AKA: 偽物語 (Japanese)

Genre: Ecchi fantasy harem

Length: Television series, 11 episodes, 24 minutes each

Distributor: Currently streaming on crunchyroll

Content Rating: 17+ (scenes of a sexual nature, fanservice, adult themes)

Related Series: Bakemonogatari (prequel TV series)

Also Recommended: Many of Akiyou Shinbou's other shows, Spice & Wolf and The Tatami Galaxy for other dialogue heavy and rich shows.

Notes: Adapted from the novel of the same name by NisiOisin. The name of the series is a combination of the words nisemono and monogatari, meaning fake or imposter story.

Rating:

Nisemonogatari

Synopsis

Same as its predecessor Bakemonogatari, but with specific focus on Araragi's little sisters, Karen and Tsukihi, better known as the Fire Sisters.

Review

I have to admit that the idea of reviewing this show feels rather pointless. What can I honestly say about Nisemonogatari that will make a difference to you, my dear readers? If you loved Bakemonogatari (and there seems to be many of you who did) then I do not have many reasons to dissuade you from continuing on with this: the same NisiOisin dialogue (that you must love, else you wouldn't have even finished Bakemonogatari) is present and all of SHAFT's best visual flair is on offer, as you would expect. Those who didn't like Bakemonogatari will be happy to know that they are not missing anything new either. In fact, the only way I could describe Nisemonogatari is Bakemonogatari times ten - you get nearly everything I suspect you liked (or didn't) about the first but just more of it and in a more concentrated form.

Certainly, it feels like there is even more talking than before and even less happens. Where Bakemonogatari had five different arcs in fifteen episodes, its sequel only manages two arcs in eleven episodes - the Karen Bee arc lasting seven episodes! Before you get excited and think it's wonderful that they are taking more time over the content, something else the sequel has ten times more of than the first series is messing around, something that unsurprisingly has a very detrimental effect on the pacing of the show. The content of this messing around is also much more concentrated because it is nearly almost on the subject of sex or subjects related to sexuality such as molestation, oral fixation, incest and a little skirting around the topic of S&M to name a few. Now, Bakemonogatari had a sharp sexual edge to it and a fair amount of fanservice but Nisemonogatari really pushes the envelope on the erogenous scale and I offer that as a fair warning to those who don't enjoy or at least tolerate strong sexual content will struggle with this show no matter how much they enjoyed Bakemonogatari.

I think that would be the only thing that would put off a fan though. The series really does have what you could ask for, for the most part. As mentioned before, the witty and sharp dialogue remains and it adds a dimension and appeal to the characters that very few shows match. While the characters do talk a lot of nonsense (in both series), there is still a style and a nuance to the speech that really entertains and even flashes of genuine intelligence (though not as many as I would like).

What else? The characters are as well drawn and as well conceived as ever (Hitagi is still incredible) and the new characters keep up to pace without any problems. Sadly, I think the writer likes his characters as much as we do and keeps trying to find a way to include as many of them as possible even when the characters have little to no part in what is main story, this being what constitutes the majority of the aforementioned messing around. Thank goodness they are cute and funny but after watching a whole episode that could have been summed up in five minutes at most (episode eight for those wondering); I was seriously losing patience with the show.

So yes, Nisemonogatari is for fans and I'm sure you guys love it without my advice. For everyone else, if you liked the original then give it a shot unless the increased sexual content bothers you but if you didn't then I don't see Nisemonogatari converting you any time soon.

I don't think it is as good as the first series, it has far too much fluff and far fewer brilliant moments. But if you can't get enough of NisiOisin's style, then this should satisfy you for a while. For everyone else it'still a passable show. — Aiden Foote

Recommended Audience: It goes to show that nudity is not required to make an ecchi show completely inappropriate for children. To say that the show uses some questionable camera angles and approaches some edgy topics is an understatement akin to calling the Queen of the United Kingdom "a little bit posh". Few shows I've come across have a more charged libido than this show and I recommend watching episodes in clusters to save on cold showers. One of my fellow reviewers here on THEM used the term smut and I can't think of any better. Nisemonogatari is smut and that's what you had better expect if you decide to watch it.