Kirino Kousaka is secretly an Otaku. While appearing as a hardworking student and model during the day, she is also a huge fan of anime, manga, and even eroges (erotic games). After her brother, Kyosuke, found out about her obsession, she began to confide in him about her hobby, but will the rest of her family and friends be so understanding?
SPOILERS BELOW (Mostly for Vol. 1)
Oreimo Vol. 2 wraps up the first storyline from the light novels it’s based on, and then about halfway through begins a second one. This transition is a little jarring, as it’s pretty obvious that these stories are parts from two completely different books, but given how massive Vol. 1 was already, it’s understandable that the creative team had to find a way to split it up.
The wrap up for the first story is intense, picking up where Vol. 1 left off with Papa Kousaka discovering some of the anime Kirino had stashed in her room. Anyone who’s ever had a hobby as a kid that their parents didn’t approve of knows what this is like. This first plot point is handled in a respectful and intelligent manner, putting aside much of the comedy that the series was based on up to this point to focus on the drama. Overall, it’s a well-told story of Kirino’s struggles to find acceptance and Kyosuke’s part in trying to defend his sister. While against the grain from what the series is normally like, this is one of my favorite stories the series has told so far.
The second storyline falls back on the more comedic and, at times, perverted habits of Oreimo, focusing on Kirino’s interactions with some of her non-Otaku friends, while Kyosuke finds himself in the position of covering for her, without Kirino catching on, thus hilarity ensues. This arc felt a bit rushed and cliché but is overall still fun, and fans of the incest overtones or awkward humor will be glad for its inclusion after the dour first arc.
Overall, this volume was a lot less raunchy, focusing more on the interactions between the characters and Kirino’s growth, than providing panty shots, which I’m personally okay with since I’m enjoying the series for its humor, not its borderline sexual content. Unlike the first volume, nothing in here is so sexual as to make me blush, though this volume is filled with a good deal more profanity, so I’d still think very carefully before letting someone young read it. I was saddened that so many of the characters barely appear in this volume, such as Manami and Saori, though Vol. 2 did introduce a new favorite character of mine, Mama Kousaka, who comes across as laid back and mischievous from her small parts. Awesome moms are the best, so I hope to see more of her in future volumes.
