"Bake" is at its best when it unabashedly veers off-topic, which is more of a rule than an exception.
BAKEMONOGATARI EPISODE 14 SUB SERIES
It is not the most interesting part of the series and the writers are well aware of that. The girl who shields her emotions is possessed by a crab, the one who is jealous by a monkey, the one who always plays the good girl by a pussycat - you need no degree in mythology to see the symbolism. Unsurprisingly, the supernatural afflictions plaguing these girls are related to their internal struggles. It is clever writing wearing the hat of bad anime, and you may just fall for it if you do not pay attention. When we see a pair of shirt-squeezing knockers, we tend to objectify their owner (or assume the writers did), only to feel as ashamed as Araragi when we discover it to be a symptom of her psychological problems. The fact that she emits eroticism while hiding her feelings for Araragi is actually an apt dramatic decision. Without counting the little sisters, two keep their clothes on altogether (as long as their lives don't depend on it, at least) one is a lesbian, who flirts with Araragi because she enjoys embarrassing him and one turns out to be secretly in love with him. All either have a good reason to act sexual, or simply don't. They even enter a serious relationship, which actually lasts the season. She likes him from the moment he offers his help, and merely makes a pirouette on her beeline when she teases him. She willingly flirts with Araragi, and when she gives him the cold shoulder it isn't the age old cliché of not accepting her feelings, but because she enjoys to toy with him. However (this is the important bit), her sexual behaviour flows naturally from her motivation. Senjougahara is even called a Tsundere by other characters. When people say "Bake" is stuffed with fanservice, this is the stuff they reference. As early as during the second episode does she push her bare buttocks in our face, and those pale compared to the parts that Araragi can see. Both the best and worst girl in this respect is the first, Senjougahara. You are lured into taking "Bake" for a mere harem anime, but its writing is filled with clever subversions. And yes, all characters but our protagonist and the man who cured him are alluring young girls. The series consists out of five small arcs, in each of which Araragi encounters a girl in need. That one sentence is all the context you need, amazingly. In a world plagued by monsters, the boy Araragi has largely recovered from vampirism and now strives to help other people in their dealings with the supernatural. Although an adaptation of the second novel in an imposing series, "Bake" easily brings you up to date with the events so far. This is the rare anime whose sexuality stands in support of its writing - and good writing it is. 'If you can look past all the fanservice, it is actually quite a fine series,' is the thing you always hear about "Bakemonogatari".