Skip to content The "Bakemonogatari the Monogatari Series top" argument also extends to the soundtrack. The opening themes are legendary:
While Monogatari Second Season gave us "Mousou Express" (a dark mirror to Renai Circulation), Bakemonogatari boasts the highest batting average of classic OPs. The background score by Satoru Kousaki—blending piano, strings, and electronic noise—is similarly unmatched. It evokes a sense of summer, nostalgia, and unease that later composers struggled to replicate.
Status: The Essential Starting Point
Bakemonogatari (Ghostory) is the first season and the foundation of the franchise. It introduces Koyomi Araragi, a high school student who survives a vampire attack and finds himself intertwined with girls suffering from supernatural ailments caused by their emotional trauma.
Why it’s a Top Tier Anime:
If you are new and searching for the optimal route to understand why this is the best, follow the Novel Order (the intended experience):
Watching Kizu first makes Bake richer, but if you start with Bake directly, you experience the mystery of Araragi’s past as originally intended by the broadcast order. Either way, Bakemonogatari remains the anchor. bakemonogatari the monogatari series top
Not ideal for viewers seeking linear action, light-hearted comfort anime, or minimalist exposition.
Bakemonogatari consists of five arcs:
Each arc is a self-contained mystery wrapped in supernatural metaphor for real psychological issues. Later entries like Owarimonogatari or Koyomimonogatari often require a flowchart to understand the timeline. Bakemonogatari remains linear and digestible while never sacrificing complexity.