MONOGATARI Series: OFF & MONSTER Season

Episode 6

Last week, we were left off with Nadeko facing off against her god form which terrorized the city months before. That said, the fight against God Nadeko is more an act of self-reflection than anything else (just like all the other fights against her clones). Nadeko understands the power of her god form and how that god viewed her past self, specifically Meek Nadeko. She would never see Meek Nadeko as a threat—that's why all it takes is a wardrobe change and a distraction for Nadeko to just walk up to the god and return her to paper form.

Of course, the battle with God Nadeko is the least important part of this episode despite being the arc's action climax. With the divine threat out of the way, Nadeko is finally able to focus on the real mastermind behind all that happened: Meek Nadeko.

Meek Nadeko is a perpetual victim who relies on others to solve all her problems. As such, she can manipulate the other versions of herself to take on the real Nadeko so she can do what she really wants to do: pine after Araragi. To be clear, she's not trying to woo him—she's simply enjoying the feeling of being in love. It doesn't matter that he's graduated and going to the school won't actually let her meet him; just the act of being there, waiting, is more than enough.

The confrontation between the two Nadekos leads to Nadeko realizing something vital. Shunning your past is not the same as learning from it, and truly learning from your past means accepting it: not only the bad but the good as well. Yes—her obsessive, one-sided love made her into a monster but that doesn't mean that love in and of itself is bad and to be avoided. She can and will love again but in a way that doesn't ruin her life or rob her of her other dreams.

Better still, this whole adventure also serves to give her an unexpected path forward in life. The whole impetus for everything that has happened comes from her parent's ultimatum: either go to high school or get a job. Yet, by solving this supernatural crisis, she no longer needs to find a magic way of going pro as a manga artist nor does she need to cave into her parent's obvious attempt to get her back into school. She may not yet be a master, but she has tons of experience with the supernatural enough to handle a few cases on her own. Doing an odd job here or there will give her enough to live on while still focusing mainly on her manga—and likely get her a plethora of manga characters and story ideas in the process.

However, it's important to note that it's not her powers or connections that get her this job; it's her way of thinking. When put in the driver's seat, she was able to solve a massive supernatural event in a single day (even if said event was her fault in the first place). It's rarely raw power that fixes these problems; rather, it's being smart and calm enough to uncover the true nature of the problem and how to overcome it.

So things end on a rather ironic note. Nadeko has taken Araragi's spot within the story and in a metatextual sense. She's an ex-oddity with some remaining supernatural powers and strong connections with the supernatural forces in her area who will help afflicted people for a price. In a real, tangible way, she is now closer to Araragi than ever before. Yet, she likely does not realize this. After all, she has finally and truly moved on.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Ougi thinking that Meek Nadeko wanted to kill Senjogahara was such a solid joke. It shows that, even when he's trying to do good, his nature still makes him see things in the most pessimistic light possible.

• “Sup bitch! I told everyone you broke into our house, wrecked the place, and stole my shit. You can thank me later. I'm gonna crash on your bed now.” - Tsukihi

• Shinobu showing up to teach Nadeko how to use her powers was surprisingly wholesome—and both a sign of forgiveness and an acknowledgment of growth.

• My favorite visual of the episode? The severed hand falls to the ground in what can be interpreted as both Ononoki's typical peace gesture and a V for victory.

MONOGATARI Series: OFF & MONSTER Season is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.