Monogatari (物語) is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature, an extended prose narrative tale comparable to the epic. Monogatari is closely tied to aspects of the oral tradition, and almost always relates a fictional or fictionalized story, even when retelling a historical event. Many of the great works of Japanese fiction, such as the Genji monogatari and the Heike monogatari are in this monogatari form.
The form was prominent around the 9th to 15th centuries, reaching a peak between the 10th and 11th centuries. According to the Fūyō Wakashū (1271), at least 198 monogatari existed by the 13th century. Of these, around forty still exist.
The genre is sub-divided into multiple categories depending on their contents:
Stories dealing with fantastical events.
Stories drawn from poetry.
Aristocratic court romances.
Monogatari (物語?, lit. "Story") is the general name for a series of Japanese light novels written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin and illustrated by Taiwanese illustrator Vofan. Kodansha has published 20 novels since November 2006 under their Kodansha Box imprint, with at least two more novels planned. The story centers on Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student who survived a vampire attack, and finds himself helping some girls involved with all kinds of apparitions, deities, ghosts, mythological beasts, and spirits.
An anime adaptation by Shaft of Bakemonogatari aired 12 episodes between July and September 2009, and released three more episodes online between November 2009 and June 2010. An anime of the sequel Nisemonogatari aired from January to March 2012. An anime adaptation of Nekomonogatari (Kuro) aired on December 31, 2012. An anime titled Monogatari Series Second Season aired between July 6 and December 28, 2013. An anime adaptation of Hanamonogatari aired on August 16, 2014. An anime adaptation of Tsukimonogatari aired on December 31, 2014. An anime adaptation of the Owarimonogatari novels aired between October 3 and December 19, 2015. An anime film trilogy will be produced based on the prequel novel Kizumonogatari.
The Monogatari series is a collection of Japanese light novels written by Nisio Isin, with illustrations by Vofan. The novels share the common suffix -monogatari (物語, meaning "story"). The series centers around Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student who survived a vampire attack before the beginning of the story, and finds himself mixed up with all kinds of apparitions, gods, ghosts, mythological beasts, and spirits. The series began with the publication of three short stories in Kodansha's Mephisto magazine between the September 2005 and May 2006 issues. These stories were later collected into the first volume of the light novel series released in November 2006. As of January 2016, there are 20 novels in the series.
Nisio Isin has also penned a number of short short stories and other related works set in the same fictional universe, listed below.
I wish I had a mango tree
In my backyard
With you standin next to me
Take the picture
From her lips I heard her say
Can I have you
Caught up on what to say
I said you do
I said you do
I said you do
Through my eyes I can see
A shooting star
Weavn its way across the sea
Somewhere from mars
Down the street we would run
To scratch our names in the path
Young and free in the sun
Wheels upon the tar
I said you do
I said you do
I said you do