Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 07

Episode 07 – There’s No Way My Little Sister is a Novel Writer
俺の妹がこんなに小説家なわけがない (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Shousetsuga na Wake ga nai)

While this episode did have a good chunk of time with Kuroneko involved, for the most part this episode was a Kirino-centric episode. The episode wasn’t quite as outrageous as previous episodes, which might explain why the humor is more normal, but I personally didn’t mind this episode too much. At least it was more varied than the Manami episode last week, which although was cute, felt too plain/vanilla for my tastes. Seeing both Kirino and Kuroneko interact for the entire first half of the episode was actually pretty funny, with their tsundere-like personalities clashing quite often. I guess the saying that opposites attract and likes repel is quite true in this case; Kirino and Kuroneko’s personalities are quite similar, which is why they tend to quarrel.

The first half of this episode was pretty much about a big quarrel between Kirino and Kuroneko over their fanfiction stories. They pretty much complained about how they criticized each others’ works, but what was hilarious (or at least, in my opinion) was how Kirino and Kuroneko could mockingly imitate each other’s voices and demeanor perfectly. Seeing them make fun of each other was rather entertaining. What was just as fun to watch was seeing Kirino’s reaction to the Meruru episode, where she ended up dancing and singing to the Meruru theme song xP

Well, besides that, there wasn’t really any significant that happened in the first half. I guess you could say that the second half of the episode had more significance in terms of character development. The second half pretty much involves Kyousuke helping Kirino out with her short novel (only after she practically blackmails him).

What surprised me about the second half is how Kirino seemed to show some genuine emotion towards Kyousuke (in a non incest way, of course). Maybe I’m just imagining things though, but I think the events that occurred definitely brought them both closer together as siblings. There was a bit of fanservice, but it wasn’t anything major.

Overall, this episode was rather entertaining, but nothing really beyond that. I did get a lot of laughs here and there, but you could say that this episode hasn’t really matched up to previous episodes. At the same time though, it was refreshing to see some laid back, relaxing slice of life stuff, rather than all the drama that was pretty heavy in past arcs.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.7/5

Screenshots and ED theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 06

Episode 06 – There’s no Way My Childhood Friend could be This Cute
俺の幼馴染がこんなに可愛いわけがない (Ore no Osananajimi ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai)

This week’s episode takes a break from all the Kirino drama, and instead focuses on the innocent childhood “Queen Normal” friend, Manami. And, as the title to this episode implies, she is quite a bit more cute than you may think. She has some charming moments, but what really grabbed my attention was Manami’s entire family overall. Rather than a stereotypical, boring family (like Kyousuke’s…cough…cough…), we are introduced to Manami’s very animated and energetic grandpa, grandma, and younger brother. It was fun watching their silly antics, especially the grandpa’s efforts at getting Manami and Kyousuke together.

This episode basically consisted of a bunch of gags, including the scene where the grandpa was playing dead (extraordinarily well, mind you), and the Kirino getting overexcited over the arrival of her dakimura anime body pillow. The funniest part had to be when Manami attempted to tease Kyousuke; she teased him with saying that they should enter the bath together, only for her plan to backfire with Kyousuke retorting (like a true man lol) “LET’S GO! I’ll show you my galactic weapon” xD. The other funny moment was where the grandpa jokingly faked a heart attack, just for to get Manami and Kyousuke to sleep together in the same room.

Honestly, besides a few gags here and there, nothing really happened this episode. We did get some warm and fuzzy moments between Kyousuke and Manami, and I definitely got a bunch of laughs out of this episode, but overall this was probably the weakest one in the series so far. What I did find amusing was how Kirino, throughout the episode, would randomly kick at Kyousuke’s door and chair, indicating that she actually misses him, which is a cute little sign of some affection towards her brother, which rarely happens.

Next week’s episode looks like it’ll be covering Kirino’s attempt at writing a keitai novel. Keitai novels are pretty popular in Japan, and I think it would be interesting to see what Kirino could possibly even write about.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5

Screenshots and updated OP theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 05

Episode 05 -There’s No Way My Little Sister’s Best Friend can be this…
俺の妹の親友がこんなＸＸなわけがない (Ore no Imouto no Shinyuu ga Konna Batsubatsu Wake ga Nai)

This episode turned out remarkably similar to the episode with Kirino’s father not too long ago, with Kyousuke once again coming in to save the day. Ayase, as expected, does figure out about Kirino’s hobby, and like previously with his father, Kyousuke somehow manages to save their relationship. That being said, at times this episode was hilarious, especially towards the end with Kyousuke’s “keikaku doori” all according to plan ending. Seriously, Kyousuke deserves a lot of respect for everything he goes through to help out Kirino. Kirino is warming up to him a little, but she’s still mostly treating him as usual. There’s a lot of drama this episode, and although some feels a little forced, for the most part the episode was rather enjoyable.

