Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re diving back into the rambling escapades of Monogatari’s Off Season, as Nadeko continues her quest to pull herself back together. Having created four doppelgangers to assist with her manga practice, our would-be artist is now chasing them halfway across town, hoping to reseal them in ink before they destroy her life entirely. So far she’s recaptured both Flirty and Wrath Nadeko, but the unlikely alliance of Meek and God Nadeko promises to be the most trouble by far.
Alongside physically besting these Nadekos, this journey is of course also a psychological gauntlet. Confronted by these prior identities who are doing their best to live their own lives, can Nadeko still say her pursuit of manga is the most meaningful, “authentic” path she could pursue? And what’s more, can she do that while acknowledging that these reflections are all still a part of her – her eagerness to please, her need to be loved, her resentment at being typecast, her desire for control and revenge? It’s been hard for even Monogatari’s most self-aware characters to acknowledge their uncharitable instincts, but if Nadeko is to move forward with confidence, she must do so while embracing the fullness of her emotions, rather than simply adopting the clothes and mannerisms she finds suitable to her latest persona. She must accept her truth, embarrassing as it may be – after all, didn’t Kaiki say that creating art is inherently embarrassing?
Episode 5
Nadeko and Yotsugi return to the Sengoku house, where Yotsugi is outfitted with an adorable disguise complete with saggy hat. Some nice fashion choices for both of them this arc
It’s really astonishing how fully this show’s tone and aesthetic priorities shift when Koyomi isn’t the perspective character. I know the horniness is part of the pitch, but it’s amusingly front-loaded at this point; by the time you get to Second Season, it’s like two percent horny, ninety-eight percent dry banter and self-analysis
Nadeko’s kitchen is realized in reserved browns and grays, while the world outside her window is blooming in colorful pastels. It seems this process of reconnecting with herself is already shaking Nadeko’s dedication to being a shut-in, and making her again hunger for the beauty of the outside world
Interestingly, both Yotsugi and Ougi have now suggested Nadeko overwhelm her opponents with superior numbers. As a would-be mangaka, Nadeko’s ability to inhabit a variety of distinct yet seemingly authentic selves is actually a great asset, a sign that she will ultimately be able to inhabit the distinct psychology of a variety of different characters for her work. But before turning that variability of perspective to her work, she must first accept it within herself
“Flirty Nadeko’s negotiation skill and Wrath Nadeko’s physical prowess put us in a favorable position in sealing away the two we are opposing.” Again, learning to see the authentic and even laudable in these personas, rather than just rejecting them and sealing them away entirely
Nadeko counters that relying on shikigami was precisely what got them in trouble this morning
“But Nadeko Sengoku, is it all right to fail and then just end it there? Challenging once, failing, and saying you’ll never do it again is not the correct attitude to take for someone chasing their dreams, so to say.” Also echoing Kaiki’s words. Life is a series of aborted attempts and scraped knees – if you don’t accept the shame of failure, dust yourself off, and get back to the effort, you’ll never achieve what you’re seeking. Even Nadeko’s prior personas speak to her willingness to simply abandon things once they’ve failed for the first time – Flirty Nadeko and Wrath Nadeko basically got an afternoon each before Nadeko fearfully abandoned them
“Since we have failed, we need to learn something from our failure.” All of Yotsugi’s advice doubles as key insights for Nadeko’s manga practice as well. Putting those ten thousand hours to work demands always learning from failure, not simply repeating the same mistakes
This plan to team up with her captured Nadekos requires actually convincing them to help her, meaning she will have to prove the merit of her current identity to her past identities. An exceedingly Monogatari-style manner of affirming the rightness of your path, and of bringing what was valuable or sincere about her past personas in concert with her future ambitions
“The time has finally come for you to overcome your past self,” announces Yotsugi, acknowledging that this is also a manga cliche
“All of them are me, and everything leads up to this present moment.” Nadeko starting to get it
“The showdown was at a bookstore.” To Nadeko, who has no interest in cars, every car in the parking lot is the same model. A persistent Monogatari conceit that doubles as a real labor-saver for the production team
Honestly, parking lots look the same to me as well. I feel like many people reach a certain age and can suddenly tell all car models apart, but they’re all just cars to me
Ah, this was the bookstore where she learned of snake ritual sacrifices. Very cheeky of them to convey these memories in 3:4 – Bakemonogatari wasn’t that long ago!
