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I have Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari, and learned that Monogatari Series Second Season is being streamed by Aniplex, which means that Nekomonogatari would have been streamed at some point and that it would get a home release.

So, I am wondering what the story's in-universe chronological order is: should I watch Bakemonogatari, Kizumonogatari (when it's released), Nekomonogatari (when it's released), Monogatari Series Second Season (when it's released) and Nisemonogatari?

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    The chronological order of the story is different from the chronological order of the releases for anime/ovas
    – krikara
    Commented Aug 8, 2013 at 22:41
  • @krikara i know, it's easy to look up the released order, i got truck loads of anime to watch so i can wait a while before starting on the Monogatari to see if any more releases come out rather than streaming
    – Memor-X
    Commented Aug 9, 2013 at 0:16
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    Regarding the right order to watch in, I don't think it's chronological order (this is opinion-based so I'm leaving it as a comment). The right order would be either the production order of the novels or the anime. If you watch in chronological order it will be somewhat more confusing IMO and you'd spoil some things.
    – Logan M
    Commented Aug 9, 2013 at 1:24
  • @LoganM same could be said for Kara no Kyoukai, the production order is the chapter order but storyline it's 2 -> 4 -> 1 -> 3 -> 5 -> 6 -> ReMix -> 7 -> 8, in the end of The Hollow Shrine (Chapter 4) you see Araya contact Rio, Fujino and Kirie because his is in Chapter 5, if you watch it in story order you get spoiled in that Kirie's 2nd body was given to her by Araya before the events of chapter 1 while doing something to Fujino after she slaughtered most of the gang who gang raped her but before meeting Mikiya but the spoiler isn't all that bad, it just makes you think about what he's plan
    – Memor-X
    Commented Aug 9, 2013 at 2:04
  • @LoganM there's another example where you see how a bad guy become transfigured and demented as the greatest evil but i can't remember the series
    – Memor-X
    Commented Aug 9, 2013 at 2:04

3 Answers 3

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+50

Overview and date convention

The first three seasons1 of Monogatari series generally takes place in the one-year period between the start of the third year of high school of Araragi Koyomi (March, Year 0) and one month after his graduation (April, Year +1).

Note that it is the general trend; the stories may refer to events before the time period above. One story even takes place mostly in an alternate universe.

1 The first 3 seasons are named First Season, Second Season and Final Season. The 4th season, named Next Season, has been announced at the end of Zoku-Owarimonogatari.

The details below are mostly referenced and translated from ja.Wikipedia article of Monogatari Series.

Summary

The chapters in each book are ordered chronologically, so if you don't want to be spoiled, the list below should be sufficient:

  1. [3,-] Kizumonogatari

  2. [6,3] Nekomonogatari (Black)

  3. [1,1a] Bakemonogatari (Volume 1)

  4. [2,1b] Bakemonogatari (Volume 2)

  5. [4,2a] Nisemonogatari (Volume 1)

  6. [5,2b] Nisemonogatari (Volume 2)

  7. [8,4b] Kabukimonogatari

  8. [7,4a] Nekomonogatari (White) parallel to

    [11,4d] Onimonogatari[16,-] Owarimonogatari (Volume 2)

  9. [15,-] Owarimonogatari (Volume 1)

  10. [10,4c] Otorimonogatari

  11. [12,4e] Koimonogatari

  12. [13,6] Tsukimonogatari

  13. [14,-] Koyomimonogatari

  14. [17,-] Owarimonogatari (Volume 3)

  15. [18,-] Zoku-Owarimonogatari

  16. [9,5] Hanamonogatari

See Final Season section for more details. Ordering is based on the main events.

The first number in bracket is the light novel publish order, and the second number is the anime airing order. So far, the anime generally follows the light novel publish order and the chapter order in each volume, except for Kizumonogatari and Hanamonogatari.

/!\ Spoiler Warning

Although the details have been kept to minimum, the titles of the chapters and the footnotes may contain spoilers.

First Season

The first season takes place between March 25, Year 0 to August 14, Year 0. It generally introduces the main cast and how they get involved with the apparitions.

  • March 25th - April 8th: Koyomi Vamp/Kizumonogatari
  • April 29th - May 7th: Tsubasa Family/Nekomonogatari (Black)
  • May 8th: Hitagi Crab/Bakemonogatari (Volume 1)
  • May 14th: Mayoi Snail/Bakemonogatari (Volume 1)
  • May 23rd - May 27th2: Suruga Monkey/Bakemonogatari (Volume 1)
  • June 11th - June 12th: Nadeko Snake/Bakemonogatari (Volume 2)
  • June 13th - June 16th: Tsubasa Cat/Bakemonogatari (Volume 2)
  • July 29th - July 30th: Karen Bee/Nisemonogatari (Volume 1)
  • August 14th: Tsukihi Phoenix/Nisemonogatari (Volume 2)

2 The dates are derived from the fact that May 14th, when Araragi started going out with Senjougahara, was a Sunday, and Araragi got attacked on a Friday in May which was about 2 weeks since he started dating.

Second Season

The Second Season takes place between August 20th, Year 0 and April 21st, Year 1. However, one can argue that the core of this season only extends up to February 1st, Year 1, since the events in Hanamonogatari is quite removed from the rest of the stories.

The Second Season introduces Oshino Ougi and foreshadows her involvement behind the apparition incidents.

