Summary
TheMonogatari Seriesis back this year with an adaptation of theOff SeasonandMonster Season(10 volumes total), starting withOrokamonogatari. With almost 15 years having passed since the anime started, there’s a lot of ground to cover for those eager to hop on the bandwagon, and thankfully, it’s pretty easy to findmostof the series.
Based on the novel series by Nisio Isin, this supernatural mystery was a sensation that became more so after 2009’sBakemonogatariby Studio Shaft and directors Akiyuki Shinboand Tatsuya Oishi. Although the anime has received 10 previous anime adaptations before now, the story is divided into “Seasons,” namedFirst,Second,Final,Off,Monster, andFamily, respectively. The series first follows Koyomi Araragi, a half-human, half-vampire who finds his life entangled with a group of young women, all afflicted by apparitions that prey on their traumas and insecurities. As the franchise has progressed, these women and the supporting cast, in general, have taken center stage more often, evolving the franchise in unexpected ways.
Where Can You Watch It?
First Season
The majority of theMonogatari Seriesis readily available on Crunchyroll. From the First Season, fans can check outBakemonogatari, followed by one’s choice of either its prequel,Nekomonogatari: Black, or the sequel,Nisemonogatari. The only missing piece from this season is the film trilogy forKizumonogatari, which technically should come right afterBakeand tells the very beginning of Araragi’s story.
Second Season
Monogatari Series: Second Seasonis pretty self-explanatory. Across 26 episodes, it covers five novels from this era of the franchise. The sixth and final novel from this season,Hanamonogatari, was given a TV special a year later that can be found on the same page as theSecond Seasonon Crunchyroll. That makes thisthe only season ofMonogatarithat can be seen in full on the streaming platform.
Final Season
Despite what the name might suggest,Owarimonogatariis not the first or only entry in theFinal Season. It actually begins with the four-part specialTsukimonogatari. After that, there are two seasons ofOwari(not to be confused with the seasonal structure of the franchise), but that is the extent ofMonogatari’s presence on Crunchyroll.
Where’s the Rest of It?
The trouble with finding legal avenues through which to watch the fullMonogatari Seriesis that it’s not a matter of whereelseyou can watch it. Depending on one’s region, it might be available for rental or purchase through Amazon, but in North America, Crunchyroll is the only streaming home for this series, and it’s missing some major points in the story.
Kizumonogatarihas never been made available to stream, nor hasZoku Owarimonogatari. This is particularly amusing, seeing as how the former is the very beginning of the story, while the latter is the conclusion ofOwariand theFinal Seasonas a whole. There’s alsoKoyomimonogatari, a series of shorter stories, but one no less crucial for how its final story sets up the second half ofOwari.
But perhaps the most baffling of these absences is thatBakeis still missing its last three episodes after all these years. When the show originally aired, there were only 12 episodes and the last three were released later. Crunchyroll has never added them, nor replaced what episodes are already there with anything higher than 480p quality. So, one of the best and most important parts of the franchise is only available legally in the worst quality.
Can You Purchase the Series?
Monogatariis an Aniplex property, so while it is available on Blu-ray, these collections can be quite expensive. RightStufAnime previously was the exclusive distributor ofMonogatarion home video, a title now held by Crunchyroll. Judging by the listings on their store, however, not all of them are available.Not evenBakemonogatariis availablefor purchase currently, though the reason for this might be simpler than one might think.
This month, Aniplex is releasing a Blu-ray set of the entireFinal Season, similar to what was done with the release of theSecond Seasonsome years back. Previously released smaller Blu-rays for individual arcs are being discontinued in favor of bigger, more expensive sets containing the entire seasons. This means that there could be aFirst Seasoncomplete set in the near future, withBake,Nise,Neko, andKizu.
No (Not listed as of 14-05-2025)
Yes (But Sold Out as of 27-06-2025)
USD 119.98
USD 219.98
USD 343.98 (Available 06-07-2025)
USD 69.98
USD 59.98
Monogataricarries a unique prestigewithin the medium, it being both a financial hit yet also a high mark for aesthetics and storytelling that would typically be reserved for the most niche of properties. It’s a fascinating franchise, the hype of which is nothing to scoff at. For that reason, this is the perfect time for Crunchyroll to capitalize on its return and truly embrace being its “streaming home,” rather than merely happening to be the only one providing it.
