Ranked #624

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai.

The idea of incest makes my stomach turn so as you can imagine the title “My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute” (English translation) put me off big time. However, after watching the first season of this show by the recommendation of a friend, I found that not only was this show incest free, but also hugely entertaining and surprisingly deep just like “Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai”.

The key word here is surprisingly deep.

How so? Enter season 2 -

The first, fourth, fifth and sixth episode of this season hint at what this show is really about: a guy who was outshined by his little sister, the resentful little sister who lost the close bond she once shared with her older brother when they were young, the formerly close relationship that was ruined by the older brother’s resentment and their awkward attempts to rebuild their relationship as siblings after the little sister’s secret hobby comes to light.

(My interpretation is based off of that dream Kyosuke had at the prologue of episode one, Kyosuke’s inner monologue in episode four, Kyosuke’s reaction to Kirino’s revelation in episode five and six and Kirino’s reactions to what Kyosuke says and does in episode 5…you know your agent wasn’t following you guys, Kirino…GTFO…also some stuff Kirino says involving Kyosuke’s childhood friend Manami in the first season)

Through Kirino’s secret otaku hobby, both protagonists gain different things: Kirino slowly gets to spend time with the older brother she thought she lost again without having to lose the pride and hard façade she built up to mask her hurt feelings (if the dream sequence of episode one really happened).

Kyosuke on the other hand gains friends, potential love interests, excitement in his life and most importantly the little sister he rejected when they were young, whose cold reaction to him (pre-secret-revelation and the misadventures they have together again post-secret-revelation) make him realize just how much he cares about her (if episode one sequence is foreshadowing and I’m not reading too much into this).

Until this show, “Ben-To” and “Boku wa Tomodachi”, I’ve always hated Light Novel adaptations because they were too fantastical and obnoxious, a cramming of too many outrageous ideas that could potentially be amazing but didn’t go anywhere (The sharp object wielder in “Bakemonogatari”, the walking church character in “A Certain Magical Index” and that done to death Masou Shoujou joke of “Is This a Zombie” come to mind).

If your mind isn’t already racing with this review let me add that this show is fantastic and inspiring, a concept that is deceptively simple, yet hides layers of touching depth. Just like “Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai” (a show you should also check out and watch for what it is, a light read novel that has been animated)

Watch it, you won’t regret it.

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Oreimo season 1 was not unique, but it was not an over done type of anime either. Season 2 appears to have become just another rom com, still entertaining, but it does not have the same kind of feeling as season 1. The art and sound are good, and I really like the opening, but the characters have become fairly cliche.