It’s sort of a wonder thatBakemonogataribecame such a huge success, what with its atypical storytelling, dialog-heavy exposition, and non-linear narrative over numerous sequels and films. And yet, it is still regarded as one of the best-selling TV anime of all time, for certain during the 2000s, begging the question as to why its sequel,Nisemonogatari, was initially received more negatively.
Aired in 2012,Nisemonogatariwas the anticipated sequel to one of 2009’s biggest hits and the continuation of Nisio Isin’s indulgent character-driven, banter-fueled brain blast of a story. It follows the events ofBakemonogatari, with two new arcs focused on Araragi’s sisters, Karen and Tsukihi, but with notable cameos from just about everyone from the first season.
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A Fake Story
TheMonogatarinaming convention combinestwo separate words both joined by the common kanji for “mono” meaning “thing.” In the case ofBakemonogatari, “bakemono” means “monster,” while “monogatari” means story, together meaning “Monster Story,” in a literal sense. This helps one discern the central theme of any part of theMonogatariseries, andNisemonogatarimeans “fake story.”
Everything about this story is fake, from its heroes to its villains to even the central conflict. Kaiki Deishu is the “antagonist” ofNisemonogatari’s first arc, “Karen Bee,” and who would later go onto steal the show as the protagonist ofKoimonogatariat the end ofMonogatari: Second Season. He is a con artist who is running a scam selling fake charms to middle school students and who comes to blows with Araragi’s sisters.
If Kaiki is the fake villain, then Karen and Tsukihi are the fake heroes, who’ve gained a reputation at their school as the “Tsuganoki 2nd Middle School Fire Sisters.” When Karen confronts him about the con, Kaiki afflicts her with an apparition known as the Flame-Wreathe Bee, which leaves her bedridden. Araragi has to find a way to save Karen with the help of his friends. Except… not exactly.
Bakemonogatariwas fairly free of villains in a traditional sense, the threats primarily being ghostly apparitions with no real character. The conflict surrounded confronting the characters’ own traumas or insecurities in order to save them.Kaiki is the first true villain of the anime, whose very aura Araragi likens to Meme Oshino,Bake’s sage tutor of sorts and a powerful and established oddity within the world of the series.
There is added tension given that Kaiki is the one who conned Senjougahara’s family. And yet, when the time comes to face Kaiki, there is no real confrontation. Senjougahara makes demands of him, and he capitulates as the jig is up. He even reveals that the Flame-Wreathe Bee is fake and Karen is fine the next day. It’s the kind of resolution that might very wellleave you wondering what the point was.
A Shallow Story?
WhileBakemonogatarisegmented itself in order to focus on the individual girls and their respective afflictions,Nisearguably doesn’t spotlight the sisters in the same way. The series spends an inordinate amount of its early episodes with Araragi just fooling around with all the characters fromBake. In fact, so much time is spent with the others that the sisters can feel overshadowed in what should be their season.
This might be because Nisio Isin didn’t write this story with the intention of publishing it. It was something written for him alone, to indulge in what he wanted from the story, and he acknowledges it as unprofessional. To its credit, the banter is just as magnetic as one could hope for, butit can feel more like fan servicethan progressing the plot meaningfully.
As for the sensual content of the series, Nise is practically a crash course in what viewers may find objectionable. The fanservice can feel akin to someone saying something weird that didn’t sound like a joke and wasn’t delivered like one but insisting that you’re the weird one for reading into it. Some fans will defend these elements as merely humorous or ironic jabs at otaku culture, which can be hard to believe.
This all paints a portrait ofNisemonogataribeing rather shallow, devoid of purpose besides fanservice. So why is it that nowadays it’s remembered as fondly as the rest of the series? Furthermore, why do some even argue that it is one of the most underrated? The answer is that despite its oddities - or perhaps in addition to them -the theme of “fakes” is brilliant.
The Power of a Fake
Most of this article has looked atNisemonogatarithrough the lens of its first arc, “Karen Bee” but the entire season uses the motif of fakes to make stirring revelations about the cast. Just the idea of the theme suggests a story that is utterly useless, and yet Nise’s thesis is to suggest that there is a lesson in something that is a fabrication. Kaiki, the fake villain, is actually the greatest educator in this regard.
Consider Kaiki’s master plan. He was scamming middle school students for chump change until one naive but admittedly strong girl tried to challenge him in the name of justice. He gave her the Flame Wreathe-Bee, but that turned out to be a lie;an apparition born from a fake storyand was therefore harmless too. It was natural that upon his ruse being discovered, he’d accept his loss.
Kaiki has all the air of a villain, and the dramatic presentation to sell that image, what with his ties to experts in the occult. And yet, he fully acknowledges that he is pathetic. But the lesson behind this revelation isn’t clear until the end ofNise’s second arc, “Tsukihi Pheonix.” It is in this story that Araragi learns that his sister Tsukihi is not his real sister, but a child planted in his mother’s womb by an apparition.
The central conflict involves Araragi and Shinobu fighting two apparition specialists who wish to exterminate Tsukihi. Ultimately, the story culminates in Araragi fighting on behalf of his sister, despite her not being human and immortal. Upon his victory - or, as close to a victory as he can get while still being brutalized -his opponent shares Kaiki’s philosophyon which is superior: something real or a fake that is indistinguishable.
“The fake is of far greater value. In its deliberate attempt to be real, it’s more real than the real thing”
Nisemonogataribeing a fake story could have just meant its imperfect nature as evidenced by its quirks and the author’s intent in writing it. But through its philosophizing about the genuine versus the fake, it ends up saying something quite profound by the end. Ultimately, that overarching theme is what grew on audiences, and the reason why its oddities and flaws became smaller over time.
Monogatariis bizarre, and it will be interesting to seehow the discourse surrounding it ageswith the art itself. In the decade sinceNisemonogatariwas released, it’s become far more popular because of the occasional brilliance with which it explores its ideas. Like with the rest of the series, its flaws and more problematic elements will be an understandable barrier to some and for others, something to ignore to appreciate what’s worth remembering.
