First Impressions / Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「Girlish Lover」by 赤﨑千夏 (Akasaki Chinatsu), 田村ゆかり (Tamura Yukari), 金元寿子 (Kanemoto Hisako), and 茅野愛衣 (Kayano Ai)

「高校生活のスタートは修羅場」 (Koukou Seikatsu no Sutāto wa Shuraba)
“The Start of High School Hell”

Meet Kidou Eita (Ohsaka Ryota). As a high schooler recently stripped of his chuunibyou, he seeks to pay back his relative Kiryuu Saeko, who took him in after his parents divorced. His primary method to achieve this: med school, a critical blow to the social lives of the dedicated. Combine terrible parent dynamics with the drive to study one of the most competitive fields, there just isn’t a whole lot of room or desire for a girlfriend in Eita’s life (though he still wishes to assert his perceived heterosexuality, shown occasionally).

Meet Harusaki Chiwa (Akasaki Chinatsu). As the osananajimi, she is doomed to have a casual relationship with Eita, but also intent on winning his affections against any adversary. Perhaps before the series the girl he sees the most, she has been content so far eating meat-based meals with Eita and casually throwing around the phrase “I love you!”, hoping that Eita would somehow notice her affections. However, what seems to be many years of trying to win Eita is instantly crushed in one day.

Meet Natsukawa Masuzu (Tamura Yukari), the gentle scheming blue. Having moved into town with no friends or a desire for a relationship, she seeks to find solace from the 58 and counting confessions. Her plan of action? Go “pretend” with the gay guy…or so she thought. While Eita is definitely one of a heterosexual nature, he shares the same mentality as Masuzu–SCREW LOVE!–making the two strangely suited for each other, though one obviously benefits more from this pretending than the other. While one enjoys a new freedom of space, the other has another burden to his studies as well as the looming fear that his chuunibyou nature will be leaked onto the terrible place that is 2ch the internet.

That my friends, is the basis of Oreshura so far.

But some of these elements–sounds like a certain show that just finished last season, deathsu? Why again!? Keep in mind though that Oreshura (February) predates Chuunibyou (May) in terms of their light novel releases, so BEFORE making comparisons in that light, keep that in mind. While chuunibyou syndrome may be the glue that keeps this shady ordeal together, it will most likely form a small part of Eita’s actual character. That however, does not discount the chuunibyou attracting birds of a flock, which admittedly is also in chu2koi.

Now that the housekeeping intro has been cleared up, let’s establish some meaningful discussion about this show and its future. When you first dive in to Oreshura, it’s…weird to see the show take a fairly chill and relaxed approach to introducing the story. Granted, it’s not as chill as one can get, but for a romantic comedy, it definitely is paced at a slower rate. Since the show is directed by Kamei Kanta, the same person who directed Usagi Drop, it is understandable that his work there (which was his first director role) made influences here. The question is though, does it work?

Progressing through the show, one will notice that while the episode borders on a slice-of-life, at select times a bit of extravagance is used to accent the situation–Masuzu taking a notebook and eating it revealing its contents or an Eita in despair being examples. Oreshura has decided to (at least for the intro episode) take a more sparing approach, perhaps with hope of accenting the big moments in a sort of contrast. The energy should amp up and balance as more characters enter the fray as is usual with the romantic comedy, but with Kanta leading the charge, I assume we can expect this sort of “tone” to pervade the series. That alone should be a decisive factor in whether or not people should pursue this show–the combination has potential like all uncommon approaches, but whether it can start reeling you in by episode three…we’ll have to wait. I admit that I have my own hesitations about applying the Usagi Drop pace even slightly, but I’ll give the show hope, eagerly wishing for the introductions to finally give way to some good stop-and-go entertainment.

If that hasn’t knocked you off the boat, the next thing to look at is the character composition. So far, the protagonist Eita has done well in keeping his level-headed persona while not being completely immune to the feminine charm. It’s a nice balance to start a protagonist off with, as it indicates neither a stoic unfeeling character nor a head-over-heels pervert–he strikes a fair balance between the two for a more realistic portrayal of the anti-romantic. However, his personality beyond that hasn’t had much to shine other than brief stints of his studious nature. It is better development though than Chiwa. Granted, Chiwa is absolutely adorable and I have to thank Otsuka Mai for designing her that way, but apart from her love of meat and love for her childhood friend, her personality hasn’t had time to shine either. Thankfully that should be rectified in episode two, if we’re following the standard rom-com development formula.

