The Monogatari Japanese anime television series is based on the light novel series of the same name, written by Nisio Isin with illustrations by Vofan. The anime is directed by several directors and produced by the animation studio Shaft. The series debuted with Bakemonogatari and aired 12 episodes between July 3 and September 25, 2009, on the Tokyo MX television station. Three additional original net animation episodes were distributed on the anime's official website between November 3, 2009, and June 25, 2010. A sequel titled Nisemonogatari aired 11 episodes between January 7 and March 17, 2012.[1]
A prequel to the original series titled Nekomonogatari (Black) aired four episodes back-to-back on December 31, 2012. Six further sequels were later adapted under the common moniker of Monogatari Series Second Season: Nekomonogatari (White), Kabukimonogatari, Otorimonogatari, Onimonogatari, and Koimonogatari aired between July 6 and December 28, 2013,[2] whereas Hanamonogatari, which was originally meant to air with the others in 2013, was postponed and eventually broadcast separately on August 16, 2014.[3] The "final season" of the novels were adapted as Tsukimonogatari, Owarimonogatari, Koyomimonogatari, and Zoku Owarimonogatari which aired from December 31, 2014, through June 22, 2019.[4] [5] An adaptation of the prequel to Bakemonogatari, titled Kizumonogatari, was announced in 2010 but delayed for six years until finally being released as a film trilogy from January 8, 2016, to January 6, 2017.[6] On January 18, 2024, Aniplex and Shaft announced production of anime adaptations of the "Off Season" and "Monster Season" novels.[7]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| Monogatari Series: First Season | |||||
| Bakemonogatari | 15 | July 3, 2009 | June 25, 2010 | ||
| Kizumonogatari | 3 films | January 8, 2016 | January 6, 2017 | ||
| Nisemonogatari | 11 | January 7, 2012 | March 17, 2012 | ||
| Nekomonogatari (Black) | 4 | December 31, 2012 | |||
| Monogatari Series: Second Season | |||||
| Nekomonogatari (White) | 5 | July 6, 2013 | August 3, 2013 | ||
| Kabukimonogatari | 4 | August 17, 2013 | September 7, 2013 | ||
| Hanamonogatari | 5 | August 16, 2014 | |||
| Otorimonogatari | 4 | September 21, 2013 | October 12, 2013 | ||
| Onimonogatari | 4 | October 26, 2013 | November 16, 2013 | ||
| Koimonogatari | 6 | November 23, 2013 | December 28, 2013 | ||
| Monogatari Series: Final Season | |||||
| Tsukimonogatari | 4 | December 31, 2014 | |||
| Koyomimonogatari | 12 | January 10, 2016 | March 27, 2016 | ||
| Owarimonogatari I | 13 | October 3, 2015 | December 19, 2015 | ||
| Owarimonogatari II | 7 | August 12, 2017 | August 13, 2017 | ||
| Zoku Owarimonogatari | 6 | May 18, 2019 | June 22, 2019 | ||
| Monogatari Series: Off Season[8] | |||||
| Orokamonogatari | TBA | July 6, 2024 | TBA | ||
| Wazamonogatari | TBA | August 17, 2024 | TBA | ||
| Nademonogatari | 5 | July 13, 2024 | August 10, 2024 | ||
| Monogatari Series: Monster Season | |||||
| Shinobumonogatari | 6 | September 14, 2024 | October 19, 2024 | ||
Bakemonogatari was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and Tatsuya Oishi at Shaft, has animation character designs and chief animation direction[9] by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. The season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (Hitagi Crab, Mayoi Mai Mai, Tsubasa Cat)[10] and Muneo Nakamoto (Suruga Monkey, Nadeko Snake)[11] of Seven Days War under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[12] Episodes 4, 6, and 9 were outsourced to other studios by Shaft: episode 4 to Mushi Production,[13] and episodes 6 and 9 to Silver Link.[14]
The season features six pieces of theme music: five opening themes, and one ending theme., the ending theme, was produced by Supercell and was sung by Nagi Yanagi.[15] Each of the opening themes was composed by Satoru Kōsaki and written by Meg Rock, featuring vocals from one of the main female characters. The first opening, "staple stable", was sung by Chiwa Saitō (Hitagi Senjougahara); the second opening,, was sung by Emiri Katō (Mayoi Hachikuji); the third opening, "Ambivalent World", was sung by Miyuki Sawashiro (Suruga Kanbaru); the fourth opening,, was sung by Kana Hanazawa (Nadeko Sengoku); and the fifth opening, "Sugar Sweet Nightmare", was sung by Yui Horie (Tsubasa Hanekawa).[16]
| Type[17] | Arc | Director | Animation director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Hitagi Crab | Tatsuya Oishi | Akio Watanabe |
| Opening | Mayoi Mai Mai | Shin Itagaki | Haruka Tanaka |
| Opening | Suruga Monkey | Toshimasa Suzuki | Akio Watanabe |
| Opening | Nadeko Snake | Shin Oonuma | |
| Opening | Tsubasa Cat | Tatsuya Oishi | |
| Ending | All arcs | Hajime Ueda | |
Nisemonogatari was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and Tomoyuki Itamura at Shaft, has animation character designs and chief animation direction[9] by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. The series' scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (Karen Bee)[20] and Muneo Nakamoto (Tsukihi Phoenix)[21] of Seven Days War under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[22] Episodes 5 and 6 were outsourced to other studios by Shaft: episode 5 to Digital Network Animation,[23] and episode 6 to Doga Kobo.[24] Openings 2 and 3 of the series were also animated with assistance from Point Pictures.[25]
