How Switching Directors Changed The Monogatari Series

[@StarMiners0416]

While the later seasons tended to grip me with character motivation and story, Bake holds me somehow with its style. Somehow the way the framing works in Bake makes the most mundane conversations seem interesting and makes clever use of symbolism more than anything. I was told going into the series that it's just characters talking in the most roundabout kind of way, wasting time and having the most boring of convos. Fortunately it seems like I like roundabout convos that waste my time but are so fun to partake in; it somehow makes these characters seem more real to me than the people around me.

[@Mercure250]

Did you mean that the characters seem more real to you than to people around you, or that, to you, they seem more real than even real people around you? Or both?

[@LoveFor298Yen]

It had a very comfy and spooky vibe to it. But I think only bake could have had no matter what since it was the first of the series, so once one gets acclimated the atmosphere lessens

[@scoresbees3681]

I really think bakemonogatari is my favorite season of one of my favorite shows of all time

[@nightcross1030]

I really like the direction of Bake, with the exception of the avant garde non-anime stuff. The audio manipulations, framing, etc are all excellent, and Bake does have its own distinct feel.

[@treader3126]

​@@nightcross1030the non anime stuff is peak shaft animation. It wouldn't be bake without it...

[@gulinotm]

this is why the hitagi/araragi park scene is one of my favorites in the series

[@momothain]

^^^

[@Simok1234]

This is just the type of thing I've been interested in. I'd love to see some comparison between their more recent work, such as the presentation and direction in Owarimonogatari compared to the Kizumonogatari films since they seem to contrast each other a lot more. I feel like Itamura's style became to most apparently different from Oishi when the Final Season adaptations started with Tsukimonogatari.

[@ErebosGR]

I completely agree. Everyone is riding the "Shinbou didn't direct Bake/Nisemonogatari" hipster bandwagon while those are the ones where Shinbou was involved more closely out of the whole franchise. It's clear that the more recent additions to the franchise moved further and further away from Shinbou's initial direction and vision.

[@austinp7966]

ErebosGR I think nise was definitely the low point for the monogatari series, but owari was the best since bake. and the films are looking brilliant. Aside from bake, where most of the "weird film stuff" was done purposefully, much od the rest of the series has copied the style with less impact/attention to detail. I'm not sure if the next series will best bake, or even owari, but I'm still looking forward to seeing what they do with it.

[@austinp7966]

ErebosGR I think nise was definitely the low point for the monogatari series, but owari was the best since bake. and the films are looking brilliant. Aside from bake, where most of the "weird film stuff" was done purposefully, much od the rest of the series has copied the style with less impact/attention to detail. I'm not sure if the next series will best bake, or even owari, but I'm still looking forward to seeing what they do with it.

[@ErebosGR]

Austin P If you had read the light novels, you'd known that Nise IS the most ecchi book of the series (NisioIsin has said that himself). It wouldn't have been accurate if they had cut all the bathroom scenes and whatnot out of the anime. For me, the highlight of the series was the second season (aka Zenmonogatari) and it has been downhill from that point. I am extremely disappointed with the Kizumonogatari movies so far, because of the complete change in art direction, from the background art to the character design. They felt as if a completely different director and studio took over the franchise.

[@austinp7966]

ErebosGR I've read most of the novels, and sure, nise had the worst original material, but I'm speaking less about fanservice & plot and more about art/cinemagraphic direction. The movies are really indulgent at times with flashy animation, but for the most part... I just can't take my eyes off it!

[@SatoshiOda]

Contrary to popular beliefs, Shinbo actually did a lot in all of his shows, mostly in the form of storyboard corrections. These corrections aren't credited, but if you ever got your hands on SHAFT's storyboards (e.g. shown in event, like in MADOGATARI, or some production material books), there will be parts where it's drawn on a normal paper (rather than storyboard paper), these koma are Shinbo's storyboard correction. He never got credited for this. And when he wrote the storyboard himself, he usually use another name. Homura Souji, Shiiya Futoshi, Shindou Satoko for example.

