Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 15 (Final)

Episode 15 Final –

The best phrase to describe this ending would be “and they lived happily ever after”. There wasn’t anything really terribly amazing worth noting in this rather typical final episode, which did try to bring some closure to all the characters.  There had a bit of rather sudden drama around Kirino, though it was wrapped up rather fast. That, and we did have some fun moments with both Kirino and Kuroneko. Oh, and I guess I can’t forget the somewhat “siscon” esque lines of Kyousuke ^_^;;

The story here is pretty simple: Everybody is worried about Kirino not responding to their messages to her, and then all of a sudden Kyousuke gets a message from her saying to throw out her entire eroge collection. Kyousuke was definitely shocked about the sudden message, and quite frankly, I was pretty surprised too. I mean, why would such an avid eroge lover all of a sudden decide to throw out her beloved games? I did have a sneaking suspicion that it may have been to do with her peers in America, and in a sense I guess I was correct.

Of course, Ayase, Saori, and Kuroneko are all worried about Kirino, so when Kyousuke talks to them about her, they voice their concerns, etc. The only one that really made a huge difference here, though, would be Kuroneko. Her honestly with telling how she feels about Kyousuke’s help throughout the school year was touching to hear, though in the end Kuroneko says he did pretty much nothing 😛    Kuroneko’s rather firm encouragement of Kyousuke is what finally pushes him to run off to America to go see Kirino. Oh, and there was the random (but adorable) kiss that Kuroneko gave Kyousuke. The kiss was a pleasant surprise, but both Kyousuke’s and Kuroneko’s reactions were hilariously cute. Man, I’m using the word “cute” far too much nowadays =_=;

After meeting Kirino again, though, the drama around Kirino felt a bit forced. I mean, she didn’t keep in contact with her friends because of her sense of obligation to win, but I feel that it’s kind of a lousy excuse on her part. In the end, though, Kyousuke once again pulls through with his super embarassing lines. Seriously, what he was passionately yelling about could honestly have passed off as a Siscon’s way of talking. Kyousuke crying his eyes out was a bit too much in my opinion as well. It was a heartfelt moment between the two siblings, but oh man, was the scene extremely corny. You do really have to admire Kyousuke for his ability to say extremely embarrassing lines without restraint, which embarrassing enough to get Kirino to blush a deep shade of red.

In the end, this episode was a very happy yet cliched conclusion to the series. Honestly speaking, this episode was painfully normal for a finale, which was kind of disappointing to say the least. It was a very happy ending though, that much I can say for sure. Oh, and that jump at the end was a bit…. lame? Especially with the music, though I guess it’s just me nitpicking a bit. There were some genuinely heartfelt moments in this episode, but in the end I have to say this felt like a very average conclusion. Now where’s a season two announcement?

Overall Enjoyment: 3.5/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 14

Episode 14 –

We have another episode focused on Kuroneko here, and it was probably the most enjoyable Oreimo episode I’ve watched in a while (…excluding the 1 month wait time, etc). We do get some nice development for Kuroneko as a character, and for once Kyousuke does not take up all the attention here. Rather, he has much more of a supporting role. Kyousuke’s supporting role works out quite well in the end, with a few great, sometimes subtle, Kuroneko moments that I personally think were awesome (excuse my Kuroneko fanboism here…). She does have much more tsundere tendencies here though, which does make for some rather fun typical comedy (of course, Akagi’s homoerotic taste in games made for some hilarious yet messed up scenes).

The episode pretty much continues off at the game creation club from the previous episode, only this time with Kuroneko and Akagi tasked with making a video game for a competition. Of course, it was quite easy to see exactly where in the world this episode was going, with Akagi obviously suggesting a homoerotic video game, whereas Kuroneko suggests a plot heavy game. Kyousuke’s reactions to Akagi’s suggestions were pretty hilarious, yet at the same time Akagi’s suggestions make me extremely uncomfortable from the perspective of a guy. Fujoshi are scary sometimes, no?

