en ellos y que sean solo cosa de los últimos episodios de cada arco. Los villanos, Deishu Kaiki y Yozuru Kagenui, no hacen más que apoyar estos temas centrales de la falsedad y la justicia y son, sin duda, de los personajes que más ganas tengo de volver a ver y de aprender sobre ellos.

Sin embargo, es lo que he dicho. Todo esto está enterrado bajo escenas pesadas, un fanservice que llega a ser insoportable y un pacing bastante regular. En serio, me parece un desperdicio, porque siento que las historias de Karen y Tsukihi tenían mucho potencial y me habría encantado ver unas novelas enfocadas verdaderamente en ellas.

Pero bueno, el mundo de Monogatari sigue adelante. Eso es algo que me gusta mucho: vemos la historia desde los ojos de Araragi, pero eso no significa que el resto de personajes vaya cambiando poco a poco, a su ritmo. Sin embargo, antes de eso, tenemos que hacer una parada más en el pasado para ver lo ocurrido en esa fatídica Golden Week. Nos vemos en Nekomonogatari Black.

[Sean Newgent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've made it through the last book of what was meant to be the full Monogatari series (of course--that's a lie; there are many more to go) and the last arc that I remember from the series (which I watched over the course of the last decade as they came out--so no wonder I can only vaguely recall details of this rather monotonous series).

Tsukihi Phoenix is the tale of half a story of spinning wheels and the other half about barely developing Araragi's littlest little sister. The first hundred pages do that thing that this series likes to do--taking the star of the previous arc who was completely neglected, and giving her half of another characters arc to finally get development. Here we get to spend time with Karen, actually understanding who the hell she is and being treated to the one thing anyone knows this series for: the toothbrush scene.

Karen is a good character and I would have liked to see her interactions with Kanbaru more than the weird incest thing that is a throughline of this book. The first half of the book is, much like previous iterations, fine and entertaining but because NisiOisiN neglects the character the arc is named after, by the time the story kicked off I didn't give a damn.

Truthfully, I cared more about Kagenui and Ononoki, new characters who reveal they were part of a college occult club that included Keiki and Oshino. The adult characters of the series are among the most interesting. That's good for Nisemonogatari's two parts--since the author disregards the Fire Sisters to develop the adults more--but as a whole it makes me wonder what the point of Nisemonogatari was. Because if this was the planned end of the series, it doesn't give a good conclusion. It doesn't flesh out the sisters. It just adds more characters, more loose threads, and feels like a step-down in pacing and quality from Bakemonogatari. I'd go so far to say NisiOisiN doesn't care about Karen and Tsukihi and only wanted to include them for the incest angle. He just used them for plots so he could focus more on characters he cared about and the dialogue he admits is the only reason this series exists.

I'm burning out on the series and maybe headed into the so called "second season" the writing and story will even out--but at this point the series has lost itself. Hell, even Shinobu admits that she's changed character into the donut mascot character. I appreciate the author can jab at the evolution and inconsistency of his series but it doesn't lend to an entirely pleasant and engaging reading experience.

Also, this was another case where Vertical needs to hire a better editor. The glaringly obvious mistakes are embarrassing and could have been fixed with a single read through.

I still enjoy Monogatari--even if this review makes me sound like I don't. It's just that the series at this point has lost the spark of genius and heart that made *especially* Kizumonogatari such a great light novel.

[Johan Kwok · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a shame that I can't experience novel at its original form, not knowing the japanese culture and langauge, I feel like I'm missing way too many references/puns/word play, and those are too important for the enjoyment of the series to be dismissed. Too much is lost in the translation, with unnatural expressions and word phrasing(and I'll never know if it's supposed to be like that, even a little bit). The end result is me dragging along and not really understanding all the craziness.

The world building is kinda... wobbly? The supernatural aspects are sometimes contradictory and the explanations are too shallow, even when the protagonist is learning at the same time as the reader, it feels like you're hopefully forcing something to fit and hope for the best. And with all the meta-referencing stuff, I'm not sure, it really takes me out of the story.

Also, I get it already that spring break was pure hell and your relationship with Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade, the iron-blooded, hot-blooded, yet cold-blooded vampire is complicated or whatever. You don't need to explain this every 20 pages or so!

Sure, it's cool to see the inner workings of Araragi's mind, but maybe the Anime is a better media form me. So I can have some visual stimuli even if it's confusing. Easier to interpret the nonsense as something artistic and actually enjoy it.

