NOTE: The anime is called “Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai” or “My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute”. However, it will be referred to as “Oreimo” in this review for convenience.
The Good:
-Great animation and voice acting
-Not afraid to poke fun at its own stereotypes
-Great cast of colourful characters
The Bad:
-Great cast doesn’t have enough time in the limelight
-Most of the story progression is only in the first half
...
-Seems too short for what it sets out to do
Synopsis:
The plot focuses on 17-year old Kousaka Kyousuke and his 14-year old sister Kirino. As they were growing up, Kyousuke and Kirino’s relationship was pretty much non-existent, and besides occasionally exchanging pleasantries and arguing, they stayed out of each other’s way. One day, Kyousuke discovers a case for a Magical Girl anime called “Stardust Witch Meruru” and wonders where it came from. Upon opening the case, he discovers a DVD for an adult hentai game. He is dumbfounded and has no idea where it came from. He later discovers that both the DVD case and the game belong to Kirino. Later that night, Kirino calls Kyousuke into her room and reveals that she is an otaku and has an extensive collection of anime and adult hentai DVDs that she had been collecting in secret and hiding from her family. However, Kirino struggles with her hobby because she knows how much otaku are looked down upon by society, and so she implores Kyousuke to help her come to terms with her hobby and to help her find friends with similar interests. Kyousuke doesn’t understand much about the hobby or about what’s going on, but he reluctantly agrees to help Kirino.
The main thing I liked about Oreimo is that is isn’t exaggerated in any way, as far as human interaction goes. It is firmly planted in reality and never tries to stray from it. This doesn’t mean everything that takes place in it takes place every day in real life, however; Kirino’s relationship with her hobby is soon apparent to be somewhat exaggerated, perhaps in an attempt to explain to casual anime viewers that being an otaku is just as much a hobby as any other. On the same token, though Kirino’s hobby is a mainstay in her lifestyle, she is still firmly planted in reality, and even has a job as a model to pay for the games and anime she buys. Kyousuke’s character, I found, is even moreso planted in reality. He doesn’t have a full grasp on his sister’s hobby and the way she acts, and he even shows fear of his sister, only standing up to her in dire situations. Though Kirino was the one who implored Kyousuke to help her with her struggles, she often implies she doesn’t enjoy his company, even though she consistently forces him to spend time with her. Oreimo is a comedy through and through, and even with that said, it is wholly injected with a healthy dose of reality.
There are some things I disliked about Oreimo, however. It is only twelve episodes long. I feel like that really isn’t long enough for the show to do what it sets out to do. There is a twist, however; Episode 12 is only an “alternative” ending. From my understanding, there will be a “true” ending released with the BD/DVD release of the anime. At the time of this writing, it’s not out yet, but I’m sure they will be made available shortly after release. I found this to be a unique twist on an otherwise underwhelming ending, and I’ll definitely be interested in seeing it when released.
Another thing I disliked is that most of its story progression only happens in the first half of the anime, while not a whole lot happens in the second half other than character interaction. This isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes the story set-up is more than enough to carry the show for the rest of its run. However, I sort of wished the story went a bit farther than it did.
All of this said, Oreimo is a hilarious take on a very real situation, and it is probably the best anime of the fall. I highly recommend it if you love comedy.
Final Rating: 9/10
Jan 10, 2011
NOTE: The anime is called “Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai” or “My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute”. However, it will be referred to as “Oreimo” in this review for convenience.
The Good: -Great animation and voice acting -Not afraid to poke fun at its own stereotypes -Great cast of colourful characters The Bad: -Great cast doesn’t have enough time in the limelight -Most of the story progression is only in the first half ... |