What I though was great about this episode, though, was the tidbits of character development thrown into the episode for Kuroneko. Aside from Kuroneko being one of my favorite characters from this series, she has a few admirable scenes in this episode. The most obvious one, and most stereotypical, would be how she had the standard tsundere reaction to Kyousuke’s suggestion for an eroge, which strongly suggests she has feelings for him. I could almost imagine the rest of the club thinking “oh, that’s the classic tsundere reaction” in that scene. Another obvious one would be her very assertive tone when talking about Kirino’s criticism of her work, which made for a powerful yet fun scene.

The scene I found great, though, was a bit more melancholy in tone.

Kyousuke and Kuroneko were alone together in his room, and she suddenly suggests to Kyousuke that he should come over next her and give his opinion on the scenario she was writing. In a joking tone, Kyousuke says “you shouldn’t do things that would give guys the wrong idea”.

The lone girl on the bed, in response, stays silent.

That silence is the equivalent of saying that Kyousuke isn’t exactly too far off the mark. What makes the moment kind of sad, though, is when Kuroneko asks Kyousuke a bit later about whether he prefers being called “nii-san, or senpai”, he responds with “senpai”. Kyousuke’s response pretty much indicates that he really sees Kuroneko as just a standard good friend, as opposed to the implications of the more familiar “nii-san” name. I found this moment a bit sad, if only because Kuroneko obviously worked up a lot of courage to say that line. Or at least, that’s what I think all of Kuroneko’s shuffling around meant. The inherent meaning to Kyousuke’s response leaves things off on a rather melancholic note for Kuroneko.

In the end, Kuroneko has definitely changed up as a character; she managed to work up the confidence to confront and talk with Akagi, as well as try and get closer to Kyousuke. I guess you could say I get the feeling that Kuroneko is gradually starting to mature as a girl, and is trying to make the best of her situation. Underneath all the over-the-top gags and comedy in the story, Kuroneko’s arc was almost like a short coming of age story, which I ended up enjoying quite a bit.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.4/5

Screenshots and ED theme are later in the post.

P.S. Phew, another extremely long post. I guess it’s easy to tell I liked the episode a lot ^_^;;

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 13

Episode 13 – There’s No Way My Junior is This Rotten – 俺の後輩がこんなに腐ってるわけがない (Ore no Kouhai ga Konna ni Kusatteru Wake ga Nai)

With Kirino no longer around, it was obvious that we would be getting some much needed relationship development with the rest of the female cast of this series. This time we got an episode focusing in on Kuroneko (as well as Akagi’s previously mentioned sister). There were some pretty funny moments here, though at the same time some of them were distastefully over the top. In the end, the humor here was more hit or miss than I would’ve liked. Aside from the comedy, though, we did get a decent look at Kuroneko’s social life (which isn’t very lively, predictably). The episode does touch upon the issue where Otaku tend to be more antisocial in Japan (or so the stereotype goes), so seeing Kyousuke try to help out Kuroneko was admirable in a sense. That, and the somewhat subtle hints at some deeper feelings Kuroneko has for Kyousuke was a interesting little touch. We did get some character development for the two, courtesy of Kirino leaving for America, and seeing the character development between the two was probably the most enjoyable aspect to this episode.

The central focus of this entire episode was on Kuroneko’s inherent anti-social behavior towards her classmates, and instead gravitating towards the few friends she has (Kyousuke, Saori, and Kirino). It started with her rejecting an offer to hang out with some classmates, but when it reached the point when her classmates ditched cleaning duty on her (or at least, certainly weren’t helping out), it was quite obvious that something was amiss. Kyousuke’s concerns and attempts to help her are admirable in a way, but it’s questionable as to how much help he is being. At times, though, it was rather obvious that Kirino’s departure had definitely left it’s mark upon Kyousuke and Kuroneko’s relationship, especially during the moment where Kuroneko outright accuses Kyousuke of trying to “replace his sister with her”.

