Monogatari Series Second Season – 22: Hitagi End Part 2
Unfortunately for Nadeko, her red string of fate just loops back in on itself.
 So the race against the clock is on now, with Kaiki accepting the task of deceiving the godly Nadeko before time runs out for our heroes on the ides of March. Not a particularly impressive job by Shaft, but just like Part 1, they did a decent enough job while letting the solid writing carry the weight. |
Like Hitagi’s Fullmetal Alchemist doodles from Tsubasa Tiger Part 3, Kaiki’s illustrations – a map of the town in which the main characters live – were straight out of the book. First shot depicts 6 locations left to right: Naoetsu High School, Kitashirahebi Shrine, Nadeko’s middle school, Araragi’s home, Kanbaru’s home, the Fire Sisters’ middle school.
It’s great having a confidence man as the narrator. Yes, we can’t trust everything he tells us, but we also gain the advantage of listening to someone who is skilled at reading strangers very quickly. It was thanks to him that we got our first look and impression of Nadeko’s parents, not even present in her own arc. Kaiki didn’t say it outright, but he clearly viewed them as incompetent parents, pointing out how little they seemed to know of their daughter’s private everyday issues. Of course, it’s possible that Nadeko’s parents weren’t the most willing to share all details about their daughter to a stranger they had just met, but I chose to believe Kaiki when he said that they opened up to him at mention of their daughter. Plus, that doesn’t explain away them continuing to stay ignorant of the secrets in her closet, rather than trying to use them to find her after she’d been missing for almost 2 months.
It certainly helped to support the point made in her arc, that she was a victim in a sense due to how she had been treated throughout her upbringing. No one is more important to one’s upbringing than one’s parents, and it looks like Nadeko’s weren’t the best. That album consisting solely of solo shots of her with her awkward smiles was downright creepy, and her parents probably should have realized that that didn’t belong to a well adjusted middle school girl. Though maybe, like the closet, they never peeked inside.
Good job drawing her smiles, especially around the eyes, all look same-y in order to support what Kaiki observed.
So what’s in that closet anyway, and why was Nadeko so secretive about it? If you recall, this is a call back all the way back to the 2nd episode of Nisemonogatari, when Koyomi and Nadeko were on friendlier terms. No real clues so far as to the contents of the closet, but any early guesses on what it is? Or on whether or not it will even be relevant to the plot?
Whatever it is, Nadeko seems to have long forgotten about it by now (one of those important things she’s forgotten, like Kaiki Deishuu’s name, perhaps?) and appears fairly content, if lonely, in her new life as a god. Kaiki’s appraisal of her was that she was stupid and simple, something he found very fortunate when he made that slip up in revealing his name. Instead of being a target for revenge, he’s now the trusted first follower of his mark, a great position for a con man to be in. But one can’t help but to feel uneasy when recalling just what a big deal Nadeko made of Kaiki Deishu’s name at the start of her own arc. Don’t they say it’s best not to underestimate gods?
Interesting to see Kaiki revert to his regular hairstyle for a moment there.
At this point, it seems redemption truly is beyond hope for Nadeko. She’d rather stick with her plan to kill Koyomi and hold onto her unrequited love than take a chance on a relationship with him. It’s a fairly twisted thought, the naive adolescent “being in love with being in love” taken to a macabre extreme. Even most yanderes would back away from killing their love if given the chance to have a relationship with them, but not Nadeko. If you were paying close attention, you caught a brief flash of Kaiki’s thoughts when they were talking about this, and I would like to expand that to the full segment from the novel:
“If I could stay in unrequited love forever, wouldn’t that be happier than having the love returned, Kaiki-san?”
“… I guess it would be.”
I nodded. My only intention was to agreeably continue the conversation, but I can’t deny that that there was more weight behind that nod than I would have liked.
Unrequited love. It’s not as if I have no emotions, and when I came of age, I had such an experience as well. Actually, one could say that that unrequited love continues to this day – because she died in a car accident.
Because she’s dead, this love can only ever be unrequited. Regardless of whomever I might have a relationship in the future, this unrequited love will never end.
I’ve experienced falling in love, but not having my heart broken.
So Sengoku Nadeko’s thinking might not be wrong – if she kills Araragi Koyomi, then she gets to happily hold onto her unrequited love forever.
Without the possibility of heartbreak.
– from Koimonogatari “Hitagi End” chapter 17 (emphasis mine).
Hell of a look he can give.
I didn’t comment on the production work because there wasn’t much to comment on. That underwater sequence at the beginning at the cafe with Hitagi confused me more than anything. The other conversations were animated in typical manner, no tricks. Kaiki’s theme continues to be a delight to hear. Unfortunately, Hitagi’s opening is still missing, which makes this the 7th consecutive episode, going back to Nadeko Medusa Part 4, without an opening. Since Chiwa Saito isn’t Maaya Sakamoto, I have little reason to think that she won’t get one, but it’s still a little concerning. This is the follow up to Futakotome, the best song out of all 12 different openings this series has had, after all. This better not be a case of Shaft punting because we got Futakotome for “free” with no actual arc attached to it. Come on, Shaft, this arc deserves so much more than what you’ve put into it so far.