The person that definitely has star potential though is of course the main female protagonist, our two-faced manipulator. Reminiscent of Ami from Toradora! or Tsukasa from Amagami SS, her calculating and strategic nature to preserve her interests is a character set that deserves more exploration in a main role. As the driving force behind this entire setup, I expect many a great misunderstanding and shenanigan to follow in her footsteps, with her taking advantage of the situation 95% of the time. The formula worked the last two times, I expect it to work here. Her interactions with a fairly resistant lead should prove fruitful as the two eventually warm up to each other.

To be fair, the formula isn’t necessarily groundbreaking or original in many regards, but so far the execution of the characters has done a passing job, with the true strength of the show’s character interactions revealing itself in the next two episodes. While other rom coms may start off stronger in exposing and showcasing their core characters, this gentler guide may prove not to be so bad either, given that introductions are finished in a timely manner.

The aesthetics generally follow the same route in being solid but not groundbreaking. The character designs are nothing to be surprised about, but they definitely are pleasing to look at, especially Chiwa with her capturing gaze. The color tone–a gentle and light palette–is an uncommon but effective way to tie in the ups-and-downs approach the show is going for. While the day scenes may be more subtle, it helps to contrast how the afternoon scenes give a breath of warmth to the scene, which could end up useful for strengthening certain moments. It’s too soon to make a statement on the music, but the OP and ED are pretty much standard for the usual romantic comedy, with the ED being slightly stronger for having less of that rom-com-sweet-pop rhythm.

In essence, Oreshura is a candidate that’s hard to judge right now. Without a couple more episodes to see how the pacing will work out, it’s nigh impossible to make a truly informed judgment without hesitation. On one hand my gut reaction was a pleasant yet hesitant one, but the other hopes that the rom com will either try out something new or amp up the comedic elements in the next few weeks. As always and as is standard, if you found any pleasantries in this show but still are hesitant, stick around until episode three. The dynamics between Eita and Masuzu have some opportunity to bring out a good deal of laughs, but at the same time have a high standard to meet after the strength of the romance and comedies last season. If you can get used to the pacing and the slow introduction, I would say give Oreshura a try, for though it isn’t new, the combination of elements it is attempting to execute are definitely one for the romantic comedy enthusiast to look out for with at least a piqued interest.

Full-length images: 16, 17, 37.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「Wonder Tale」 by 田村ゆかり (Tamura Yukari)

Preview

76 Comments

    1. what the? 94+ thumb down?? That’s got to be some sort of thumb-down record at RC, isn’t it?

      Admittedly I did contribute to that record; nothing beats the annoying “first” troll douche. Whomever started that trend need to get punched right in the face for all the related grief it caused ever since.

      deathtogenericshows
      Reply

  3. Thrilled to see Ohsaka Ryota becoming a rising presence in the industry. Especially after his excellent roles last year as Yuki (Tsuritama) and Sasayan (Tonari). I’m definitely curious about seeing where things go after an interesting first episode.

    Yasuri
    Reply

  4. This is one of interesting new show. I like its first ep.

    However, it could be better without the “blackmail” near the end.That’s something I don’t like to see in plot.

    Marina2
    Reply

    2. IMO, I don’t see how this story would be feasible without that blackmail seeing as the only other way Masuzu could have gotten him to play along was to bribe, charm or pay him to be her “boyfriend”, and for Eita to stay true to his character/personality, he’s obviously not going to fall for any bribes or charms.

      Spinarakk
      Reply

      1. My good friend, after watching that… CHIWA MUST WIN. She is adorable and her emotions are just so, fiery! I could actually feel her reaction during the ED when she overheard the gossip.

        This childhood friend will break the mold…. AND PREVAIL!

        Colentas
        Reply

      2. Also, as he is walking home at the end with the crazy bitch, he sets off a huge flag for the childhood friend, noting that someone specific would not accept the situation. It shows that he does think about his long-time friend, and hopefully for more reason than to not hurt her feelings.

