Episode 04 –
Thank god that there’s finally a sign of a main conflict coming into play. Up until now, while Nisemonogatari has had some bits of foreshadowing, a vast majority of the screentime has been devoted to in-your-face fanservice. Sure, the fanservice served as a way to reintroduce the entire cast, but it has been extremely blatant in the most recent episodes (this one included). But like I said, it looks like we’re finally seeing signs of a conflict involving the antagonist introduced not too long ago. Based on the episode titles, it’s been pretty obvious that the main focus here is supposed to be Koyomi’s sister, Karen, but it’s only now where it really feels like she’s become a main focus.
Part of the lack of focus probably had to do with the excessively long amounts of screentime devoted to reintroducing the cast. Sure, I’m glad the entire cast was reintroduced here, but at the same time, it becomes tough to distinguish who and what is really important in all of this. Karen might be the character in the episode titles, but I’d say that Karen and Tsukihi have gotten the least amount of screentime out of everybody so far. Koyomi has been mentioning how he feels worried about his younger sisters, but it is this episode that finally makes Koyomi’s feelings seem important. Up until now, it’s felt more like the standard uncomfortable family relationship.
That being said, Nisemonogatari is finally getting into what was a crucial part of it’s predecessor; that is, the story is starting to focus in on some bizarre supernatural afflictions affecting the heroine of the week. It’s been a bit strange seeing how this series hasn’t shown a serious conflict up until now, so the introduction of the fire bee is a welcomed surprise. I am definitely curious as to how Koyomi will approach this problem without the help of Oshino, though I guess Shinobu might end up playing the role of a guidance counselor of sorts. The twist where the episode focused on the bizarre, yet tense, relationship between Koyomi and Shinobu also took me by surprise. They give off the vibe of having a very complex history together, which makes me even more curious about the prequel to this series, Kizumonogatari.
In the end, Nisemonogatari might be really upping the ante in terms of fanservice, but it’s also finally gotten into an actual conflict of sorts. And, of course, this conflict manages to tie in with the overarching villain at hand, whom seems to be quite the powerful figure amidst the shadows. The pacing and overarching tone to the story so far has been quite good at keeping things compelling, or at least, intriguing. That might have to do with the very strange manner in which the story is told, all results of stylistic directing from Shinbou. The dialogue remains trippy in many ways, and certainly doesn’t hold back in trying to be on the clever side, but I guess that’s part of what defines this series.
Overall Enjoyment: 3.3/5
Screenshots are later in the post.
Distant Paradise 