Chances are, we’ve seen anime that’s dumb. Chances are, we’ve seen anime that’s smart. Once again, there’s chances that we own anime that’s incredibly stupid, or incredibly clever. However, there are plenty of series that seem to straddle the line between the two extremes. The subject of today’s review is a big example, and fairly recent as well. Depending on how you look at it, this show is smart but really dumb, or dumb but surprisingly clever. I won’t keep you waiting, so let’s take a look at the quirky Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne, and see just how it accomplishes this balancing act. Let the review begin!
Story/Setup
It has been 6 years since brother Akito Himenokoji & sister Akiko Himenokoji have seen each. Since the death of their parents, the siblings were separated, but are now going to Saint Liliana High School together (and staying at the school dorm). At first it seems as if things are fine, as Akito is pursuing a writing career along with his schoolwork, and his sister is staying by his side. However, it soon appears that something is off, as Akiko is showing incestuous desires towards her brother. It would just be annoying if it was just the two of them, but this is not the case, as there are 4 other women staying with him: the aristocratic Anastasia Nasuhara, Akito’s childhood friend Ginbei Haruomi Sawatari, the seductive Arashi Nikaido, and Akito’s future fiancee (Arisa Takanomiya. BTW, she's also 12 in the anime) shows up at a later time. With all of these oddballs around him, it creates for an interesting & unforgettable life.
Don’t be deceived by this story description! On the surface, Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne has a very basic story, and really doesn’t do anything to prove it otherwise. As the show goes on, layers are slowly pulled back, and a surprisingly clever show reveals itself. It’s still not the deepest thing around, but when it wants to be emotional & serious, it can certainly do so. You may want to have maybe 1 tissue near you when you watch this show.
Animation
I’m rather fond of this show’s animation. I wouldn’t call it godly, as in some scenes the faces seem off, and every once in a while colors are mildly faded, but on the whole it looks nice. There is a great usage of color despite the faded moments, and there’s an otherwise cute aspect that permeates all of the scenes & characters. It’s not sickeningly sweet looking like Love Hina & Oshiete! Galko-chan can be, but Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne definitely has an inviting atmosphere.
Voice Acting
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne isn’t out in the United States, and as such there’s only subtitles & Japanese dubbing out there. As for the Japanese dub, I consider it to be okay. Not god awful, but I swear I’ve heard all of these character’s voices in other shows. As such, this bleeds into the characters, and ultimately kind of stains them for me. Speaking of which......
Characters
I also swear that I’ve seen these characters before. Alright, maybe not all of them, but a majority of them are in other anime that I have watched. You’ve got the pervert/sex-fiend, the childhood friend, etc. On the surface, the cast of this show don’t really have much depth. They all play their part, and they rarely if ever deviate from their personalities. It’s frustrating, and it can really be a turnoff. It’s on the inside that really counts, and is actually the show’s biggest strength. Arashi, for example, is quite a sex fiend. Guy or girl, it doesn’t matter, as she will find some way to get to her prey. Underneath, she’s not quite what you think: she has a tender side to her (In a later episode she performs the tea ceremony for Akito, and has a softer personality during the ceremony), and has some mild motherly tendencies, as she genuinely cares for everybody at the dorm, albeit in a quasi-seductive way. Everybody in the cast is like this: a standard personality/character, but with something interesting underneath, and this is what drew me into the show once I got further in.
Availability & Pricing
Like I said earlier, Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne isn’t available for purchase in the U.S., and as such you can find it here physically. On top of that, Crunchyroll doesn’t have the series available for viewing. Your only way to watch this show is to either find it on Youtube, or on one of dozens of independent anime sites. I’ll leave a link below to the site I used. Apologies for the odd subbing in some of the episodes.
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne (Animegg)
Overall Impression & Rating
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne is absolutely baffling to me. On the one hand, this show’s dumb. A lot of the humor is juvenile, crude, and rather basic (Even though I love that kind of comedy most of the time). On top of that, you’ve got a story that really isn’t all that fantastic, and some of the fan service scene are odd. On the other hand, Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne has a surprising amount of heart. The characters are all very connected to one another, despite how dysfunctional they can act. All of the girls are connected to Akito in some emotional way, and Akito has a bond of friendship with each of them in turn. If you want a smart anime with dumb moments, or a dumb anime with smart moments, then Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne might be the show that’ll scratch that itch.
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne gets an 8 out of 10.
So this is my last post for May. I know I’m selling myself short this month, but in June I’ve got something special coming. Hope you don’t mind the wait, and I’ll see you all in June!
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