- Episodes : 12
- Genre : Comedy, Mystery, Supernatural
- Airing Date : October 2015 — December 2015
- Producers : Aniplex, Shaft
Owarimonogatari Preview / Plot (No Spoilers)
After becoming friends with Oshino Ougi, Araragi Koyomi learns about the mysteries of his high school and the secrets that are hidden in his memory. Whether Araragi had forgotten the important events that make up who he is or not, it is a predicament that is solved when he visits certain places in order to piece together parts of his memory in order to remember what he is made up of. Once he pieces together the information he finds, he hopes to understand himself better, as well as the events that have happened to him.
Part of the reason he is able to crack the code on the events that inevitable shaped who he turned out to be was because of Oshino Ougi and Hanekawa Tsubasa, two girls who somehow want to help him get to the bottom of the things that he doesn’t understand. Not only are his memories of his past uncovered, but he also finds out what his relationships with people from his past are like.
Who Does Owarimonogatari Target?
Intellectuals are definitely people who should watch this anime, as the twists and turns of the plots are ones that you can’t be mindless about and not ponder on. All mystery anime contain plot lines and plot holes that cause us to become attached because we have the carnal desire to know what happens. In Owarimonogatari, the idea that there is always something hidden that we might not know about is a very real aspect of Araragi’s life, and going on a journey with him to uncover that is something that is incredibly satisfying at the very end.
What’s So Appealing About this Piece of Work?
One of the things that would certainly draw you in is the animation of this anime. The colours are vibrant and tame at the same time, and they are rarely ever dull enough to keep you disinterested. For anime that involves mystery and the supernatural tied in together, it has been a tradition to keep the animation to a minimum because it might distract the audience from the actual story, but this is not the case with Owarimonogatari. Not only is it an anime that stimulates your brain cells as you continue the story, but it is one that is animated so beautifully, that it feels as though you are watching an art film!
In any anime, the prospect of recalling lost memories has always been a popular trope. When it is done in such a manner that it involves mystery and a supernatural element, it becomes all the more interesting that it keeps you wanting more. Once you are sucked into the world of the supernatural and mystery, there’s no way out. If you are looking to be mentally stimulated and you are looking to solve mysteries that seem impossible to solve, then Owarimonogatari is definitely something you must watch!
OWARIMONOGATARI Trailer
Owarimonogatari Main Characters List
Araragi Koyomi
Voice Actor :Kamiya Hiroshi
Araragi Koyomi is one who does not possess the traditional characteristics of a typical protagonist. He’s not seen as an underdog that we are meant to sympathise with, nor is he portrayed as the overpowered hero that defeats all the enemies he encounters. He has an air of mystery about him, and he is seen as a good person, but also one who is naive. Both his parents are in the police force, which meant that he grew up with a sense of justice that could not match those who didn’t have police for parents.
The anime starts with him trying to recall a memory about a class assembly he had two years prior. He meets Oshino Ougi through a friend of his, and being friends with this strange girl has brought forth answers to questions he wasn’t even sure that he was asking. With her guidance, he recalls memories that he unintentionally buried
Oshino Ougi
Voice Actor :Mizuhashi Kaori
Niece of the genius Oshino Meme who resided in an abandoned building, Oshino Ougi is a unique girl with deductive skills that one would say only belongs to ingenious individuals. She has a special way of thinking about resolving problems, and the vibe that she gives off when she does this is one that feels unsettling. It causes characters around her to feel a sense of distrust, because she’s always so perceptive and correct.
Ougi’s relationship with Araragi isn’t so complex that you would say she has mixed feelings about him, but it isn’t so simple that you would say she only sees herself as his friend, either. After a few episodes, you begin to notice that she is strangely possessive of him, which adds onto how unsettling she makes other characters feel around her.
Oikura Sodachi
Voice Actor :Inoue Marina
The biggest trait that Oikura possesses that shines through is her hatred for Araragi. She is a smart girl with a lot of potential, but she also comes from a troubled background that involves domestic violence on her parents’ part. Due to her home life being the way it was, she decided to turn her attention to school and to helping those who were not as gifted as her in mathematics — which Araragi just happened to be. After a class assembly that pushed her over the edge, Oikura stopped coming to school out of hatred, out of anger, at Araragi, for taking something away from her — or so it seemed.
The subject of Oikura is touched upon time and time again throughout the anime, as she is seen as a mystery that is seemingly impossible to solve. In the beginning, the anime portrays her as being upset merely over a math test that she didn’t even fail, and even though there is a story as to why she harbours so much hatred, it isn’t explained until the next couple of episodes. Even though she seems a little crazy in the beginning, she has a big impact on Araragi finding himself — finding what he is made of — through her harsh words thrown at him.