  • August 20th - August 21st3: Mayoi Kyonshi/Kabukimonogatari
  • August 21st - August 24th (Koyomi appeared at the end after Shinobu Mail): Tsubasa Tiger/Nekomonogatari (White)
  • August 21st - August 23rd4 (right after Mayoi Kyonshi): Shinobu Time/Onimonogatari
  • October 31st - November 2nd: Nadeko Medusa/Otorimonogatari
  • January 1st (Year 1) - February 1st: Hitagi End/Koimonogatari
  • April 9th - April 21st: Suruga Devil/Hanamonogatari

3 On August 21st, they time-slipped back 11 years ago, then returned to August 21st on different route, spent their time there until August 26th, then jumped back to August 21st of their original route.

4 Plus an event in late December, where Koyomi told the whole story of how Mayoi disappeared to Ougi.

The period of August 21st to August 24th consists of events happening in parallel from 4 chapters, three in Second Season and one in Final Season. Araragi involved in all four of them, and he resolved one problem just to get caught up in another in the order listed.

Final Season

Chapters in Koyomimonogatari are all over the place in the timeline, with the earliest in April 11th, Year 0, just after the events in Koyomi Vamp/Kizumonogatari and the latest in March 13th, Year 1. However, not all chapters in the book are relevant to the core story in Final Season.

The Final Season mainly takes place between August 23rd, Year 0 and March 18th, Year 1. This season mostly centers around Oshino Ougi and fills in the void left by the Second Season. Note that the time period in Final Season intersects with the period in the Second Season.

  • August 23rd - August 24th (after Shinobu Time and parallel with Tsubasa Tiger)5: Shinobu Mail/Owarimonogatari (Volume 2)
  • October 23rd (or 24th)6: Ougi Formula/Owarimonogatari (Volume 1)
  • October 24th (or 25th)6: Sodachi Riddle/Owarimonogatari (Volume 1)
  • October 25th (or 26th)6 (before Nadeko Medusa): Sodachi Lost/Owarimonogatari (Volume 1)
  • November 1st (before Nadeko became god in Nadeko Medusa): Koyomi Mountain/Koyomimonogatari
  • Mid January, Year 1 (during Hitagi End): Koyomi Seed/Koyomimonogatari
  • February 13th - February 14th (after Hitagi End): Yotsugi Doll/Tsukimonogatari
  • February - Late February: Koyomi Nothing/Koyomimonogatari
  • March 13th: Koyomi Dead/Koyomimonogatari
  • March 13th (right after Koyomi Dead): Mayoi Hell/Owarimonogatari (Volume 3)
  • March 14th: Hitagi Rendezvous/Owarimonogatari (Volume 3)
  • March 14th - March 15th (right after Hitagi Rendezvous): Ougi Dark/Owarimonogatari (Volume 3)
  • March 15th - March 18th (right after Ougi Dark, and before Suruga Devil): Koyomi Reverse/Zoku-Owarimonogatari

5 Plus an event on March 13th, where Koyomi told the whole incident to Ougi. This event takes place before Koyomi Dead, which is on the same day.

6 Given that these events take place in late October, and that Koyomi had been to school 5 days in a row, including the possibility of Naoetsugu High School having class on Saturday, since a different story had been set to take place in the week after, the events can only take place on either dates.

Here are the rest of the side stories in Koyomimonogatari and their relative position in the timeline:

  • April 11th - April 12th, Year 0 (after Koyomi Vamp): Koyomi Stone/Koyomimonogatari
  • May 9th - May 10th (after Hitagi Crab): Koyomi Flower/Koyomimonogatari
  • June (after Tsubasa Cat): Koyomi Sand/Koyomimonogatari
  • Certain weekend in July (before Karen Bee7): Koyomi Water/Koyomimonogatari
  • Early August (after Karen Bee and before Tsukihi Phoenix): Koyomi Wind/Koyomimonogatari
  • Late September (after Shinobu Mail): Koyomi Tree/Koyomimonogatari
  • Certain weekday in October (before Ougi Formula): Koyomi Tea/Koyomimonogatari
  • December, Year 0 (after Nadeko Medusa and before Hitagi End): Koyomi Torus/Koyomimonogatari

7 Since it was the second time Koyomi cleaned Kanbaru's room, the story has to take place before Karen Bee.

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    this is the great thing about this site, even with a +9 scored accepted answer we can still get ever better answers almost a year later
    – Memor-X
    Commented Nov 13, 2014 at 21:06
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The order for story progression might be the following:

  • Kizumonogatari (傷物語)
  • Nekomonogatari Black (猫物語 黒)
  • Bakemonogatari (化物語)
  • Nisemonogatari (偽物語)
  • Kabukimonogatari (傾物語)
  • Onimonogatari (鬼物語) and Nekomonogatari White (猫物語 白) (events happen at the same time)
  • Otorimonogatari (囮物語)
  • Koimonogatari (恋物語)
  • Hanamonogatari (花物語)
  • Tsukimonogatari (憑物語)

Koyomimonogatari (暦物語) is a series of 12 short stories spaced at intervals of roughly one month; the first one occurs in April (shortly after Kizumonogatari).

It remains to be seen where Owarimonogatari (終物語) and Zoku-owarimonogatari (続終物語) (not released as of this writing) will fit chronologically.

The image below shows the anime broadcast and light novel publish order:

monogatari universe

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  • i've never head of Onimonogatari, Otorimonogatari, Koimonogatari and Hanamonogatari, they anime aswell or another media altogether (manga, light novel)
    – Memor-X
    Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 22:30
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    yep they are part of monogatari series (Lignt Novel) by Nishio Ishin . Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 23:58
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    What stories does first and second season consist of?
    – Hakase
    Commented Feb 2, 2014 at 13:16
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The chronological order of the story progression (starting from the beginning) for the anime.

Kizumonogatari -> Nekomonogatari: Kuro -> Bakemonogatari -> Nisemonogatari -> Nekomonogatari: Shiro

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