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REVIEW: OniAi BD+DVD


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kanechin



Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 447
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:47 pm Reply with quote
not really in your face since spoiler[they aren't related but everyone acts like step brother/sister incest is still just as bad as two blood relatives going to plow.]

[EDIT: Spoiler tags added because this point is not brought up in the review and is not mentioned in the series until the very end. - Key]
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:54 pm Reply with quote
When even Theron is giving a harem series a D+, you know it has to be atrocious.

Key wrote:
Director Keiichiro Kawaguchi has helmed genuinely entertaining series before (Minami-ke, Hayate the Combat Butler, Sket Dance), so one has to wonder what happened here.


I didn't know you'd watched SKET Dance. Huh. Wouldn't have picked you as a guy who has time to watch a six-cour show of any genre, let alone a gag comedy.

Anyway, to my actual point; that director also did Mayo Chiki! and Moetan, both of which are horrendous (especially the later). Plus he did Nyan Koi!, another generic-looking harem show (although I haven't watched any of it so don't know how bad it is). So I'm not surprised that he worked on OniAi, as it's right up his alley. And I'm equally unsurprised by the show turning out badly like most of what he's directed.

SKET Dance was probably an aberration.


Last edited by dtm42 on Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Chagen46



Joined: 27 Jun 2010
Posts: 4377
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:55 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
One has to wonder if they truly understood what they were getting when they licensed it and opted to limit their financial risk, as they had to realize at some point that American fans are unlikely to be as tolerant of the in-your-face incest present here as Japanese otaku might be


Uh...there are a LOT of incest fetishists in the western anime fandom. Maybe not as much as Japan, but they aren't some tiny minority from what I've seen. On forums like ANN they generally aren't overt about it but if you go to some place like MAL, they're common.
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Gewürtztraminer



Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 1028
Location: Texas - Its like whole other country.
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:17 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
One has to wonder if they truly understood what they were getting when they licensed it and opted to limit their financial risk, as they had to realize at some point that American fans are unlikely to be as tolerant of the in-your-face incest present here as Japanese otaku might be


There is that, but more likely is that Funimation figured out they had licensed a REALLY BAD show.

I blind bought this just because I wanted Funimation to know that instead of sitting on an unprofitable release, due to dub expense, there is another way that probably has a much higher profit margin per unit.

My loss. All this show had going for it was visual fanservice, and after about 2 episodes, what new was there?

To me, the best fanservice is getting see a side (or skin, outfit, etc.) of a character you normally do not see. With every character in this show unimaginatively throwing themselves at the MC (or each other) so often, I actually thought the BEST fanservice in the show was when the President made tea and showed the MC that she could display her cultured upbringing. I think the MC was even more impressed (and possibly attracted) to that than any of the normal antics.

The only laugh I got in the series was the harem pregnancy dream, again involving the President.

Blind buying is scary, thankfully it can be avoided now.
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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:46 pm Reply with quote
I watched this with friends, and we had a good time. I think some shows are made for viewing with others. All in all, I know it's trash, but it's fairly enjoyable trash.

Gewürtztraminer wrote:
I think the MC was even more impressed (and possibly attracted) to that than any of the normal antics.

He WAS. Ironic isn't it?


Last edited by DmonHiro on Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Anime_Otaku35



Joined: 01 Sep 2010
Posts: 74
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:47 pm Reply with quote
I also blind bought this to support Funi's sub-only experiment. I was expecting to hate it, but I found it at least watchable. My favorite part was the opening song.
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here-and-faraway



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1528
Location: Sunny California
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 4:47 pm Reply with quote
Anime_Otaku35 wrote:
My favorite part was the opening song.


I have to admit that made me chuckle too.
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Yamato-san



Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:03 pm Reply with quote
I think one of this show's biggest shortfalls is that it jumped into the harem aspect WAY too quickly. At least with other series, the harem's built up a bit over time, and we get at least some bit of characterization as each girl is initiated into the group. Here, though, after the sister starts off being the focus of the first episode, the other girls are literally introduced all at once as members of the student council, with a throwaway comment mentioning that they also all happen to be the main character's housemates (like, gee, how overly convenient is that?). Tell me, was the original light novel this much of a friggin' mess? 'Cause if the source material was this bad, then you really can't blame the director for trying, now can you?

kanechin wrote:
not really in your face since spoiler[they aren't related but everyone acts like step brother/sister incest is still just as bad as two blood relatives going to plow.]