The episode’s humor was as loony as ever with the funny antics courtesy of Saori, as well as the introduction of the boy’s-love obsessed fujoshi, Akagi Sena. Seeing Saori tease both Kuroneko and Kyousuke (and at times, in the most daring way I could have imagined), was pretty funny. If you think about it though, Saori’s silly antics may also have been her way of trying to cheer up Kuroneko and Kyousuke, who were both impacted by Kirino’s cold, sudden departure without informing them. Akagi Sena’s introduction was a bit too over the top comedy for my tastes though; I often found myself half-heartedly laughing at the scenes involving Sena, though Kuroneko’s reaction to Sena was pretty hilarious. In the end though, Sena’s introduction was probably meant to be a way for to both figure out Kuroneko’s status in her class, as well as introduce someone who could potentially be her friend. Sena’s presence in itself is a rather blatant hint at the resolution to this entire conflict revolving around Kuroneko, which probably takes place in the next episode.

In the end, as much as I love Kuroneko as a character, this episode felt a bit uneventful. Then again, this episode is buildup towards the wrap-up for Kuroneko’s arc in the next episode, so in that sense, this episode did an admirable job of, at times subtly, building up some tension. There were some subtle hints at Kuroneko’s feelings for Kyousuke (though there were also some blatant hints as well), and while the idea of a relationship between the two feels a bit awkward, the character development for both of them this episode was rather nice. There were also those moments where you can tell that Kirino’s departure has, indeed, left a large impact upon the two, and the bits of insight into both Kyousuke and Kuroneko’s personas from it was certainly enjoyable to watch.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.6/5

Screenshots and ED theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 12 (True Route)

Episode 12 – There’s No Way My Little Sister’s Life Counseling Can End Like This (True Route)
俺の妹の人生相談がこれで終わるわけがない　TRUE ROUTE (Ore no Imouto no Jinsei Soudan ga Kore de Owaru Wake ga Nai -True Route-)

Well, I actually completely forgot that this episode aired today, but it turns out that there was a lot of stuff in common with the regular episode 12 than you might have thought. The entire first half of the episode played out exactly like the first half of the regular episode 12, where Kyousuke is asked to do a final “life counseling” task for Kirino by buying her some ero-games from a midnight release. The rest of the episode differed quite a bit though, with the most notable difference being that Kirino doesn’t tell Kyousuke about her trip abroad to America. In the end, it played out very similar to those choices you would see in a ero-game that determines what route you’ll be taking, and in this case, Kyousuke took the other choice this episode; the choice where he doesn’t look at the album, and thus, gets an alternative “true” ending.

Like I mentioned before, the second half of this episode is where everything happens. Kyousuke actually misses the train back home, and therefore, begs a nearby otaku to let him borrow his bike to get back home. I found the situation itself a little odd, especially if you consider how we never see Kyousuke return the bike, which prompts the question as to what he did with it afterwords. That little oddity aside, Kyousuke gets back to the house, plays the eroge with Kirino like in the regular episode 12, and ends up being stopped by Kirino when he was about to leave the room.

Once again, Kirino pulls out that photo album with her plane ticket to America inside, but the big difference here is that Kyousuke chooses to not see the photo album.

Instead, he ends up seeing Kirino’s stash of Track and Field medals (which are her pride and joy), and quietly leaves the room afterwards. Kirino didn’t really get to tell Kyousuke about her leaving for America, but you could tell that she was satisfied in her own way based on that rare, genuine smile she had. You really do get the feeling that Kirino has matured a bit, where you can tell that she has grown to appreciate her older brother and his actions, even if she rarely shows it. Her stubborn attitude and pride prevent her from really showing much appreciation for her brother, but it’s moments like these that really show how she feels.

Either ways, with this episode we got the “true” story, which follows the original storyline of the light novel source material. While the episode felt a little melancholy with Kirino leaving without a proper farewell, I do like how this episode closed things off. That being said, things certainly look like they’ll be interesting now that Kuroneko will be attending Kyousuke’s school (lol). I’ve heard some pretty crazy things happen after Kuroneko begins attending Kyousuke’s school, and now that we know that Kirino will be gone for an entire year (or more), the rest of the extra episodes for Oreimo will probably be focused on the side characters.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5

Screenshots, OP, and ED theme are later in the post. Note that I only included screenshots from new scenes we haven’t seen in this post; most of the first half of the show we’ve already seen in the regular episode 12, so you can find screenshots of that (here).