The season features four pieces of theme music: three opening themes, and one ending theme., the ending theme, was sung by ClariS and written by Ryo of Supercell.[26] Each of the opening themes was again composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and sung by members of the female cast. The first opening,, was sung by Chiwa Saitō (Hitagi Senjougahara); the second opening, "marshmallow justice", was sung by Eri Kitamura (Karen Araragi); and the third opening,, was sung by Yuka Iguchi (Tsuhiki Araragi).
| Type | Arc | Director | Storyboard artist | Animation director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Karen Bee, eps 1 and 3 | Naoyuki Tatsuwa | Naoyuki Tatsuwa | Akio Watanabe |
| Opening | Karen Bee, eps 2 and 5–6 | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu |
| Opening | Tsukihi Phoenix | |||
| Ending | All arcs | Hajime Ueda | ||
Nekomonogatari (Black) was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Watanabe served as chief animation director[9] alongside Shaft animator Nobuhiro Sugiyama. The season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (episodes 1–2)[27] and Muneo Nakamoto (episodes 3–4)[28] of Seven Days War under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[29]
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme., the ending theme, was written by Saori Kodama, composed by Satoru Kōsaki, and sung by Marina Kawano.[30] The opening theme, "perfect slumbers", was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Yui Horie (Tsubasa Hanekawa).
| Type | Director(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | URA | |
| Ending | Yukihiro Miyamoto Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda |
Nekomonogatari (White) was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Watanabe, Shaft animator Nobuhiro Sugiyama, and Taisuke Iwasaki served as chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (episodes 1–2, 4–5)[31] and Muneo Nakamoto (episode 3)[32] of Seven Days War under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[33] One episode was outsourced outside of Shaft: episode 4 to Studio CJT.[34]
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme., the ending theme, was produced by Jin (Shizen no Teki-P) and sung by Luna Haruna.[35] The opening theme, "chocolate insomnia", was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Yui Horie (Tsubasa Hanekawa).
| Type | Director | Animation director | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | URA | Akio Watanabe | |
| Ending | Yukihiro Miyamoto Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda |
Kabukimonogatari was directed by Naoyuki Tatsuwa and Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Watanabe, Shaft animator Nobuhiro Sugiyama, and Taisuke Iwasaki served as chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (episodes 1, 3–4)[36] and Muneo Nakamoto (episode 2)[37] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[33] The opening theme was produced with assistance from Cyclone Graphics.[38]
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme., from Nekomonogatari (White), was again used as the ending theme for this season.[35] The opening theme, "happy bite", was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Emiri Katō (Mayoi Hachikuji).
| Type | Director | Animation director | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Tsuguyasu Uchiyama | Akio Watanabe | |
| Ending | Yukihiro Miyamoto Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda |
Otorimonogatari was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Watanabe, Shaft animator Nobuhiro Sugiyama, and Taisuke Iwasaki served as chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa[39] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[33]
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme., the ending theme, was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Saori Kodama, and sung by Marina Kawano.[40] The opening theme,, was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Kana Hanazawa (Nadeko Sengoku).
| Type | Director | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Shin Oonuma | |
| Ending | Yukihiro Miyamoto Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda |
Onimonogatari was directed by Yuki Yase and Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Watanabe, Shaft animator Nobuhiro Sugiyama, and Taisuke Iwasaki served as chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Muneo Nakamoto[41] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[33]
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme., from Otorimonogatari, was again used as the ending theme.[40] The opening theme, "white lies", was composed by Mito and written by Meg Rock. This season features one of two instances in which a member of the female cast did not sing the opening theme, in both instances being Shinobu Oshino's voice actress Maaya Sakamoto.
