Another enjoyable arc in the “Monogatari” anime series, “Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” focuses on character Nadeko Sengoku, who is haunted by a white snake apparition. An enjoyable arc worth recommending to Monogatari fans!
Image courtesy of © NISIOISIN/KODANSHA, ANIPLEX, SHAFT. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE:Â Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set
YEAR: 2012
DURATION: Episodes 12-16 (100 Minutes)
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: Aniplex
RATED: 16+
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Chief Director: Akiyuki Shinbo
Directed by Tomoyuki Itamura
Series Composition by Akiyuki Shinbo, Fuyashi Tou
Music by Satoru Kousaki
Originally Created by NisiOisin
Original Character Design by VOfan
Character Design by Akio Watanabe
Art Director: Hisaharu Iijima
Anime Production: SHAFT
Featuring the following voice talent:
Hiroshi Kamiya as Koyomi Araragi
Yui Horie as Tsubasa Hanekawa
Eri Kitamura as Karen Araragi
Yuka Iguchi as Tsukihi Araragi
Maaya Sakamoto as Shinobu Oshino
Takahiro Sakura as Meme Oshino
Nadeko encounters a giant snake who claims to be a deity named Kuchinawa. Kuchinawa promises Nadeko that he would grant her wish if she aids him in the search of his object of worship. Little does Nadeko know that obtaining the object of worship will cost her more than what she expected. Koyomi tries to convince Nadeko to let go of the object of worship, but it’s too late, and Nadeko swallows the object and becomes a snake apparition! To make things worse, now Nadeko wants to kill Koyomi and Shinobu Oshino!
Third arc to the Monogatari series’ second season.
Continuing the episodes from the second season of the “Monogatari” series, the storyline focuses on Nadeko Sengoku, Tsukihi Koyomi’s friend since elementary school and a good friend to his sisters. But one day, she was put in a curse by a classmate in which an invisible snake tried to strangle her.
As the first series, “Bakemonogatari” episodes 9-10 went into the storyline of how Nadeko was cursed by two snakes, this arc features Nadeko as she tries to deal with a giant snake apparition. Is she imagining things or is this snake for real?
Find out in episode 12-15 of the “Monogatari” series in “Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa Blu-ray Set Limited Edition” from Aniplex!
Before “Kabukimonogatari: Mayoi Jiangshi” there was “Nisemonogatari”, “Bakamonogatari” and “Nekomonogatari”
In 2006, a light novel titled “Bakemonogatari” was written by Nisio Isin and featured the illustrations by Vofan.
For Isin, he is known for his “Zaregoto” novel series (2002-2005) which led to series such as “Ningen” and “Sekai”published by Kodansha. By 2006, Isin would begin working on the “Bakemonogatari” series which is based on short stories published in “Mephisto Magazine”.
The first story featured a first volume with three stories “Hitagi Crab”, “Mayoi Snail”, “Suruguta Monkey” and a second volume with two “Nadeko Snake” and “Tsubasa Cat”.
“Bakemonogatari” focused on a third year high school student named Koyomi Araragi. A perverted teenager with a loli complex who doesn’t do well in school. One day, Koyomi was attacked by a vampire named Shinobu Oshino, a 500-year-old vampire who once was a vicious, beautiful vampire but now has the appearance of an eight-year old girl.
Koyomi turned into a vampire but thanks to Meme Oshino (an expert in the apparitions field), he was able to become human again but still has several side effects including seeing in the dark, his eyes turning red when incredibly angry, amazing healing power and strength.
While his parents are away, Koyomi helps raise his two young sisters, Karen (the middle child who is taller than Koyomi and likes to take part in martial arts and outdoor activities) and his little sister Tsukihi, who is the opposite of Karen and rather do indoor activities but also prefers wearing a yukata (Japanese traditional outfit).
With this new power of Koyomi, in “Bakemonogatari”, he had to help characters with apparitions.
Hitagi Senjogahara was a weak-girl who was possessed by a crab that stole her weight. Because of this, she has avoided all contact with people in order to hide her secret, so she developed a tsundere attitude and is often verbally abusive towards Koyomi. Because Koyomi sacrificed her life for her, she and Koyomi start dating, despite how badly she treats him.
Koyomi also had to help a ghost of a fifth-grade elementary student named Mayou Hachikuchi, a girl who has a habit of saying Koyomi’s name wrong but yet knows that he has a loli complex and knows that he is always trying to touch her.
