Skip to content

NEKOMONOGATARI WHITE

Written By:

Ed Fortune
catanime

DVD REVIEW: NEKOMONOGATARI WHITE / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: TOMOYUKI ITAMURA / SCREENPLAY: AKIYUKI SHINBO / STARRING: YUKA IGUCHI, TSUKIHI ARARAGi, HIROSHI KAMIYA / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 24TH

Nekomonogatari White is the animated tale of a young lady called Tsubasa Hanekawa, who becomes possessed by the spirit of a great white tiger and can thus assume a magical cat form.  As this is an animated TV series made by the Japanese, it’s no happy tale of a girl who gets up to kittenish shenanigans, and is instead a bloody and rather tragic tale in parts. The main character, of course, just wants to be an ordinary girl.

Nekomonogatari White is as difficult to watch as it is to pronounce. There’s no dub; it’s subtitles all the way, and the dialogue is intricate and involved. There are some rather harsh scenes involving the main characters, and the central plot revolves about a young woman who can assume a cat-like form.  This makes the entire thing hard work, even though the animation is very pretty and the main characters fun to watch, this doesn’t make up for the over wordiness of the storytelling. The heroes talk an awful lot.

This new collection features the whole first series and it is not recommended as light viewing; it isn’t the subtitles that are the problem, it’s that they can take up most of the screen.  Each episode does tend to wander, as does the attention of the viewer. Add to this themes of isolation and domestic abuse, and what we have here is something that is less a fun romp and more an episode of Coronation Street or EastEnders but with longer dialogue and cute anime girls.

The direction, voice acting and soundtrack are very well done; all these elements combine to create a very pleasing experience. Each scene is well designed, with a great amount of fine detail gone into each significant element. The problem is that unless you’re a fan of anime, you will find it hard to engage with the main characters, even when they go through hell. Fans of Bakemonogatari will love this, the rest of us should check out Bakemonogatari first before giving this a go.

Special Features: None
 

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW OR ON TWITTER @STARBURST_MAG

Find your local STARBURST stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

CLICK TO BUY!

MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB:

Ed Fortune

You May Also Like...

First-Look Images and Sizzle Reel for Disturbing Shocker CARA

You can now get your first look at the upcoming disturbing kitchen sink horror film CARA, directed by Hayden Hewitt (Lips) and starring Ellie O’Hara, Johnny Vivash, Laurence R. Harvey,
Read More
chinese remake of anaconda drops trailer

ANACONDA Trailer Grants First Look At Remake Of 1997 Horror Flick

Three sequels and a spinoff-crossover film wasn’t enough for the 1997 creature feature Anaconda, which not only has a new movie in development, but is getting a Chinese remake! From
Read More
black widow star scarlett johansson in talks to lead new universal jurassic world film

Scarlett Johansson In Talks To Join JURASSIC WORLD Film

Another MCU star appears to be taking up the reins for Universal’s new Jurassic World movie: two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks to lead the franchise that
Read More

Exclusive Reveal! Titan Comics to Deliver Prehistoric Hysterics in First 2 DUMB DINOS Collection

Titan Comics have exclusively revealed to STARBURST that they’re gearing up to publish the first-ever collection of the hilarious cult digital comic strip 2 Dumb Dinos, and we’re not the
Read More

New Dates For Lovecraftian Key of Dreams

Key of Dreams has announced new spaces for its titular immersive luxury horror event. The critically acclaimed company is known for its overnight experiences that dunk you into a strange
Read More

FAB Café to Host Free Film Screening of New Indie Comedy SECRETS OF A WALLABY BOY

We’re well known for our championing of truly independent filmmakers here at STARBURST, so it’s doubly exciting to be writing about one of our own! After joining the crew in
Read More