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「なでこメドゥーサ其ノ貳」 (Nadeko Meduusa So no Ni)
“Nadeko Medusa Part Two”
Continuing from last week’s awesome start, it seems like the story is going to take the time to slow down and really wrap itself around us. Because if this week’s events are any indication of how this arc is going to go, it looks like it’s going to be a long time until we reach the epic battle to the death between Sengoku and Araragi.
With the whole Medusa/Snake theme being pushed on us throughout the entire episode, I’m kind of confused with where the story is trying to go. We have this snake deity who’s trying to find his physical body and instead of going to someone who’s competent at finding such things chooses our lovely and unreliable Sengoku. And instead of forcing her to do his bidding (because I’m sure even in a “low power” state that aberrations have the ability to easily control humans) he’s simply using the power of guilt to persuade her into helping him. Then on Sengoku’s side, I can’t logically figure out why she would choose to help a powerless aberration especially when she has a half-vampire demon-slaying senpai who’s ready to come to her aid at a moments notice.
All of which really bothers me since it seems like this whole situation probably wouldn’t even need to occur if everyone involved exercised just a little bit more common sense. But seeing how I watch anime to enjoy myself, the whole situation becomes a lot clearer when you throw logic out the window. How I see things so far, which is based off of the notion that everything that’s been stated is true, is that Sengoku is trying really hard to change herself. Instead of being the cute damsel in distress who’s can’t help herself, she’s trying to take charge and do things herself. The only problem is that I think Sengoku knows what she’s doing is wrong and wants someone (most likely Araragi) to recognize that and punish her for it. Which would in turn finally liberate her from being that type of person — except no one is doing so. From her teacher to Araragi himself, everyone is plainly viewing her as a cute helpless girl. While I can’t blame them when she’s cute a cutie, I loved it when Shinobu decided to take things into her own hands. Using her well known style of belittling someone and then not giving a care in the world how you take it, I loved watching her really get into the nitty-gritty of things as she called out all of Sengoku’s insecurities. But if I were to apply it to everything else we’ve seen, it’s a shame that this awesome rant is probably going to push her down the wrong direction.
That said, besides an in-depth look at Sengoku’s character and some juicy fan-service shots for the loli lover in all of us, there wasn’t much else that happened this week! We still don’t know what that snake’s overall objective is nor do we know if Araragi is going to do anything about it. That said, I think I’m starting to like the slower pacing that SHAFT is giving us. Not only will it hopefully give the ending to this arc a bit more impact but I also really like the in-depth look we’re getting at Sengoku’s personality. I don’t know about you but I don’t remember he being this dark of a person!
End Card
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The HanaKana Power Hour, Episode 2!
vampire punch
https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Monogatari%20Second%20Season%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
It doesn’t seem like Shinobu likes Sengoku a whole lot. Her rant this time was especially brutal.
Shinobu says that she and Araragi are linked, so she can tell what he is feeling. Given that we already know that in another timeline she destroys the world because he dies, is it really a surprise that she’s going to lay into a girl that he’s just tried to bed?
The only girl Shinobu grudgingly approves of is Hitagi, the one who just happens to be too traumatised about sex to let Araragi do anything more than kiss her.
Interesting, so that’s how Shinobu really feels about Hitagi? Was this mentioned in the novel?
I wanted to verify since the last episode in the last arc, where Kiss-shot mentioned that she ran away from home because of a silly jealousy. Was she jealous of Hitagi becoming Araragi’s girlfriend then?
If that’s the case, I understand if she has the same attitude towards Hitagi, but I still cant understand why dislikes Nadeko that much. I mean there are other girls that love Araragi, other than Hitagi, there’s Hanekawa who pretty much confessed and there’s Hachikuji whom Araragi is crazy with.
In Nadeko Snake arc, she mentioned that Shinobu eyed with respect to Meme and Araragi and with absolute scorn on her during her brief stay at the cram school.
Watching it again, it seems more like it’s just a 600 year old vampire, a king of demons, talking to a quiet, young human girl. Said vampire is currently occupying the body of a child, and is kinda oblivious to the incongruity of her poise 😛
https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Monogatari%20Second%20Season%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2039.jpg
Yeah, the characters’ motivations are a bit puzzling, aren’t they? Nadeko helps Kuchinawa despite him having no leverageover her, and Kuchinawa finds the laziest person to do this impossible task. These will get explained by the end, though I can’t say it’s the most satisfying of explanations. It’s something you can see coming if you are suspicious enough of what’s going on, though. And keep in mind this series is very good at escalating things very very quickly as it nears the end of a story. Can’t really say more than that. 😡
There’s a perfectly logical explanation. In a couple of more episodes.