At the beginning of the episode, I thought that Kirino just might be able to avoid Ayase figuring out about her hobby, and for the most part, it probably would have went rather smoothly if Kirino didn’t act so suspiciously. Seriously, who outright mentions the fact that there Comiket is currently ongoing when you’re trying to hide all association with anime related stuff? Due to a few careless moves on Kirino’s part, as well as Ayase’s keen intuition about the entire situation, Ayase ends up discovering Kirino’s recently purchased doujin.

Ayase’s react was, at least to me, extremely cold and unfriendly; she outright said that they should stop associating with each other, and not see each other anymore. Seriously, if Ayase was really Kirino’s best friend, she shouldn’t outright just treat Kirino like a freak and try and cut all ties with her. Her reaction felt rather unnatural, which may perhaps be due to the pacing of the story in comparison to the original source material. I’ve never actually read the light novels, but I get the feeling the light novels may have portrayed this particular scene better.

Kyousuke’s attempt at helping Kirino out, even going as far as getting research materials from his father, just really does show how much he cares for Kirino (as an older brother : P). That being said, initially, his talk with Ayase was rather ineffective, until Kirino popped up out of nowhere and set things straight. Kirino’s long lecture with Ayase (where she equated her love of Ayase with her love of ero-games lol) solved the problems for the most part, although I personally thought that the lecture was rather stupid and unnecessary.

Kyousuke’s method at sealing the deal, so to speak, was pretty much similar to what he did to prevent his father from throwing out Kirino’s erogames; by lying and proclaiming that he “loves” his sister (Lolol xD). I was seriously laughing my ass off at that scene (with my friends in the room giving me strange stares), but the awkward boldness of Kyousuke was just so funny to watch.

In the end, this episode was a rollercoaster of emotions; there were a bunch of funny moments, mixed in with some serious melodramatic moments. While I don’t find this episode particularly amazing, it is definitely one that I’ll remember for a long time, and was fun to watch. Next episode preview indicates that it’ll be focusing on childhood friends, so it looks like it’ll be starting “Queen Normal” Manami.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.2/5

Screenshots are later in the post.　New ED theme and altered OP theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 04

Ayase, another one of Kirino's acquaintances that may well soon know about her eroge-loving secrets.

Episode 04 – My Little Sister Can’t Go to the Summer Comiket
俺の妹が夏コミとか行くわけがない (Ore no Imouto ga Natsu Komi Toka Iku Wake ga Nai)

Just when you thought all the drama was over last episode, it seems like there will be even more drama in the upcoming few episodes, with Ayase (Kirino’s friend) potentially discovering Kirino’s secret hobby. This episode shows that Kirino and Kuroneko are both tsundere, which made the scene between them about the CD pretty funny. Besides that, though, the everyday lives of the main characters resumes…mostly. I didn’t expect much fanservice from this show at all, but there was “the scene” in this episode that took me by complete surprise. Ignoring the fanservice, this episode’s gags were pretty funny, and I’m especially liking the newly introduced character, Ayase.

The first half of the episode is pretty much about how Kirino is inviting over her friends, so she wants her “hentai” brother to stay up in his room until they leave. That doesn’t really happen, with Kyousuke catching a glimpse of Ayase when she walked into the house. Considering how Ayase is Kirino’s coworker at their magazine modeling job, it takes me by no surprise that Kyousuke was blushing at how cute she seemed to him. Of course, Kirino is disgusted with his staring, and as usual, walks off in a little mini rampage. You’d figure that she would be more respectful towards the older brother that saved her hobby, but alas, I guess that’s just how tsunderes work ヽ（´ー｀）┌

When Kyousuke received an unknown package in the mail, though, the situation did turn rather suspicious. Kirino, surprised at the labeling on the box he received (which apparently is quite rare), she happily takes the package away from Kyousuke and excitedly takes it to her room. Only after a call from Saori does Kyousuke find out that the package contains hentai (18+ only) doujinshi, and a horrified Kyousuke ran into Kirino’s room and stole back the box. The ensuing argument and tug of war for the box was hilarious, but I didn’t expect Kyousuke to fall ontop of Kirino, and typical of fanservice scenes, somehow landing his hands on her exposed bra and all. Obviously Kirino’s friends got the wrong idea when they ran in, and saw the entire thing xP

Just as a reference, click here to see the original scene from the light novel. AIC was relatively faithful in their adaptation, apparently.

