Know that falling in love with someone is as ordinary as a dog barking so its not worth worrying about so much. Tsukihi Araragi DISCLAIMER: The events of this entry are under the assumption that youve seen at least the first entry of the Monogatari series Bakemonogatari. If you havent then please read no further as it may contain minor spoilers. Nekomonogatari: Kuro takes place in the timeline before the events of Bakemonogatari more specifically during Golden Week. Nekomonogatari. This entry in the series was aimed to provide a little backstory on what happened that fateful Golden Week weve heard mentioned countless times. It also had even provided the very nature of Araragi and Hanekawas relationship and how they saw one another as potential love interests. Nekomonogatari was focused on developing the characters of both Araragi and Hanekawa and further explains how she came to have the nickname Black Hanekawa. What seemed at first to be a single family problem for Hanekawa was soon revealed to be a lot more complicated than what was first thought. And the repercussions of it all were far greater than what Araragi or Oshino couldve anticipated.... Art and Animation: 8.6/10 Overall there wasnt much to complain about when it came to this department. No major mistakes and there were only a few minor instances regarding animation fluidity that werent as smooth as I wouldve liked to see. The only problem being that I felt like something was off this time around. The usual mysterious and dreamlike vibe that I got from the art style wasnt as prominent and I believe this mightve been just because of the focus brought on Black Hanekawa. Dont get me wrong she is one FINE neko but the usual mysterious apparition vibe wasnt there any more. I did however enjoy her laid back nonchalant attitude since it was a great addition that we havent seen yet. Even in action Black Hanekawas acrobatic skills were true to the nature that one should expect from a cat. Well get more on this in the next section though. Storyline and Character Progression: 8.9/10 I really enjoyed how much time was being given to Hanekawa this time around. Not only that but her inner conflicting thoughts and feelings were finally revealed to us. It was as if we didnt even know the real Hanekawa until now and shes now easily become one of the more complicated characters in the Monogatari series. Even when we think weve finally gotten a grasp on how Hanekawa works it seems as though she becomes even more of a mess the deeper we look. Ive always been skeptical of the whole double personality thing but this anime managed to turn it into something that brought on powerful symbolic meaning This apparition was the physical embodiment of emotions that Hanekawa herself wasnt even aware of. It was more than just another personality that interferes with her daily life but it was an actual part of her that she was scared of and was ultimately running away from. With Araragi in the picture and him trying to figure out things he soon finds himself questioning who Hanekawa is to him. The interactions that follow are really touching as they both are wanting to do their best for one another. In the end the character progression here is entertaining to say the least its meaningful. Soundtrack and Audio: 8.4/10 The soundtrack in this was great to listen to with no real complaints coming from me. I definitely enjoyed the OP but nothing really had an emotional impact on me. There werent any musical moments that were able to really capitalize on situations and give them that extra kick. As far as audio goes it was all still a joy to listen to. Unless you have something against an insanely beautiful cat apparition saying nya multiple times in a sentence i can guarantee youll still love the audio in this entry. Overall Nekomonogatari: Kuro was a great addition to the present storyline that satisfied a lot of the questions I had before starting it. I believe the storyline delivered the information that it was trying to relate and the overall pacing was very good for just 4 episodes. The character development was far deeper than I was expecting especially when it came to Hanekawa. Aside from odd change in environment I think I was just used to the mystery and suspense of discovering new apparitions. This entry overall scored an 8.6/10 for its great execution in clarifying the events of the past and development of Araragi and Hanekawa. Until next time see yall soon