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Monogatari #12, Part 3
OWARIMONOGATARI, Part 3: End Tale
From the best selling novel series comes the latest book of the final season of the Monogatari Series.
No good deed goes unpunished, they say, and so does friendship and lowering your intensity as a human, they don’t say—alas, for all his literally painful hustle and inveterate need to save others, our brave fool of a hero ends up in hell, a conception of the inferno in its full Buddhist glory, and muses (lol) if there’s a return ticket.
Told in three chapters, the final part of End Tale concludes the story proper and resolves the series’ panoply of ongoing the dues of a do-gooder for relying on a power not his own, the identity of a shady transfer student, the outcome of a class president’s questing abroad, and even the true name of a park.
Araragi, indeed, is the one who knows, but along the way he meets old faces, really every last one of them, who aid him on his journey for understanding, and perhaps for salvation, and you for one might not be surprised if he had another rendezvous with an erstwhile “cloistered princess” before it—guess what it is—sees an end.
No good deed goes unpunished, they say, and so does friendship and lowering your intensity as a human, they don’t say—alas, for all his literally painful hustle and inveterate need to save others, our brave fool of a hero ends up in hell, a conception of the inferno in its full Buddhist glory, and muses (lol) if there’s a return ticket.
Told in three chapters, the final part of End Tale concludes the story proper and resolves the series’ panoply of ongoing the dues of a do-gooder for relying on a power not his own, the identity of a shady transfer student, the outcome of a class president’s questing abroad, and even the true name of a park.
Araragi, indeed, is the one who knows, but along the way he meets old faces, really every last one of them, who aid him on his journey for understanding, and perhaps for salvation, and you for one might not be surprised if he had another rendezvous with an erstwhile “cloistered princess” before it—guess what it is—sees an end.
346 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2014
16 people are currently reading
466 people want to read
About the author
NisiOisiN
288 books967 followersNisio 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 12, 2021
A fitting end to a long story. I guessed about half of the ending, but the author really surprised me with some really well planned justifications as to how certain things came to be, the order in which they happened and how it created a chain of events that led to this ending.
I have a love/hate relationship with this NisiOisiN's Monogatari series. I loved the plot and the supernatural aspects of it, the characters and the way the story is told in a non-sequential way. I hated the overhyped sexualisation of just about anything for shock value... I think I get why the author does it... he's constantly breaking the 4th wall and writing for fun... and I guess in some scenes he is literally trying to gross you out or make you uncomfortable.
That's why while I would recommend Monogatari, I wouldn't recommend it for everyone... still, damn fine story!
PS: there's an extra volume, End Tale continued... meant to be a cute story... whenever this author says something is cute I take 3 steps back and prepare for the worst! Anyway, if this is the end I'm happy with it!
I have a love/hate relationship with this NisiOisiN's Monogatari series. I loved the plot and the supernatural aspects of it, the characters and the way the story is told in a non-sequential way. I hated the overhyped sexualisation of just about anything for shock value... I think I get why the author does it... he's constantly breaking the 4th wall and writing for fun... and I guess in some scenes he is literally trying to gross you out or make you uncomfortable.
That's why while I would recommend Monogatari, I wouldn't recommend it for everyone... still, damn fine story!
PS: there's an extra volume, End Tale continued... meant to be a cute story... whenever this author says something is cute I take 3 steps back and prepare for the worst! Anyway, if this is the end I'm happy with it!
November 5, 2020
God I really loved this one.
December 21, 2020
Tying all of the final series together, it's a very good final tome. Yet a bit less continuous than the other tomes, and the lack of space, even used as a joke, was truly felt.
March 23, 2025
And so we come to the end of the main story of this series. Though there's still one book after this that's been released in English. The epilogue, or perhaps the punchline to this story...
But we're not there yet. This 'final installment' is told in a series of 3 arcs that all have something interesting to offer, though they do not hit the highs of earlier volumes for me. It's no secret that Araragi, who is usually our protagonist is one of my least favorite characters in the series. I generally don't find him easy to connect with and his 'antics' form the backbone of most of this series' flaws and what makes it difficult to recommend despite its generally phenomenal characterization and storytelling. However, this volume does a lot to conclude his character arc over the course of the series.
