First Impressions / Monogatari Series

「そだちロスト 其ノ壹」 (Sodachi Rosuto Sono Ichi)
“Sodachi Lost Part One”

Y’know, I don’t think I can actually tell when Araragi is being mentally manipulated by Ougi, and when he is just being thick. I can imagine him talked into treating free sushi to one with less subliminal hypnotic powers than Ougi. Araragi simply doesn’t have it in him to be critical of people, or at least women. Not when they’re trying to murder him, and not when they’re trying to mooch a meal of him, and not when they’re trying to, from the looks of it, seduce his mind and devour his soul.

So it’s evident that Araragi isn’t going to bail himself out of this one, so it’s a good thing that Hanekawa still has the good sense to be apprehensive about Ougi (though of all the women in Araragi’s life who should notice that Araragi’s being played it would be Shinobu, who seems to go into hiding whenever Ougi’s around). Or rather, it seems that Hanekawa’s the only one who’s ever sensible at all (repressed cat demon thing aside), in a cast that is invariably weird and/or crazy. That said, we haven’t really seen much interaction between Ougi and anyone but Araragi; most of her other manipulative shenanigans are implied off-screen. I’ve never seen (non-feline) Hanekawa look so hostile before; is she the only one who doesn’t buy Ougi’s act? Or is Araragi just particularly susceptible to suggestion? Ougi did try to get into Hanekawa’s head as well, but that’s more a demoralising villain monologue than the outright memory tampering she does with Araragi. Still, it seems that Hanekawa, the girl who seems to know everything, is at a disadvantage against Ougi, who probably does know everything. But that’s not the real matchup, though. The real matchup is Ougi vs the might of Hanekawa’s breasts.

No prizes for guessing who wins that one.

Were these not the breasts that launched a thousand ships? The same that doomed Napoleon at Waterloo? Is it not said that we went to the moon not because it was easy, but because of Hanekawa’s breasts? Gaze upon these breasts ye mighty, and despair! Araragi’s true weakness is not Hanekawa to whom he owes a life debt, but the prospect of contact with her mammaries. Say what you want about being able to tell that something was weird, Araragi, no one’s going to believe you even if you had Ougi’s hypnoeyes. Oh, I bet you sensed a disturbance in the force. Sensed it hard.

…I feel like I just wasted a lot of my life there. Mine and yours.

Looking ahead ~ Pajama party at the Oikura’s

So, after an entire episode, we’ve finally made it from the school gates to Oikura Sodachi’s place, as was first intended. I suppose if you view it as the apocalyptic first showdown between Ougi and Hanekawa, fought with Japanese politeness judo, then it was time spent well enough. It was refreshing to see someone stand up to Ougi for once instead of being twisted around her/his/its little finger. It still makes one wonder what Ougi’s intentions are, as he/she/it does seem a lot more obstructive this episode than the previous. Why must she come along with Araragi to visit Oikura Sodachi? Hopefully with Hanekawa’s involvement more will be revealed about Ougi—she’ll keep up with Kaiki well enough in the future—since Araragi himself seems blanked from forming any useful thought about Ougi other than tautologies.

Well, Sodachi first. Number 444 must be an awfully unlucky place to live in Japan, what with ‘four’ being a homophone for ‘death’ in Japanese. How ominous.

End Card

33 Comments

  2. Ougi: I promise you, Araragi-sempai, that if you go with me, then no matter what mystery lies ahead, that we’ll solve it together.

    Hanekawa: I promise you, Araragi-kun, that if you go with me, then I’ll let you grope my breasts.

    Ougi REKT.

    Hanekawa has gone badass ever since she embraced her Cat and Tiger in Tsubasa Tiger, she doesn’t even hesitate one bit in using her sexual appeal to her advantage when push comes to shove.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

      1. nah owari is set after nekomonogatari shiro.

        this is supported by the fact that hanekawa and hitagi are close friends now, which they werent really until after hitagi invited her to her house when hanekawa’s home was burned by the tiger.

        amado
        Reply

  4. https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Owarimonogatari%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2036.jpg

    Araragi’s true weakness is not Hanekawa to whom he owes a life debt, but the prospect of contact with her mammaries.

    Hanekawa is not amused, she has that “You clearly chose Hitagi over me, yet you still have interest in my assets?” look.

    That’s probably going to contribute to more stress lol
    (probably leading to the manifestation of Black Hanekawa again in the long run)

    Can’t wait for Kizumonogatari’s first part then, it should have Show Spoiler ▼

    Techim
    Reply

  5. Y’know, I don’t think I can actually tell when Araragi is being mentally manipulated by Ougi,
    and when he is just being thick. Araragi simply doesn’t have it in him to be critical of people, or at least women.
    That said, we haven’t really seen much interaction between Ougi and anyone but Araragi;
    most of her other manipulative shenanigans are implied off-screen.
    Or is Araragi just particularly susceptible to suggestion?

    https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Owarimonogatari%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2016.jpg

    Not sure about anime-only watcher impressions, but after having accidentally spoiled myself on Ougi’s nature a while ago,
    I’m actually enjoying all her scenes in Owarimonogatari even better.
    There was even a symbolic hint in this episode itself, though it didn’t get screencapped.
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Techim
    Reply

  6. Thank you for blogging this! I don’t think anyone else could have done as much justice with this series as you do.

    I spent this entire episode observing Ougi and still I have no idea what kind of apparition she might be. Also it bothers me that Araragi seems to be fine with being called a fool so many times and not react to it…must be Ougi’s hypnotizing powers. Anyway, seems like Shaft also had a hard time animating this episode. What else could they have done with a talk near the street but animate cars and traffic lights? 😛

    Yukie
    Reply

  8. Hiroshi Kamiya, I feel like, doesn’t get enough credit for his voice. Which, yeah, an oxymoron to end all oxymorons, and it’s pretty fashionable to hate/dismiss him these days since he’s so overexposed, but MAN does the guy know how the tool that is his voice. The story, all these years, hinges in its core completely on Araragi’s narration, and he carries it perfectly. It might be tinted with nostalgia, after years of following, but hearing the rhythmics of his monologue eases me right back in the narration like nothing else.

