Kirino is easily one of the worst characters in anime history. It really just boils down to a few things.
Character development. She exhibits practically none. Right from introduction, we know she is a flawed protagonist who has anime obsessions and resentment towards her brother. For unexplainable reasons, she fails to demonstrate any change in attitude towards people around her who impact her life.
Likability. If there was ever a way to make a character deliberately unlikable, Kirino epitomizes this. She does stupidly irrational things, her undesirable behaviors are essentially reinforced by the other characters, and the aforementioned lack of development in spite of the people who impact her life is simply appalling. Especially for a character who is supposed to be the heroine of a slice of life, this is unjustifiable. These are qualities you would consider only for a villain or anti-heroic role, and even then the level of irrationality Kirino's character exhibits is really pushing it for other kinds of roles.
Kirino-phan said: Honestly, can't you guys see that Kirino is quite pitiful? I mean, most of her life was probably filled with sadness due to Kyousuke ignoring her, this sadness eventually lead to the 2 siblings ignoring each other.
And now that Kyousuke is finally starting to show concern on her, do you really think she let go of what happened in the past few years and become the generic, cute and loving Imouto? Do you think its possible for her to show a huge change of heart when she has been scarred by Kyousuke ignoring her for so long? Firstoff, why is this even a problem in the first place? The best explanation for Kirino's overall attitude is that Kirino is an overemotional hormonal teenage girl, and even that is hardly a really consistent explanation. There is nothing unusual about having little interaction with certain family members, and that alone isn't a reason for Kirino's extremely irrational resentment. And if she truly had any plans to improve her relationship with her brother in the first place, she definitely wouldn't be nearly as irrational, insensitive, and flat out obstinate.
Oh and, think about it: From barely talking to each other to asking Kyousuke out on a Christmas Date on the pretext of getting materials. How can you not call that an improvement in their relationship? I don't see a change in the relationship. Episode 7, Kirino asks Kyosuke to get run over by a truck. Really not much different from her attitude towards Kyosuke in episode 1. And totally uncalled for under any circumstances.
And lastly, as of what she said at the end of ep 8, how the next Life Counseling session will be the last one. It could show that Kirino is finally starting to feel bad for Kyousuke standing up for her all the time and yet keeping quiet about it.
IMO, she could've already known what happened during the meeting and was testing Kyousuke to see if he'll speak up or just continue to keep it a secret from her, and judging from the short pause before she said the last line, i assume that she is starting to feel bad and doesn't want to trouble him anymore) We'll just have to see. All I see in Kirino is a clueless, irrational, PMS afflicted teenage girl who wants to have her cake and eat it too. |