[@chitna802]

really?

[@TKgngn]

I’m Japanese but I didn’t know The Monogatari Series is directed by two directors, Itamura and Oishi. Thank you for the information.

[@gallowglass719]

Damn, while watching Bake I never noticed that Senjougahara and Araragi's power struggle was being expressed through visual symbolism. I haven't seen Nise yet, but I get the feeling from your descriptions that I'm going to end up preferring Oishi's style. Great analysis, dude.

[@McDudes]

Great video and I absolutely loves Tatsuya Oishi's composition his work on Kizumonogatari is perfect. I haven't seen anyone uses the rule of thirds and other eye leading techniques as good as him in any medium.

[@Gadottinho]

did you watched any kyoto animation or yamada naoko work ? cuz hyouka eye leading techniques are just perfect, I never saw anything better then those

[@hollyhandgrenade42]

When I first watched Bakemonogatari, I was not prepared for episode 3. I have watched earlier SHAFT shows and I had seen talky series, but episodes 3 of Bake threw a curve ball and I could not believe what I saw.

[@RADZIO895]

"I'm not saying Oishi is better director than Itamura" 5:52 >Talented - Oishi shot >Untalented - Itamura shot Hmmm 🤔🤔

[@cisnese6969]

He's telling us otherwise 😂

[@LeReVaQ]

This might be one of your highlights of the channel. Your voice is noticeably better and this kind of content is what we don't get to see that often. I like to see how directors weave their personality into their work. Thanks for this video!

[@JoshTheGamingNerd]

This might need an update now that Akiyuki Shinbo actually directed part of the series in Zoku Owarimonogatari

[@Strekks]

reaaaaaaaally good stoof

[@austinp7966]

thank you for this RC. Anyone can tell there are major departures between bake and nise, but you explain so well

[@oreomonogatari]

I love your videos! Very interesting and on my favourite series too :D certainly the Bakemonogatari scene was more perfect, with so much thought going into most every shot, but I thoroughly enjoyed Nisemonogatari as well.

[@cracked1006]

Hey oreo!

[@tipoingt]

I watched kisemonogatari, which série should I see next ?

[@ulard1036]

​@@tipoingt nekomonogatari kuro

[@relyat89]

Thanks dude. I've had such a hard time getting this across to people in the past. Very well articulated and helpful video. I'll be sure to just link this next time someone tries to argue with me on this topic. :)

[@fernandobassani7640]

great video, man (always)... cheers from brasil!

[@giancarloaltafini]

Loved this! I suppose I'm an anomaly though because I enjoyed Nise far more than Bake, as a visual experience it felt more substantial and I think having a bigger budget for sure had a great impact on the series.

[@pescimist]

I began watching this anime in around 2020 and my god this video makes so much sense to me now. Thank you RC Anime

[@Hydrobubble]

I did realize myself not so much into the later seasons compared to Bakemonogatari, even though I don’t know anything about film making. I was really hooked on Bake’s style, there was just something way more mysterious and tense in bake, with the shots and music working together it really made me feel like I was watching the characters in person. And with all the back stories and other things really made me feel that I want to know what happened. With the later seasons while I still enjoy them, I don’t enjoy it as much a bakemonogatari, the concept of mystery is gone and I kind of know everything what’s going on within the first couple episodes. It doesn’t keep me that hooked but regardless it’s a good show Edit: I forgot to mention how when I watched Kizu, I felt right at home, with Oishi directing it, I was just awestruck with the show, even though I knew it was a prequel to everything, I still found myself captivated with the style, I’m not saying Itamura is a bad director, I just can’t find that spark in his adaptation but like I said I didn’t go to film school so I could just be pulling this out of my ass

[@4grammaton]