This seafloor metaphor is 2DEEP4ME. That’s right, I went there.
About lvlln
A math/science geek and a self-dubbed cynical optimist. I don't care if it's deep, if it can make me feel something or laugh, it's fine in my book. @lvlln
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
About the only thing I can say about the aquarium scenes is that is provides contrast. They are speaking of future plans; heading forth into unknown, uncontrolled territory, inside a facility that is controlled left, right, center, up, and down. An aquarium is a complex place as well. How does that sound? Or I am just fishing for metaphors?
Ah, lack of OP. What the heck, SHAFT.
And, just by the way Nadeko-kami acted, I think she might be running a longer con that Kaiki would be capable of. That performance was just to forced to be true.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
So, who’s conning whom? It’s best not to underestimate Kaiki either; the man has a well earned reputation, and he’s still in the early stages, building up his resources and weapons for the con. Of course, a con that goes as planned doesn’t make for fun fiction…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Oh yes. But I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere that he intends. I think he may win the battle, but lose the war. And the end of the war, is probably defined by it’s effects.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 20 comments
Can’t tell if “fishing for metaphors” was an epic pun, or an epic miss on a potential pun..
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Senjougahara should consider herself lucky enough that Nadeko is the type to honor agreements. It’s true that with so much power at her disposal and her targets at her mercy, there would be no need to honor anything and she could kill everyone on a whim. Senjougahara does play a big part of her misery.
I know Kaiki is the highest ranking con artist but I think he has his work cut for him this time. I see it as a bad sign with him admitting that he sympathizes with Nadeko.
Nadeko sure has become sadistic. Once every five visits from Koyomi and she beats him to a near death state. That’s harsh and probably her outlet of venting from frustration due to him not returning her love. And if she does kill him, she’d be in the state Senjougahara herself said she would be in Bakemonogatari if she did the deed: being the closest to him at his deathbed.
Personally, she’s better the way she is because there’s no reason for her to hold her true thoughts back. In comparison, it makes it look like she escaped from a life that was one big con. The thought of it that way is sad to say the least.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
“Life that was one big con” sure is one way of putting it! Nadeko and Kaiki do have some things in common, don’t they? They’re an odd pair, but it’s fun seeing them interact. Perhaps the perfect god for a cynical sociopath like Kaiki. It sure would be something if Nadeko stole Koyomi’s dying moments from Hitagi. As she said, she’d kill everyone.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
So, yeah, he does have a rather begrudging respect for the New Snake God. That is apropos, as he indirectly created it. I think his fascination with his own endgame is going to bit him on the ass.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Kaiki looks like Lancer in his Hawaiian shirt.
POWUH: 600-699 and Romance Expert with 652 comments
I also see actually that nadeko is not just simply wanting that kind of ending, in that the reason is really rooted in her simply wanting to break free and start fresh.
as kaiki already noted, nadeko dislikes really how cute she is and was made to be. she probably wanted to be just plain and normal once she noticed how everyone just views her as something cute.
so thats why she doesnt want to go back even if she gets araragi. she’d rather be something else, which the whole snake god gave her a way. killing araragi and company may also be in order for her to completely break ties as well as to remove any people who know her.
she likes araragi as much as the other girls, however her desire to be free is stronger than her feelings of love. thats how I see her right now.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
That’s certainly one interpretation of her character, a very generous one. Another would be that she’s gone nuts from her anger at Araragi for not returning her feelings. After all, moving on from someone generally means forgiving them and letting them be.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
“I’ll forgive him after I kill him” is pretty nonrepentant.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Given how the god is created, going back to Nakeko cutting up snakes, the Polar Snake God is all about justifying after the fact.
POWUH: 600-699 and Romance Expert with 652 comments
well I love all of the characters so im reasoning for all of them…
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 77 comments
It doesn’t quite make sense, but when I watched it I couldn’t help but notice the coincidence: there’s someone other than Kaiki’s love interest who died in a car accident.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Who are you talking about now?
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 77 comments
Well, hit by a car?
Mayoi?
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Oh, right. That’s certainly true. But who’s to say that Mayoi isn’t the love interest? Maybe Kaiki was even more of a pedo than Araragi? Dun dun dun~
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Kaiki strikes me as a man about my age. Given that Mayoi thinks of herself as an adult, ten actual years, and ten ghost years, this may not be far off the mark. But it is still coincidental. For drama, just add death tropes.
POWUH: iLurker with 18 comments
skylion,are you crazy? read your post again and think better.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Just to illustate …
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
just got the same hawaii shirt kaiki have ..FTW >:)
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Pics? 🙂
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 44 comments
So confused, :x…………………..
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Is there something from the series or my post that you found confusing? I may be able to help you out if you let me know.