Oniichan wa Oshimai!

Like many, I was impressed with the debut of Studio Bind and their highly-anticipated, highly-praised, highly-controversial anime adaptation for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, and like so many more, I was already getting excited for its second season as soon as its first came to a close. However, also like many, I proceeded to be half-disappointed, half-confused when I saw the announcement for Oniichan wa Oshimai! with the name of Studio Bind—the studio which I thought was created for the sole purpose of adapting Mushoku Tensei—so proudly attached. A veteran animator like Shingo Fuji making a directorial debut at a studio I can actually trust toproduce something competent is always something to be excited about in my book, but would some goofy gender-bender manga adaptation really be worth pushing back Mushoku Tensei season two??? Call me the Grinch—no fun allowed—but could something like this really feel like time well-spent for such a capable studio and talented staff? Because after watching it, all I can really say as to the answer to that question is “hopefully yes.” “Hopefully,” as in, “I hope this series ends up feeling worth MY time and effort to review,” since nothing else airing this season apparently is. I guess I could review season sixty of My Hero Academia or season forty of Bungou Stray Dogs, something like that, piss a bunch of people off, etc. But what’s the point? Where’s the fun? What can be said about the endless deluge of shounen baby formula, highschool romcoms, and isekai/grossly-isekai-adjacent fantasy adventures which populate the apparent entirety of this winter season that hasn’t already been said about prior, similar, questionably distinguishable contemporary anime to complete exhaustion? I’m going to try to refrain from ragging on the actual quality of the anime produced this season from a technical perspective, even though I most certainly could (and don’t be sure that I won’t), and I’m instead going to ask that we all take a moment to appreciate the eye-watering banality of it all from a creative perspective. Even everything popular, seemingly, is a next season of a show I already reviewed and can’t bare the thought of writing about again. Then there’s Oniichan wa Oshimai!, the unequivocal best anime I’ve ever been this fundamentally disappointed by. It’s a show about your typical NEET otaku protagonist getting dragged out of their room and slowly but surely rehabilitated and reacquainted with normal, social, everyday life through the power of friendship, family, whatever. The element of the story which gives the series its excuse to call itself different and stand out from the crowd is that the inciting incident which first begins to push our hero, Mahiro, away from the NEET lifestyle is that his magical(?), genius(?), scientist(?) younger sister administers him an undefined mystery drug that turns him into a girl. Wacky, right? Don’t see many gender-bender anime around these parts, now do we? But if you look past the quirky gimmick, the oh-so outrageous loli fanservice, and the consistently mind-bogglingly fantastic animation, I’m afraid you’ll be left starring in the face of, essentially, an anime you’ve already seen. I’m not saying the series is generic, because, indeed, it’s a tad fucking weird. What I’m saying is that I wanted more Space Race type shit. Ya know? If we’re gonna sip our cognac and be high-class, gentlemanly and ladylike, intellectual critics about this, then I think it’s worth taking a full-stride step back and making the general commentary that this was an enjoyable series. It has that nice cushiony fuzz to it where I could just sit and un-impatiently watch the damn thing. All an anime really needs to succeed when it comes to borderline slapstick comedy, at least in my book, is competent voice acting, which this anime has; creative direction and good timing, which this anime has; lots of movement and visual energy, which this anime has; and good character designs matched with memorable, funny, broadly entertaining facial expressions, which this anime has in fucking spades. So often did they go for the most obvious joke and still make me laugh anyway. It’s just the most technically well-executed version of the simple thing it is, and the simple thing it is is silly. And that’s fine…and I expected that…I just wanted more Space Race shit. I wanted it to have something that would fucking reach out and slap me in the face if I tried lumping it in with “the other basic moe shows currently airing” other than “lol he got turned into a girl.” If you were to scroll through the seemingly endless waterfall of seasonal anime which aired this season, intentionally paying each promotional image nothing but a mere glance, combining every entry which your brain subconsciously finds difficult to visually distinguish into one anime, you would end up with I’d wager something like five