Ougi Oshino

Ougi Oshino
Japanese	忍野 扇
Romaji	Oshino Ōgi
Character Information
Physical Age	15
Literal Age	1-6 months
Hair Color	Black
Eye Color	Black
First Appearance	Kabukimonogatari
First Chronologic Appearance	Owarimonogatari
Opening Theme	decent black dark cherry mystery
Personal Status
Classification	Oddity - quasi-darkness
Occupation	Student (Naoetsu Private High School)
Relatives	Meme Oshino (Supposed Uncle) Koyomi Araragi (creator)
Production
Voice Actor	Kaori Mizuhashi

Ougi Oshino (忍野 扇, Oshino Ōgi) is a mysterious first year at Naoetsu Private High School. Ougi claims to be the niece of Meme Oshino despite having no known family. While commonly referred to as a girl, Ougi first claims to be a male in Suruga Devil in which they state they are a boy and always have been.

Ougi is the titular protagonist of four main arcs: Ougi Formula, Ougi Dark, Ougi Light, and Ougi Fright, and of two minor arcs: Ougi Travel and Ougi Reflect.

Appearance

Ougi has short black hair, large black irises, and pale white skin. Their most common outfit is a female uniform with long sleeves that hide their hands constantly. Because their irises are drawn black, their pupils are never seen. Ougi can be seen wearing black gloves when their hands are showing. 

In Hanamonogatari, Ougi switches to a male school uniform.  

It's worth noting that while light novel artwork sometimes depicts Ougi in different clothing such as a black dress, they have only ever been seen wearing school uniforms in the anime adaptation.  

Designs for Kabukimonogatari

Designs for Hanamonogatari

Designs for Zoku Owarimonogatari

Personality

Ougi often comes off as very mysterious. They're rarely ever not smiling and always talk in somewhat a condescending tone.

Especially upon first meeting him, Ougi seems to take an obsessive interest in helping Koyomi Araragi, much to his friends' suspicion. Araragi claims that Ougi somehow causes him to blurt out things without hesitation. He's also commented on them knowing things he never told them.

Ougi claims to have a job of "punishing liars", and the execution of the claim implies it is connected to oddites.

As a "conventional monster," Ougi is an entity which exists solely on lying about its identity. Because she sprung from the subconscious guilt of Koyomi Araragi, her personality is designed to "punish" him with criticism, condescension, and various personal attacks. Ougi Oshino has a particular desire to maintain the illusion that she is the apparition-killing "Darkness," which lends credence to her claim that she "punishes liars." Up until the conclusion of "Ougi Dark," her motivation is to sabotage and destroy the hypocritical aspects of Koyomi Araragi's personality, allowing his existence to become more "right."

Background

Ougi claims to be Meme's niece, but Deishuu Kaiki has dismissed the idea, claiming Oshino has no known family. They seem to have superior skill in riding bicycles.  

Ougi Oshino was born of Koyomi Araragi's self-doubt following his introduction to Kiss-Shot. Through his various incidents facing apparitions and making new friends, Araragi had always been dishonest with his true feelings, and had secretly desired negative consequences for his actions to "set the universe right." These feelings gave birth to an apparition that would punish Araragi, and would eventually claim to be Ougi Oshino.  

Plot

Ougi Formula

This section contains content from Owarimonogatari.
Ougi first meets Koyomi Araragi after Suruga Kanbaru introduces them to him, on the account that she supposedly had a case related to oddities to ask him about and claims to be the niece of Meme Oshino. He agrees to help her. After explaining that a mysterious classroom had appeared out of no where in the school, the two go to investigate.

Ougi and Koyomi become trapped in the classroom. They try different alternatives to get out but fail as it appears time had stopped and something was keeping them from leaving until something was resolved.

After finding his notebook in his old desk, he realizes that the room is meant to be a recreation of a memory of something that occurred during his time as a first year.

Seemingly knowing exactly what's going on, Ougi has Koyomi retell this memory, with the intend of him solving the mystery.

Sodachi Riddle

Ougi and Koyomi visit the big abandoned mansion where he learned mathematics with a mysterious girl back in his middle school days.

