The opening sequence I think sets expectations at a different tempo than the series bears out (I still have to explore more of the Monogatari series, particularly the parts predating Bake-). The big takeaway is Koyomi is recovering from his run-in with a vampire and Hitagi is weightless.
Rewatching the series, I find it's much more sedate than the opening makes it seem to be, which I appreciate since it allows the series to become less a spectacle (although it certainly isn't lacking in the animation department), and more an at times academic exploration of the medium it exists in, the Japanese language and spirituality.
The early discussion of an upcoming festival and exams entrench us within the space of the typical Japanese high school, introducing the viewer to Tsubasa Hanekawa, who occupies the most sought-after position in all of anime - class president! It's telling that the series begins positing Koyomi between a class president and Hitagi, who I'll get to in the next parageaph, signalling that the series' fascination with using tropes of the medium to deconstruct, particularly in that of Hitagi. However, the high school is little more than set dressing and the series quickly moves away from the standard concerns of high-schoolers.
At one point, Hitagi refers to herself as a "tsundere" type, which is one of the most prominent archetypes in contemporary anime. It refers to a character, typically female, who acts cold and abrasive but harbors a secret affection for another, often times the protagonist. Obviously this is not a uniquely Japanese character type, however anime as a medium has become one largely defined by the various tropes and character types that it employs (one need only look at the plethora of isekai anime, all following the same basic plots of fish out of water world-hopping and hero types, to see how the medium likes to find the latest craze and create countless duplicates of it) . This is why in an era of the internet defined by listicles, there are so many forums and fan websites ranking their favorite tsundere (along with yandere, and all the other -dere types that have come into existence since the suffix was embraced by Western audiences). The most popular versions of anime have become, for better or worse, almost like Mad Libs, in which characters are rigidly defined and follow an expected pattern of behavior. I think that's why I appreciated Bake- so much, because there is at least a winking awareness of its medium throughout.
Sausage, I agree with you on a lot of this, especially the fragmented style and empty world. I think this is a show in which the writers created these characters not by imagining people they wanted to craft with emotions and goals, but rather around character types they wanted to explore. It makes for a rather unwelcoming and cold experience since each character is nonchalantly analytical of their identity and personal circumstances. And Hitagi's reaction outside Oshino's place to Koyomi asking her to drop her weapons is perhaps one I'm just accustomed to, as a tsundere type is often one to overreact or read malice into others where none necessarily exists.
I wanted to note how much I really enjoyed the kanji in Koyomi's pupils: "She knows who's in my family." And it's moments like Koyomi's sarcastic recitation of "Senjyogahara-sama" that make me glad they never attempted a dub of this. There is humor to be found in this cold, remote world (although it likely won't be to everyone's tastes)!
I'd encourage anyone who watched to share their thoughts on the first episode. I think the first episode, particularly the first few minutes, are rather juvenile, but it does get better (I think)!
I also encourage people to check out the
fan wiki, which has a lot of extra detail to put the series into context, and interesting tidbits like the light novel author Nisio Isin goes by the pen name NISIOISIN to emphasize his name being a palindrome!
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