The anime fan community in Japan has recently been discussing new anime “Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season”, which seems to be going unnoticed among followers. This lack of attention can be attributed to the franchise's inactivity for five years since the premiere of “Zoku Owarimonogatari”causing many fans to turn away.

“Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season” is the sequel to the popular “Monogatari” franchise, known for its complex narrative and extensive dialogue. However, despite its legacy, the new series did not generate the same enthusiasm as its predecessors. Fans online have expressed varying opinions about this phenomenon:

• «Honestly, I love this. I look forward to every episode.».
• «At the time, 'The Irregular at Magic High School' was also popular for its novelty, but its new series went unnoticed.».
• «There are a lot of dialogues and it is tiring.».
• «Who is watching this?».
• «The film trilogy was the end for many, that was about ten years ago, so it's hard to keep up now».
• «I feel like 'Owarimonogatari' was the end of the story».
• «The fact that it's exclusive to Abema is a mistake. They didn't learn anything from 'Tokyo Revengers'».
• «I'm going to stop watching the series until a full list of episodes is available. I'd rather watch it all at once.».
• «It's been so long since the previous series aired that I've forgotten the plot, so I won't watch it.».
• «The protagonist has no clear purpose and is just dragged around by strange women. I don't understand what's so interesting about this series.».
• «I'm watching the series, although I don't understand much of it, I like seeing the familiar characters interact. Although it seems like almost all the time it's Ononoki who talks».
• «I noticed that the protagonist, Koyomi, only appears in the second episode».
• «I don't watch the series because it's exclusive to Abema and I'm not interested in that platform.».
• «This series has such complex dialogues that if you don't have the mindset of a teenager it's hard to follow.».
• «With so much time between series, it's hard to follow the chronological order. You feel like you should watch the previous series before starting the new one.».

This debate reflects the challenge of maintaining a franchise's relevance after a long period of inactivity. Furthermore, the fact that the series is exclusive to Abema TV has been a barrier for many fans who prefer more accessible or family-friendly platforms. Abema's exclusivity is reminiscent of the case of “Tokyo Avengers”who also faced criticism for similar distribution decisions.

Some fans think the series should have ended with “Owarimonogatari”, while others are simply not willing to follow a series that has had so many ups, downs and breaks. The franchise “Monogatari Series” has always been known for its unique narrative style and dense dialogue, which can be both a draw and a barrier for new viewers.

Source: Yaraon!