or six. There simply isn’t enough pizzazz popping out, nothing to get your neurons firing in different enough directions. My eyes simply could not in rapid succession pass by the MAL entries for, for example, “The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World” and “The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World” without my mind fumbling incredulously at the alleged uniqueness of the two properties. When a friend of mine first learned I was considering writing for this series, he said, “Ain’t no way you’re hoping on this crazy train.” To which I frankly replied, “When does the crazy kick in?” Oniichan wa Oshimai! has a memorable premise, I’ll give it that, and I’d consider the cast of characters particularly quirky to watch, but the wholesome NEET recovery routine has been done so often now as to, well, be a routine at this point. Like, if this wasn’t such a heartfelt, technically impressive animation passion project, what would it be the sum of its actual parts? To play Devil’s Advocate, it’s worth pointing out that the first half of Hikari no Ou came out this season, so…that was probably interesting and worthwhile…presumably? Buddy Daddies, as well, looks fun, decent, cute enough…DOESN’T IT??!?!?!!????? Clearly I’m just being an asshole about the whole seasonal anime thing, right? I mean, what? An anime becomes worthless and derivative as soon as the arc of its story begins resembling an established genre of past works? Is that the argument I’ve been making? Because that’s a fucking stupid argument. If my whole thesis statement is Oniichan wa Oshimai! is somehow not worth watching because it is to whatever degree “formulaic” underneath the visual gloss, then this is a bad review. I just don’t have the fucking time anymore, okay? I’m like a normal fucking person now with a life, under pressure. If I’m gonna soak back into this, I wanna be pulled in hard. I wanna suffocate in the quicksand that got me this deep in the first place. I wanna be wooed, wowed, kapowed—swept up, up, up, and away, or plunged into the abyss. I don’t just want to watch something good; I want to watch something special; I want to watch some new and exciting, boundary-pushing, Space Race shit. Evidently, I want to watch something that didn’t air in the apocalyptically unimpressive season of Winter 2023. But hey? This is all sounding more and more like a me problem. Thank you for reading.

The only reason why I decided to give this anime a shot is because of the fact it was going to be animated by Studio Bind. Therefore, I thought... "Why not? Looks interesting to me. A gender-bender anime about a failure in life who became a loli by his or should we say 'HER' now to give HER a second chance in life." Now I know what you're thinking, if you look into this out of context, it's essentially a story about a fully grown man who's living alongside middle schoolers who don't have the slightest idea of this PERSON's past, yet it's treating itas if the main character was never a grown man, to begin with. This review is here to give you the judgment needed whether this anime is worthy of your time. This anime gives off a similar feeling to Maid Dragon, in terms of its environment, atmosphere, the fluidity of its animation, and the existence of school kids in the picture. For a comedy anime, it has no business looking this good. Studio Bind may be a lot of things, but pushing out rushed products was never one of them and it proves just that despite being their 2nd known work after Mushoku Tensei. Hence, I'm looking forward to whatever anime they can make and never getting blinded by money. Mahiro, who is the main character (victim) of the anime, starts to get her crap together and decided to put some backbone into improving her life. How does she do it, you ask? Well, by making her befriend children who are way out of her age group but it's okay... "Because her body physically looks like a teen, therefore it's fine if she's hanging out with them, it's not like she's an actual stranger who has lewd desires." I, for one, enjoy watching this anime, but it's damn near impossible to try and defend the plot when you actually take a step back and realise what it's like in a nutshell. Thus, I'm not going to defend it and fully admit that it's detestable. Allow me to provide you with two perspectives about Onimai! "Why can't they just make Mahiro initially a female middle schooler to begin with?" - Point 1 Doing it this way should solve the 'grown male turned female child' issue, however, it would lose its reaching appeal. The only reason we're here, to begin with, is that Mahiro turned into a girl is the main catch or else, we wouldn't be here. It would lose its appeal and has no chance of standing foot against other seasonal anime. "Why make her befriend herself with children? Why not adults?" - Point 2 Honestly, I would also appreciate it if they do it this way. The story could