Jul 11, 2013
Opening Summary
There are many different harem anime, and many of them tend to be very similar (if not identical) to each other. In some ways, OreShura is no different than those. But with a great cast of characters and somewhat unique scenario, it manages to stand out, at least a little bit. For the sake of my own sanity, I'm gonna divide this review into 6 sections: Story, Art, Sound, Characters, My Enjoyment, and My Overall opinion of the anime. I'll make sure to keep it spoiler free. I'd just like to point out that these are my opinions and mine alone, so feel free
...
to disagree. With that aside, let's begin.
Story
The story is essentially your typical harem affair: An extremely dense main character (Eita) is starting high school with his childhood friend who harbors feelings for him (Chiwa), then suddenly a new, stereotypical, foreign, rich, school beauty appears (Masuzu) and decides the MC is going to be her boyfriend (but not really). Add in the delusional but devoted to the MC 8th grade syndrome girl who believes the two were lovers in a past life (Himeka), and his childhood fiance who he met before his childhood friend that manages to continue harboring feelings for him (Ai) and you have the pieces of a generic harem anime. While the plot is predictable and bland in many respects, the latter parts manage to be at least a bit unique with a few twists and it should be enough to keep you watching. Of note though is the somewhat iffy pacing, with one of the girls being first introduced more than halfway through the 13 episodes. It could have been laid out better or more efficiently if you ask me.
Art
The anime has a very pleasant art style in my opinion, very colorful and vibrant with animations of faces and characters appearing smooth and well-detailed up close. Some of the background characters and art feels lazy by comparison, but it's not awful or something that would completely take you out of it by any means.
Sound
The opening and ending themes for the anime are "Girlish Lover" by all the female lead's voice actresses, and "W:Wonder Tale" by Masuzu's voice actress, Yukari Tamura. Both are fairly pleasant pieces and fit the feel of the anime, even if the former is a bit childish. The anime's OST is decent as well, with nothing in particular standing out, but the songs that blend so perfectly in the background doing just enough to keep it flowing.
Character
Now this is where someone could argue that OreShura shines. The cast of girls is one of the stronger you'll find in any harem, from the hopelessly law-abiding and marriage-obsessed Ai to the straight-faced and childish but terribly entertaining Himeka. Despite conforming to stereotypes of anime and manga of the same genre, the characters feel real and believable, with their dialogue going smooth and life-like, and their personalities being decent enough to feel compassionate towards them when the show calls for it. I especially liked Himeka and Chiwa's characters quite a bit, with both being great performances that can make you grow quite attached to them. Eita's character felt like a weak point (by comparison anyway), but then
again, many harem MCs seem to be.
Enjoyment
Sure, it was far from perfect. And some of the moments did make me cringe and shake my head, but it was an overall great ride. I can honestly say I wasn't bored once watching this anime. I was always waiting to see what happened next or how certain events would turn out. There were quite a few laughs too, even a bit of emotion (not nearly enough to induce tears if that's what you're looking for, sorry). Definitely an entertaining ride.
Overall
While the anime lacks in its story and doesn't wow you with its soundtrack, its lovable cast of characters and entertaining (if a bit cliche) moments should help you trudge through it. Definitely not a "MUST SEE OMG BEST ANIMU EVAR" type show, but if you're looking for a decent harem with a likable cast, you could definitely do worse.
Thanks for reading!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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