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (BD/DVD Commentary)

Character Commentary 01 + 02

It looks like commentary voiced by seiyu have started to become more popular, which probably started with the Bakemonogatari commentaries from a while back (which were hilarious, btw). And now, we get these special “character commentaries” for oreimo, which are rather amusing to watch. The comments that Kirino and Kyousuke make are pretty funny, and I love it how they even sometimes point out the very flaws that I’ve noticed in the original episodes (and sometimes make fun of them). The fact that the characters can break the fourth wall with ease also does add to the comedic effect, and while some people may not care much for these commentaries, I personally got a good laugh out of them.

The animation is very simple, with a lot of chibi characters and a select few variations in facial expressions, but what makes this entertaining is the dialogue between the characters. This definitely won’t be winning any sort of high quality animation awards, but it gets the job done, and the chibi characters just adds to the overall humor.

Jokes range from very simple (such as how Kuroneko points out how Kirino acts selfishly), to very weird yet funny. There is the “Kyousuke from the future” gag, along with the “Ayase is my princess” gag, which all got a good laugh out of me. I daresay, some of the gags here were better than a good chunk of the humor in the original series. That being said, these commentaries are pretty much just for giggles and laughs, so don’t expect any sort of serious twist or anything.

You could say that there are hints at another season of Oreimo in these commentaries, but unless there is an official announcement, the hints just may be the creator’s way of trolling their fanbase (aka trying to get our hopes up for nothing). Either ways, the commentaries clock in for a total time of roughly 25 minutes to half an hour, so if you’re missing your weekly Sunday Oreimo fix, this may be next best thing (for now). Now I wonder when those online/BD only episodes will be available…?

Overall Enjoyment: 3.6/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 12 (Final…sort of)

Episode 12 Final – There’s No Way that My Little Sister’s Life Counseling Can End Like This – GOOD END
俺の妹の人生相談がこれで終わるわけがないGOOD END (ore no imouto no jinseisoudan ga korede owaru wake ga nai GOOD END)

For a final episode, this episode was actually much more normal than I had expected. I was expecting a crazy, over the top finale episode, and I guess in a sense we do get it. However, most of the episode is instead devoted to showing just how much Kirino has come to appreciate (and care) about her older brother recently, and is actually rather subtle about it at times too. The main conflict felt a bit sudden, mainly because it almost literally came out of nowhere in the last 5 minutes of the show, but it did bring a nice conclusive feeling to Oreimo. That being said, though I am talking as if this was the final episode it is actually the final “airing on tv” episode, with a few more episodes set to be released exclusively online and bundled with DVDs/blu-rays.

The episode started off, as usual, in a goofy manner when Kirino decides to use her “final life counseling request” to ask Kyousuke to buy her a soon to be released visual novel during it’s midnight release. The funny thing about the visual novel is that it’s almost definitely parodying the title of one of the new shows set to air this Winter season, “Onii-chan no koto nanka suki janain dakara ne!”. The similarity in the names is uncanny, and considering how both Oreimo and the new Winter show both have incest undertones, I find it kind of ironic (and funny) that Oreimo is making fun of the new show.

In the process of buying the visual novel, Kyousuke runs into his friend who’s also buying an adult visual novel for his little sister. Seriously, what’s with all the little sisters and forcing their older brothers to get them adult PC games… ( =.=; ). Kyousuke did see this same friend accidentally declare himself as a lover of “Homo (aka boy’s love)” material, which got an applause from all the girls outside waiting for their game release (lol). Of course, there were also a few other hilarious moments, such as Kyousuke’s father going into “dere” mode twice with each time concerning Kirino, as well as Kuroneko’s laughter inducing posing in her neko maid outfit xP

For the most part though, the second half of the episode was actually rather serious, with Kirino’s seemingly innocent request to Kyousuke to play the new visual novel with her eventually leading to the startling revelation that Kirino had bought a plane ticket, and would be leaving for America the next morning. And the thing here is that Kirino wouldn’t return from America for at least a few years, meaning that this night was literally the final night they’d be able to interact with each other before she left. I will admit that the America plot twist didn’t completely catch me off guard because someone told me it would happen earlier, but I still found the plot twist a little sudden.

