「化物語」, or Bakemonogatari if you will, is a must watch. Episode one was filled with SHAFT-y goodness and I expect this trend to continue into the later episodes.

Let’s go over a checklist of this show, shall we?

• Animation production by SHAFT
• Directed by Akiyuki Shinbou
• Ending theme by ryo of supercell
• Casting includes Hiroshi Kamiya and Miyuki Sawashiro

SHAFT is probably the only other studio that I’m willing to watch a show on the basis of “nothing” besides the fact that it’s from them, the other being Production I.G. The third point is more than a nice-to-have but the fact that an ending theme is awesome doesn’t make a series awesome. Also, while I like Kamiya and Sawashiro, they are not really a make-or-break for me in terms of “I’ll watch this because this person’s voicing a character in this show”.