I don't wanna be too harsh with the series though: it is indeed fun, has good characterization and dialogues, it really is a different read. But I don't know, I think I got a little tired.

Maybe I should explore new genres and stuff, so I don't burn out.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this point, it’s hardly worth mentioning the dreaded toothbrush scene. Not because it’s not worth talking about, not because I don’t want to address it, and not even because treating it with a big reaction is passé, but more because people get so caught up in talking about that marvelous, hilarious scene, they neglect to mention anything else about Nisemonogatari. Which is a true shame. The anime reached its humorous heights in that season, and that rings true for this book, as well.

The story itself meanders and there isn’t quite as much meat as Bakemonogatari, but that does a disservice to the genius writing of NisiOisiN, even when that genius isn’t in the actual plot. NisiOisiN has crafted a false tale that points a mirror at otaku culture, pokes fun at his own ridiculous writing and the trends of light novels, and tells an earnest tale about familial bonds—all while intentionally playing into the very trends and cliches he is lampooning. It’s a circular meta-narrative that serves to point a lightheartedly judgmental finger at the reader for indulging him in his writing and indulging in the ridiculousness of the story itself. The punchline of my ramblings, of course, is that NisiOisiN forgoes a deeper narrative for the sake of telling a truly unique meta-narrative that, while not entirely wholesome, is hilarious, earnest, and heartfelt.

[R. Prim · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Nisemonogatari vol. 2, I have a profound disrespect for Koyomi. For goodness sake, the man at times is sexual harassing his sisters like it’s normal and he’s a confessed lolicon that’s confirmed. You’re going to cringe with his bizarre antics, that would led to prison for his unredeemed sexual harassment with his now harem of young woman being possessed with some Japanese oddity. Can’t feel sorry for him anymore when at times he gets walloped by someone or something at the end of each book in this first series of Monogatari.

On the whole, like how NISIOISIN references a frequent amount of retro anime, educational elements and general Asian literature like Japanese haiku or Chinese philosophers in this volume as like his previous volumes. Definitely gives furthermore reading material or researching afterwards, I suppose it’s rewarding the reader after reading cringe worthy material anyhow.

[Chelsea Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 Stars: ‘Nisemonogatari: Part 2’ (Book #5 of ‘Monogatari’) by NisiOisiN.
→ Age Range: Young Adult.
→ Genre: Fantasy, Light Novel.
→ Trigger Warnings: Sexual Profanity, Violence, Attempted Murder.

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

General Comments: An unfavourable comparative to Bakemonogatari; lacking the flamboyant tone and structure from Bakemonogatari and Kizumonogatari. The circumlocutory dialogue; disturbing imagery; wallowing height of self-indulgence; and perverted under-tones, the delivery is pre-dominantly focused on providing fan-service. A clear weak point, in the otherwise quirky and unique Monogatari franchise.

Favourite Quote: ‘The tools change, but our behaviour doesn't. People are people. While griping that young folk don't read enough and are therefore ignorant, older generations can be clueless in turn about smartphones and the internet.’

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

[Felipe Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nision Isin lost his hand writing this book

There will be several moments where the characters lose their personalities (or are they conveniently modeled at the last minute?) all in favor of the author's fantasy ecchi.

This time, instead of taking a turn for the absurd and somehow still being funny for how ridiculous the whole situation is, here it took a complete turn and stopped right at the point where I can't imagine it not being an incestuous fetish.

It's a shame it distracts so much from the main story, because apart from that, it continues to develop the premise in an intriguing way, while the secondary characters get their moments.

Special mention should be made of Shinobu and Kaiki Deishuu (his appearance was very brief, but he always steals my attention because of how much he looks like a broken-down son of a bitch). It's a shame that Tsukihi was used more as a fantasy object in her own book.

[Benjamin Kass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nisemonogatari, in my opinion, is one of the weakest moments of the monogatari series. It's still nisioisin, though, so there are plenty of interesting comments and layered concepts, along with a few good jokes which had me laughing (riddle of the dog in the forest is my favorite). Honestly, I think the concepts available here--fakeness, justice, acting on beliefs vs forcing them on others--are the most interesting in the series, and Kaiki is my favorite of the antagonists. But it just doesn't come together as well as it could. The ending, at least, is less rushed than the first Nisemonogatari novel, but the characterization feels halfhearted, the banter more bloated, and the fanservice stops looking like a joke.