| Type | Director | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda | |
| Ending | Yukihiro Miyamoto Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda Naoaki Shibuta[42] |
Koimonogatari was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Watanabe, Shaft animator Nobuhiro Sugiyama, and Taisuke Iwasaki served as chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (episodes 1–3, 5–6)[43] and Muneo Nakamoto (episode 4)[44] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[33]
The season features three pieces of theme music: two opening themes, and one ending theme. "snowdrop", the ending theme, was written by Meg Rock, composed by Hidekazu Tanaka, and sung by Marina Kawano and Luna Haruna.[45] The opening theme for the first three episodes, "fast love", was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Chiwa Saitō (Hitagi Senjougahara). An alternate version of "fast love", has additional vocals by cast member Shin-ichiro Miki (Deishuu Kaiki), and was used in the last three episodes. It is the first instance in which a male cast member sang an opening.
The arc's opening is unique in that it features Osamu Kamijou acting as a character designer, and is the one of two instances in the franchise to feature another character designer besides Akio Watanabe (the other being the Kizumonogatari trilogy).[46] The opening was also produced with assistance from Point Pictures.[47]
| Type | Director | Storyboard artist | Animation director | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu Osamu Kamijou | |
| Ending | Yukihiro Miyamoto Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda |
Hanamonogatari was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Kei Haneoka. Watanabe and Taisuke Iwasaki served as the season's chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (episode 1)[48] and Muneo Nakamoto (episodes 2–5)[49] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[50]
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme. "the last day of my adolescence", the opening theme, was composed by Mito, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Miyuki Sawashiro (Suruga Kanbaru). The ending theme,, was composed by Katsuhiko Kurosu, written by Saori Kodama, and sung by Marina Kawano.
| Type | Director | Storyboard artist | Animation director | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Toshimasa Suzuki | Toshimasa Suzuki | Akio Watanabe Taisuke Iwasaki | |
| Ending | Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda |
Tsukimonogatari was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Kei Haneoka. Watanabe and Taisuke Iwasaki served as the season's chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (episodes 1–2)[51] and Muneo Nakamoto (episodes 3–4)[52] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[53]
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme. "border", the ending theme, was composed by Ryōsuke Shigenaga, written by Meg Rock, and performed by ClariS. The opening theme,, was composed by Mito, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Saori Hayami (Yotsugi Ononoki). The opening animation was again produced with assistance from Point Pictures.[54]
| Type | Director | Storyboard artist | Animation director | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu | |
| Ending | Takayuki Aizu Hajime Ueda |
Owarimonogatari I was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Kei Haneoka. Watanabe, Taisuke Iwasaki, and Shinya Nishizawa served as the season's chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa (episodes 1–2, 4–5, 8–9)[55] and Muneo Nakamoto (episodes 3, 6–7, 10–13)[56] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[57] Episodes 3, 4, 8, and 10 were outsourced to Diomedéa.[58] Opening 2 was also animated with assistance from Point Pictures.[59]
The season features five pieces of theme music: four opening themes, and one ending theme., the ending theme, was composed by Alisa Takigawa and Saku, written by Takigawa, and performed by Takigawa. All of the opening themes were composed by Mito and written by Meg Rock, and 3/4 of them feature vocals by members of the cast. The first opening, "decent black", was sung by Kaori Mizuhashi (Ougi Oshino); the second opening, "mathemagics", was sung by Marina Inoue (Sodachi Oikura); the third opening,, was also sung by Marina Inoue; and the fourth opening, "mein schatz", does not feature any of the cast's vocals.
| Type | Arc | Director | Storyboard artist | Animation director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Ougi Formula | URA Yukihiro Miyamoto | URA | Taisuke Iwasaki |
| Opening | Sodachi Riddle | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu | Yukio Takatsu |
| Opening | Sodachi Lost | URA | URA | Shinya Nishizawa |
| Opening | Shinobu Mail | Hajime Ueda Takayuki Aizu | ||
| Ending | All arcs | |||
Owarimonogatari II was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Kei Haneoka. Watanabe, Taisuke Iwasaki, and Studio Wanpack animator Kana Miyai served as the season's chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were co-written by Yukito Kizawa and Muneo Nakamoto[60] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[61]
The season features four pieces of theme music: three opening themes, and one ending theme. "SHIORI", the ending theme, was composed and written by Tomoyuki Ogawa, and was performed by ClariS. The first opening, "terminal terminal", was composed by Mito and Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and was sung by cast member Emiri Katō (Mayoi Hachikuji); the second opening, "dreamy date drive", was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Chiwa Saitō (Hitagi Senjougahara); the third opening, "dark cherry mystery", was composed by Mito, written by Meg Rock, and sung by cast member Kaori Mizuhashi (Ougi Oshino).