easily just make her try to find a job (be a cashier or cleaner), get money for her household and meet new people, which solves two things, Mahiro being a functioning person in society and having friends to talk with. But no, then we wouldn't have our CGDCT and School section, to begin with. Hell, Mahiro has essentially forgotten almost everything she has ever learned back in her earlier school days, therefore she has to go back and do it again (although I don't think it has to be like this). I'd be lying if I said I didn't like this anime. I had a good time watching it, hell I thought it was going to be just a mediocre show. When you don't try to think about the bad things it built its foundation from, you get to see some cool wholesome and genuinely cute moments, aligning with adorable character designs, it's a blessing for the eyes. It fulfils the CGDCT theme most definitely. The characters are kind of a mixed bag, while Mahiro and Mihari ended up to be quite decent characters, there were particularly two characters that left a bad aftertaste whenever they take up screentime. Kaede and Miyo were so off-putting, for different reasons. Starting with Kaede, she's a walking fanservice icon, her boobs are big, she dresses up like a gyaru and has no problem wearing skimpy clothes, which honestly shouldn't be a problem if it shows them erratically, but it happens so often that it makes me want to stop watching for a while and take a breather. Another issue is with Miyo, who acts like a lesbian voyeurist for the most part and is mostly played for fan service jokes. The pandering is so obnoxious and out of place despite it being a cute wholesome anime. As for others except for Momiji, they act nothing more than tropes adding to the comedy it seeks. In conclusion, watch this if you want: - Cute characters doing cute things. - Really good animation and visuals. - Decent main character writing. I don't recommend it if you can't: - Turn off your brain thinking of the gross things in life. - Stand unnecessary fanservice in your face. - Dislike abysmal plot development. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Studio Bind has given birth to an anime like no other: a magical sex shift anime with cgdct stuff. If my parents were to walk in on me while I was watching this show, I would quickly switch to a porn tab, how would one explain a loli girl moaning? But let’s get to the real point, is it worth watching? If one is able to look past the initial shock factor of episode 1 then the show has a lot to offer. A fanservice episode doesn’t necessarily mean its the end of the world. The story starts off like any other simplistic gender-benders. An otakuero-gamer, room temperature IQ, socially inept brother got transformed into a young loli girl by his little sister. This is not the typical fanservice-laden anime, it is just another wholesome slice of life show like Kobayashi. This is a mixed review with some honest appraisal so expect up and downs fluctuating throughout. This show could’ve done well without the fanservice bait in the first episode, which seemed to be intended to entice loli lovers. However, this was a double-edged deal as it drove away as many viewers as it attracted. Little hype was generated by well-known YouTubers due to its questionable potential. Most viewer’s starting point is the trailer, and they were likely traumatized by the excessive fanservice, among other things. The only two unique aspects of this show are that the main character is surprisingly wholesome, not being a pervert or supporting incest. Story-wise, the way the pace goes this is absolutely perfect. Not an uncommon story since its about rehabilitation but they used a unique way to tackling this. The character development focuses on how the Hikikomori might recover by becoming a girl. Onimai takes a comedic and simplistic approach to the brother's recovery, and did it help him? The short answer is yes, but it took a harsh amount of sacrifices. These “women POV situations” are relatable to the female audience and the males would definitely be curious as well. It even helps build their main objective. I really like the knowledge this author has for these type of small things. The only noteworthy accomplishment achieved by a character in this series is their transformation from a naive and immature individual to a more mature and understanding one, as well as touching grass. In terms of the characters, Oshimai’s cast of characters aren’t that impressive overall. While they may initially come off as endearing, loveable characters, not much is truly fleshed out enough to really make a statement. Lots of side characters come and go merely getting small screen time. At later episodes the characters become more integral to the show, providing wholesome scenes and moments. The main characters, Mahiro and imuoto, also often create heartwarming scenes. The inclusion of yuri elements was