The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Naota – Round 1 – Polls 1-8 “Analysis”

By TheBigN

A little late to the party, as the first set of polls is already completed, and the second one is about ready to finish. But I’ll still keep pushing on.

Fall 2010 Quickies

By TheBigN

So I figured that because I haven’t been writing here recently, if I couldn’t think of anything to write substantially about regarding anime at the moment, I might as well write some quick impressions on the shows that I’ve been following during this season. I guess I should also mention some of the things I notice in what others write about these series as well. That’s in terms of ones that I’ve been keeping up with lately (at least only a week behind in episodes), as there’s always a list of shows that I want to see/put off watching for some reason or another.

Oreimo and the “Negative ‘AHA!’ Moment”

One thing that I’ve been noticing recently about reading comments and posts on Ore no Imouto ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai (yes yes, “why would I do that in the first place?”) is that I’m not liking them. And one such example is in regards to that scene from episode 4 that many, many other people have commented on. In terms of my impression of the “cliché male accidently falling on female while groping her in an always perfect state of undress for others to see scene” (which make me facepalm), it was unexpected, and an unnecessary distraction. Especially because of the epic dodge by Kyousuke that came before it, since the result sucks worse for him, one could say. Since it came from the source material, I could say that I thought that moment was a bad and silly decision on the author’s part to use that scene as a transition for Kirino and co. to go to Comiket. But I can’t say that it wasn’t an interesting way to somehow get Kirino to go. And I still have a thought in my mind that the point of that scene was mainly to provide a small bite to those who hope beyond all hope that There’s A Way Kyousuke’s Little Sister Can Fall In Love With Him. But I digress.

 

I can't help but think that guy in the background is somehow representing us, making a big deal about something not so much.

Oreimo and A Fan’s Identity

One of the things that I liked from episode 2 of Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai was the brief conversation that Kirino and her brother Kyousuke had regarding the former’s lack of camaraderie with fellow otaku given her circumstances. What got me was Kirino’s initial refusal to the advice of making friend with fellow fans, saying “They’ll think I’m the same as them.” It was less the fact that she would be the same as them (which she is regardless), but that she’ll be seen as the same as them. Given her background as a middle school student who’s hip with the times and squarely in the “cool clique”, and that being an otaku (as she sees herself) is most totally not cool in Japan, Kirino’s definitely in a bind keeping the two identities together, but not letting them mix. That difference in being a stylish middle school girl who’s also an otaku and an otaku who’s also a stylish middle school girl feels staggering.

A girl with a little internal turmoil?

Two Quick Questions On Oreimo That I’m Sure Have Been Asked Already

These are from episode 1, mind you, so they might be answered on later on.

1.) Everyone seems to be talking about one implication (the obvious one, of course) of Kirino’s choice of games that she’s a fan of. Do they consider another implication given the game type (i.e. one main reason why people rag on moe), but just choose not to say it?

2.) Kirino demonstrates that she also has two R1 DVD versions of the Stardust Witch Meruru anime, as well as two DVD versions and a Blu-ray version that are domestically available for her in Japan.  Does anyone know how easy it is for reverse importation of anime to occur nowadays in Japan, or if Kirino was doing anything illegal in doing so?

 

Meruru stack.