I can think of a few things, one obvious one of course is that she feels guilty and wants to do something. Sharing the problem doesn’t help, even though she’s scared. To me she also has stubborn and selfish streaks (her scenes in Nisemonogatari), which I think are at play here. She’d rather be in a situation where she thinks she has control, even though it’s scary. It’s the same problem when she was cursed with the jagirinawa, she wanted to handle it herself and not tell anyone, even the fact that she was in pain. She (again) doesn’t want others to be mad at her for keeping a secret.
As for Araragi and common sense, he’s too kind. For example, in Suruga Monkey how Oshino pointed out that he believed his killer’s story. He’ll happily believe that Nadeko is a good, honest girl who wouldn’t lie to him.
Favourite scene: Kyuketsuki punch!
Good point. As for me, I am trying to see her sinister side, and would also think that maybe and I mean just maybe, she wants attention from Koyomi so she purposely decides to get close to the snake so that Koyomi would worry and help her. After all, Koyomi gets really involved with cases of supernatural. Still just a theory, but might be possible after her laughing and feeling excited of piercing the heart of the man she loves last episode lol
so..Sengoku is also class rep (among class rep) 😛
anyway. yes, the pace seems a bit slow, but it’s important. we still had an interesting episode with meaning, hints and other stuff that will be important. plus there was some little development with those monologues or dialogs that gets meaning, for example when Nadeko said she didn’t want Araragi to worry about her, but at the end he did (because of something else but nevermind). and the conversation with Araragi later when she keep lying to him despite he hit “Bingo” again and again.
the incident with Shinobo was very intriguing. not only she seemed to notice something going on both with Nadeko’s mind and body (by that I mean the apparition), but also she somehow intimidate Nadeko. that was a short meeting but important, the snake said something about “thanks to shinobo”..so something important there.
clearly we are still confused with what’s going on with this deity snake. sometimes he talk but not always(especially in Araragi’s home), he also hide something from Nadeko. if I examine what shinobo said this episode(“you are more a monster than apparition are”) and the glimpse of the beginning of the previous episode..I’d have said that Nadeko already become some monster.
Also, there were a few moments when Nadeko try to reject him as much as possible – if it’s in the class when he disturb her or when he ask what the teacher wants from her and so on. so maybe he isn’t completely control her yet cause he needs his body or something?
I don’t know.
so yes..something’s going on, and as monogatari knows to do, they give us signs and hints full of meaning,but still I wanna know more.
It never ceases to amaze me how easily Shinobu can steal the show. SO CUTE! LOL at “vampire punch” which was followed up by a genre savvy breaking the 4th wall moment in referencing the Tokyo bill. To top top it all off, Shinobu goes on to comment about how cute Sengoku is… second only to Shinobu herself of course. 😀 I’m not sure who I would rank 2nd, but there’s no doubt in my mind Shinobu is #1 on my Monogatari kawaii list. Shinobu’s screen time alone made the entire episode worth watching.
Of course there were other entertaining moments as well. Snakes have traditionally been associated with tricks, lies, etc. and this one is no exception. It says something to the effect of how it usually doesn’t talk much… then continues talking non-stop for like 15 minutes straight until Sengoku finally tells it to shut up. LOL Yep, that snake’s nothing but a liar. At this point IDK know how much of anything it has said so far is true.
The pace might have slowed down this week, but I’m OK with that. Sometimes a change of pace is good, and there’s plenty of things to think about such as to what extent Sengoku is truly a victim in all of this. Another thing (at least for me) to consider is why Shinobu wasn’t able to detect the snake’s presence. That kind of surprised me. I guess the snake has some ability to hide even from her powers of observation.
Maybe it wasn’t strong enough of a presence? After all it’s still looking for its real body. Also, I think the snake is afraid of her and also Koyomi, since the snake despite being really talkative especially since it was at night and it can do or say whatever it wanted (as part of its deal with Nadeko) was weirdly really quiet. I believe even Nadeko noticed why it wasnt talking at all.
That’s a possibility, though I think its also able to hide itself somewhat as well – probably a combination of the two. I did notice that Sengoku was wondering why it disappeared. I definitely agree that the snake is afraid of Shinobu at this point since it’s not strong enough to confront her with any chance of winning. From the opening there is some serious power-up in the works whenever it does find its body. Plus, maybe Shinobu was more worried about keeping Araragi out of jail. LOL.
In any case should be a fun ride watching this all play out. Looking forward to the next EP as always. :D.
I love the lyrics of the song Delusion Express, about how she chooses not to understand what is truly happening and relies on other people cutely. Reminds me of Shutter Island.
I wonder if anyone else would interact directly with the snake during this arc. “Can’t really say more than that. :x”
That end card is rather….. well lets not go there XD
I’ve never really come to really like Sengoku’s character. Compared to all the other girls, I find she is rather lacking. Senjougahara has her sadism, Hanekawa her uniqueness, Kanbaru her eroism, Mayoi her comedic interactions with Koyomi, and Shinobu for being Shinobu. Probably the main reason why I don’t outright dislike Sengoku is becuz of HanaKana :P. Well, this arc would definitely give her more exposure so I guess my opinion of her can change.