Seriously, for all the great intentions Kyousuke has, he really has some bad luck too. The rest of the episode pretty much just covered Kirino’s first ever Natsukomi (aka Comiket), which is a convention with fanmade doujinshi and other anime related stuff. After bullying/teasing her brother a bit, and getting all riled up over how they couldn’t win against the staff “Siscalypse” player, Kirino’s fun is pretty much ruined when she coincidentally runs into Ayase after Comiket; talk about coincidence （　ﾟ Дﾟ）

This episode was all mostly fun and games, with some pretty funny gags and such. The fanservice turned me off from the episode a little, but the rest of the episode was perfectly watchable, and a lot of fun. The very fact that Ayase may find out about Kirino’s hobby means that Kirino may finally have another friend to talk to about her hobbies, or she might end up not being friends with Ayase anymore. Ayase seems like one of those gentle, sweet characters, but based on the next episode’s title, I’m not sure how trustworthy that impression of her is. The next episode will probably turn out more drama heavy, with Ayase’s involvment guaranteeing that something major will happen. I personally had a lot of fun watching this episode, but in the end, this episode is pretty  much a build up episode for the conflict next week.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5

P.S. There was actually an ED theme this episode (o.o). Took a long time to finally get one.

Screenshots and new ED theme are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 03

Probably the most significant moment of the entire series so far.

Episode 03 – 「俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない」 (Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai)
“There is No Way My Little Sister is This Cute”

Oh wow, Kyousuke deserves a gold medal or something after what he did this episode. I, personally, could say that I respect him at least tenfold more than I did before watching this episode. The episode seemed rather normal at first, but I hadn’t expected the twist where Kirino’s secret hobby would be revealed to her parents to happen so early on in the series. Kudos to Kyousuke for standing up to his father and doing the, well, brotherly thing to do. The episode was a bit cheesy towards the end, but it didn’t really affect how much fun I had while watching this episode. And seeing the “dere-dere” moment for Kirino was probably the most satisfying (and awesome) part to this episode, where we finally get to see Kirino show some appreciation for her brother’s help.

The episode up to the point where Kirino’s secret was found out was all happy and generic slice of life, with Kirino hanging out with her friends at school for a photoshoot, and later going to Akiba with her new Otaku friends. Her father’s presence completely changed the mood of the episode, though, where she ends up running away from her father in frustration. He obviously disapproves of her affinity for such a “weird” hobby, especially because the contents of her hobby are often 18+ material.

That being said, it was admirable to see Kyousuke, who had a little while earlier had no association with his little sister at all whatsoever, “put his life on the line” and attempt to convince their father to allow her to continue her hobby. Right off the bat, he got my respect if only because of the fact that, in Asian societies, respect of the parents is a sacred thing. Deciding to go against his father already puts Kyousuke in a tremendously uncomfortable, and awkward, position that not many would take. His sense of obligation as being the older brother was quite admirable to see, and when he ended up yelling his head off at his father, I was LOL cheering the entire time.

Somehow, Kyousuke’s passionate yelling and arguing managed to convince their father, but he still didn’t approve of her having 18+ material. Kyousuke’s last resort excuse to cover for the 18+ eroges was hilarious, where he claimed to be the owner of the eroges. I literally almost fell off my chair laughing while I was watching that scene; Kyousuke definitely lost some respect in the eyes of his father, sacrificing a bit of his own dignity in the process.

The final scene, where Kirino says “Thanks, bro”, was probably the most awesome part to this entire episode though. The moment pretty much exemplifies the entire premise of this show, as well as gives meaning to the title of this series (and episode). Overall, although this episode was somewhat cheesy, the emotional impact this time around is something I will definitely not forget anytime soon.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.5/5

Screenshots and ED sequence are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto wa Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 02

Episode 02 -「俺が妹とオフ会に行くわけがない」 (Ore ga Imouto to Ofukai ni Iku Wake ga Nai)
“There’s no way I’ll attend an offline meeting with a little sister.”

This episode of Ore Imo introduces two major characters who will play major roles throughout most of the season along with Kirino and Kyousuke; Saori Bajiina (voiced by Hitomi Nabatame), a tall girl who dresses like a stereotypical male otaku with glasses on, and Kuro Neko (voiced by Kana Hanazawa), an otaku girl who is often seen as cosplaying a character from Maschera ~Lamentation of the Fallen~ with a gothic-style dress.

