First Impressions / Imouto sae Ireba Ii.

「冒険さえあればいい.」 (Bouken sae Areba Ii.)
“Adventure Is All You Need.”

Apologies for the delays this week. I had an Itsuki moment and went on a trip for the weekend. I tried to come up with valuable research for my posts, but my most valuable contribution from my experience is to watch how much you spend at Epcot or yakiniku grills. Otherwise, you’ll spend too frivolously before the holidays! Also, that breaks are a nice way of refueling since this episode of Imouto sae is the relaxing breather Haruto needed to keep his mind off of the poor reception to his LN’s anime adaptation.

Episode 07 introduces Table-Top Role Playing Games into the forefront as Haruto’s favorite pastime, playing into the show’s largest strength of utilizing the games the cast plays to elaborate on their creative processes and imaginations. Whereas Nayu has fun with the creativity she can have with some of the more erotic scenarios, Itsuki can shape his character after the ideal imouto he can place himself in, and use abilities he admires like Unlimited Blade Works. Miyako’s mindset also makes me wonder just how much she knows about LN’s given that her powers mimicking Mikoto Misaka’s coin-toss electric beams. Haruto’s scenario is funnier the more Itsuki is able to call the twists he makes from a mile away, but it was interesting to see that he still has the mischief to have a tentacle monster summoned on the beach.

While it is a goofier episode with great comedy and greater fanservice, it’s Chihiro who steals the show in this episode with how she handles creating the little sister she wishes she could be. She’s excited by the prospect of being seen as a female by her friends and step-brother through the game’s create-a-character mechanic. Chihiro is also touched when Itsuki frees her first because the in-game Itsuki gives her a high level of respect and love as his little sister. It’s still dancing around getting deep into Chihiro’s motivations, but it is a small way of giving her something nice to work with.

The last episode hinted at the idea of Haruto admiring Miyako, but the ending to this one makes his thoughts as clear as possible that he is interested in her. From the title of the next episode, this might just be the foot-in-the-door Haruto needs to ask her out, but trying to pursue a relationship with Miyako could also be the catalyst towards the building tension between the cast. Miyako, still grappling with whether she should entertain the idea of liking Itsuki knowing that he’s on Nayu’s radar, might brush off Haruto’s affection if she’s more focused on Itsuki. We’re also unsure of who Itsuki really likes because he’s not as transparent about his actual feelings about anything other than little sisters, but I’m getting the feeling that he has something more to say about Haruto’s question on if Miyako is single. Knowing the romance has been slowly hinted at up to this point, I’m eager to see where it will go with the next episode.

21 Comments

  3. Oh man the TRPG episode is every bit as amazing as I thought it was going to be. Even had surprisingly nice animation for the action. Barring the GM being a bit too nice and the entire party being just a tad bit too perverted, it filled me with feelings of great nostalgia.

    That being said, this show really is a true to heart slice of life. Sure people might see this show and think of it as just some sort of hodgepodge of different ideas that doesn’t know what it wants to be and feels like it doesn’t go anywhere but it’s that very things makes it so good.

    Life isn’t a grand storyline where every passing hour and day there needs to be a some sort of massive epiphany for a character’s arc. Sometimes life is just about doing taxes, going on trips, cramming deadlines, playing board games, getting wasted, and on the off-chance touching/dramatic shit knocks on your doorstep and that’s life too. The show is a meandering tale that perfectly captures that really wild sweet spot in a young adult’s life. Holy hell I love this series too much.

    D100
    Reply

    1. True. Despite all of the eccentric personalities the show’s cast boasts, they still have everyday normal activities to contend with even if they’re relatively successful authors, and have small pleasures to take in when they aren’t working or stressing over their writing like drinking, playing games, and going on trips.

      It is refreshing that it doesn’t feel like one tone doesn’t dominate the entire narrative and that they don’t feel like they have to be 100% drama or 100% comedy when they’re just fine playing around with whatever tone they feel like capturing.

      Choya
      Reply

    1. I was half-expecting Chihiro to punch the witch in the face after negating her magic to fit in with Touma’s favorite hobby. I’m one of those people who absolutely loved Railgun, and am always up for more Kuroko.