| Type | Arc | Director | Storyboard artist | Animation director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Mayoi Hell | Tomotaka Kanda | Taisuke Iwasaki | |
| Opening | Hitagi Rendezvous | Tomoyuki Itamura | Tomoyuki Itamura | Taisuke Iwasaki |
| Opening | Ougi Dark | URA | URA | |
| Ending | All arcs | Hajime Ueda Takayuki Aizu | ||
Zoku Owarimonogatari was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Kei Haneoka. Watanabe, Shinya Nishizawa, and Kana Miyai (now freelance after the dissolution of Studio Wanpack) served as the season's chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Yukito Kizawa[62] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[63] It was originally released as a film to Japanese theaters on November 10, 2018.
The season features two pieces of theme music: one opening theme, and one ending theme. "azure", the ending theme, was composed by Kōdai Akiba, written by Kei Hayashi, and performed by TrySail.[64] The opening, "07734", was composed by Satoru Kōsaki and Mito, was written by Meg Rock, and features lines read by cast member Hiroshi Kamiya (Koyomi Araragi).
| Type | Director |
|---|---|
| Opening | Hajime Ueda Takayuki Aizu |
| Ending | |
The Kizumonogatari trilogy was directed by Tatsuya Oishi under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe and Hideyuki Morioka, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Morioka and Shaft animator Hiroki Yamamura served as the first film's animation directors and the second and third films' chief animation directors; and the trilogy's scripts were co-written by Yukito Kizawa and Muneo Nakamoto of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[65] [66] [67]
The trilogy features two ending themes, both composed by Satoru Kōsaki and written by Meg Rock. The first, "étoile et toi", was used as the ending for the second film, and was sung by Clémentine. The second ending, an alternative version of the first titled "étoile et toi [édition le blanc]", features vocals by Clémentine and Ainhoa, and was used in the third film.
Koyomimonogatari was directed by Tomoyuki Itamura under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe, and features music composed by Satoru Kōsaki. Watanabe, Taisuke Iwasaki, and Shinya Nishizawa served as the season's chief animation directors;[9] and the season's scripts were written by Muneo Nakamoto (episodes 1–2, 5–6, 9–12)[68] and Yukito Kizawa (episodes 3–4, 7–8)[69] of Write Works under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[70]
The season features various pieces of theme music; all of the opening themes were used in previous seasons, either belonging to Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari, Nekomonogatari (Black), Onimonogatari, Tsukimonogatari, or Owarimonogatari. One ending theme, unique to this season, was used: "whiz", which was composed and written by Shō Watanabe, and sung by TrySail.
Monogatari Off & Monster Season was directed by Midori Yoshizawa under the chief direction of Akiyuki Shinbo at Shaft, has animation character designs by Akio Watanabe. The season's scripts were written by Miku Ooshima under the supervision of Shinbo and Shaft.[71] The series' music was split between prior Monogatari series composers Satoru Kōsaki and Kei Haneoka, with Kōsaki in charge of the first six episodes (Orokamonogatari and Nademonogatari) and Haneoka being in charge of the rest (Wazamonogatari and Shinobumonogatari).[72] Kana Miyai and Nobuhiro Sugiyama served as the season's chief animation directors.[9] Watanabe participated as chief animation director for episodes 1 through 6 (Orokamonogatari and Nademonogatari), and Hiroki Yamamura participated for episodes 7 through 8 (Wazamonogatari).
An extra episode, episode 6.5 adapting the short story "A Cruel Fairy Tale: The Beautiful Princess", aired on August 17th. Although uncredited, the episode was outsourced to Keyakiworks and CG animation studio LUDENS. Yuria Miyazono composed the episode's music, rather than Kōsaki or Haneoka.
| Type | Arc | Director | Storyboard artist | Animation director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Nadeko Draw | Shunsuke Ookubo | Kazutoshi Makino[73] | |
| Opening | Shinobu Mustard | Hajime Ueda Takayuki Aizu | ||
| Ending | All arcs | Hajime Ueda Takayuki Aizu | ||
A short episode adapting the short short story Koyomi History was first shown during SHAFT's Madogatari Exhibition and then released in the homonymous DVD for the event.
Audio commentaries are content available on the DVD/BD release of the series. Each episode features two characters having a conversation about the specific episode they are in. In Monogatari's case, the author of the series, Nisio Isin, has written each one of them.
These episodes aired throughout the run of the series.