Souji has just begun his first day in high school. Unmatched in his passion for twintails, he can only revel in the grandeur of all the damsels sporting his favorite hairstyle, much to the dismay of Tsube Aika whose affection for him goes beyond that of an ordinary childhood friend. Their peaceful days, however, comes to an end as the world faces unprecedented danger in an invasion from an alien species that lives off the power of passion, love, twintails, and fetishes. Souji won’t allow none of that, mind you; after being approached by the mysterious big-bust Twoearle he was granted the power to transform into cutiegirl Tailred with the best twintails in town if not literally the universe. Incidentally, his cutie form possesses power overwhelming enough to fend off the invaders and defend the world from these twintails-eating abominations.
Some may recall Kenzen Robo Daimidaler from earlier 2014 which plays on a similarly ridiculous premise but with mecha instead of mahou shoujo and sex drive instead of twintails power. Whereas Daimidaler abuses its premise for blatant fanservice and a few repetitive gags, Twintails employs comparably minimal fanservice and focuses on being consistently entertaining through creative jokes and sound plot progression. While intentionally absurd, it is not altogether void of essence as it may seem at a glance.
I Want to be the Twintails is a story about identity. It’s about standing up for who you are and what you love in the face of your worst adversaries. The protagonists and antagonists alike proudly parade their dubious interests in the heat of battle, for therein lies the source of their might. With zeal far beyond ridicule and shame, it is during these moments of peril they engrave their ephemeral existence into eternity. Souji fends off not only the alien invaders, he needs to constantly resist Twoearle’s and Aika’s attempts at wooing him as well as Mother’s insistence on his concession to sexual desires. But not once did Souji falter as he embraces a more refined pleasure by locking herself up and fingering herself in the twintails. This review is a ruse; I just really like Tailred. In contrast, student council president Shindou Erina finds strength through the release of her repressed sexuality. Twintails is about being honest with yourself and freeing your real you that is repressed in fear going against social expectations. The theme is a common one, but Twintails handles it with a touch of novelty and never strays from its original intent of entertainment.
Incidentally, there are two sides to all coins of the dual-faceted type. Even Souji is capable of viewing his love for twintails through a lens of irony. He acknowledges it as an irrational infatuation because such is the nature of passion. As much as it is a bliss for him, he realizes that it is not an ideal to be forced upon others. In her own words, “Twintails can only come to be on the hair on either side of the head that supports them!”. Despite this, he never rejects this infatuation even when his life is being threatened, not because he is senseless but because next to his love for twintails is his will to protect the world and battle alongside his friends.
I Want to be the Twintails is not about a hairstyle as much as it’s about being conscious of who you are and daring to be different. You know this show does. I think I’ll also grow a pair and play with them in the bathroom.