        Colentas
        Reply

      1. Cool that’s a lot. Definitely looking forward to those. I haven’t read the manga but given her personality I can picture Masuzu as Dio in that parody, with Eita as the one in tears.

        Zhinvu
        Reply

  6. I initially thought the pacing was a bit slow, but by the midway mark it was actually explaining (without words) Masuzu’s reasons for doing what she did far better than what I’d read previously. I expected good things from this anime, and my expectations for slightly (though not overly so!) exceeded. A good start : )

    Stilts
    Reply

    3. I agree with you here Stilts, I was getting rather bored the first half of the show, but I had a solid grin for the whole second half. So we’ll have to see where it goes from here!

      Freddeh
      Reply

  8. YukariHNNNNGGG!

    Also dat DN reference and pose. Story might be generic with the “oh I need a fake boyfriend so others will stop pestering me” schematic, but hell it’s damn entertaining with the two-faced Masuzu on board. This is going to be an awesome ride

    *Boards the Masuzu x Eita ship*

    LightnDark
    Reply

  12. so um eita is person who focus on his things & etc but is anti-love person give til meet masuzu-silver give seem a bit huh til masuzu confess for eita.

    til reveal eita alone talk masuzu is faking the confess reveal she also same eita of being anti-love person so masuzu as eita to a boyfriend to her.

    or else masuzu will spread the eita’s “secret life” to everywhere from school to i-net give no choice but forced to do it give concern how chiwa-orange reaction to being masuzu’s boyfriend?

    (feel like tonari this with male person version of shizuku + chunibyo give male person has secret past tried to hit til forced do things + anti-love person = eita )

    onk
    Reply

  18. i have a feeling itll be like the chuunibyou demo koi ga shita kind of plot of this season. definitely watching it all the way. love these genres. the hair really reminded me of tachibana kanade from angel beats

    seanytan
    Reply

  19. i thought that masuzu was like an ojou sama character once i saw the previews then again that made me wanna watch this more. don’t tell me masuzu and eita is like step bro and step sis and that their parents re married in the end. or is it gonna be the typical ending for this type of show when the main female and main male character slowly fall in love for each other

    bay
    Reply

  20. Do like her and the show itself does look like it’ll be fun but the biggest thing I’m(and prolly’ others)worried about is how it’ll go in the last few episodes which can either make the it memorable or “just another nice but usual rom-com for the season”.

    Since we had chu2koi last season and a half of sakurasou remaining in this one,I for one am gonna play it safe and lower my expectations but feel free to surprise me Oreshura ^_^

    MgMaster
    Reply

  22. Unless something really surprises me, this is probably going to the show of the season for me. Honestly, the Masuzu/Eita pair is just so fun to watch and Eita is actually a really good harem protagonist. Just wait until his reason for studying so hard comes to light, it essentially makes it impossible to hate him. That and his semi-GAR moments.

    The only real issue I have with OreShura is that it develops a bit too fast. Of course Sakurasou had the same issue at the beginning and i’m still loving it.

    Kuntzy
    Reply

  28. This show will be good. Some of the elements aren’t exactly new, I was still entertained. I hope it stays this interesting.

    You ALWAYS have to watch out for the pretty ones.. ( you never know..)

    FadingMoon
    Reply

  29. What a pleasantly unexpected show.

    I get Acchi Kocchi vibes – but with more depth, and maybe some Haiyore! Nyaruko-san.

    Zanibas — I’m glad you’re covering this. Right now I feel like it’s a very strong start, teetering on a
    knife’s edge, one slip and it could just turn into a string of clichés. but I’m hoping it’ll explore some
    interesting territory in its story telling.

    I curious to see how Chiwa will fit into all of this — definitely want to follow a few episodes.

    mac65
    Reply

  30. Why, they certainly did an excellent job of rehashing the ideas of the previous season, anime-wise. Mostly from Chuunibyou (fantasy/knight/dragon&elves teenage delusion and the main guy who tries to forget, black-mailing for that, weird girl love interest, annoying high pitched girl side character, etc) and even from Tonari (“study and nothing else, love is for losers motto”). Nevertheless I understand that Chuunibyou beat them to it by showing up first even though they might have easily copied from this, idea-wise, similar to Antz beating A Bug’s Life by two month at the box’s office even though the former ripped off the latter.

