# Monogatari Watch Order The short answer: watch Monogatari in broadcast order, starting with Bakemonogatari and letting the Kizumonogatari origin films arrive at their aired slot instead of up front. This is NISIOISIN's talk-drunk supernatural saga, following Koyomi Araragi, a high schooler who barely walked away from a vampire encounter, as he keeps colliding with girls snared by 'oddities' that are really the outward shape of some private wound. Why does order matter here more than almost anywhere else? The series deliberately tells its arcs out of sequence, hoarding crucial reveals and cashing them in seasons later, so the release run is tuned to spring each surprise at exactly the moment it lands hardest. Follow the path below and the flashbacks, feints, and late twists hit the way SHAFT and NISIOISIN engineered them to. > This is the franchise that turned 'what order do I watch this in?' into a genuine argument, so here's our stance: go release (broadcast) order, the sequence on this page. Monogatari is built on delayed reveals and timed flashbacks, and the Kizumonogatari films, which tell Araragi's vampire origin, were slotted deep into the run on purpose; watching them at their broadcast position preserves a mystery the earliest arcs quietly lean on. The well-known counter is chronological order, which moves the three Kizumonogatari prequel films to the very front so the timeline runs clean and Araragi's backstory comes first. It's a legitimate watch, and if you strongly prefer cause-before-effect it works, but you spend, right at the start, a reveal the TV series takes dozens of episodes setting up. Our vote stays with release order: the surprises were designed for it. ## The order 1. **[Bakemonogatari](https://hozuna.com/anime/bakemonogatari)** — TV · 2009 · 15 eps The front door, and the only correct place to begin: the 15-episode first season from 2009, where Araragi starts crossing paths with Senjougahara and the others and the show's rapid-fire dialogue-and-collage style snaps into focus. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Netflix 2. **[Nisemonogatari](https://hozuna.com/anime/nisemonogatari)** — TV · 2012 · 11 eps The direct 11-episode sequel, which swings the spotlight onto Araragi's younger sisters, Karen and Tsukihi, and picks up right where the first season ended, so it sits second with no detours. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu 3. **Nekomonogatari: Kuro** — Special · 2012 · 4 eps A four-episode special built around Hanekawa and the quiet crisis in her home; it flashes back to just before the first season, but its aired slot is right here, and it plants threads the later seasons keep tugging on. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu 4. **[Monogatari Series: Second Season](https://hozuna.com/anime/monogatari-series-second-season)** — TV · 2013 · 26 eps The 26-episode centerpiece and, for a lot of fans, the summit of the whole saga: five interlocking arcs that cycle through the heroines and deepen everything before them. Don't leapfrog to it; let the run build here. Streams on: Crunchyroll 5. **Tsukimonogatari** — Special · 2014 · 4 eps A tight four-episode special, the Yotsugi Doll arc, that nudges the present-day story a step closer to the endgame after Second Season. Short, fully canon, and firmly in sequence at this point. Streams on: Crunchyroll 6. **Owarimonogatari** — TV · 2015 · 12 eps A pivotal 12-episode season that finally digs into Araragi's own buried past through the Ougi and Sodachi arcs, quietly rewriting how you read what came before. Essential, and it belongs right after Tsukimonogatari. Streams on: Crunchyroll 7. **Koyomimonogatari** — ONA · 2016 · 12 eps _(optional)_ Twelve bite-sized ONA shorts, the one openly optional stop, one tale per month, slipped into the gaps between the larger arcs. Great connective tissue but safe to skip on a first pass; save it for when you already adore the cast. 8. **Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen** — Movie · 2016 · 1 eps The first of the three Kizumonogatari films and the origin story of how Araragi fell in with the vampire Kiss-Shot. In release order it arrives here rather than up front; in our data this opening film streams on Netflix. Streams on: Netflix 9. **Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen** — Movie · 2016 · 1 eps The middle film, where Araragi's bid to reverse his transformation erupts into a savage three-way clash with a trio of vampire hunters. It runs straight on from the first film, so watch the trilogy in one sitting. 10. **Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen** — Movie · 2017 · 1 eps The closing film and the emotional reckoning of the origin trilogy, where the real price of Araragi's choice finally comes due. Wrap up the Kizumonogatari films here before stepping back onto the present-day timeline. 11. **Owarimonogatari 2nd Season** — Special · 2017 · 7 eps A seven-episode continuation that pushes hard toward the finale across three arcs, Ougi Dark among them. Back on the main timeline after the Kizumonogatari films, it's one of the most acclaimed stretches in the whole series. Streams on: Crunchyroll 12. **Zoku Owarimonogatari** — TV · 2019 · 6 eps The six-episode epilogue, the Koyomi Reverse arc set the morning after graduation, and the series' true farewell. Keep it for last; it only lands once everything ahead of it is already in place. ## FAQ **What's the best order to watch the Monogatari series?** We recommend release (broadcast) order, the sequence on this page, running from Bakemonogatari through Zoku Owarimonogatari. The series deliberately tells its story out of order and saves major reveals for later, and the aired sequence is tuned to make those payoffs land. The popular alternative is chronological order, which pulls the three Kizumonogatari origin films to the very front; it's a valid watch and gives you a cleaner timeline, but it trades away a surprise the early seasons are built around. **Where should I start with Monogatari?** Start with Bakemonogatari, the first season. It's designed as the entry point even though the Kizumonogatari films cover earlier events; those films work best as a mid-series origin reveal rather than a prologue. If Bakemonogatari's rapid-fire dialogue and abstract visual style click with you, you're in the right place. **Do I need to watch the Kizumonogatari films, and when?** Yes. The three Kizumonogatari films are essential, not side material; they're Araragi's origin story. In our release order you watch them after Owarimonogatari; if you choose chronological order, they go first instead. Either way, treat the three films as one continuous story and watch them back-to-back. **Is Koyomimonogatari skippable?** Koyomimonogatari is the one genuinely optional entry, a set of twelve short side-stories that slot into the gaps between the main arcs. You can comfortably skip it on a first run and circle back later; it rewards viewers who already know the cast rather than driving the central plot forward. **Where can I watch Monogatari legally?** Crunchyroll is the primary home for most of the TV seasons and specials: Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari, Nekomonogatari: Kuro, Monogatari Series: Second Season, Tsukimonogatari, Owarimonogatari, and Owarimonogatari 2nd Season all list it. Legal Western availability for the Kizumonogatari films and the final stretch is patchier and depends on your region; in our data, Kizumonogatari I is on Netflix. For the exact, current services in your country, check each title's own page. **Why does Monogatari have so many differently-named seasons?** Each installment gets its own '-monogatari' title, Bake, Nise, Neko, Tsuki, Owari, and so on, which makes the franchise look more scattered than it actually is. They're all one continuous story from author NISIOISIN and studio SHAFT, just released across separate TV seasons, specials, shorts, and films over the years. Follow the order on this page and the naming stops mattering; you're simply watching Araragi's story straight through.