Sodachi Lost

Ougi and Tsubasa Hanekawa clashed regarding who should accompany Koyomi in his visit to Sodachi Oikura's home, in which Hanekawa won. After the visit, they mocked the confused Koyomi and Hanekawa for not being able to find out where Sodachi's missing mother is, although they ended up helping by giving hints anyway. Later, they compliment Koyomi for his "victory" and their "loss", but warned him that he might not end up like that again in the future.

Nadeko Medusa

This section contains content from Otorimonogatari.
Ougi almost crashes into Nadeko Sengoku on their bicycle. They tell Nadeko to stop playing the victim. Not revealed until later, she also made her commit to visiting North Shirahebi Shrine and told her the location of a talisman Izuko Gaen gave to Koyomi.

Koyomi Mountain

This section contains content from Koyomimonogatari.

Mayoi Jiangshi

This section contains content from Kabukimonogatari.

Ougi and Koyomi have a discussion about traffic lights. This reminds him of an event that occurred months earlier, and triggers a flashback for the rest of the arc.

Shinobu Time

This section contains content from Onimonogatari.
Four months after Mayoi disappears, Koyomi has a conversation with Ougi in the classroom. Ougi excuses themself by saying that they have a lot of work to do. When Koyomi asks about their job, they tell him that it's basically work that involves punishing liars.

Hitagi End

This section contains content from Koimonogatari.
In a conversation with Hanekawa, Kaiki mentions that Oshino had no relatives of any kind, thus contradicting Ougi's claim to be Oshino's niece. Due to Ougi's intervention, one of the many junior high kids that Kaiki had deceived assaulted him and left him bleeding in the snow.

Shinobu Mail

This section contains content from Owarimonogatari.
As the college entrance exam approaches, Koyomi narrates the entire story to Ougi, who told him to fully tell the truth and never lie to them, using Kaiki as an example of a liar with tragic end. At the end of the story, they tell Koyomi about the first servant Seishirou Shishirui's full name and how his armor could be used to forge another version of Kokorowatari.

Ougi Dark

Tadatsuru Teori reveals to Koyomi Araragi that he was hired by Ougi Oshino to exterminate Araragi and Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade. Araragi and Ougi have a conversation in a dream sequence while on his date with Senjougahara, in which they discuss the significance of various constellations and what it means to "do the right thing."

Izuko Gaen, in her ambition to enthrone Mayoi Hachikuji as a god at the North-Shirahebi shrine, decides that it is necessary to kill Ougi. She reveals to Araragi that the entity which calls itself "Ougi Oshino" is an apparition, a "conventional monster." Though it appears that Ougi could have been a physical incarceration of "the Darkness," Ougi is instead merely a being which pretends to be the Darkness. This is, in turn, the culmination of her identity as a falsehood in-and-of itself, and that she exists solely because she maintains lies. Thus, if one confronts Ougi with the revelation of her "true identity," she will be swallowed by the Darkness as a hypocritical apparition -- much like the threat that followed Hachikuji and Kiss-Shot.

Ougi meets Tsukihi Araragi outside the home of Nadeko Sengoku, pretending that they have previously met, and offers to provide Tsukihi with a ride home. The two of them discuss the Araragi family, mystery novels, and secretly, Tsukihi's nature as a phoenix. Before finishing their debate, Ougi meets Koyomi Araragi in the upper-floors of the cram school and sends Tsukihi home. She reveals her desire to destroy Tsukihi as a hypocritical apparition, thus furthering her role as "the darkness," but explains that this is impossible because Araragi honestly recognizes her as "his younger little sister."

Araragi reveals his intention to exterminate Ougi in order to protect himself, his friends, and to avenge Ougi's numerous victims. Ougi pleads for her life, but is denied. Resolute, Araragi confronts her by naming her true identity: Koyomi Araragi. At this point, it is revealed that the apparition known as Ougi Oshino was born six months prior, from Araragi's self-doubt, and is essentially nothing more than a hidden part of his personality.

