The fact that Oreshura did indeed differ from my expectations is not a good thing, however. From the very beginning I expected that this series would take a sort of slice-of-life route, but this was in fact a grave misconception on my part as the series was actually a harem. Now, while I have no issue with a series making use with such a format, Oreshura really brings nothing new and exciting to the table. Thus, herein lies the problem.
As a means of illustrating the issue I have with this series, allow me to do what any reviewer should, which is to dissect the series into its fundamental elements (e.g. the art and animation, the story, etc.) and to comment on each one, detailing what the series does well and vice versa.
-Story-
While this is not the biggest flaw in this series, it is certainly a significant one and one that I must stress profusely. The story, essentially, follows a highschool student named Eita Kidou, who is black-mailed by a female student (Masuzu Natsukawa) as a means of forcing him into pretending to be her girlfriend. As such, other girls that are around him (who, for the most part, are childhood friends of his) begin to become jealous, leading into the show's harem aspects.
That, in all honesty, is the story of this show. Now, I should not be required to explain that such a plot is so unbelievably banal that one could easily predict how the series would play out from point A to point B. If one struggled with this, then they could certainly predict what sort ending the series would make use of. This is due to the fact that the series restricts itself to a rigid, linear structure. The protagonist is blackmailed and, as a result, ends up 'developing' feelings for the blackmailer. Because of this aforementioned linear structure, the show is unable to diversify and, in turn, fails to be unique in any aspect.
-Characters-
The characters, if one could refer to them as such, are the weakest aspect of Oreshura. Why, you ask? Well, there are two reasons. First and foremost, as this is a generic harem, each character follows the conventions dictated by common characer archetypes that are seen in anime. We have all of the typical cast of characters: The blissfully unaware protagonist (Eita), the childhood friend (Chiwa), the tsundere and other childhood friend (Ai), and finally, the highly irritating hussy that is Masuzu Natsukawa. The final mention brings me nicely into my explanation of the second reason for why the show's characterisation is its weakest aspect.
The second reason is, of course, that Oreshura's main heroine is the epitome of impertinence. As such, this renders her as a character that is difficult to tolerate, let alone one that the viewer can grow to love. While it is not necessary for a heroine to be likeable, it is necessary for the show to provide a valid reason for them acting in the manner that makes them so unlikable, which Oreshura tries to gloss over, so to speak.
Thus, we have a cast that is exceedingly generic and a main heroine that is very difficult, if not impossible, to tolerate due to the fact that a legitimate reason is never provided to compensate for her distasteful personality.
-Art and Animation-
The show's art style is definitely one of its stronger points. Each scene in Oreshura is vibrant and colourful, fitting in with the overall upbeat nature of the show. Even so, the art is not particularly detailed, making it seem somewhat lacklustre in comparison to other anime series.
The animation of the show is, for the most part, consistent and fluid. That being said, there were certain points in the show where the animation was neglected, resulting in the inconsistent and unrealistic movement of vehicles, characters, and so on.
-Music-
Unfortunately for Oreshura, the art and animation are the only redeeming feature of the show. The music used is not very memorable, and I personally found the opening theme of the show to be irritating, as opposed to catchy and enjoyable, which is what it was apparently trying to be.
-Conclusion-
Perhaps the most important question would be whether or not I would recommend this anime series. My answer to this question is, obviously, no. However, if you intend to watch this show despite having read through this review, then I have no intention of stopping you. I do, however, recommend that you stream this show via a legal streaming website such as Crunchyroll, as opposed to purchasing a Blu-Ray and/or DVD release of the show. If you are reading this on Crunchyroll, please disregard the previous statement.
Overall, this show is far too generic and bland for me to recommend to any person. The characters do not undergo any development as they are restricted by the archetypes that they represent. This, in turn, makes the intended emotional points in the show seem far less believable and they ultimately fall flat as a result.
Furthermore, a predictable ending makes the watching the show a pointless exercise, as one could easily surmise how the show would end, many episodes in advance.
-Afterword-
Well, if you actually took the time to read through this review, I thank you. If you agree with my review, please feel free to say so. Likewise, if you happen to disagree with my review or have any advice which could help me improve upon my next review, please leave some feedback on my MAL or Crunchyroll profile page, depending on which website you are reading this on.
TL;DR:
Please take the time to read the review. I refuse to summarise this review for those of you who are not willing to read through it in the first instance, or at the very least, skim through it.
