The Monogatari series is one of anime’s best kept secrets, and has impressed fans with its unique visuals, quirky characters and fluid dialogue for years. The series is known for its storytelling, and draws viewers in with its various character focused arcs.
As is the case with all anime, some episodes are received better than others. The Monogatari anime tells its stories with various character arcs, split into several episodes at a time. The format works well for the show, but as a result, every arc has its high and low points. Here’s what IMDb says are the series’ best and worst episodes.
10 Best: Hitagi End, Part 6 – 9.3
Though it revolves around Senjougahara, the Hitagi End arc is beloved for how it handles and highlights aspects of Kaiki’s character.
Hitagi End is some of the most tense, consequential storytelling the Monogatari Series has to offer. Part 6 sees the events of the arc culminate and sets up some of the series’ best storytelling and character development.
9 Worst: Karen Bee, Part 1 - 7.4
Nisemonogatari has some of the series’ most eccentric storytelling. While it’s all in line with hallmark traits that fans have come to love out of the Nisio Isin series, it takes some time to find its footing.
Karen Bee introduces some series favourites, while shedding some much needed light on Koyomi’s home life. But as the above score suggests, it’s not the best storytelling the series has to offer.
8 Best: Mayoi Hell, Part 2 - 9.3
Owarimonogatari is a pivotal point in the Monogatari narrative, which sees several narrative threads come together. The Mayoi Hell arc really helps set the tone for that entire season.
Coming right after Koyomi’s ‘death”, the Mayoi Hell arc provides viewers with some much needed answers, and raises some interesting questions that keep you wondering what will come next.
7 Worst: Tsubasa Cat, Part 1 – 7.4
Though it might contain some of the series most memorable scenes, the Tsubasa Car arc is fairly slow and takes a while to come together.
Though memorable, Hanekawa’s story only gets better following the Tsubasa Cat arc. While it serves as an important first step, it’s far from the best the series has to offer.
6 Best: Hitagi Rendezvous, Part 2 - 9.3
While it might not be as consequential as some of the other arcs in Owarimonogatari, the Hitagi Rendezvous arc finally gives fans an in depth look at Araragi and Senjougahara’s relationship.
With just two parts, the arc is a short one, but it doesn’t need all that much time to tell its story. Hitagi Rendevous does a great job of showing how both Araragi and Senjougahara grew as characters, and how their relationship has evolved throughout the series.
5 Worst: Koyomi Sand - 7.4
The Koyomimonogatari series doesn’t have a particular focus, and instead plays out a bunch of side stories that revolve around Koyomi Araragi and the various heroines that comprise the series’ cast. In that respect it’s not much different from the series’ normal format.
Koyomi Sand sees Araragi once again interacting with Hachikuji, and while the two always manage to get some great back and forth in, this episode isn’t their best showing. It’s a solid episode, but definitely suffers from the lack of build-up the series is known for.
4 Best: Koyomi Dead - 9.3
The last episode of Koyomimonogatari, Koyomi Dead moves the Monogatari story forward in a fairly significant way. The episode sets the series up for its end-game, but was done in a way that no one expected.
The episode contains a fairly significant plot development and twist that essentially came out of nowhere. With the continuation taking place in Owarimonogatari, the series would put out some of its best episodes following Koyomi Dead’s big twist.
3 Worst: Tsubasa Family, Part 2 - 7.3
The Tsubasa Family arc gave some much needed insight into Hanekawa’s family situation, as well as how she crafted her outward personality. While it was one of the more significant arcs of the early series, the Tsubasa Family arc doesn’t seem to have been received all that well.
The early part of the arc does give itself to a lot of set-up, which is nothing new for the series, but might’ve been what caused it to have such a middling score.
2 Best: Ougi Dark, Part 3 - 9.6
One character that befuddled fans since their introduction was Oshino Ougi, a character who never seemed to show their true intentions regardless of the situation. Ougi was a hard character to read, especially when it came to what role they played in the overall narrative.
The Ougi Dark arc has some of the series’ biggest revelations. Not just for Ougi, but for Koyomi as well. It’s yet another example of the series getting better as it went on.
1 Worst: Tsubasa Family, Part 3 - 7.3
Yet another Tsubasa Family episode, this time one of the last in the arc. Tsubasa Family provides some much needed insight on Hanekawa’s true personality, but for whatever reason, the arc just isn’t s well received as others that came before and after it.
Part 3 sees Koyomi dealing with the implications of Hanekawa’s troubled personal life, while the sawarineko possessing her gives Meme a good deal of trouble.