But for all that, I'm still looking forward to the next one.

[Jorge · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book dedicated to the Araragi sisters, this portion had moments that me laugh and feel disturbed. I get that it is part of Nisio Isin's prose, but it often turns me off and makes me lose the love that I have for this series. The theme behind "fakes" is one of the more interesting portions of this arc, and seeing how it is defined by Tsukihi and Karen, through secrets and facades, is one of the reasons why Isin is such a great writer. I would say though, that the introduction of new characters such as Yotsugi Ononoki and Yozuru Kageuni kept me interested in this half of Nisemonogatari.

Another great moment in this arc was the confrontation between Hitagi, Koyomi, and Kaiki, and how this could possibly be a set up for something grand later down the line.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great like the others, but I felt the pacing of this one was a little off. We didn't get the big reveal until pretty late in the book, and by then it was pretty much figured out. I think this may be the way NisiOisiN writes his stuff, but I'm getting used to it and will definitely continue with the series. I absolutely love the anime and now see why the books were made for tv. I need to figure out which book is next, especially since I can get the full story without having to watch hours of anime. (Not that watching hours of anime is a bad thing, right? ^_^) But yeah, overall a good book - just with some odd pacing and a little bit of a predictable ending.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it, nisioisin has a great way of tying up all the narrative strings he laid out in novels prior. He very helpfully repeats explanations and descriptions of past events which some might find redundant but for me - who quickly forgets details as quick as I can turn the page - it's a godsend.

New characters, returning villains, lots of food for thought as to the nature of the real deal vs fakes. I like the two Araragi sisters characters with their unique personalities, so it's great having both of them explored in the second part.

Plus the cover has some of if not the best colours palette!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second part of Nisemonogatari finishes the tale around fakes. I'd say that this volume deals with fakes even more, or rather more noticeable than the volume before did. However, maybe I wasn't in the right mood for Nisioisin, but this volume really did feel stretched out, more than the volume before. Maybe part of it is that - as you could infer from the cover - Tsukihi gets more screen time than Karen in this novel, and her conversations with Araragi simply are not as funny as the ones with his other sister.

Overall as charming as ever.

[Keabetswe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily the weakest entry in the Monogatari series. The protagonist's increasingly outlandish sexual pervesions make him really hard to root for, the characteristic banter is abandoned in favour of meta comments which are cringeworthy at best and the most interesting character development happens completely off-screen, tacked onto this particular story almost as a side-note. The premise was a great one, with an interesting aberration and some deep philosophical questions raised, but not happy with the execution.

[Flávio · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Because it wills to become the real thing, the fake is more real than the real deal.”

By striving to be something—namely, the real thing—the fake demands from itself all the exertion and will necessary to match the genuine. Its intensity may even surpass that of the real, since it's either innately what it is or merely an abstract ideal.
Like a phoenix drawn to the flame, the fake endures the trials again and again, returning each time to be burned to ashes once more. If not by a red flame, a blue one.

[Yuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how self aware the monogatari series is. That being said, part 2 doesn’t complete part 1 as good as expected. Though, I had more reading this than “Karen bee”. Basically because the plot was more interesting, I liked the revelations in regards of Oshino’s past and the new characters introduced were good. I’ve mixed feelings about how Nisio Isin conveyed the fake message, but it’s more satisfying and compelling than part 1.

[Craig Schorling · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this was very difficult to get through. It was way too heavy on the "sister love" stuff. The fan service has always been present but this was too much for me. The last third was pretty good but it wasn't enough to fully salvage this read. This is easily my least favorite in the series so far. There was the absence of several characters and Tsukihi felt very under utilized. I hope the next book goes back to what I enjoyed from the series.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

While part 2 to the "fake" tale, this edition takes a different perspective from the first. Much more action and violence than volume 1, plus the introduction to Kagenui and Ononoki (especially unique and fun personality). We see Koyomi and Shinobu bonding more over donuts and him getting closer (too close) to his sisters. It's comedic and mysterious, with half the story just being banter, just as you'd expect from Monogatari.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can't get enough of this series, but sad I have to wait until November for the next release. This book focused on the younger of Koyomi's little sisters, Tsukihi, but still had plenty of Karen in it. I think his sister's have easily become my favorite of the girls surrounding Koyomi. This book definitely cemented that for me, and I barely put this book down once I started reading.