Yorozuya4eva

This season of anime was one to look forward to, with popular series like Umaru and Gintama gaining new additions to their story. However there were a couple of new additions that have stood out as well (namely Blend S and Mahoutsukai no Yome). That being said Imouto sae ireba is my pick of this season. The reason simply being because its good at its genre. Compared to Blend S forgetting about the settings of their MC (I can only assume it has something to do with wanting the audience to actually like her) and Mahoutsukai no yome merely touching upon dependence rather than love,Imouto Sae Ireba is a story about a group of people finding their direction in life. Story 8/10 A lot of you who just watched the first episode are probably bloody confused, the first 5 minutes in nothing but ecchi, and cringey ecchi on top of that. But thats where the protagonist fits in, his love is cringey/unconditional due to the experiences he has had in life, however this series focuses as much on the MC as it does everyone else, meaning that towards the end there is only one character who really brings forth these scenes. The story itself is episodic and whilst there are buildups that helps with the flow, that being said its not one of those exciting ones, just a warm and fuzzy story which is why I cannot give it a great score despite my liking it. Art 8/10 The art is a bit more different from the usual anime, that is not to say it isn't good, but its something to bear when watching the thing. There isn't much to say aside from that, but I do know some who were slightly put off by this art style. Sound 8/10 Opening was great, thats one thing all the new anime have in common this season. But the actual bgm/ost in this doesn't really stand out. Once again simply because of the type of anime, but for the most part it compliments the story and doesn't feel out of place. Characters 9/10 This is where the anime stands out for me, with an anime like this the characters are the focus and the story is merely a means to compliment them. You have the passionate MC who as I've mentioned before is slightly eccentric, the reason for this was explored slightly too late for my taste, a mistake a lot of anime make, but even without the reasoning it should be too hard to empathize with. On top of that you have a small assortment of females, each with their own reason for being there and supporting the MCs. That being said there is none of the typical cat fights that go on in so many anime, instead its more of a slow paced romance that eventually falls into place. The relationship between characters is rather dynamic and there are many small changes in the story that put said relationships to the test, which is always good to see. Overall 8.5/10 I personally put 9 in my score, but 8.5 is probably slightly more accurate. A good one to watch if you have the time and managed to muddle your way past the first episode but for those who are expecting an ecchi incest anime its probably better to give this one a miss.