That being said, the fact that Kirino was so conflicted with whether she should go to America or not just proves to us that she really does care for Ayase, Kuroneko, Saori, and most importantly, her brother Kyousuke. I guess not being able to see them for a few years would be depressing, which is why Kirino wanted to spend some time with Kyousuke before she left.

That being said, in the end Kirino didn’t go to America, and although it might be a little difficult to pick up, it’s probably because of Kyousuke’s subtly implied “no” answer to her leaving even though he outright said “go on ahead” to her that night. Overall, I thought that the ending was a rather decent way to wrap up the “official” ending to the story, with some nice development between Kyousuke and Kirino particularly great to see.

However, I do know that Kirino (in the actual light novels) does indeed go to America, and considering that there are a few more episodes left to be shown on the internet, my guess is that they will continue the actual light novel story through the online episodes. That pretty much means much less Kirino (which would definitely make some people out there happy…), and more of a focus on side characters and such. There hasn’t been a release schedule (at least, that I’m aware of) for the extra Oreimo episodes, but I’m certainly curious to see how the creators plan on continuing the story.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.1/5

Screenshots and ED theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 11

Episode 11 – There’s No Way My Little Sister Can Be a Maid
俺の妹がこんなにメイドなわけがない (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Meido na Wake ga Nai)

Well, I figured that sooner or later there would be a scene where Kirino finally thanks Kyousuke for all of his help, but I had expected that in the final episode next week. The fact that AIC is finally showing us a thankful Kirino means that they probably have different plans for next week’s episode, which I’ve heard may in fact be an anime original ending. There is the whole issue of the “true ending” that is supposed to be broadcast online, but I don’t think there has been much info released on those four extra episodes quite yet. Nevertheless, this episode was rather fun and entertaining to watch, though I guess the story could have been more subtle with the way it did things. The story felt somewhat shallow, but I guess for a show like Oreimo, depth to plot has never really been something to expect.

The entire first half of the episode focuses on Kirino’s jealousy(maybe?) of Manami, where Kirino actually goes out of the way to try and spite Manami. Now, normally that would be foul play, but considering how Manami is a complete airhead, things actually work out rather well for a bit. Of course (to Kyousuke’s horror), Kirino decided to go all out against Manami and Kyousuke by secretly leaving all of Kyousuke’s megane porn magazines (o.o); and eroge VN out in plain sight. Seeing the horrified reaction of Kyousuke was rather funny, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Well, at least Manami took it all in relatively well. Poor Kyousuke (=.=);

Now the second half is where all the major, important stuff happened. Kyousuke gets invited to a small party hosted by Kirino, Saori, and Kuroneko. Only, the catch here is that they would all be wearing maid costumes. Although it was nice seeing Kirino in a maid costume, Kuroneko’s embarassed shy demeanor while wearing the maid outfit was a total win in my book. Seeing the normally stoic Kuroneko act all embarassed was rather entertaining, though her sneaky little evil smiles throughout the episode were even more fun to see.

What took me by surprise was seeing Kirino giving Kyousuke a present, and personally thanking him for everything he’s done for her. I was literally thinking during the entire scene “OMG Hell must have frozen over or something o.O;”. Thank god she finally showed some appreciation for him, considering all the terrible (or if not terrible, at least mean) things she’s done to him even though he’s helped her out in so many major ways. Seeing Kyousuke break down into tears was a rather powerful moment, and although the moment also felt forced (the director was very blatant about what reaction he wanted to get out of the audience) and cliche, it was a rather touching moment nonetheless.

