The Monogatari series is a strange franchise. It might be comparable to "Mushishi", "xxxHolic," or even "Haruhi Suzumiya," but with the best modern visual anime studios, clever writing, and unique direction. "Bakemonogatari," the first 15-episode season of a long running show (to date, it produced new content for nearly a decade as the author's original light-novels continue to be written) feels like something you can't help but hate and love at the same time, and it is worth watching purely for the novelty of it existing.Araragi is a vampire. Well, a half-vampire, cured by a local shaman/monster-expert named Oshino. Araragi, our hero, happens to catch a girl named Senjogahara when she falls from the sky of their school, in a beautifully laid out scene. But she is nearly weightless, like that scene in "Castle in the Sky." This is because she is possessed by a demon, or an apparition, which Araragi and Oshino quickly resolve. The rest of the series continues in a similar fashion, with five girls in their own multi-episode arcs with demon issues.This may sound like a familiar setup for a harem show. And that's exactly what it is. Yes, "Bakemonogatari" is a harem show, where the main character (a guy) is surrounded by girls (technically six) that need his help, ultimately falling for him. But the use of demons makes it a bit more interesting. Even more interesting are the girls themselves: Senjogahara fatally threatens Araragi early on with school supplies, with only his vampire immortality saving him. Despite that, she becomes the ultimate tsundere (even declaring herself as such) by becoming his girlfriend, all the while carefully choosing her words to make fun of him whenever possible. The other girls (a young child, a lesbian, a younger sister's friend, the vampire that bit him, and a old friend that secretly has feeling for him) are all surprisingly unique, even though their general archtypes can be seen in many anime. And other than one other girl, only one has distinct feelings of love for our main character, making us less annoyed that so many characters would fall for one man. Restricting the show's complete cast to be so small is also commendable.The unique characters and monster stories are accented with clever writing. Most of the show is pure dialogue, some episodes having nothing but long conversations between two characters. But it's darn good writing, full of jokes (and the occasional pop-culture reference) that makes it fun instead of boring. There's also a sprinkle of extreme violence, taking advantage of Araragi's immortality. Most of the show is actually full of fanservice, both audio and visual, making this one of the most sexual shows you'll see, despite being tame enough not to show nipples or anything so risque. Also, Araragi is the one character that feels too similar to that of other shows, wanting to help everyone around him at his own expense, thinking of others before himself, a repetitive trait. Despite that incredible animation and background design (this show likes to switch to extreme widescreen), the character designs aren't remarkable, and most of the show doesn't require much animation due to conversations taking up the majority of the show. Even so, much of the show is replaced with simple temp-cards that show text relating to what is happening: a unique visual that works effectively, but would feel cheap, especially since they appear so quickly that you can't read the text. That's the extent of the pros and cons of the show, and more than anything makes the show unique.
A comment on the lack of dub. Most people insist that the quick-talking conversations and inside jokes referring to Japanese language and similarities in writing of certain words make it impossible to dub. I strongly disagree: if I understand the jokes in a sub, I can in a dub, and feel a dub cast would have a ball working with this show. Also a comment on the openings and endings, which are arguably my favorites among all anime.This is the gateway for harem anime for most people. And it takes the romantic aspects quite well (the date episode near the end is surprisingly effective). The monster aspects are also worth the watch alone. If you don't mind the tedious dialogue and perversion, it might actually grow on you. It demands to be seen at least once.