Love this video, thank you very much for the information. There's one question that springs to mind after watching: could these directorial differences have been premeditated with the intent of accounting for the differing moods of the Bake/Nise source material? It's well known that Nisio Isin wrote Nise as a self-indulgent experimental venture of sorts, not intended for publication, and the mood and style of the work is very different. Also someone, maybe digibro, did an analysis of how Bake, Nise and then the second season, focus on different general themes and take different approaches towards exploring the characters and their relationships with each other, and these approaches ultimately fall into a logical sequence (I forgot the specific details, unfortunately.) In any case, perhaps the differences in mood, purpose, and focus points of character development and world building affected the choice of director for each installment.

[@RCAnime]

You're definitely right about how each Monogatari have different approaches due to their differing tones. Kizu's the best example recently, taking away all the internal monologues (most of the dialogue really) and tinting the color tones to only reds/oranges. Which is why I carefully tried to take two scenes that I felt were really similar, despite being in different story arcs. I felt that for the most part the Senjougahara/Araragi dynamic were really similar in both of these scenes. At least that's what I saw.

[@4grammaton]

RCAnime "Which is why I carefully tried to take two scenes that I felt were really similar" I understand that, but I just thought of another way of looking at this. Think of it this way: the dynamic is similar, but the relationship between the characters in the two series is at completely different stages. In Bake, Araragi and Gahara are pretty much strangers who slowly and gradually develop a friendship. We know that strangers are naturally inclined to size each other up and wage psychological battles for social dominance as they get to know each other. But on the other hand, they are also inclined to hide their emotional responses from each other, and they also don't know each other well enough to read one another's emotional/mental state, nor are they invested in each other enough to cause any significant changes in each other's mental state. Their mode of interaction in the scene reflects this: it is more external and also more impersonal. That's why in the cinematic sequence, we can associate this with the director's focus on the heavy coating of impersonal, abstract dominance symbolism that accompanies their physical interaction, and with a heavy accent on the surrounding, external environment as the main means of this interaction. In Nise, they're already dating: they're invested in each other, they trust each other, and the hierarchy is established (with Gahara standing miles overhead). I mean, hell, that's even besides the fact that Senjougajara is in essence a totally transformed character, internally at least. In any case, the camera work mirrors this fundamental change in their relationship: we focus more on the facial expressions and emotional cues that two partners notice easily within each other, which is also perhaps why they're more exaggerated than before. The quick splicings of cartoonish images into the scene are reminiscent of personal associations and in-jokes one comes up with when in a long-enough relationship with someone. At the same time, less seems to be going on physically in those wide-shot frames, which suggests that all these intricacies are inaccessible to an outside observer and that the close-up scenes are intimate revelations about how the characters feel about each other and how far their relationship has progressed. It also shows how their relationship has stabilised and achieved equilibrium, and is another way of highlighting character development. These are just quick ideas that I haven't had time to think about further, but I think that they're something to consider about these two scenes, and it convinces me that there is more to these differences than directorial style.

[@4grammaton]

RCAnime I guess the bigger question I'm asking is: in light of the above points, is there anything I've missed or left unaccounted for that would show with certainty that these differences are caused by the directors' different styles specifically rather than by a pre-conceived idea of how to show character changes? And if not, are there perhaps any other scenes that could be used for this comparison?

[@Gabriel-d]

Cool video! I really liked it. Honestly, I like the most Oishi's style.

[@AndyCamPalace]

Has anybody called you the Every Frame a Painting of anime?

[@JTB312]

Opest I think the inspiration is pretty obvious, not a problem though imo

[@projectfear22]

Can you tell me of more active channels like them

[@cyberhero10]

Your videos makes me feel so smart and relaxed!

[@iamalittleboat]

I've been thinking about Nisemonogatari a lot this evening, nice timing!

[@HoldenReviews]

Interesting video Matt, something I have been wondering and this video mentions is if Akiyuki Shinbo is not the director why is he always accredited as such? Why aren't the other directors solely attributed for their contribution? What is Shinbo's role in these shows?