He's always had a savior complex spurred by his feelings of self-loathing and low self-esteem. He doesn't believe that he has intrinsic worth. He is happy to always sacrifice his own life to save other people which would perhaps come across as noble if it didn't seem that he does it more as an act of self-harm than an act of altruism. However, he is forced to interrogate some of these feelings and traits about himself here. In the first arc, 'Mayoi Hell', he comes to embrace a desire to live and reflects on some of his previous decisions and stands by them despite the trouble they got him into. Even looking back he would still save the people he saved. If 'save' is truly the correct word which is arguable because 'save' is a pretty charged word in this series. In 'Hitagi Rendezvous', we get a wholesome chapter of a date between him and Senjougahara. Other than being a cute little episode and the fact that Senjougahara always steals any scene she's in, Araragi is able to commit himself to someone in a way that is healthy and not self-destructive. His commitment to Senjougahara offers him strength and fulfills him rather than asking for him to hurt himself. It shows the support he now has and the way his situation has changed so dramatically. Finally, in 'Ougi Dark' he interrogates some of his feelings even further and ultimately saves a part of himself. As Oshino said back all the way in book 1, 'people just go ahead and get saved on their own' and sure enough, Araragi makes the choice to save himself. Which is a beautiful and satisfying encapsulation of the entire series to this point. He's still self-sacrificing but now he's fighting for himself. It's no longer an act of self-harm, it's a triumphant affirmation of his identity that he has forged over the course of the series. And now he is ready to face his life as an adult, with the primary challenges of his adolescence behind him.
I have my complaints with this volume as well: some of the juvenile humor and 'comic' behavior of Araragi in here definitely undercuts the feeling of growth and maturity that this volume focuses on so heavily. This has been a problem for the entire series though. It's easy enough to compartmentalize in my mind and forget about but it really is frustrating when you're reading it. The exposition tends to be clunky and uninteresting. I'm sorry to anyone who is a big fan of Gaen but any time she shows up I brace myself for 30 pages of really dry dialogue. She has the personality of a brick and only shows up occasionally to drop a bunch of plot-relevant information in a very non-compelling way. I get that she's the 'expert' character now that Oshino is gone but at least he was memorable. I know Isin is a capable enough writer to put this information into the narrative more gracefully than he does.
Anyway, those grievances aside this really is a satisfying conclusion to the primary narrative and a really rewarding capstone to the Araragi's character.
But we're not there yet. This 'final installment' is told in a series of 3 arcs that all have something interesting to offer, though they do not hit the highs of earlier volumes for me. It's no secret that Araragi, who is usually our protagonist is one of my least favorite characters in the series. I generally don't find him easy to connect with and his 'antics' form the backbone of most of this series' flaws and what makes it difficult to recommend despite its generally phenomenal characterization and storytelling. However, this volume does a lot to conclude his character arc over the course of the series.
He's always had a savior complex spurred by his feelings of self-loathing and low self-esteem. He doesn't believe that he has intrinsic worth. He is happy to always sacrifice his own life to save other people which would perhaps come across as noble if it didn't seem that he does it more as an act of self-harm than an act of altruism. However, he is forced to interrogate some of these feelings and traits about himself here. In the first arc, 'Mayoi Hell', he comes to embrace a desire to live and reflects on some of his previous decisions and stands by them despite the trouble they got him into. Even looking back he would still save the people he saved. If 'save' is truly the correct word which is arguable because 'save' is a pretty charged word in this series. In 'Hitagi Rendezvous', we get a wholesome chapter of a date between him and Senjougahara. Other than being a cute little episode and the fact that Senjougahara always steals any scene she's in, Araragi is able to commit himself to someone in a way that is healthy and not self-destructive. His commitment to Senjougahara offers him strength and fulfills him rather than asking for him to hurt himself. It shows the support he now has and the way his situation has changed so dramatically. Finally, in 'Ougi Dark' he interrogates some of his feelings even further and ultimately saves a part of himself. As Oshino said back all the way in book 1, 'people just go ahead and get saved on their own' and sure enough, Araragi makes the choice to save himself. Which is a beautiful and satisfying encapsulation of the entire series to this point. He's still self-sacrificing but now he's fighting for himself. It's no longer an act of self-harm, it's a triumphant affirmation of his identity that he has forged over the course of the series. And now he is ready to face his life as an adult, with the primary challenges of his adolescence behind him.
