[Updated with Video Script] Hitagi Rendezvous and the Importance of Screentime

Monogatari’s main story arc has come to an end with the release of Owarimonogatari 2. Of course, this ‘End Story’ isn’t the true end of Monogatari; there are plenty more books left to be adapted, and evidence points towards the idea that plans are already in the works. But we’ve now seen the end of Koyomi Araragi’s final year of high school, and with it, the end of an era. This story that’s been going on for more than 8 years has finally ended, and it’s done so in great fashion. The ending feels utterly conclusive, and though I’m certainly eager to see the coming stories, I’d be willing to accept it if we stopped here.

Top 30 Anime

A little under a year ago I published a list of my Top 25 anime. While it was accurate at the time, it’s been a while, and my opinions have certainly shifted in that period. I’ve watched more anime now, so I figured I might as well raise the number, and here I am with a new and improved Top 30. Most shows could shift up or down a few points based on my whims, and there are plenty of shows that would likely rank on here if I rewatched them, but there’s no helping that. I’ll never watch everything I love within a few years. This is the most accurate list I can make for myself right now, and I hope you enjoy it.

Why I love it – Monogatari’s Characterization

The Monogatari series is far from perfect. It’s a show which is overly sexualized, overly wordy, and overly indulgent. I can hardly watch two episodes without groaning at some minor aspect of it. Despite that, it’s managed to become one of my favorite anime, even through multiple watches. What makes the series so enjoyable and valuable in spite of all the flaws is the characters and their interactions.

What makes Monogatari stand out among many other shows is that unlike many similar dialogue-heavy light novels, the show possesses strong character voice. The many important characters in Monogatari are meaningfully unique people who are more than archetypes, and this comes through in the show’s many conversations. The dialogue is always full of unique interactions that lead to one of the most memorable casts in anime. I’ll go through all the important characters thus far to explain why they mean so much to me.

Top 25 Anime

This is out of date. Very soon I’ll be making a Top 30 post, so if you read it bear in mind that nothing here is still applicable. 
I’ve been a fan of anime for a while now, but I’ve never put together a post with all of my favorite shows, so here’s my first attempt. This is obviously all my opinion, as is everything else I write. I plan on updating this post whenever another anime makes it this far up my list. For the sake of this list, I’ll be consolidating all seasons, movies, and other parts of a series into one, assuming they’re in the same continuity. Without further ado, let’s start the list.