[@RCAnime]

The other directors are always credited along with Shinbo in the credits of the shows and you can see them in AniDB or ANN. Usually they're credited as series director or something like that (Shinbo's normally chief director). Essentially Shinbo's job is to make sure everything that comes out of Shaft resembles that sort of "Shaft" look and doesn't derive too far away from it. So someone like Naoyuki Tatsuwa, who directed Nisekoi and Koufuku Graffiti, would go to Shinbo to see if things are close enough to the "Shaft feel." In a way he directs the studio, not the shows themselves. So individual directors are allow to expressed themselves in their own voice, which Shinbo doesn't normally tamper with, but they still go to him for guidance. To say he has no input at all is wrong, he's made big contributions before like for Madoka Rebellion, but it's like giving everyone the same pair of wings and see where they fly individually. Essentially Studio Shaft is a large Italian family and Shinbo's the mob boss.

[@tenroujaeger6172]

RCAnime If Shinbo is the don. Who is best girl?

[@HoldenReviews]

I see, that makes a bit more sense, so Shinbo made Shaft and offer they cannot refuse haha

[@McDudes]

That Shinobu is the director over the studio is a great explanation. Thanks it makes a lot of sense now I've been wondering this as well. I would like to know more of the details on what exactly he does. Do you know anywhere I can read more about it?

[@ozuco8507]

I also saw a picture a little while back that showed a storyboard and the edits on it made by various staff members, and a decent number were made by Shinbou, so he can play a direct part

[@Marcel221199]

Yeeees!!! Finally!!! Thanks Matt for the new Video! :)

[@kazel2kazel]

Would be cool if you can make a subtitles for this, love your videos, but it's hard to understand for me some of the places since I'm not native english speaker. Still a great job, keep it up

[@avikbellic911]

brilliant, i love these, you have done a amazing cover up, the whole series has a brilliant cinematic approach, not many appreciate this but this is how future art should be.

[@zaralbak]

Thanks for doing videos like this! Love to learn about directing stuff.

[@kenjitomobe1134]

Great video. Thanks for helping me appreciate my favorite series even more! Just wanted to mention though, there's a sort of low hum in the background on your voice over recording. It's quite noticeable when it cuts in and out.

[@Cunningstunts23]

This was interesting as heck

[@lloydasplund4187]

2:28 Music starts to play Aaaaaaaaahhhhh

[@loudeezh34]

Man this is a wonderful analysis.

[@dre6714]

I love your videos man. Great taste in choice of music as well.

[@mohammedhamed5151]

I like the atmosphere of your videos pretty good video

[@SwichKnight]

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the great video.

[@howlhei]

Wow this is a funny coincidence i literally today was looking into this series because i never actually finished it so was thinking on rewatching it xD

[@leviathan5207]

missed you ^^

[@danielbaljeu3669]

I've just started noticing director styles after seeing Anno's Shin-Godzilla having very similar shots to Evangelion. Seeing this makes me want to go back and re-watch Nisemonogatari (and other seasons) and compare them even further

[@MrAllenCrown]

Oh my god, when you see those menacing shots of that waifu, she totally looks like Lain. I must watch this anime.

[@zeratax]

Really appreciated this video, love your content. Short, but to the point. Though please do something about your audio setup. That constant "broooooom" is very irritating, especially if it always cuts in again.

[@HONKBEATS]

I´m so glady i have been following ur channel! It really makes me see things in anime that even after watching a series many times, u still get suprise after knowing about the litle details that were put on it. Monogatari was the series that most marked me (whit Nichijou) and is really great getting to notice those litle details and rewatching the series whit a new kind of vision. Thank you so much and I hope I see many more videos from this channel.

[@slathas]

incredible analysis, thanks a lot :)

[@rellan3170]

Going to a zoo vs going to the backyard

[@davidbradleyhill]

I like and appreciate these videos

[@rin198]

Another great video, always enjoy your videos man. Helped me with iGCSE Media hahaha.

