Oreimo 2

Yo. Did I get your attention? Well I think I did if you're reading this. You're probably a little confused and a bit weirded out at just the title of this review, but hear me out, will ya?

Incest, dating your own sister in OreImo's case, in real life is looked down upon heavily in society and some would even consider it morally wrong. Some believe that it's gross, disgusting and creepy. Others think that it's ok. Obviously I'm not here to tell you my bias or position on this topic, this theme is just presented in this medium. So as this may forever be on the internet, I wanted to clear some things up before I start: I'm just some figure on the internet who wants to write a review for a show they enjoyed and tell others why they enjoyed it. That's it. OreImo's second season ONA is a completely different story though cough cough.

There will be major spoilers present in this review, so I advise you to watch the series entirely before reading this review. Of course that is unless you'd like to hear an individual on the internet ramble on why they liked this show, then by all means, continue reading.

OreImo needs little to no introduction. Its infamous in this community for very obvious reasons, but that's what makes it memorable. OreImo's second season takes place right after the events of the first season's ONA. Through a fitting first episode, it shows us the still-awkward relationship Kirino and Kyousuke have even after Kyousuke brings her back from America. It shows us that we have even more life counseling to come in this season!

Just from the look of OreImo's title, "My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute," I'm sure many would be turned off just by the sight of it. I'm that one individual who ended up diving head first into this series regardless. What is the first thing that comes to mind when reading this title, I ask. Yes, a siscon, incest, whatever you can think of relating to this. I won't argue with you that there are some really generic harem/rom-com elements in this show, but I don't think this title serves the show enough justice. This is what I believe the story is about: It's an accurate depiction of otaku culture, the daily life of people surrounded by this medium and a relatable developing brother-sister relationship. Kirino, an otaku schoolgirl struggling keep this side hidden from everyone else, but at the same time wants to become friends with others who share a common interest with her. Kyousuke, an average guy, but a brother who is giving it his all to try to protect and amend his broken relationship with his sister. That's not all though, it's a real depiction and a story of friends who grow and develop as people through the help of each other. They laugh, cry and even argue with each other and that's what really defines OreImo.

I'm a bit biased and I totally understand why you wouldn't like this season or this series in general. I won't deny it and point out some of the obvious flaws this season had. Some of the episodes and scenes in this season felt a bit rushed, out of nowhere, sometimes even plain stupid. Who do you think I'm looking at, stupid and pointless Kanako confession? Though I won't deny it, a part of me actually enjoyed that scene . . . teehee. Some of the scenes are a bit exaggerated, but of course that has to do with almost all anime. The absolute manslaughter of best-girl is present in this season and it hurt to watch. The added in harem element of the show may be considered a flaw through some people's eyes, so I'll add that on here too. But again, I'm a very biased individual and I won't say no to a harem that is done decently well, especially after getting invested to a series that I watched 16 episodes of. Again though, it was a bit random seeing every girl confess to Kyousuke left and right.

One of the things I think all people who watched this show can appreciate, is its animation. Done by A-1 Pictures, they do a splendid job animating this squeal and there's really nothing else about it to say. There are no flaws or complaints I have with the animation in this season whatsoever.

The same can be said about the sound. The soundtrack produced and used for this series in general is iconic and I would be able to name it straight away if you were to play it for me right at this second. The wide variety and amazing VAs used in this series is a real treat. All the VAs fit their role amazingly well and I wouldn't replace any of them for another. The opening, made again by ClairS, is the perfect choice. Their new OP is catchy and a real pleasant tune to the ear that will get you up and dancing in no time. Having a different ED every episode again, like the first season, was something new that I haven't experience in a while and was a real treat as well. All of the EDs were done by one of the episodes focused character's VA(s) and were all real catchy with an added in LN drawings for the visuals.

All the characters and their interactions with each other are done well. Some of the complaints I have against this section would be a select few characters being under developed or being developed out of nowhere without any prior warning. Saori's backstory was indeed random and out of nowhere, but it had a purpose to play during her arc to explain what was going on and why she formed this group of friends in the first place. Ayase's confession was a treat, don't get me wrong, but it was rushed. I wish they could've expanded more on her month stay with Kyousuke, giving me more of a reason to root for her. But again, fitting a whole volume worth of content into one episode is one hard task to pull off. As I mentioned before, Kanako's whole confession was out of nowhere too. Her only attribute was that she was a hot-headed loli, who suddenly started bring Kyousuke bento's. I wish they could've expanded on her character a little more, but again speed running a whole volume worth of content is hard to pull off.

The harem tag might even turn you off completely. You might think that this show is too simple only touching on the themes of friendship or what not. So why did I enjoy it? Simple. 1. Seeing Kirino and Kyousuke's sibling relationship slowly develop and blossom into a relationship was relatable was a real treat. And seeing the effects of this relationship during this season and the friends they made through it was really heartwarming. 2. It speaks to the audience. Watching and hearing Kirino fangirl over Meruru or some eroges just spoke to me and probably many others who love this medium. I couldn't help, but laugh, giggle and relate to hearing Kirino giggle over seeing one of the heroines in her ergoe say, "Oniichan daisuki!" I could say the same thing during Kuroneko's mini arc. Seeing Kyousuke and Kuroneko hug their pillows and squirm around thinking about each other was really relatable and I couldn't help but get a jittery feeling for them too. OreImo does a great job at speaking and relating to its audience. 3. It built a newfound imouto fetish I never new I would have. OreImo sets a clear distinction between real life and games, and they really like to make that apparent especially with the incest theme in this show. I too, also know my boundaries between real life and the 2D world. I'm sure we all have our own kinks, right? Some fans in this community may like tsunderes, other's may like kuuderes. Being more specific some may like catgirls, darkskin or even futanari, but I diverse as I think you see where I am going with this. After finishing OreImo years ago, I had just realized that lit a fire in me, which has lead me to have the divine imouto taste, OBVIOUSLY NOT IN REAL LIFE (I just want to make that clear). And after realizing this, I came to grow an appreciation for this series lighting this weirdness in me years ago, and I'd like to thank OreImo for that.

Wrapping this up before this review takes any weirder turns, for those who have grown tired of the overused harem/rom-com aspect found within this season, may find this season disappointing. But for those who enjoyed the first season and don't mind this change, will still find that the new OreImo is just as enjoyable as the old.