    I can see where this is going already: these two who hate love, pretend to be a couple, then slowly fall in love with each other, many crying and shouting toss&turns later, ending with smiling at each other (and/or walking away towards the horizon) under clear sky background. Heck, I will almost guarantee that it won’t be raining, that’s for sure, LOL! Much, much angst to come, especially toward the latter half: mostly from the two girls (main+childhood friend) with the main guy being more or less reacting to that. Anyone else who don’t see this is not being honest with him/herself. Now having said that, this show is through and through formulaic and doesn’t seem to pretend to be otherwise: a safe way to make some bucks. So if you take it as it is and don’t expect it much else, I suppose it could be entertaining for those-if it’s your kind of cup of tea.

    deathtogenericshows
    Reply

      1. Why, I’d have expected more thumb ups (for you) and more thumb downs (for me) for a cheap point like that. 🙂 If you’re going to accuse me of something, please do read more than the 1st sentence, Mentar and your 7+ friends. Your accusation is just sloppy.

        “Nevertheless I understand that Chuunibyou beat them to it by showing up first even though they might have easily copied from this, idea-wise, similar to Antz beating A Bug’s Life by two month at the box’s office even though the former ripped off the latter.”

        A classic knee-jerk reaction. How the heck can you NOT read the 2nd sentence, which comes after 1st? Let this be clear to you; I did no such thing as Mentar accused me of doing. This sort of pure laziness irritates me. Either that your English comprehension skill is challenged, in which case I apologise as that’s nothing to fault for, Mentar. But by his misrepresentation, his 7+ stooges friends thumbed me down (not that I care about thumb down that much anyway).

        deathtogenericshows
        Reply

      2. For not caring about it you had to bring it up twice in the same post eh?

        Nonetheless, this and Chuu2 aren’t all that much alike and are far from being rip-offs. One of the heroines has chuunibyou and obviously Eita’s recovering from it, but it’s far from the main idea of the show like it was for Chuu2. I mean, they share one element with each other… that totally means that one is ripping off the other.

        Kuntzy
        Reply

  31. I never kept reading this manga after the first couple of chapters but i don’t think it is like chuunibyou. Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure! is the manga with a introd like chuunibyou.

    PrimeHector
    Reply

  34. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this episode quite a lot. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up reading the 20 translated manga chapters … which turned out to be underwhelming.

    You gotta give credit to the studio for being able to dress up the generic, bland manga into something fairly interesting.

    Fling
    Reply

    2. I didn’t even know there were other girls thrown in the mix, the manga bored me that much that I just got sick of looking at the blackmailing bitch and the annoying childhood friend.

      Magoiichi
      Reply

  37. What a peculiar, fencing, qualifying, defensive review. It was a fun episode and the characters look pretty good. It set a good stage for show’s development.

    I don’t see other shows getting grilled on whether someone has seen a similar colour palette before. Who cares? Most of the people who read this have viewed so many anime that they’ve seen ‘everything’ already. Who cares whether the light novel predated another one by a whole three months? What’s next? Commenting that other shows have come out in 720p format?

    N.B. It’s fine to present the difference in publication dates as a fact or piece of trivia but if you’re going to present it as being something meaningful, then follow up on it.

    Mockman
    Reply

  38. What strikes me as interesting is how 50% of the comments are saying: Chuunibyou this, Chuunibyou that. I find it hard to compare these shows except for the concept that the guy has some childish past to hide, and that can’t be the main focus in a romcom harem. Some of you guys are just searching for every possible link and mistake that can be made, even though nobody else cares about them. I’m expecting this to work out as a good anime though, but past seasons have taught us that we can’t judge anime too easily.

    Crook
    Reply

  43. Zanibas, I loved your comment on the picture of Chiwa’s gaze. I think I lost more than 10 minutes. I think after watching episode 2, she’s getting a better percent chance than Masuzu is.

    Colentas
    Reply

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