Nisemonogatari - Episode 08

Episode – 08 characters

Araragi Koyomi – Is the star of the show, he was a vampire but now he is human again but not completely. Although this makes him almost immortal with how fast he heals, also the pseudo-vampire that original turned him now lives in his shadow.

Senjougahara – She is the first girl that he helped in the previous series, and she is his current girlfriend. They started to become closer after he helped her to get her weight back from the weight god that original took it. Although when it took her painful memories it took her weight with it because “omoi” means both memories and physical weight.

Hanekawa – Is the fifth girl that he helped in the previous series, that her problem came from the sawari-neko. Which according to the write is one of the legendary cat-demons along with neko-mata “twin tail cat” and bake-neko “monster cat”. The sawari-neko lives inside the person and when the suffer from too much stress, it manifest itself to relieve the problem.

Sengoku – Is the forth girl that he helped, she was suffering from jagari-nawa which was a snake curse. Where it cause an invisible snake to bind the person body then once it reaches their neck it kills them. It turns out that she was curse because she turn down a boy that asked her out.

Hachikuji – Is the second girl in the previous series that he helped. It turns out that she wasn't actually a person but a ghost that is an earth-bound spirit that cause people to lose their way. Although it is also called a snail because people that follow it just endless go around in circles. That the only way to save it is by having it go somewhere that isn't mapped out.

Araragi Karen – She is the older of Koyomi's two sisters, Koyomi make a point of mentioning the fact of that she has a natural talent for karate. That she presents herself in a way that reflect her aggressive nature, and doesn't go about hiding it like her younger sister.

Araragi Tsukihi – She is the younger of Koyomi's two sisters, although from his perspective she uses her womanly charm to hide her aggressive nature. Instead of presenting out there for all to see like her elder sister.

Kanbaru Suruga – Is the third girl that he helped in the previous series. Although her problem was that she made a contract with a lesser demon called the rainy devil. Which once it grants your wish it takes your soul. Then because Kanbaru hated Araragi for being able to get close to Senjougahara so easily. Kanbaru wish for him to die. Although Araragi set things in motion Senjougahara made so that the rainy devil couldn't fulfill the wish because after Suruga kill Koyomi, Senjougahara would kill her thous invaliding the wish and saving Kanbaru's soul.

Oshino Meme – Is an important character in the Bakemonogatari story is because he is the one that helped Araragi with his vampirism, as well as helped him save all the other girls in the previous series. That be became less important until he finally leaves, to important of this fact is that he was preparing Araragi to be able to face these things without his help.

Oshino Shinobu – Is the vampire that attack Araragi Koyomi, and with Oshino's help she was defeated by using the Sawari-neko that lives inside of Hanekawa. That currently she lives inside of Araragi Koyomi's shadow, and they have a love hate relationship.

Episode – 08 Summary

This episode is mostly about transitioning from the old arc to the new one. While in the begging Koyomi alludes to the fact that his youngest sister might not be what she appears to be, because in this new arc he implies that Tsukihi might be immortal. This is further implied by the title of the new arc “Tsukihi Phonix”. Since the arc in this season go a lot slower than in the first series it will be awhile before any progress is made towards that end. Although that isn't what this episode is about, it is more focused on the budding relationship Koyomi has with his sister Karen.

Things progress with Koyomi trying to study English during his summer vacation like in the last arc, however this is quickly interrupted by the appearance of his sister Karen. When he final turns around to force her to go away he see that she is dress in Tsukihi girly clothes. Which upon seeing this he believes that someone is bulling his sister, that if she would have consulted with him. He would immediately make them pay for what they have done no-matter who they were. It turns out that isn't the case at all, Karen is trying to convince her brother to introduce her to his friend Kanbaru. The creepy things is that Kanbaru has a fanclub that follows her every move. Then it is through this fanclub she finds out that Kanbaru looks-up to her brother, that she intents to use him to introduce her to Kanbaru. It turns out he doesn't want this because of what he knows about Kanbaru, that she isn't just an extreme pervert but a lesbian as well. The to prevent this he make a deal with his sister, that if she can overcome his challenge then he will introduce them.

Karen seeing that this is her only chance agree, because whatever rules he makes fair or unfair there is nothing that her brother can think of that would challenge her. Although when Koyomi comes back with the tools that he needs, which is toothpaste and Karen's toothbrush. What Karen think that he is going to do with it, is put her toothbrush up her rear-end. Where and why she came up with that idea I have no clue but she is way off-base. It turns out that her brothers challenge is that he is going to brush her teeth with her toothbrush for five minutes, that if she can last for that amount of time without crying uncle the she wins.

Although in the begging it turns out that she believe that it will be easy, though Koyomi counters this argument by saying that most woman are very sensitive about there hair, that they won't let someone they didn't know well to cut their hair. That this will be much worse because he would be doing something that she could normal do herself and she would have no say in it. Although she does last however during the act itself she is dramaticly aroused by her brothers action and even towards the end her action start turning him on, to the extent where he question that his ideal woman might not be in fact Hanekawa but his own sister Karen. This is broken up when Tsukihi shows up, and see what they are doing but not before implying that she has given them the death sentence. Once Tsukihi leaves they agree to continue under the guise that because Tsukihi intruded them it make the end result being a draw. This raise the question is Karen just another person that has fall in love with him like all the other woman that he has save. Also the nature of the episode is a bit questionable in it self.