Contains Spoilers
Owarimonogatari Review
Owarimonogatari was released at the end of 2015, and was an anime that was popular amongst those who wanted their minds to be stimulated and challenged. Obviously it was a phenomenon amongst those who kept up with the Monogatari series as well, and they were more than a little excited to immerse themselves in this anime.
When I started this anime, I had no idea what to expect. I was aware of the mystery and supernatural genre in anime, and I had seen quite a few, but Owarimonogatari is one that is unique and has intrigued me to no end. When I first started it, however, it was a little misleading and seemed to be about mathematics and nothing else. When Ougi was stuck in a classroom with Araragi and all they talked about for an hour was math, I wanted to groan. But, when the plot actually started to move along and focused more on the events in Araragi’s life that changed him, I began listening more.
The anime got to the point where Araragi would have to piece together memories that he had when he was just a few years younger. He was already a senior in high school and applying to university which meant that he was leaving soon. What it was that he wanted to find when he was having flashbacks and trying to remember details was unclear, at first. Eventually though, the events that took place in his life had less to do with school and his subjects, and more to do with how raw and real people can be. He wasn’t particularly seen as a hero for wanting to confront the demons that haunt him, but he never knew about it.
Throughout the twelve episodes, the animation is done in such a way that it sort of distracts you from complicated thoughts being uttered by the characters consistently. It is still art, however, and during monologues on Araragi’s part, he slowly comes to realisations about the people he’s met but has forgotten, and he also has epiphanies about how he is the person he is, thanks to those who have helped him along the way. During his realisations and epiphanies, his thoughts are always written down and appear on the screen for viewers to see. When his thoughts are cemented in this way, it makes his journey to, in a way, find himself, seem that much more plausible and achievable.
With Ougi’s and Hanekawa’s strange rivalry, they both decided to help Araragi to solve the mysteries of his past, and to rid him of the ghosts that follow him around without his knowledge. For example, when Araragi is trying to figure out why Oikura hates him with a passion, there is a few twists and turns that misleads him and the audience members because it seems so ridiculous. As it turned out, Oikura didn’t simply hate Araragi for the fact that he did better than her in a math test during their freshman year, but she had met him a few years prior to their freshman year, and he had not remembered. When Araragi had a flashback about a rundown house, it was deduced by Ougi that the girl he spent time with there was indeed Oikura. Not only that, but Oikura was having some family issues to which she turned to Araragi for help and had quietly hoped that he would pick up on her silent pleas, as she knew his parents worked in the police force.
1. Monologues
Whenever Araragi is confronted with a new problem, he always thinks about the words of those who have touched him in some way, and it doesn’t always have to be good. When Oikura told him off about how he’s ungrateful, he later used her words — her oddly hard-hitting words — to try and figure out more about her, and more about their relationship. She’s not the only one whose words he takes to heart, however, and Ougi is obviously the other person who has some form of influence over his life throughout the anime. She gives insight into his musings, and even has a special charm about her that makes him want to tell her his whole life story.
2. Oshino Ougi
There has never been a character as interesting as Oshino Ougi. She is intelligent, persistent, and maybe just a little bit scary. She is devoted to helping Araragi figure out the bits and pieces of himself so that he can move forward after he knows what he’s made of, however, that sentiment she has for him alone is one that gives other characters in the anime, and perhaps the audience, a sense of distrust. Her possessiveness over Araragi is unsettling, to say the least, but her intention to help him to overcome the obstacles he’s unintentionally made for himself is without mal intent. Overall, Oshino Ougi definitely makes the anime more worthwhile to watch!
3. Visual Representation
As stated before, the art and animation for this anime is incredibly vibrant, and it keeps you interested. Each character has somewhat of a fresh design, even though technically, they may be wearing the same thing. The animators at the studio really know how to portray the characters and shine light on different characters’ traits to make traits of the personalities stand out more! The colours used are more bold too, and make it incredibly aesthetically pleasing!
Conclusion
All in all, Owarimonogatari is the final “section” of the Monogatari series, where everything is allegedly resolved. Like the other parts of the series, Owarimonogatari is just as equally mind-blowing and stimulating as the other parts. With plot twists and turns that keep you intrigued, it certainly sets itself up to be an anime that is worthy of praise. Not only is it gorgeous in terms of character development, but also in terms of the themes that it tries to get across. Although you might be a little bored when you start it, by the end of it, you will experience a whole new set of emotions you didn’t know you could access!
Author: Tina Az
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