I have my complaints with this volume as well: some of the juvenile humor and 'comic' behavior of Araragi in here definitely undercuts the feeling of growth and maturity that this volume focuses on so heavily. This has been a problem for the entire series though. It's easy enough to compartmentalize in my mind and forget about but it really is frustrating when you're reading it. The exposition tends to be clunky and uninteresting. I'm sorry to anyone who is a big fan of Gaen but any time she shows up I brace myself for 30 pages of really dry dialogue. She has the personality of a brick and only shows up occasionally to drop a bunch of plot-relevant information in a very non-compelling way. I get that she's the 'expert' character now that Oshino is gone but at least he was memorable. I know Isin is a capable enough writer to put this information into the narrative more gracefully than he does.
Anyway, those grievances aside this really is a satisfying conclusion to the primary narrative and a really rewarding capstone to the Araragi's character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2023
A wonderful end to a wonderful series. There are obviously more books later to come, but this was the conclusion to everything that happened so far, and it could honestly be a satisfactory way to finish it all off. Not a lot I can say about this book that hasn’t been said before or doesn’t contain spoilers, but it really is a spectacular journey full of amazing characters.
April 9, 2024
"But no matter how much I change, I'm going to be me."
I've finally made it to the "end." A journey that began back in June '22, when I hadn't read a novel since I was a child. Owarimonogatari is so special. Araragi's self-inspection, all the pieces of the puzzle fitting together, and just a perfect finale to this specific story. This story moved me so much from it's adaptation, and the novel only has more to offer, so I could talk about this forever. Araragi saving himself, as others have, and wishing farewell to his youth into the pursuit of happiness is just so well done. Truly one of the most personal stories to me, that I relate to a lot. We should all try and save ourselves and become happy. Thank you NisiOisin, you're one of the greatest. Onto Zoku (which I love even more), and then brand new seasons. Timeless classic.
"--an endless battle in pursuit of happiness, hereby begun in earnest."
I've finally made it to the "end." A journey that began back in June '22, when I hadn't read a novel since I was a child. Owarimonogatari is so special. Araragi's self-inspection, all the pieces of the puzzle fitting together, and just a perfect finale to this specific story. This story moved me so much from it's adaptation, and the novel only has more to offer, so I could talk about this forever. Araragi saving himself, as others have, and wishing farewell to his youth into the pursuit of happiness is just so well done. Truly one of the most personal stories to me, that I relate to a lot. We should all try and save ourselves and become happy. Thank you NisiOisin, you're one of the greatest. Onto Zoku (which I love even more), and then brand new seasons. Timeless classic.
"--an endless battle in pursuit of happiness, hereby begun in earnest."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2021
an exceptional climax and conclusion to the main story for my favorite novel series. fantastic from front to back.
March 15, 2023
By now, it should come as no suprise to someone having made it as far as this "final" instalment of the series that Isin can sometimes be a capricious author.
This is especially noticeable in his novels' flow, pacing, and quality, which often do not necessarily go hand in hand.
The stories in this volume had an excellent flow to them, each story - taken by itself - always gave me something enjoyable to read on. Especially the amount of information/confirmation/conclusions we get in this novel is more than I honestly would have hoped for in one of Isin's novels.
The quality of Isin's writing, too, is almost at its peak in this novel. The dialogues are snappy and find the perfect balance between humorous banter and noteworthy and important dialogue. Other than in most other of Isisn's novels, there is no "fat" that could have been trimmed; each and every word is important to bring this story to a conclusion.
The pacing, however, was a bit all over the place. Not to say that it was bad, but if you take this novel as a whole (and not as three separate stories), especially the middle part felt a bit like a filler. Mind you, man enjoyable filler, which was without a doubt my personal favourite story of the "End Tale" so far, but still a filler between two very crucial moments in the story.
Talking of the story, Isin masterfully brings the "End Tale" to an end. This volume left me satisfied in regard to almost every aspect of the story; it represents a very well-rounded and well-written ending to the character arc and development of Koyomi Araragi that started in "Bakemonogatari", as well as all the back-and-forth and non-linear events that took place over the course of the Second and Final Season of the novels.
As an ending point to the series, which wants to tie up all the loose strings that Isin had been dangling in front of our noses since several parts of the series, "Owarimonogatari Pt. 3" succeeds masterfully.
