Nisemonogatari rewatch ep 3
For Returning Watchers

I wander if Kaiki’s thing about calling Araragi a sapling tree while he himself is a withered one is referencing how he also counts on Araragi becoming an aberration specialist. He has just put his roots in the ground and begun growing, while Kaiki is a full grows yet withering tree.

Not only is Kaiki a ”fake”, but this introduction to his character is also a ”fake” as it antagonises him and sets our expectations up in a way that we immediately think of him as pure scum (which turns out to not be the full story).

I guess Senjougahara does whatever Hanekawa says because she’s scared that if she didn’t, Hanekawa would pursue Araragi, and Senjougahara thinks Hanekawa would win that fight.