[@az209]

I really enjoy your videos - always something to look forward to. Thanks for doing what you do! It may feel like you're adhering to a niche (maybe?) audience but know that we appreciate it ^^ (btw K-on link at the end of the vid is broken i think)

[@ilhamnizar3697]

Nice vids dude

[@2B87]

Please make a vid about Golden Boy. Would be the bomb!

[@bobboon7982]

you even got the editing right

[@mad_max21]

That Akira shoutout!

[@elliotchisholm3286]

The difference I could see in nisemonogatari was araragi's character design he looked more handsome in nisemonogatari than he did in bakemonogatari.

[@cahsahhhhhhhn]

Apparently that's what having someone to love can do for your complexion

[@kentstopme]

It was 2 and a half year gap in bake and nise so, the quality is noticeable

[@davepatois297]

@@kentstopme also bake had a significantly lower budget than nise

[@vezavezaaa]

@@davepatois297 i think it's because Bake is old(?), it's aried on 2009.

[@DarkFireBlade25]

aww it ended so quickly. Great stuff as always. After looking at the comparisons, i'd say I like Oishi's directional style a bit more. Framing is one of the most noticeable aspects of the show that I appreciate the most.

[@sahilhossian8212]

Lore of How Switching Directors Changed The Monogatari Series momentum 100

[@Boxmediaphile]

The Akira reference

[@fbi1819]

Why did I just get this video reccomended now?

[@goldentrout4811]

You deserve more subs

[@akieworks]

Are there any episodes that show Itamura's style at its best? I'd assume they'd be anything with an Araragi & Hachikuji conversation.

[@ChrisPTenders]

mmm... damn I could watch RC all day.

[@gulinotm]

If you can EQ your audio cut down around 60Hz for that hum ( a little bit around 120 also)

[@leoynadamas7227]

Itamura underrated

[@Basel-iv7zu]

definitely, monogatari s2 is the peak of the series along with kizu, also look at his work in call of the night and vanitas, for me he's one of the top active directors.

[@spam7738]

Great video man, can you do a video on colour grading in anime, like the colour tones overall, for example, there's a lot of green overtones in the danganronpa series compared to others. I was just watching it and started wondering.

[@EnwardHiggins]

You gonna do a video about the kizu trilogy mate?

[@arthrisis9629]

Justin Espeoni that would be so cool

[@Marcel221199]

Justin Espeoni Still waiting for a Penguindrum Analysis :')

[@Token_Nerd]

The difference? The importance of a toothbrush.

[@andryzoun]

Link to that Shibou interview please !?

[@Toast4tw]

Great video but I think there is some humming noise in the background (possibly from the mic?)

[@kanoeyuuko6464]

Shit now i know the use of director

[@projectfear22]

Cant anyone make a video specifically on the architecture of Monogatari Series :/

[@Reuizi]

i think i already read this from article call "shinbou is dead" .... RIGHT? :D

[@senflyer-]

I was wondering, I really enjoyed the first season of Bakemonogatari, but when Nisemonogatari aired I found myself not as interested, like something was lacking from the original that had made me like it in the first place. It wasn't just the direction, but more the characters or plot itself maybe, it's been awhile since I got into it. For those who have gotten further in the series is this a one off issue in Nise or a continuous problem later on? I see the series as a whole praised so often, but I don't fully understand why. Sometimes anime becomes so meta it's hard to tell how many layers of meta there are as well. I try to improve my insight through channels like these so I can enjoy more subtext or techniques on my own instead of having to have it explained after the fact, but sometimes things just go over my head.