PyraXadon

Y'know, the realization of writing reviews on this site for four years comes with some vague existentialism of wondering if anyone actually reads the things that I write, or if I've actually improved cause these things are just sort of self-proofread without my outside opinion. Bah, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's just get into this thing. Story: First off, ignore the first five minutes. As a writer, Hashima Itsuki is peculiar. After getting an earful from his editor for the umpteenth time, he goes off on his usual schpeel about the greatness that is the 'imouto', before being promptly told to takehis work seriously and get his shit done on time, like any novelist with a deadline. And so, that's...basically where our story starts. Based solely on its cast, Imouto Sae (that's my shorthand this time around) is a slice of life romp seen through the eyes of its literature-based cast as Itsuki and the rest of the main cast do what writers do. Each episode is focused on the character interactions between the cast, whether it be for research for someone's book or spending time with one another through games that act more as a creative exercise for their brains. The show's naturally lax nature exudes the slice of life genre, utilizing a brand of conversational humor with the main focus being what the oddities that are its characters and how they are as people as the brunt of its comedic prowess. On the outside, not much really happens since episode after episode, it's basically the same thing, but slowly, we watch as more minute and complex matter arise. At times, the show ever so slightly shaves away its naturally fluffy and slice of life feel and touches upon the 'writer's struggle', or at least those relating to LN authors that adds more to the show. We sort of see the individual problems that each of the authors in the show face, touching upon different personal problems that add a nice subtlety to the overall story as the sunshine and rainbow of everything we see sheds away for that brief, sober moment amidst the characters' happily drunk nature being published authors. Yet despite that, the one problem I see from the show is that nothing seems to change. Sure there're events that lead one thing to another, but because the slightly deeper moments of the show fade away once they're over and leave but a shadow of their impact, much of what we get is the status quo which, while amusing, poses a problem when the moments of deeper thought were only just a few minutes ago. The ending also leaves a lot of loose ends that I'm not particularly fond of. Kind of like a 'read the manga' ending, but not so assholeish that they stop in the middle of some plotline that you'll never get an answer to. Overview: + Provides a nice look into the 'writer's struggle' + Never melodramatic despite being a show featuring interpersonal relationships and such - Tends to stick too much to the status quo - A bit too many loose ends by the end Characters: A connoisseur of the little sister, Hashima Itsuki is the writer of a magic academy series, or by its other name, 'trash'. (I jest, I jest.) Initially seen as nothing but a pervert too prideful in his own work, Itsuki has many moments where his inferiority shows through the cracks, and the cheerful facade that we see through most of the show slowly fades away as he reveals his own insecurities as a writer. As someone who's also been guilty of saying "I'm not good enough" to myself, I find Itsuki to exemplify much the internal battle inside someone who writes, with just enough of this hidden side of him to give us a proper character. Despite that subtle complexity, the true star of the show (at least in my eyes) is Nayuta herself, the popular 18 year old novelist who from episode one has never stopped trying to get into Itsuki's pants without committing a crime in the process. A natural prodigy at writing, much of her story lies in the events that led her to becomes the girl that we see her as now. It's less of a writer's struggle, and more of a personal struggle, but all the same is done in a way that adds just enough to her character to give us the viewer some more information. Aside from that though, Nayuta acts much like a supplementary character to Itsuki, giving him the drive to be the writer he always wanted to be. Their relationship is cute, and I personally really like the direction they went to explain why things between the two are the way they are. To round out the quartet, both Miyako and Haruto act as similar characters with their issues, boasting a personal and professional struggle respectively that again, adds enough to their characters to bolster and solidify their problems as looming parts of their lives, like how normal people are. Aside from them, the cast is filled with a cast of colorful weirdos that spice up the gaps that the main cast leaves behind. Everything from an accountant who takes joy in the squirming in others to a mangaka who wears a ribbon of questionable material provides us with a weird yet amusing spectrum that makes the episodes that much more fun. Overview: + Rounded main cast + Amusing side cast Art: Produced by Silver Link, the show replicates the original artist Kantoku's style of the slightly muted color palette in conjunction of super shiny, almost reflective hair that's commonplace in the works he draws for. Art quality is very consistent throughout due to the show's severe lack of need for any taxing animation (since everyone basically just sits around), and stands as a nice relaxing sight without anything bad to note. As far as fanservice goes, the show does have several choice moments that are certainly more risque than what the rest of the show is in comparison, but it's super tame, and if it ever gets out of hand, the show goes to use its various colorful slides with text on the front for 'censorship'. One of the most amusing ways to censor something if you ask me. (Though I will admit that Nayuta is the cause of most if not all of these so blame her.) Most of the perverted comedy is done through innuendos and spoken words, so visually, it's not severely apparent. Overview: + Consistent quality +/- Some fanservice, but not much Sound: Chouchou's "Ashita no Kimi sae Ireba Ii." stands as a song that when combined with the visuals, harkens to the whimsy that authors feel when writing their works, the wonder than a person feels when they put their imagination on paper. Personally, I feel like many of her other songs are more memorable, but this is no way a bad song and given the placement and usage of this song in the series, certainly has its impact. On the flipside, Aria Yuuki's "Donna Hoshizora yori mo, Donna Omoide yori mo" is a more somber piece that ends the episode on a calming and closing note that compared to the slightly more energetic whimsy of its OP counterpart, gives us pleasing resolution to the episode rather than some seiyuu song or something that doesn't have much impact Overview: + Nice and whimsical tracks Personal Enjoyment: I think my first reaction to watching this show's PV was 'Yes'. Not for really any particular reason, but it just seemed like the show I was really going to like. And surprise surprise, it was. It has the quality of touching on the personal problems and the insecurities and stress of making a good story and making a name for yourself in the publishing world without succumbing to melodrama or any kind of super contrived storyline which is refreshing in a landscape where anything drama-based resorts to melodrama. It's a show I watched because I was intrigued, but stayed because I genuinely resonated with the characters having had tinges of these problems myself when writing stuff in my own time. So for that, I appreciate this show and am really glad that this was something on my seasonal list. Did I like this show? If I haven't sung enough praises about my enjoyment of this show, then yes, I did like the show. In particular, I really like Nayuta. I'm always a fan of girls who know what they want and earnestly strive for that person they love because often times you get tsunderes or some other stupid trope of girls undeserving of the happy ending they get in the end without rhyme or reason. (Abuse is not love, girls) But more than that, the relationship both professional and personal between Itsuki and Nayuta stands as one of my absolute favorite things of the show because there is reason why Itsuki doesn't take the plunge and overall gives more depth to the protagonist. What didn't I like about this show? Nothing particularly irked me, but my only wish is that somehow they continue this. The loose ends were vaguely irritating and given the setup that we were given in the last few minutes, a sequel is all the more possible from that. (We do not talk about the first five minutes of the entire show. That shit is repressed.) Would I recommend this show? Personally, I say yes. Though the show is infamous for the first five minutes of the first episode, if you do get past that gate (and trust me, there is an explanation), you are in for a slice of life adventure that really is more than meets the eye. It's a lax show focused entirely on its characters and their interactions, taking time every now and then to expand upon its cast to smooth and polish them out a little more for depth. Plus it's got a nice helping of wackiness that makes things a helluva lot more entertaining than it should.