expected, but the show has managed to avoid any incest relationships, which is truly commendable. Vibrant backgrounds, captivating artstyle, and aesthetically pleasing visuals make this show stand out. Its colour palette is far superior than the dull hues of many modern anime shows. This show art is incomparable it even made gyaru style look good on Mahiro. The character designs are well-crafted and you get a good feel of who they are. While their personalities maybe somewhat flat, they are still distinct enough to be recognizable. This show is sure to draw in viewers with its unique visuals and engaging enough characters. VA’s were slightly well chosen, they sync well with the characters portrayed. The OST of Onimai is quite exquisite, with a blend of melancholic melodies that perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of the show. Although there is no OP/ED that stands out as particularly noteworthy since it was an okay level, but it is fitting for a sol-ish anime. The most controversial aspect of the show is unironically the animation of its opening sequence, which features blatant fanservice. Therefore, one may opt to skip it if they wish. It is impossible to assert that there is no merit in watching this show; however, it is far from excellent but close to being great. It offers some enjoyable moments, but still lacks any real substance. Despite its potential, it fails to present any endearing characters, making it a forgettable experience in the long run. Its unique art style and remarkable animation are its saving graces. If you are looking for story or plot, this show should be avoided however, it is a great option for those seeking something lighthearted and wholesome.

Onimai will go down as one of the best anime of 2023. Sadly, it’s also one of the misunderstood shows. It’s faced constant backlash and slander from people who based their entire judgement of the series on a few small scenes or a character design. This is not lolicon bait, CP bait, whatever you want to call it. Onimai is a genuinely well written and wholesome story about self-acceptance, growth and developing interpersonal relationships. Studio Bind’s second anime project could not be more different from Mushoku Tensei, yet it retains the same attention to detail, directorial prowess and film like artistic quality we’ve come to expectfrom the studio. The series follows Mahiro, a shut in Neet who has nothing really going for him other than his video game skills. He’s turned into a middle school girl by his mad scientist little sister and given a second chance at life. While it may seem like a wild premise, the show is extremely mild and focuses on Mahiro developing and strengthening relationships with her sister, new friends and coming into her own socially. It’s one of the best examples of the reborn story trope because it presents healthy solutions to social anxiety and depression in a surprisingly mature way. Yes, there are a few moments of fan-service throughout the series. It would not be anime without it. However, the fan-service never overtakes the importance of the story and these moments are fleeting throughout the series lasting a couples minutes at most. Of course, some would like to only focus on those moments instead of all the wholesome and cute moments in the show, which is a shame. I enjoyed seeing Mahiro grow up right in front of our eyes every episode. Seeing her go from just staying home all day and being depressed to taking the first steps of personal improvement like enrolling in school, hanging out with friends, opening herself up and becoming vulnerable to others, etc., it was a joy. By the end of this season it was like I was not even watching the same person anymore with how far she’d come. But it wasn’t just her. You could see the impact she had on those around her, even her little sister and that was the best part for me. It’s a shame that people got so caught up in a few moments of fan service in this show and allowed it to define their experience. There’s so many valuable life lessons in Onimai and I think we can all learn a thing or two. Like I said before, Studio Bind did their thing here. Every episode was so well animated. It’s nice having a studio working on this that doesn’t have a crazy work schedule for its staff. Every episode has so much vibrancy and the care that went into it is palpable. Probably some of the best booba physics mechanics I have seen in the medium as well. Great art style, consistent animation and solid direction. Can not ask for more. I could probably write a dissertation on Onimai, in fact I probably will in a video or something one day, but suffice to say this is a very heart warming story about coming into your own as a persona and opening yourself up to other people. It’s a scary feeling, but a very rewarding one like this anime shows us. Onimai gets 10 out of 10.

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