Review: OreImo (True Route)

KEEP ON RUNNIN'! *group jump*

Having recently completed the "Good End" of Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga nai (My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute) or OreImo for short, I've been tempted to delve into the "True Route", which is more or less an alternate and extended ending of the series. I have heard nothing but positive reactions.

Kuroneko after the jump YEEEAAAHHH!

Before I start reviewing the true ending, I should explain a little about OreImo. OreImo is a story based on a series of light novels about a boy named Kousaka Kyousuke who happens to have a little sister complex with Kirino. Kirino approaches her brother for "life counseling", which more or less entails Kyousuke helping Kirino keep her hobby hidden from their anti-otaku father. Along the way the two meet Vajina Saori and Gokou Ruri (who simply goes by Kuroneko) at a "IRL meetup". Kirino, Kuroneko, Kyousuke, and Saori slowly become friends over the course of the 12-episode anime adaptation.

The "True Route" version of episode 12 is more or less the same as the "Good End", except for the last 5-8 minutes. In the "Good End", Kirino decides against going to America after beating the everloving sh*t out of Kyousuke, however, in the "True Route", Kyousuke opts not to look at Kirino's album that has the plane ticket to the United States. Consequently, Kirino left for America, "disappearing, just like that", according to Kyousuke.

A few things are revealed in the episodes after, including Akagi Sena's obsession with boys love, Kuroneko's real name, and that the game research club's president has been held back "who knows how many years." The club needs to make a game for a competition, so Kyousuke suggests making an eroge, an idea which Sena throws a fit and calls Kyousuke a pervert. In any case, the club members decide to make a visual novel by working together.

I'm not going to lie; I love Kuroneko and Akagi Sena. They make OreImo a million times more enjoyable, simply because they're so well-written. Even before the obvious changes in episode 12, there were a few things that you'd have to look closely to see. Sena's over-the-top declarations of love for yaoi were absolutely hilarious. Kuroneko and Sena make the "True Route" worth watching. I didn't particularly like that the female characters have constant blush stickers, but that's nitpicking the animation, which is otherwise beautiful. I literally found nothing wrong with these episodes, outside of the execution fo the ending. Not perfect but damn near. Though I will never understand what the hell that final shot of Kirino, Kuroneko, and Saori doing a 70s-style group jump was about...