[EDIT: Spoiler tags added because this point is not brought up in the review and is not mentioned in the series until the very end. - Key]


That kinda bugged me too. At first, the ending seems like it's trying something different when spoiler[Akito reveals he's not some dense harem lead, and knows fully well what each girl feels for him. But then he goes into this tirade about how his sister isn't really blood-related, and he apparently wants her more than she wants him. Like, no... just, no. The whole damn series, you're acting like the straight man trying to snap her out of her incestuous antics, and NOW you're giving the impression that some day her insanity-induced feelings are going to be reciprocated, and that your "we're family" excuses were never sincere? I mean, blood-related or not, you still grew up like siblings, besides which, this is a girl with so much of a stalker-like obsession that she was counting the exact "seconds" since they last saw each other, I think being smacked in the head with a firm dose of reality is really the best course for her, not having her deluded dreams come true anyway.]
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4070
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:54 pm Reply with quote
Quote:

[EDIT: Spoiler tags added because this point is not brought up in the review and is not mentioned in the series until the very end. - Key]


Well, I'm glad you got that much. Still, there's:

Quote:
The lively opener for the series strongly suggests that this will not only be a fan service-laden series but also a particularly saucy one, as among other things it has Akiko seeming to give Akito a lap dance and briefly implies that Anastasia is giving Akito a blow job. However, most of the series ends up being surprisingly tame beyond Anastasia's dialogue.


It's almost as if nothing appears to be what it is and the show literally beats you over the head with it in the opener. How the [spoiler] is a [spoiler] for you, Key, is beyond me. No, I lie as I'm familiar with your reviews and I know "themes" are not your strong spot; should I list reviews for examples? I know I called you out for it in LaGrange but I never talked to you about your Key {ha} reviews of Air the TV and Kanon.

Quote:
With every character in this show unimaginatively throwing themselves at the MC (or each other) so often, I actually thought the BEST fanservice in the show was when the President made tea and showed the MC that she could display her cultured upbringing. I think the MC was even more impressed (and possibly attracted) to that than any of the normal antics.


I thought it was a smart comedy, playing off of harem tropes starting with the clueless male and savvy women {Spoiler!}. Ironically, if it was dubbed, I would have bought it.

Stupid harem or parody of one and, for that matter, how would viewers know the difference? Would most people care? I laughed so I thought it was funny.
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GiriOni



Joined: 10 Aug 2012
Posts: 218
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:57 pm Reply with quote
All I remember about this one is some dry sexual jokes, typical fanservice, bad plot, and some annoying BGM everywhere. It's probably a good thing I don't remember more.
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Parsifal24





PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 7:10 pm Reply with quote
The only thing to recommend this is the art direction and occasionally bits of okay character development other than that solid pass.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:12 pm Reply with quote
DmonHiro wrote:

I watched this with friends, and we had a good time. I think some shows are made for viewing with others. All in all, I know it's trash, but it's fairly enjoyable trash.


And that's why people watch movies in theaters. Smile


Yamato-san wrote:

I mean, blood-related or not, you still grew up like siblings,


Japanese put too much emphasis on blood. Child adoptions are very rare in Japan (there are adoptions but mostly adult adoptions for financial or strategic reasons). If you're not blood, you're not family. (That's why SAO's Kirito/Kazuto was so emo about being adopted, even though he grew up lovingly with the family since age 1 so wouldn't remember his biological parents, and even though he's actually blood-related/nephew/cousin - in the West, this'd be laughable.)

On the flipside, it's a double-edged sword. As long as you're not blood-related, no matter if ya grew up together like family, you're not family so feel free to boink other "family" members. They won't be as grossed out about it over there. Laughing


BTW, ya guys aware just last month premiered the Lifetime TV live-action adaptation of the (in)famous Flowers in the Attic aka Dollanganger Family novel series that have sold over 100 million copies (Stephen King-level of mass-paperback gothic horror) with its biggest audience being teen and preteen girls yet been banned in countless schools? Very Happy

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPvK7C3Jag



(In the book, that girl not only spoiler[gets raped incest but also falls in love with her rapist]. Triple crown!)
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Yamato-san



Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:31 pm Reply with quote
I still find it hypocritical of the MC. I'm also a little disturbed by his implication that Akiko may actually be the less perverted of the two. I guess I don't remember his ending speech very well, but I think he was outright saying that he'd wanna boink his "sister" strictly because being "family" is the only thing connecting them. The last five minutes left a sour taste in my mouth all the same.
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Yuno07



Joined: 12 Jan 2014
Posts: 43
Location: Sacramento
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:51 pm Reply with quote
Haters will keep on hating.........
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Levitz9



Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 1022
Location: Puerto Rico
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 10:03 pm Reply with quote
Animegomaniac wrote:

Stupid harem or parody of one and, for that matter, how would viewers know the difference? Would most people care? I laughed so I thought it was funny.


I find a few problems with the notion that this show is a parody. If it is--which I don't think it is--then that would require that this show say something about harem comedies, or do something to point out how ridiculous the concept is, from the angle of "yeah, we all love this, but really, the king isn't wearing anything". OniAi doesn't do that: it's completely straight-faced. It's "self-aware" because that's a "joke" (in the loosest sense) these days in otaku culture.

Being a parody doesn't excuse bad writing, hackneyed characters, contrived situations, or lame resolutions glazed with a modicum of self-awareness. Even if OniAi were a parody, it wouldn't be a very good one.
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