Suruga Kanbaru, a popular female athlete who is a lesbian and masochist and prefers to be at home in the nude. She inherited the Monkey’s Paw and thus wears a bandage on her one arm to hide it. She began stalking Koyomi when he found out he was dating Hitagi.
Nadeko Sengoku is a person who was cursed with invisible snakes (that were trying to strangle her). Thanks to Koyomi, he saved her life and while shy, likes to be close to Koyomi.
Tsubasa Hanekawa is Koyomi’s classmate and the class representative. She was possessed by a bakaneko and is danger of turning into Black Hanekawa. She often stresses about her family and her feelings for Koyomi.
The first series revolved around Koyomi trying to help these characters deal with their apparition.
A prequel to “Bakemonogatari” titled “Koyomi Vamp” which focused on Shinobu Oshino and her role as a vampire before attacking Koyomi and a separate volume known as “Kizumonogatari” was published in Pandora Magazine in 2008.
In 2009, “Bakemonogatari” was adapted into an anime series.
The sequel to “Bakemonogatari” titled “Nisemonogatari” which was released in 2008 and adapted to an anime series in 2012.
The story focuses more on a character, instead of a two-episode storyline, we get four-episode arcs. And with “Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa”, episodes 12-15 focus on Nadeko starting to see a giant snake apparition and the arc beginning with her confronting Shinobu and Koyomi and Nadeko stabbing Koyomi in the heart.
The story then explains what has been happening to Nadeko leading up to the confrontation and what the giant snake apparition may be.
VIDEO:
“Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” is presented in 1080p High Definition and this TV series is gorgeous. SHAFT really puts a lot of time into character design, shading but also carrying out changes in character design.
From regular/series looking characters to goofy, cartoonish characters and many location scenes featured throughout this series. Colors are vibrant, black levels are nice and deep, animation gets creative in an artistic type of way, image is sharp and line detail is very good. I saw no edge enhancement or excessive banding.
“Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa” looks fantastic on Blu-ray.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” is presented in uncompressed Japanese LPCM 2.0 with English subtitles. Dialogue is crisp and clear and is front-channel driven. I detected no problems with audio and English subtitles were easy to read.
It’s important to emphasize that there are no English dubs with this Blu-ray set.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” comes with a “omnibus III” video (which is actually episode 16 – summary from the TV series and is a narration of the “Tsubasa Cat and Nisemonogatari”), promotional video and commercial collections and the textless opening and ending themes.
EXTRAS:
“Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa Limited Edition”comes with a slip case package illustrated by Akio Watanabe, 24-page deluxe booklet and a six pinup postcard set.
With the latest arc of the “Monogatari” series, the focus shifts towards Nadeko Sengoku, Koyomi’s shy, childhood friend that has liked him.
Unfortuantely, she was cursed by a guy that liked her and a guy she had rejected and became possessed by snake apparitions. But despite thinking that the snakes were gone, she begins seeing a giant white snake apparition, which survived the events in the “Nadeko Snake” episodes (as seen on the first season of “Bakemonogatari”).
And now the white snake wants her to atone for what she did.
Without revealing too much of what happens during Nadeko’s dealing with the white snake, I will say that this arc was quite interesting to see how Nadeko goes through major changes, as we have seen her more of a shy and even jealous girl. But this time around, we get to see a bad mouthed version of her, which was quite interesting to see and voice actress Hanazawa Kana did a magnificent job of playing the character for this arc.
As for the Blu-ray release,”Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” is presented in 1080p High Definition and picture quality is great. Colors are vibrant and I didn’t notice any artifacts or banding during my viewing of the film. As for lossless audio, only a Japanese soundtrack is included and it is presented in Linear PCM Stereo. While the Japanese voice acting for the series has always been fantastic, for those who prefer to watch the series in English, there is no English dub soundtrack. As for special features, you get a 25-minute “Omnibus III” video (which is episode 16 in Japan, a recap of “Tsubasa Cat” and “Nisemonogatari”), on air version textless opening and ending themes. Plus the PV and CM (commercial) collections.
As for extras, you get the Aniplex swag which the company is known for. The Limited Edition set includes a 24-page deluxe booklet, pinup postcard set and slipcase package illustrated by Akio Watanabe (character designer).
Overall, if you have enjoyed the “Monogatari” anime series thus far, “Otorimonogatari: Nadeko Medusa Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” is a storyline that features the psychological challenges that Nadeko Sengoku must face as she is plagued by a white snake apparition. Is it real or is it all in her head?
Recommended.