I especially liked Araragi in this novel. Sometimes, it felt like Araragi was just bumbling along the story and not being affected or changed by it. This volume, however, repeatedly stresses how it marks the end of Koyomi Araragi's adolescence, and it certainly felt like, in this novel, Araragi is less of the carefree, pervy goofball he was in the past, and instead is a more matured, realistic, and sober version of himself.
This is especially noticeable in his novels' flow, pacing, and quality, which often do not necessarily go hand in hand.
The stories in this volume had an excellent flow to them, each story - taken by itself - always gave me something enjoyable to read on. Especially the amount of information/confirmation/conclusions we get in this novel is more than I honestly would have hoped for in one of Isin's novels.
The quality of Isin's writing, too, is almost at its peak in this novel. The dialogues are snappy and find the perfect balance between humorous banter and noteworthy and important dialogue. Other than in most other of Isisn's novels, there is no "fat" that could have been trimmed; each and every word is important to bring this story to a conclusion.
The pacing, however, was a bit all over the place. Not to say that it was bad, but if you take this novel as a whole (and not as three separate stories), especially the middle part felt a bit like a filler. Mind you, man enjoyable filler, which was without a doubt my personal favourite story of the "End Tale" so far, but still a filler between two very crucial moments in the story.
Talking of the story, Isin masterfully brings the "End Tale" to an end. This volume left me satisfied in regard to almost every aspect of the story; it represents a very well-rounded and well-written ending to the character arc and development of Koyomi Araragi that started in "Bakemonogatari", as well as all the back-and-forth and non-linear events that took place over the course of the Second and Final Season of the novels.
As an ending point to the series, which wants to tie up all the loose strings that Isin had been dangling in front of our noses since several parts of the series, "Owarimonogatari Pt. 3" succeeds masterfully.
I especially liked Araragi in this novel. Sometimes, it felt like Araragi was just bumbling along the story and not being affected or changed by it. This volume, however, repeatedly stresses how it marks the end of Koyomi Araragi's adolescence, and it certainly felt like, in this novel, Araragi is less of the carefree, pervy goofball he was in the past, and instead is a more matured, realistic, and sober version of himself.
April 22, 2024
“If the story continued, I couldn’t wait to see what happens next”
A wonderful conclusion to the series, at least until the next one. The development of Araragi from the beginning of Kizu to the end of now has been a absolute joy to read and seeing everything wrap up neatly left me satisfied. If the series did stop entirely here, I’d have no objections.
A wonderful end tale, I hope to see everyone all again soon.
A wonderful conclusion to the series, at least until the next one. The development of Araragi from the beginning of Kizu to the end of now has been a absolute joy to read and seeing everything wrap up neatly left me satisfied. If the series did stop entirely here, I’d have no objections.
A wonderful end tale, I hope to see everyone all again soon.
July 9, 2024
strong 4.5-4.75
fantastic conclusion to such a great series. ogi dark especially was probably the highlight of the entire series. it took me four years of watching and rewatching and reading but im so glad i finished out, this series really moved me in many ways. its a shame its impossible to recommend. nisioisin was at his best here across all aspects - foreshadowing, dialogue, humor, suspense - flawless work.
fantastic conclusion to such a great series. ogi dark especially was probably the highlight of the entire series. it took me four years of watching and rewatching and reading but im so glad i finished out, this series really moved me in many ways. its a shame its impossible to recommend. nisioisin was at his best here across all aspects - foreshadowing, dialogue, humor, suspense - flawless work.
August 1, 2022
Wonderful
November 29, 2022
Absolutely love the end of this series, the moment at the end with *that* character reappearing is just fantastic
December 10, 2022
"But no matter how much change, I'm going to be me." :peakfiction:
Read
January 17, 20257:23
April 2, 2025
zenith of fiction. greatest book of all time
October 22, 2025
i'm not crying. you're crying, stupid.
October 24, 2025
Ougi Dark one of the BEST chapters to EVER written. Koyomi changed my life🎃
May 1, 2025
9/10
March 17, 2024
A great conclusion to the Monogatari series. While I don't think it peaks as high as some of the other entries in the series, it does a wonderful job at answering the series' largest mystery, and has a wonderful ending. Hitagi Rendezvous especially is just a wonderful arc
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews