Tsukimonogatari

Part of the Monogatari Series – Sequel to Monogatari Series: Second Season

Genre(s): Seinen, Supernatural, Ecchi, Mystery, Psychological

Age-Appropriateness: 16+ (Violence, Profanity, Partial Nudity)

Platforms: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 4 (Presented as one piece)

TheAwersome Rating: 7.1 / 10 (back to eye rolling)

Premise: Koyomi Araragi is studying hard in preparation for his college entrance exams when he notices something very strange: his reflection no longer appears in a mirror, a characteristic of a true vampire. Worried about the state of his body, he enlists the help of the human-like doll Yotsugi Ononoki and her master Yozuru Kagenui, an immortal oddity specialist. Quickly realizing what is wrong with him, Yozuru gives him two choices: either abstain from using the vampiric abilities he received from Shinobu Oshino, or lose his humanity forever.

TheAwersome’s Thoughts: The premise for this one is intriguing enough, and quite satisfying for me. I feel that Araragi is too much of a noble flawless protag fantasy type for boys to think that as long as they’re “nice” all the ladies will be falling for them and they can get away with whatever pervery because they’re “nice.” So, to have his frequent use of vampire powers present a problem is somewhat satisfying because I want to see him get knocked down a good few pegs. There are also some solid intriguing developments plot-wise, so it isn’t one I’d say “go ahead and skip it all.”

I will say to go ahead and skip the first episode though, because it’s almost entirely a bathing scene of Koyomi with his little sister, so there’s more lolicon-incest that I’d thought we’d gotten away from after Nisemonogatari. Ugh. That and Araragi is also back to his skirt-flipping antics with no repercussion because anime protag. Barf.

TLDR: Not bad for progress of overarching plot, but awkward ecchincest is back.

Tsukimonogatari is a portmanteau of Tsukimono and Monogatari. Tsukimono is a category of monster/spirit/god in Japanese culture that can possess a human body. Fitting as the focused character is Yotsugi, a Lifeless homunculus type character who was made by binding and fusing a wandering spirit to a corpse.

CHRONOLOGY: Tsukimonogatari takes place immediately following the final events of Monogatari Series: Second Season (The Hitagi End Arc).