Next week’s episode, which claims to be the “good ending” for the series, should be rather interesting to see. Considering how the creators seem to be going with a “good ending” and an online broadcast “true ending”, I’m wondering if both endings will be legitimate canon endings, or if they’ll actually take place in separate timelines. I guess we’ll see starting next week.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.0/5

Screenshots and ED theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga nai – 10

Episode 10 – There’s No Way My Little Sister Can Cosplay Like This
俺の妹がこんなにコスプレなわけがない (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kosupure na Wake ga Nai)

The title for this episode is a little deceiving, with the “cosplay” part not referring to Kirino at all whatsoever. Instead, this episode focuses on Ayase and her present-hunting for Kirino, all while getting her friend Kanako to cosplay as Meruru. For somebody like Kanako, who supposedly hates otakus, it’s pretty surprising to see her actually act out her role as Meruru during the contest this episode. This episode was rather entertaining, with both Ayase’s yandere antics (poor Kyousuke x.x) and Kirino’s “Kira!” reaction to Kanako’s cosplay getting quite a few laughs out of me. I did find it interesting that, although Ayase dislikes Otaku stuff, she was willing to go out of her way to get Kirino an otaku-related gift. If she seriously wanted Kirino to stop, she probably shouldn’t have gotten Kirino a one-of-a-kind meruru figure, of all things =P

The gist of the plot would be that Ayase and Kirino got in a fight and haven’t been on good speaking terms, so Ayase wants to make it up and get her a present. However, rather than getting her any old present, Ayase decides that she has to get Kirino the one thing she would want the most, so she goes to Kyousuke for some “counseling” with regards to the gift. Poor Kyousuke, he seems to be doing a lot of “counseling” recently x.x;

In the end, he couldn’t think up of anything on his own, so he outright asks Kirino up front as to what type of present she would like. After they argue a bit over the present idea, where the topic of conversation gradually changes to how Kyousuke frequently hangs out with Kuroneko and Saori. Kyousuke’s “girlfriend” comment got him a huge slap to the face from Kirino, which I personally found unwarranted. Perhaps this is the beginnings of jealousy somehow? I certainly hope there was deeper meaning to it than just jealousy, because that would just be reinforcing the incest theme so many people are worried about.

The kick from Ayase that Kyousuke took head-on in the face just confirms that this episode is probably the one where he’s taken the most abuse from young middle school girls =.=;  Seriously, they’re pretty vicious, especially because as both a guy and as the older student, Kyousuke probably wouldn’t fight back. I definitely feel that Kyousuke deserves better. However, that didn’t quite stop me from laughing at Ayase’s overblown yandere reaction.

Besides all that, Ayase manages to trick Kanako to compete in a cosplay contest for her, who Kanako wins with flying colors while cosplaying as Meruru. Knowing how well Kanako played her role as Meruru, there is no way in hell I’ll just accept her standard answer to Kyousuke’s question regarding how she knew it so well. I’d wager that she’s somehow involved with Meruru in some way or form, though that’s just a hunch/guess. Of course, the true victim here is poor Bridget; her innocent image of Meruru will be forever changed after seeing a very pissed off and violent Kanako Meruru in the backstage xP

Overall, this episode was entertaining, but nothing terribly special besides that. I did enjoy seeing more Ayase, who has had very little screentime since her last arc back a few episodes. The drama was definitely overblown, but that’s what made things more interesting this time around. Besides that, there wasn’t really much seriousness to this particular episode, and I’m guessing it won’t be changing up much next week, with Maids and all.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5

P.S. For those that haven’t heard, it’s been recently announced that there will be a separate story line called “true ending” (EP13-15) after the EP12 (which is when the TV airing ends). They will be aired on the official website and included in a separate DVD/BD release. I wonder exactly how this “true ending” will turn out (o.o);

Screenshots are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 09

Episode 09 – There’s No Way My Little Sister Can Play Eroge like this
俺の妹がこんなにエロゲー三昧なわけがない (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Eroge Zanmai na Wake ga Nai)

Well, this episode sure was revealing about Kirino’s true nature as an otaku, and oh boy, was it creepy. Creepy in a strangely entertaining, messed up way (=.=; ). This episode is pretty much filler in the sense that nothing really happens, but we do get to peek at how the Otaku trio of this show lead about their lives when they have free time. Kirino took up a good majority of the screentime, but the few scenes with Kuroneko and Saori did give more perspective to each character. Kuroneko is an older sister (which I do remember her briefly mentioning a few episodes back), and Saori (as expected) is some sort of rich lady ojou-sama. What I found nice about this episode is how each of these three characters, with their varied interests and different lives at home, emphasizes their relationship as friends. It’s a little more subtle than I had expected, which definitely took me by surprise.