As I have already listened to the Ore Imo Drama CD before, which included a track about this exact episode of offline or IRL (=in real life) meeting, it was pretty much what I expected, but I’m sure the new viewers will find the dialogue filled with various otaku topics, between Kirino, Kuro Neko, Saori and Kyousuke pretty interesting (and funny). Also, I feel little bit sorry for Kyousuke who has to go through a ridiculous amount of otaku-culture shock everyday by playing eroges, going through various stores at Akihabara, and even visiting a maid cafe.

As a bonus, we also get to have a brief look at Kirino’s two close friends at her school: Ayase Aragaki (voiced by Saori Hayami, who also plays Wako in Star Driver and Arashiko Yuno in MM!), admittedly one of my favorite characters in this series, and Kanako Kurusu (voiced by Yukari Tamura, whose most famous character is Nanoha Takamichi), who has an uncanny resemblance to the main character from Stardust Witch Meruru. I don’t want to spoil what roles they are going to play later in the show, but I can tell you that there will be some fun events later that are going to involve these two characters. 🙂

Even though there isn’t as much surprising plot twists in comparison to the first episode, since Kirino’s deep secret was already revealed, I’m pretty confident that there are now going to be plenty of interactions (and conflicts as indicated by Kirino and Kuro Neko in the second meeting) between the main characters and the newly introduced ones.

Each character has a pretty unique personality, which should keep things interesting. Also, be prepared for some more serious philosophical discussions about the otaku sub-cultures in the show, which was what made the light novel popular and also quite controversial in Japan. Anyways, the title of the next episode will be the same as the title of this show, so I guess we’ll learn about the true meaning of this rather long title.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.3/5

Screenshots and OP theme are later in the post.

Note: This episode was leaked on Anime News Network due to poor security on their part. I sincerely hope this does not affect their simulcast status, considering how having legal alternatives is a welcomed change in the anime industry.

First Impression – Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 01

Episode 01 – 「俺が妹と恋をするわけがない」(Ore ga Imouto to Koi wo Suru Wake ga Nai)
“There’s no way I’ll fall in love with a little sister.”

As a fan of the light novel series “Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai” (My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute, or simply “OreImo”), I was happy to hear AIC Build’s decision to animate the series, and I was finally able to see the results today, which turned out much better than my initial expectations.

Even though AIC added some original scenes not found in the original source material to the first episode,mainly in order for to make it more entertaining, I think the episode overall has stayed pretty faithful to the light novel’s story. It did especially well at delivering the slightly quirky tone of humor and the mix of both more goofy and serious atmospheres (especially regarding Kousaka’s parents) from the original work. It was hilarious to watch Kyousuke’s reactions to Kirino’s revelation of her collection of “little sister” dating sim games to him, as it was a prime example of the term “irony”. The director of OreImo, Hiroyuki Kanbe, did well in delivering this crucial scene in a flawless manner. I hope he can deal with the more difficult situations (which would be spoilers if I reveal them here) from the novel later in this show.

Also, I was quite satisfied with Kirino and Kyousuke’s voice acting (performed by Ayana Taketatsu and Yuiichi Nakamura), who have done a good job of portraying the somewhat uncomfortable relationship between the siblings. Satou Satomi also did a good job of portraying clumsy Nanami, who is Kyousuke’s childhood friend. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the main characters, like Kuroneko and Saori, in the next episode.

The ED theme was performed pretty well, considering the fact that it was sung by an actual middle school girl, and its seemed to go well with the energetic and vivid atmosphere of the show. However, I must say that it felt little bit too generic to me, as I expected AIC Build to choose quirkier song. On the other hand, there was no OP theme, which will debut in the next episode. My guess is that the opening theme included some spoilers, such as Kirino’s love of little sister dating sim games and Star Witch Meruru, so they had to delay it to the next episode. Let’s see if this turns out to be true.

Well, I hope AIC will be able to keep with the high quality of the show. Many times, the first episode is well done, but many studios fail to meet expectations after the first one. If that is the case, considering the existing popularity of the novel in Japan, I have a pretty good feeling that OreImo could easily be one of the top shows for this Fall season.

Overall Enjoyment: 8.7/10

Screenshots are later in the post.

Brief Intro of Oreimo’s Characters

Here is a brief introduction of the characters from Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (as known as “Oreimo”).

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – Preview Video

OMG! XD (as you could tell, I’m looking forward to this series lol)

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない) is an anime set to be aired this fall season. Announced to be aired in October 2010, this anime is to be based on a light novel series that has been running for about two years.

This anime adaptation is to be animated by AIC studios. The director of Ore Imo was changed from Keiichiro Kawaguchi to Hiroyuki Kobe.

Official Website