Some nice Kiss-Shot glamor shots as Yotsugi reveals her alternate plan was to have Shinobu devour the remaining shikigami. Of course, that would involve bringing Koyomi back onto the stage, and once again having him save Nadeko from herself, while also denying the validity of Meek and God Nadekos as legitimate stages in Nadeko’s life. A messy solution, to say the least
Yotsugi still says she’ll call an expert if Nadeko seems to be in danger. And to Nadeko’s credit, this is no longer a source of comfort – it’s actually more of a threat, implying that if Nadeko can’t bear this weight, Yotsugi will suffer the fallout of calling for backup. Nadeko is no longer willing to simply lean on others
“This empty storefront could be thought of as the scenery in Meek Nadeko’s mind.” Self-isolated and overwhelmed with choice, Nadeko’s original position
Yotsugi warns Nadeko that activating both her captured shikigamis at once is forbidden. Presumably that will just lead to them turning on her again due to superior numbers
Nice playful use of shadow puppetry as Current Nadeko spies Meek Nadeko. Such a delight to be returning to the mixed media flourishes of Bake, even in a more limited form
Nadeko daydreams about how her life might have gone differently if she didn’t meet Koyomi that day, and then the trap is sprung, the shelves collapsing upon her
Even as her life is allegedly ending, Nadeko can’t help but editorialize, consider how her life story might have been more interesting or dramatically satisfying if she’d challenged and resolved things with Senjougahara or Shinobu. The clarity of finality – with the end so close, she’s not proud of all the things she was too meek or considerate to challenge, she’s sad about all the fights she didn’t have
“Flirty Nadeko!?” “If you hadn’t given me such an unfashionable name, I wouldn’t have minded being on your side from the very beginning.” Her rescuers’ words imply how little distance separates these various Nadekos. They’re all petty and self-absorbed like she is, so of course they’ll rebel against being bluntly told what to do, but they’re also all ultimately very much like her. Her idea of total reinvention was only ever a fantasy; these Nadekos are all mostly her, just with one or another inherent aspect of her brought to the fore
Again echoing Hanekawa and Araragi’s journeys – these avatars can’t be resolved so long as they are framed as enemies to defeat, rather than aspects of the self to acknowledge
Flirty Nadeko admonishes herself for the uncoolness of actually making an effort – a self-defeating instinct that is indeed part of Nadeko, a feeling she must always negotiate with. But this Nadeko is also confident, and fashionable, and good at understanding others – there are many things to love about this side of herself
“I’ve never given all of my effort before, so I’m already at my limit.” In spite of her rebelliousness, Flirty Nadeko wants nothing more than for Current Nadeko to succeed
“Don’t apologize! But in return, you have to draw me even cuter next time.” ‘Don’t apologize’ is probably one of the best lessons Current Nadeko can learn from Flirty Nadeko. Seize your passions and desires – don’t apologize for wanting to make your mark on the world
“Current Nadeko, you don’t put in enough effort when you draw shoes.” And she even has a specific piece of manga-writing advice
“I promise, I’ll make sure to draw you again. And next time, you won’t be hollow.” She now sees the vibrancy, the humanity in this old version of herself. She can love this aspect of herself
“It’s the long-cherished wish of a shikigami to protect its master. Take these words from me, a shikigami.” Nadeko seems to understand Yotsugi is just being nice, but appreciates that nonetheless – that Yotsugi cares about her enough to try and comfort her
“In order to crush me, God Nadeko completely abandoned Meek Nadeko.” Current Nadeko is beginning to feel protective of her shikigamis, and sympathizing with their feelings
“Because I wasn’t able to control my shikigami, I did all this damage to this bookstore.” She’s also feeling a sense of responsibility for the actions of her past selves, rather than abstracting them into independent actors
On the second floor they unfortunately run into an army of half-naked bloomer Nadekos
God Nadeko merely photocopied a single image to create all these shikigamis. She’s not creating individuals, just followers
One of many Monogatari sequences that divorce nudity from sexuality; there’s no intent here from either the shikigamis or the camera’s framing, so it’s actually a pretty neutral scene tonally in spite of all the half-naked Nadekos
Nadeko again demonstrates she’s now seeing her shikigamis as legitimate versions of herself rather than antagonists, suggesting she clean up Wrath Nadeko’s haircut so it’s more coherent and tidy
Yotsugi fires off her one use of Unlimited Rulebook, and the final boss emerges
And Done
Excellent work, Nadeko! Not only have you sealed the third of your shikigami Nadekos, but you’ve also crossed the key psychological pass, and come to embrace these past Nadekos as legitimate aspects of yourself, versions that are worthy of sympathy, and who can actually help steer you towards a happier, more sincerely satisfying future. Monogatari characters are often at their best when they’re talking to themselves, acknowledging aspects of their personalities that have caused them trouble, and finding things to respect and love even in their own rejected fragments. Everyone Nadeko has been is both a part of her journey to this stage and a mentality that still lives within her – if she can learn to find peace with all of them, she will surely be able to walk forward as both a thoughtful mangaka and self-loving human being.
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