Even so, that doesn’t exactly erase the permanent scars I have in my mind from seeing Kirino act as she did. I never, ever, ever expected her to act so weird while playing eroge. I was seriously going WTFLOL while she was going all giddy with her erotic smiles while playing the eroge. Especially when the hentai scene hit, and she decided (with a really weird face too) to go take a shower. Seriously, I was laughing my ass off but at the same time completely freaked out; I’ll never look at Kirino the same after this episode. I did get a kick from how Ayase thought Kirino was “studying” because Kirino had turned off her cellphone. If getting all giddy over playing eroge is “studying”, studying would all of a sudden be 100x more interesting =P

What was amusing about Kirino’s eroge playing was that the main heroine was pretty much an exact carbon copy of Kirino’s personality, so when Kirino was flipping out over how the heroine was so “uncute”, I rolled my eyes quite a bit. The very fact that Kirino got annoyed at her very own personality traits was pretty funny, and a rather interesting way of parodying the tsundere archetype.

Saori appears briefly in some fancy looking attire, confirming that she is indeed from a very rich family; she even has maids and custom ordered clothes, which just reeks of money. Kuroneko was shown with some quality time with her little sister, which did give some great characterization to Kuroneko. It helped show a new perspective on Kuroneko, where she was being the good, caring older sister, as opposed to being the otaku we are used to seeing. This is probably the creator’s way of saying “yea, even otaku know how to be normal”. Considering how otaku are often very, very stereotyped in Japan, seeing Kuroneko outside of her otaku form proved quite the contrary.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.0/5

Screenshots and ED theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 08

Episode 08 – There’s No Way My Little Sister could get an Anime
俺の妹がこんなにアニメ化なわけがない (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Anime ka na Wake ga Nai)

I knew that Kirino was talented for her age, but I would have never even thought about her publishing her own light novel that would be set to become an anime. Seriously, getting her own anime at the age of 13 is quite ridiculous, and if Oreimo wasn’t fictional, I’d be amazed. That being said, this episode was rather funny at points, but had some overall serious overtones to it. Of course, the stuck-up looking dude in the turtleneck is the one who causes all the problems, and once again, Kyousuke comes in to the rescue. This episode was solid, but I feel like it was lacking a little. Kuroneko did play a huge role in this episode though, which was nice to see.

The episode itself pretty much focuses on how Kirino’s light novel might be adapted into an anime, but the catch is that the guys in charge want to place in their own original content. They were even going to go as far as changing the gender of some of the main characters, which really irks Kirino. I would personally be annoyed too, mainly because I sure as hell wouldn’t want somebody messing around with my original story.

Unfortunately, Kirino’s enthusiasm for her anime kind of dies down along with the director’s plans to change the content of the anime. Of course, Kyousuke the big brother steps in and gives the directors a good talk, and manages to save the day.

Who really stole the show this episode was Kuroneko, who really took the initiative in trying to help salvage Kirino’s anime. Of course, knowing Kuroneko’s tsundere tendencies, she didn’t actually openly admit her helping out Kirino =P

The actual episode was somewhat entertaining, and I definitely had fun watching Kuroneko in action, but besides that there wasn’t really too much to this episode. I actually liked the drama in this episode, but I’ll also openly admit that the conflict wasn’t anything terribly special. I still find it unbelievable that Kirino would be getting an anime adaptation, and I’ve heard that this episode was an anime original episode. Perhaps this episode is poking fun at Bakuman airing this season. Either ways, this week’s ep was a standard goofy Oreimo episode with some drama in the mix. I wonder if next week’s episode is anime original as well.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.9/5

Screenshots are later in the post.