Ougi finally happy after seeing Koyomi accepting his true identity

With this truth spoken aloud, the Darkness appears behind Ougi to remove her from existence. Araragi and Ougi share a parting conversation about each parties' moral status; whether they were right or wrong in various respects before giving their farewells. At the last moment, Araragi's composure breaks and he intervenes to save Ougi's life, pushing her out of the way of the Darkness--losing his arm in the process. Stunned and incredulous that Araragi would sacrifice his life for another person, despite having lost his immortality during the events of Mayoi Hell, she condemns him. However, Araragi reveals that if she is disgusted by his martyrdom, then she can have no complaints -- since saving Ougi Oshino is an extension of protecting Koyomi Araragi.

Understanding his motivation, Ougi seals Araragi's wound and announces that their circumstances have changed to a "lover's suicide." Fortunately, Meme Oshino appears at the door with an exhausted Tsubasa Hanekawa. Oshino mocks Araragi for shoving his niece, acknowledging Ougi's lie that she was his family member, which disperses the darkness. As she is no longer a "liar," but is truly the niece of Meme Oshino, she is spared the fate of a hypocritical apparition. Ougi then apparently adjusts to her new honest student life, making an appearance on Araragi's graduation to wish him well.

Koyomi Reverse

This section contains content from Zoku Owarimonogatari.

Suruga Devil

This section contains content from Hanamonogatari.
Ougi, dressed as a male, has their usual conversation with Suruga. Suruga is surprised to see them dressed as male as she had only known them as a female. Ougi mentions "Sir Devil", which Suruga later investigates.

Catchphrases / Running Gags

• "I don't know anything, Araragi-senpai. It's you who knows."
• Reference to a phrase by Koyomi Araragi, who normally only says it during monologues
  • "What's the epilogue or punch line for this episode?"

Trivia

• Ougi's gender seems indeterminate. In Hanamonogatari (Suruga Devil), Suruga refers to Ougi as 'Ougi-kun', 'he', 'this guy', and 'the boy'. When Suruga asks about it, Ougi tells Suruga that they have always been a boy since they were born, though later Ougi says "Whoops, that's right. I'm a boy now". It's likely that either Ougi, as an oddity, is able to change their body at will, or rather Ougi is just dressing up as a boy, imitating Araragi while helping Kanbaru.
• The music that plays when Ougi is first shown is called まがいものそのものの女. Translated, this means something along the lines of 'The woman who was the fake/sham itself'. This namesake eventually becomes wildly appropriate as it is revealed that Ougi is an apparition whose entire personal identity is a fabrication, from her behaviour and responsibilities, to her name and relationships.
• Ougi's first name uses the kanji for "Fan" (扇), which is referenced in the cover artwork for the first volume of Owarimonogatari. The significance of Ougi's name is related to the design of astronomical cartography, as maps of outer space are drawn in a fan-like pattern--which relates to her fabricated identity as a person who upholds rules and order in the universe. Likewise, when she was first introduced to Koyomi Araragi by Suruga Kanbaru, she was explained as being a "fan" of Suruga's basketball.
• Ougi's traits, character quirks and design and behavior seems to be based on the Carl Jung's Shadow Archetype. The reveal in Ougi Dark seems to support this.
• "Spooky Ougi" is a common in-joke nickname for Ougi in the western community. The name is a reference to an internet picture depicting a Cat Soup styled Ougi from Owarimonogatari as "The Spooky Ougi of Cute".

Appears In

• Kabukimonogatari
• Hanamonogatari
• Otorimonogatari
• Onimonogatari
• Tsukimonogatari
• Koyomimonogatari
• Owarimonogatari
• Orokamonogatari
• Musubimonogatari

Gallery 

Cover of Owarimonogatari Vol 1.

Cover of Koyomimonogatari English Volume 2.

Ougi wearing a hat in light novel artwork

Ougi's initial appearance at the beginning of Kabukimonogatari

In Onimonogatari

Boy Ougi seen in Hanamonogatari

Ougi as he/she appears in Tsukimonogatari with a smartphone

Ougi in his/her first meeting with Koyomi, from Owarimonogatari

In Koyomimonogatari

Spooky Ougi of Cute