Oreimo 2 Episode 16 and Season Overview | TFP Review
Hitsugi Amachi: [T]he real highlight of the first season was Kyousuke. … His being supportive, to the point of shielding Kirino from the damage that the truth about her creepy hobby would have wrought on her relationships with her best friend (Ayase) and her father, was above and beyond the call of sibling duty.
What happened in the second season, however, was in many ways the deconstruction of Kyousuke’s character. Instead of the somewhat selfless and brave older brother, he was slowly turned in a rather selfish character, valuing his love for Kirino above just about anything else. There is a certain logic to that, as Kirino is also an intensely selfish, to the point of being largely self-absorbed, person. That the siblings are alike in that respect is not so improbable that it ruins anything…except that it does much to undercut so much of what made Kyousuke an interesting and likable character from the first season.
Interestingly, Manami comes across as being the “Final Boss” that the Kohsakas have to defeat, but what was most important about the fight was Manami’s speech. Here, we heard something really rather interesting, as Manami gave, in some sense, a version of the “Grow Up and Get a Life” speech that writers occasionally throw at unhealthy fandoms. And I think we can certainly qualify the little-sister-loving crowd as a very unhealthy fandom. In the face of the voice of reason, however, Kyousuke doubles down…
Sure, in the end, we get the revelation that the whole thing was an act, a play at being lovers that they knew would end, not taking us all the way to what would have been a controversial and squick-inducing ending, and I’m happy things did not go that way, but I can’t help but feel being used a bit by the author, in that he wants us, the audience, to feel intensely uncomfortable…
But look at all the damage the siblings selfishness caused. While at least they admitted that they were selfish, especially Kirino, does that really do much to alleviate the heartbreak Ruri, Manami, and possibly Ayase have felt, all being told by the boy they loved that they had to give up because he loved his little sister? And what do some of the others really think, such as Saori? All of this because of a selfishness, and really, an utter childishness on the part of both Kirino and Kyousuke.
sonic: While I agree it was hard to watch Kyosuke walk the path he did at times because he appeared so different from in season one, I disagree he did so out of a childlike selfishness. Kyosuke himself said several times how hard it was for him to turn down the other girls because he did have feelings for them as well, but he did so not to have an actual lifelong incestuous relationship with his sister, rather to mend their existing broken relationship once and for all. If Kyosuke truly acted selfishly, he would have abandoned his sister in favor of one of the girls and let her dwell on hidden brocon feelings for him for life. In fact Kuroneko knew this was why he was doing what he was doing, but it did not make the breakup hurt her any less.
Hitsugi Amachi: That’s certainly a viable perspective, but putting his desire to mend his relationship with his sister above everything else, to the point where it was going to hurt other people—and himself—emotionally, is, I would argue, a kind of selfishness. Whether it is childlike or not is also debatable, and certainly it can be argued, as you might, that his placing Kirino’s feelings above his own in this case is rather mature, and there is support for that. The childishness I felt was more pronounced in his reaction to Manami later, where the only thing that seemed to trump his childish wish to make Kirino’s own very childish wish happen was the Fear of Father. Sure, this all sounds like cheap pop psychology, but it was interesting that nothing else Manami said, using Reason and even a personal appeal on her own behalf, had the least impact on Kyousuke (visibly at least; it’s near impossible to argue internal mental state without there being spoken inner monologues, which we don’t get).
There is perhaps another thing about how things played out that disappoints me: instead of finding an “adult” solution to the problem, instead Kyousuke “solves” Kirino’s problem by caving in and pandering to her childish desire. Certainly, by the end, Kirino does finally grow up somewhat as she realizes perfectly well that her fantasy cannot become reality, other than as a form of play-acting for a limited time … But what, then, do we take away from this show? That it was, in the end, nothing more than one very elaborate “middle school delusion,” that of Kirino thinking that she could actually be her brother’s lover? If that’s the case…the first season and some parts of the second season were quite enjoyable in their ways, but I do feel like some of my time, especially the time spent watching the last three episodes, was pretty much wasted.
sonic: I also agree the way in which some of it was presented can be very off putting to the audience, especially given his more laid back nature in season one. However, I think the creator wanted to alienate the audience to show how truly damaged the siblings are and give the resolution more potent meaning. … It seems like he wanted a story that left a strong impression on the audience one way or another, and it achieved that goal well.
I personally agree with the resolution and saw it as a natural progression that Kyousuke would abandon normal relationships for a time until he patched things up with his sister. … The awesome side characters were just that, side characters (though some of the best ones ever). … When I honestly think about the story, it cannot resolve without Kyousuke abandoning reason to protect and save his sister. … I would argue having a happy go lucky Kuroneko and Kyousuke ending instead would have made it worse because the show is about Kirino and her issues (as awesome as Kuroneko is as a character she is not the little sister who can’t be this cute). … There’s no way Kirino would get better when her best otaku friend and brother are dating/married, that would only make her more obsessive.
Hitsugi Amachi: I can agree with that, in terms of the show’s internal logic, as the author’s goal was to allow Kirino a happy ending. It’s just a shame that it’s the least likable character in the entire show who gets the happy ending, while many of the more attractive (and I mean in terms of personality, not just looks) characters get nothing but heartache or worse. It might have worked better for me if I had some sense that Kirino had grown and improved over the course of the show…but she never did. She may have finally resolved her childhood delusion of loving her brother, but beyond that, she ends the show pretty much the same shallow, self-absorbed little brat that she began the show as. To be honest, I find her pretty repulsive as a character—and that’s not including the whole brother complex, that’s the least contemptible thing about her, and that’s saying something.
—
stardf29: This season definitely had ups and downs. Episode 9 was one of the best episodes of the entire series, Episode 12 was one of the worst, and the OVAs were for the most part rather painful, only being redeemed by probably the best ending choice they could have made given what path this show was headed down. The writing was awfully inconsistent, and overall just couldn’t finish things off as good as it could have.
That said, looking over these last 32 episodes of an average brother and his secretly-otaku sister and their trials as they try to mend their broken relationship, I think I can still remember this series fondly for the things it did do right: the moments when the show really was about overcoming a strained past to have a better relationship in the present, the loads of otaku fun, the characters that were a lot of fun and were overall good (Kirino included), and that it ended okay, all things considered.
Sly05: The way the series tried to work around the incest angle came across as rather cheap and I don’t see how Kirino and Kyousuke’s actions didn’t destroy their relationship with all their friends. … Though I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised it went the direction it did, it is totally possible for opposite sex siblings to be close without any romantic interest and since the first season mostly accomplished that, it was disappointing to see it turn around and go the incest route.
Jun Kuga: Not fully certain I like the direction they went, but it didn’t feel forced. It was the natural direction to go given what happened in season two, but… yeah. They were never going to become full-on lovers as that would be too much, but seriously? I would have probably respected the show more after this episode had they commited to that route instead of backpedalling so hard they’re back at episode one again. Instead we get a watered down “Life goes on, despite how many hearts and lives we crushed in playing our little game of lovers”.
_PS_: I watched these [three OVA episodes] more for the train-wreck factor – I’d read the novel spoilers, so I basically knew what was coming. There were a few positives – like I’m glad we got to see the game club again and that they seem to be well-adjusted.
And who is it that was coming to meet them at the end there? I can’t believe that after all I had to sit through, they end on a cliffhanger like that. (Was it Ayase? I bet it was Ayase.)