    Thanks for the boobie soliloquy; very Shakespearian. Then again, Araragi’s unbelievable amount of thirst for mammaries probably deserves no lesser treatment. On the related note, poor Araragi. Puberty happened many years ago, but it’s sure a bitch. Pure sucker just literally flopping around in background while the real players duke it out (I love Araragi). Between Shinobu, Senjougahara and Hanekawa, the females in the series never fail to make me proud of carrying the XX chromosome.

    And of course hooray for more Hanekawa. Nisio Isin’s overzealous introduction of new and new characters sometimes leaves me (respectfully) wishing he would ease up on this part – and of course, it is done for a reason I KNOW, he uses them as a deck of hards and builds himself a stronger hand yada yada rules of story composition, but it’s naturally hard to be as invested in someone you’ve saw for the first time two episodes ago. I don’t mind Oikura, but I just can’t be assed to be excited with her as much as I could with someone from the recurring cast. Or maybe it’s the twin tails.

    Lampazo
    Reply

    1. I have no doubt that there are many who appreciate Kamiya Hiroshi’s talents; that’s the reason he’s used so much. That said, he does have a distinctive voice, which for some may detract from a performance if they tire of hearing the same voice or cannot eject associations with his other roles. I find no problem with it, but I cannot speak for everyone. And I think some credit should also be given to the sound director too when a good performance pops up in anime, though a talented veteran obviously helps.

      Passerby
      Reply

  9. I’m really impressed at the level of symbolism on display. From just using some screenschots at the top:
    Araragi and Hanekawa are walking together but nearly always separated. From standing away from eachother to having a walkway rail between them.
    Ougi bringing in a filter over the world, opening the path to his ear, manipulating Araragi with his character (Ougi being Araragi’s shadow).
    The manipulation is broken and the normal colors return until Ougi nearly wins the argument and the world turns red.
    Araragi is thrust unto the stage and into the spotlight for his final decision.
    I only have a passing knowledge of cinematic techniques but these where really easy to pick out.

    Yamada
    Reply

    1. add on the conveyor belt araragi was riding on while hanekawa was just walking. it wasnt just to show how both of them were on different wavelength, but also to show how araragi just went with the flow like letting ougi just tag along while hanekawa was to show how she’s conscious and in control of her decisions.

      amado
      Reply

  10. OUGI HAS ACTUAL HANDS.

    DID ANYONE SEE THEM?

    And after seeing Senjougahara duke it out with Oikura, I was almost hoping Hanekawa would face off with Ougi in a physical sense.

    Azsurance
    Reply

  12. araragi’s dense, but not that dense.

    remember last ep where he was surprised that he told ougi about his parents? then later on, hanekawa herself confirmed that araragi USUALLY wouldnt tell anyone about his parents, especially to someone he just met a few days ago.

    amado
    Reply

  13. I don’t think whoring yourself out after losing an argument is badass at all. ‘Pathetic’ is the word I’d use.

    Well, ougi is a cheater by brainwashing araragi so there’s that.

    Heisenberg
    Reply

  15. When Araragi called Ougi a ‘cute underclassman’ I kind of had to mentally go ‘cute? THAT?’

    It’s also vaguely amusing to note that to any eavesdropper who didn’t know the context (and somehow also failed to be utterly creeped out by Ougi) it probably would have sounded like an argument between two girls who like one guy. Heh.

    Corin
    Reply

    1. I also think she is cute… Is that weird? She creeps me out do not be mistaken about that. But I do find her cute. x)

      Also a thing not screencaped is when Ougi is shown waiting at the place where they parted looking like she was thinking about something. I found her to be cute in that scene.

      https://randomc.net/image/Monogatari/Owarimonogatari%20-%2004%20-%2023.jpg

      Also I flinched at this scene. That is some serious invasion of personal space.

      I halp
      Reply

  16. Yep, Ougi is defenitly one of the creepiest girls I have seen in anime….
    Even so her way behaving and looks is something I have read and seen before in some way.

    What makes these kind of girls so creepy for me personally is the looks of a young pale, colerless teenage girl with extreme seductive, “cutesy” and manipulitive behavior.
    She reminds me of a character from the writer Haruki Murakami in his book Norewegian Wood, a thirteen year old girl seduces her female piano teacher and breaks the women’s mind eventualy….

    I think it is the strange borderline between scary and seductive,manipulative that makes her so interesting for Araragi. He can’t precisely say how he feels about ougi other than cute underclassman but underneath it all I think he knows something is not right.

    The way she ‘unzips’his secrets is probaly part of her power and I think it doesn’t stop there. I personally think that her power only works when several conditions are met. Like maybe the other person has te have this inner desire of being heard. It feels like her power is connecetet to primal wishes and desires…

    What it looks like to me is that this girl will be a world of trouble…. and a very scary vilian to beat….

    Silva
    Reply

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