Best moments in this episode was definitely Koyomi being true to his nature (a perv!) and Shinobu giving him a “Sho-ryu-ken!” to stop him from committing a crime XD. Though I’m willing to bet that Sengoku probably would not have been against it… hehe…
I was never really invested in Shinobu either but that’s exactly why I’m starting to like this arc more & more as it’s doing a good job so far at fleshing out her personality better.Can’t say I’m into lolies but I find her “enchantress” side,as Shinobu put’s it,quite um,enchanting 😛
Also,this and this are hot.This is creepy,but fitting for this arc.
LOL.. Shinobu shows her possessive side.
… is me or she is interfering a lot lately? she also interrupted Koyomi “Oni-chan” from playing/attacking/glomping Mayoi some episodes ago.
“Vampire Punch” .. requesting an animed Gif!
I think she’s just letting her (wonderful) personality show; she was suppressing it during Bakemonogatari. And of course there’s some level of jealousy involved 🙂
She’s VERY POSSESSIVE, so much so that she even disliked it when it’s her own self from another time line or world.
I noticed that she even disliked it when the last arc, when Kiss-shot requested that Araragi pat her head for the last time, and she made a displeased face as she cant interfere with it.
I would also add that I know it’s off topic but in the final episode in the last arc, when they met Kiss-shot, that she mentioned the reason why she ran away from home was because of a silly jealous. So I’m guessing at that time she was jealous when she found out that Araragi got a girlfriend.
It seems the biggest issue people in the show have with Nadeko’s is a lack of ambition and her willingness to not ever speak up. And while that’s a fatal problem, it’s not something that deserves being crucified over especially at the age of middle school.. The worst part is that she’s never consciously manipulated people that way, and while that doesn’t excuse her, she has the most unbalanced punishments out of all the Monogatari Girls.
Indeed.
(I have asked this in the comments section of the previous episode, but I was too late since nobody visits there anymore it seems:D
Of all girl-oddities Arararagi had faced over the years, is this the first one he ever said “I’m here to kill you” to?
What did she do actually?
How is Araragi willing to die for the Rainy Devil-Suruga (Who hurt who knows a lot of people before using his intestines as a lasso) and Black Hanekawa (who also caused a lot of grief throughout the city) but is acting threatening to this one? going so far to say “That’s right, she’s just an enemy, and a food for you.
Yes, it’s the first time that we’ve seen. But the other girls weren’t taken over by their aberrations (Kanbaru was close). According to Shinobu in that episode, Nadeko is past the point of no return. Oshino thought Hanekawa was too the first time since that’s usually the case for the Meddlesome Cat, but realized that wasn’t the case. For me, the big question looming over this arc is whether or not Nadeko will survive.
Oh, as for what she did, we don’t know yet. As for him willing to die, apparently he didn’t value his life much; he values the lives of others more than his. That was the thing that Black Hanekawa was forcing out of him in the last episode of Bakemonogatari, to make him save himself and realize his life has worth.
It seems the reason he’s like that is related to the reason he turned into a delinquent and had a falling out of sorts with his parents (it was mentioned in passing this season, I think Hanekawa said it).
Since the last arc, I’ve been thinking how terrifying it would have been for Black Hanekawa to kill Koyomi because she lost patience and he didn’t save himself, and to have Kiss Shot rise at full power out of his shadow in rage (I assume she was still hiding there in that timeline).
I am still trying to look past Nadeko’s diabetic cuteness and try to see her true nature but somehow or rather, her oblivious cuteness just stops me from doing it.
I am indeed guilty of what Shonobu says. Her oblivious cuteness makes everyone just want to help her out or “disregard” her flaws
What an episode! Shinobu’s vampire punch was hilarious and man she’s really doing her best to keep him from sleeping with Nadeko. It also shows her dislike toward Nadeko sneering at the end saying she’s lucky she’s cute, as if saying to her that the only good thing going for her is that she’s cute and because of that she gets away with everything.
I laughed at when Shinobu cutely bragged about how Nadeko is only second to her. Still I agreed with Shinobu’s comment. Hachikuji’s probably 3rd and have the potential to even steal 1st place what with the usual Araragi’s thoughts of her.
I really like the snake’s dialogue. It’s entertaining yet sinister at the same time.
Oh, God. Araragi, wat r u doing in ur sis room while she’s asleep?
We demand more head tilts.