      Choya
      Reply

  6. You know, there’s a bit of irony in the opening bit, showing how people are completely trashing Haruto’s anime adaptation in a show that was completely trashed by people who had only watched the first episode or two (if that much). I’m rather hoping that those who stick with Haruto’s anime find that it gets significantly better over time.

    I very much did not expect the tabletop RPG game. As I understand it, their presence in Japan is much rarer than in the west.

    Amused by how they were disappointed by the figures that got brought out for their characters. “It comes from overseas; sorry.” Not like people on this side of the ocean can get exactly what they want either — though there are now online shops where you can custom build your character and have them 3D print it for you.

    Overall, the entire session felt very realistic, from the failed wisdom save and the GM smiling, to, “If we just beat them up, I bet we can get plenty of money”, to that one dude (or girl in this case) who wants everything to be about sex, and the blatant rip-offs of characters from other series. It was perfect.

    While the various board and card games that they’ve played have run pretty smoothly, this one really drove home how well the author grasps the flow of just playing any type of game.

    David
    Reply

    1. For Haruto’s sake, I’d hope that the first two episodes were just the show needing some time to hit its stride. He had good faith in the producers, cast, and staff for the anime, so it’d be nice if it was the kind of show that needed at least three/five episodes to buff out some of its initial growing pains. I can see the parallel with the revulsion that people had for the first 2 minutes and Nayu’s dialogue. People initally assumed it would be shameless all the way through, but it only turned out to be a small part of the bigger picture. Maybe Haruto’s anime adaptation will hit its stride soon as well.

      The show does have a fascination for some Western niches like the penchant for table-top games and TRPGs. It’s fixation on root beer and A&W is another one.

      Between this and the Animegataris episode I did this week about the anime club trying to make their own anime concept, I’m getting alot of vibes of my old highschool friend group. Not as much TRPG’s, but it was that kind of environment where friends bring all their obsessions with them to the party from basing their character off of famous characters they like to the person that always has to bring sex into the forefront. The GM is usually much more of a control freak, but it was fun to bond over games and such.

      Choya
      Reply

      1. TRPGs are actually really big in Japan. Call of Cthulhu being one of them. They’re also one of the few places that predominantly use D6 system compared to everywhere else.

        And as a bonus tidbit: There are two names in the TRPG they played that subtly highlight the author’s previous grievances towards a certain publishing company. Can you guess what they are? It involves publisher names.

        D100
        Reply

    1. I picked up on his voice being on the princess/witch, but I need to give the episode a rewatch to see what voices Haruto’s VA gave to the creepy dudes, the town watch that arrests the group for indecent exposure, and the goblin mob.

      Choya
      Reply

  9. Considering how nervous Miyako was when she saw the In Love with the Same Guy your Best Friend is card in last episode I think Haruto´s chances are less than 0%. It´s painfully abovious Miyako is in love with Itsuki and Haruto about to get crushed, considering how bad he is having it with his anime adaptation I almost feel bad for him, almost.

    haseo0408
    Reply

    2. Part of me thinks they’d try to have Haruto and Miyako together because it paves the way for an Itsuki/Nayu route, I also have a feeling that because Miyako has harbored feelings about Itsuki and Nayu, she won’t reciprocate Haruto’s emotions.

      It’s funny how Haruto is seen as the only one who has everything together with deadlines and has a lucrative enough series to get an anime greenlight, but as the episodes go by, he keeps getting destroyed whether it’s through internet comments, criticism of his anime adaptation, his sister’s anger, or the possibility of being crushed by Miyako

      Choya
      Reply

      1. I’d expect Miyako to possibly agree (because it isn’t necessarily in her nature to outright reject things out of hand) to give an attempt at a relationship with Haruto a try. Now, that attempt could either lead to a “Beta couple” situation, or it could crash and burn because Miyako does have feelings for Itsuki, or it could be the case where Miyako goes through the motions of a relationship with Haruto for the sake of her friendship with Nayu. Knowing Imouto Ireba and the style of the author, none of these three scenarios are likely to be played straight. What I think might be less likely to happen is Miyako straight out rejecting Haruto right away, because that more or less reduces the plot to a one-off incident where Haruto gets rained upon even more for a single episode.

        Andmeuths
        Reply

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