Owarimonogatari Part 3 Review

The end of the Monogatari final season is in sight, but first, we need to get to the end of Owarimonogatari. Today I’m here to take a look at Part 3, which promises to be full of the Monogatari we all know and love. 

This release covers Owarimonogatari Season 2, which covers the final Owarimonogatari novel. The season is made up of seven episodes covering three different stories. The first story opens with Araragi waking up in Hell where he’s reunited with Hachikuji. 

While it’s a tearful reunion for both us as viewers and the characters, Hachikuji quickly drags Araragi along, hoping to help him return to the land of the living. To do so, he’ll first have to relive his decisions since meeting Shinobu to see if there is anything our hero regrets or would do differently if he was given the chance. 

Once his trip to hell is over and done with, Araragi has to face something equally troublesome as he and Senjougahara go on a date! Compared to the first and final story, this one is light and fluffy, but it does still include some important plot threads that lead into the last few episodes. If nothing else, it’s nice to see these two lovebirds be able to enjoy a day together, given how often Araragi is too wrapped up in supernatural events. 

The last three episodes are focused on Ougi, someone who has been one of Monogatari Second Season’s best-kept secrets. Whenever something has gone wrong recently or Araragi has been wrapped up in a case, Ougi has been there to lend a hand. But who are they really and what is their goal? Finally, all is revealed. 

Just like the final Owarimonogatari book, this anime collection is packed tight with drama, challenges and the lovable antics of the large cast. We even get to see the vast majority of the characters throughout these episodes, so it truly does feel like a fitting end to what has been a long season. It also deserves praise for being a very well-balanced collection, never straying too far off-track but still being able to balance the whacky comedy and animation with the heartfelt moments. 

As always Owarimonogatari Season 2 has been animated by studio SHAFT and their animation constantly leans into supernatural and crazy vibes. If you’re used to the Monogatari anime then you’ll have no problem with it, but as someone who dips in and out of the series, I still don’t find it particularly fits for me. It’s at least bright and vibrant, constantly eye-catching and keeps scenes engaging even when the cast is simply standing around talking. 

Music for the season has been composed by Kei Haneoka (Uramichi Oniisan, Kaguya-sama Love is War, Kono Oto Tomare!) and the compositions work well with the animation on offer. I find the music is largely forgettable outside of the anime, but that’s fine given they work so well during the show itself. This season has three ending themes which are “Terminal Terminal” by Emiri Kato, “Dark Cherry Mystery” by Kaori Mizuhashi”, and “Dreamy Date Drive” by Chiwa Saito which also fit the series well. The ending theme is “Shiori” by ClariS which I found was my favourite of the themes used in this set. 

Where voice actors are concerned everyone does a fantastic job as usual, but the standout for me is certainly Hiroshi Kamiya (Ranpo in Bungo Stray Dogs, Tao in Carole & Tuesday) who plays Araragi and continues to capture the protagonist’s quirky personality. Araragi has never struck me as a character that would be easy to convey for anime, so I’m always quite impressed when I hear Kamiya’s take.  

Owarimonogatari Part 3 comes to the UK thanks to MVM Entertainment and is available as a standard Blu-ray release. The set includes all 7 episodes of Owarimonoagatari Season 2 with their Japanese audio and English subtitles. Extras include clean opening and ending videos, as well as trailers for the season. Next up for release from the Monogatari franchise is Zoku Owarimonogatari, which MVM have scheduled for August 9th. 

Overall, Owarimonogatari Part 3 brings a satisfying conclusion to several storylines running through Monogatari as of late. This set includes a bit of everything we’ve come to know and love the franchise for, so it’s sure to delight viewers.