Of all the girls, Nadeko probably possesses the most sexual frustration, it may or may not be intentional on Shaft / Nisio Isin’s part. The very suggestive end-card illustration reinforces that image.
https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Monogatari%20Second%20Season%20-%2013%20-%20Large%20End%20Card.jpg
Senjougahara is quite forthcoming with her sexuality, so too is Hanekawa when she’s in her cat form, and Kanbaru is batshit insane as a lesbian. Mayoi being a loli is a bit too “young” (mentally), and Shinobu is a mature woman in a loli’s body. Mayoi and the Fire Sisters are probably the closest things to normal girls we have in this series.
That leaves just Nadeko, always unwittingly playing the damsel in distress, exacerbating the sexual tension the audience feels for her, yet her slow descent to the “Dark Side” (from cute pure loli to “slutty” evil snake overlord) is plain for all to see.
Notice her smirk at knowing that her dear Koyomi-nii-chan was looking for her.
https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Monogatari%20Second%20Season%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2020.jpg
And how she hardly managed to conceal her delight at the thought of sharing a bed with Araragi.
https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Monogatari%20Second%20Season%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2028.jpg
Shinobu, being the immortal that she is, instantly saw through such a facade and was naturally disgusted by Nadeko, though she was probably too harsh in her belittlement of Nadeko, and that may be enough to nudge Nadeko further into the point of no return.
Ararargi has a death wish. Even if Senjougahara didn’t find out, his sisters come in to wake him up. Finding him in bed with Nadeko would be tantamount to suicide.
And Mayori is the cutest. Sorry Shinobu, you are a close second though.
Ararargi has a death wish. Even if Senjougahara didn’t find out, his sisters come in to wake him up. Finding him in bed with Nadeko would be tantamount to suicide.
LMAO at the sheer mayhem that would cause. Tsukihi flipping out on discovering them (“Onii-chan~ please wait here while I go to the store to buy a ‘vulcan’ cannon”). OTOH, Tsukihi did say that she wasn’t one to interfere with a friend’ “romance”. Would Karan be surreptitiously jealous (grabbing the nearest toothbrush before confronting Araragi)? Don’t forget Hanekawa as well. I’m sure she’d punish Araragi severely by just using guilt/disappointment tactics alone. Kanbaru would probably rush over to join “in the fun” which would add even more fuel to a raging fire.
So many possibilities… and none of them good for Araragi. XD He owes Shinobu like 500 donuts for saving him from all that.
Agree: he does have a death wish.. lol
Dissagree: Shinobu is the Cutest!
PS: then again mebe im odd.. but i dont find Nadeko so cute.. child-like? defenseless? oblivious? yeah .. but cute? not that much.. then again i dont like “little-sister” types much.
Didn’t know the forum rules allowed such brnlliait posts.
has araragi shown up yet in this series? oh good.
i stopped watching at episode 4 because he still hadn’t made an appearance.. in what episode does he finally appear???
Episode 4, at the end, I’m pretty sure. The series held up fine without Araragi in those few episodes, not sure what people are discontent about. The rest of the series goes back on the Araragi track again though, if that makes you happier.
Facepalm.
You quit watching simply because your favourite character decided to take time out? Don’t get me wrong, for Araragi is our favourite badass lolicon, but your commitment to this series is much weaker than it would seem if you can’t even withstand watching a single episode where he doesn’t appear.
1. there’s only so much of tsubasa’s ‘straight man’ monologue that i can endure, while araragi’s monologues were wacky and varied. 2. he is the MC 3. 4 episodes of essentially 1.5 characters (tsubasa and a bit of senjogahara) starts to get a bit wearisome for me.
just my opinions, not passing any judgement.
and lol what, “my commitment to this series”? are you serious.. i watch what i find fun and enjoyable, it began to stop getting fun by ep4 without araragi so i stopped watching.
clearly i’m not hardcore enough to plow on regardless on whether i like it or not.
And I didn’t think we’d meet a more screwed up person in this show. Thanks Nadeko for taking top honors!
Great liars tell the truth to hook you in, make you believe, gain your trust and then turn around and slam reality at you when it suits them. Which is what Nadeko has been doing so long that she probably is as much an aberration as the snake is. This episode was meant to hit that home, which it did.
Oh the snake isn’t innocent. Don’t get me wrong. His lie and time will come. Until then, he’s only going be telling the truth to her to build up that trust.
Well to me it seem that Shinobu knows what Nadeko really is, and I don’t mean a white snake possessed child, but a tempting suductris who will do who knows what if given the chance to sleep in the same bed our pervy hero.
In fact Shinobu pretty much says that when she was giving Nadeko an ear full about her behavior and attitude.
I’ve always seen Nadeko as evil, not “I’m going to take over the world evil” but a selfish jealous evil…..and very “snake like” as well.
I don’t find her cute either, never really did, now Hanekawa on the other hand……
!! i short record of that kaka laugh for my phone..
!! i need a short record of that kaka laugh for my phone..