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Was wondering how this show would be holding up at this point.
Overall, fairly well. I never expected this to be a groundbreaker or something epic. Early on, I had it marked as a 7.5-8/10 series that had a well-aimed plan at who it was marketing to and supplying the moments/features needed to win over fans in its genre. And that is what I still think of it. Certainly it's meandered around a fair bit in the last 5 or so episodes, focusing far more on fleshing out some characters or going for moneyshot moments. But it still entertains overall despite some frustration over the story stalling or going off on a tangent.
Really, if you're going into this series expecting a gripping story or the like, you're bound to be disappointed. This is a series with some quirks and sass and a female lead that is tailor-made to be a tsundere icon. Hey, I have 2 Kirino figures on pre-order - need I say more?
While character development and storyline certainly aren't getting as much care as they should, let's face it - that's not what makes series sell these days. Reckoner's points may apply to short story literature in general or to animes that are story-oriented/aiming to be top notch. They don't apply to this. Because it's a completely different game/market with a whole new set of rules. This is not a series based on story - at least in anime form, not sure what the manga-ka wants to do since only 1 volume was around when this was converted. This is one based on marketing Kirino, as well as her counterparts to a degree.
On your argument, Reckoner - K-ON is very much the contradiction of that format, because despite being the anti of that train of thought as well as cranking Mary Sue style characters, it's raking in the cash big time. Why? Because it's effective at marketing.
And this is the state of the industry. Want success? Market effectively to your target audience. Quality suddenly becomes arbitrary to a point.
Honestly, I think the plan of attack for a series like Oreimo to work is:
1. It's mainly about the female(s) - Make them marketable and loveable (overall),
2. Make sure their character styles don't overlap or clash too much.
3. Have a good opening or ending theme - exposure in more than one medium = attention. Attention = more fans. An OP/ED that fits the series/main character bolsters anything.
4. Keep it simple and slow overall - this is not a genre where making one think too much or get excited often is good. Make the viewer sit back and relax, flake out, enjoy the fluff and decide which figure they want to order first.
5. Have a gimmick with the characters - make something about them be abnormal. That is one of the hooks. Kirino's the anti of the typical anime fan - there's the hook.
6. Get VAs that are pros at evoking the desired effects in the moneyshot moments. This series is sporting VAs that aren't green - they've established what they're good at and they've been put into roles that are suited to them.
7. Have the odd cliffhanger/tearjerker. There has to be tension at some point, even in this genre. But pace it.
8. Always leave a window open for a sequel. If it sells well and has the fanbase, from a pragmatic point of view, you'd be crazy not to continue it.
Things like these are what series like K-ON and Working utilised and yielded the financial benefits for doing so. K-ON was passable to me and Working isn't something I can watch. But I respect the fact they are able to market to an audience and get what they want. Ultimately, that is the ulterior motive of any series/licenser - cut a profit. Making something quality/epic is at the core of any true aspirant of the arts, but the reality is, you won't sell if you don't tailor something to go for what the people want.
So again I say, if a person is going to watch Oreimo on the basis of story and the like, they are bound to be disappointed. This is not what the series is selling itself on. It's selling itself on Kirino and the side cast along with their merchandise marketability, aesthetics, moments that are gold for humour or moe-related reasons, along with the occassional tense/tender moment. Honestly, if the episode really parodying the series itself about an anime being made off a single volume as well as the rushed nature of this series wasn't an indicator to not take this series too seriously, what is?
It isn't stellar. But it does more things right than wrong and Kirino makes for entertaining viewing. I get enough out of this series to feel like it was worthwhile overall, which is more than I can say for most series in its genre. My main quirk at present is what is it that Kirino aimed to achieve out of all of this. Was her brother simply a means to be at peace with her hobby and to be a successful author? Or was she actually intent on establishing that long-broken sibling relationship with her brother? It's been 2 episodes since Kirino said 'the next life counselling is the last' - it hasn't been expanded on since. I'd hate to think they'd leave it hanging in the air for a potential sequel. And Episode 11 looks unlikely to expand on it either since it seems to be linked to what Saori was doing in Episode 9. If it resolves this relatively well, I'll probably be content with what this series accomplished.
As for Episode 10 - cute cameo that was planned well. Kousaka-Ayase interaction is always amusing since it seemed early on she may have liked him before the chaos that erupted after ComiFes. The Fate/Stay Night joke was a good one. Decent revamp of OP animation. Didn't like the latest ED. Custom bathroom descriptions were amusing. As usual post-Episode 5, pushed enough buttons to be good overall. Good, but not great.
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