[@Bawinni]

the more you watch of it, the better it gets imo. Nise is regarded for many as the worst season (still being good). Maybe this two articles could help getting you interested: wrongeverytime.com/2013/04/14/nisemonogatari-and-the-nature-of-fanservice/ wrongeverytime.com/2014/01/06/monogatari-and-the-monster-inside/

[@oreomonogatari]

+Okayu P the only Monogatari arc I had slight problems with was much later, the Shinobu Mail arc of Owarimonogatari. I really recommend you watch Monogatari series second season after Nise and Neko Kuro; it's where the series is really at its best in my opinion. The first arc of Nisemonogatari, Karen Bee, is quite long and has a lot of what can be argued as "filler" so it makes sense that it could have taken you longer to get into it. That being said, I honestly loved Nisemonogatari too.

[@senflyer-]

Thanks for the responses, I'll check those links out as well.

[@McDudes]

+Okayu P your disinterest in Nisemonogatari is understandable it's pretty much is the weakest part in the series and for good reasons. NisiOsin, the writer of the light novels, wrote Nisemonogatari for his own enjoyment only and didn't meant to publish it. But ended up doing so because the demand for more Monogatari was so high after the popularity of the Bakemonogatari anime. This is also why there's more fanservice in Nisemonogatari than in other parts. But this doesn't mean that Nisemonogatari is filler and can be skipped, because it introduces characters who shows up in later arcs and are important for the story, for example Kaiki. I highly suggest that you continue watching monogatari, Monogatari Second Season (not actually second season) is by many considered the best season.

[@drifter402]

Nise is probably the worst.

[@Ranko_o3o]

"No matter how talented or UNTALENTED A DIRECTOR IS *cuts to a scene while changing the cutting pace to have one scene fit the sentence*" Well that was violent.

[@Wizardcleave]

"Talented" - Oishi scene "untalented" - Itamura scene Gee I wonder which he likes more

[@achrafgr5449]

Just wow

[@shayoko6]

Same=boring with occasional awesome moments. Different=focuses more on other side characters

[@DayofToast]

Awesome

[@bernhard_jaeger]

RC do you have a playlist for all that amazing chill music? Would love to get a link :)

[@kinkstou]

cool

[@adam_kadmon1585]

Isa that the Japanese David Lynch?

[@hayate2889]

rc anime can do you a review of sousei no omnyouji

[@LonelyLabsMonkey]

I dunno m8. Sounds like a lot of Hoopla to me.

[@Kruukk]

I'm confused. On MAL Bakemonogatari wiki Itamura is listed as director for episode 2 not Oishi.

[@pedrocenturion7599]

What is the music by the end of the video?

[@levobertus]

Where did you find out that it wasn't Shinbo who directed it?

[@cisnese6969]

Idk, the way Itamura directs feels very "2deep4u". Meanwhile, the way Oishi does it feels much more natural.

[@Adam-og4dc]

I love your videos but please be more active!

[@Hato1992]

1 question. Why you say Araragi family name, but Hitagi given name?

[@fancyclown3593]

Bake number 1

[@vezavezaaa]

Bake is old lol

[@vezavezaaa]

But yeah, Bake is always no.1

[@momothain]

W

[@deekadiko]

arrragi

[@oliman300]

Bake is best

[@tygra2886]

3:53 That's look like 1:1 copy of a shot from „akira"

[@RADZIO895]

Yes, it's called reference

[@AntiNihilist]

I think there's a problem with this analysis considering there's NO power struggle. How does Koyomi ever challenge HItagi's superior personality and analysis of Koyomi's situation or problem?

[@TheVideolover45]

Wasn't Nisemonogataria basically Nisio Isin's fanfiction that ended up getting published? Nisemonogatari was basically a gross as fuck series that probably shouldn't have been made. It's only natural that one director had more freedom.

[@gallowglass719]

How do you write fanfiction for a series you created?

[@seeyouspacecowboy14]

it's not gross, Fire sisters arc was great. the introduction to kaiki too big deal 1 toothbrush scene

[@peehedd]

Well said in every regard. However, i like Itamura more.