[Triple_R]

This episode is demonstrative of where Ore no Imouto should probably go from now on. And that's pure comedy. As pure comedy, it can be a decently entertaining romp, and the more extreme flaws of the various characters (especially Kirino) serve comedy well, but tend to undermine drama (for reasons that I went into at length in previous episode review threads, so I'm not going to rehash them again).

Episode 8 struck me as very dramatic, serious, and suspenseful, and it was probably the episode I liked the least out of all 10.

This episode is just about pure comedy, and I had a pretty good time watching it.

Basically, this cast of characters, with considerable eccentricities and over-the-top natures, probably work better in a comedy than in a drama. At least they do if the anime intends for them to be largely static, which certainly seems to be the case.

I argued before that Kirino is very static, but even Kyousuke doesn't really seem to be going anywhere as a character either.

Furthermore, good drama means you don't just forget important plot points, and this anime seems to be doing that a lot.

However, for a comedy, this is a cut or two above average. It handles slapstick comedy with a certain panache that sets it apart from the crowd, and the frequently hammy voice acting really helps a lot here. This anime also is very skillful at irony and spoofing and lampooning (this particular episode lampooned Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, and even its fandom to some degree, with impressive skill).

As a comedy, this anime is a success.

As a drama, this anime is quite a failure.

So, I hope it stops trying to be a drama, and just settles for being a comedy.

That being said...

Originally Posted by Last Sinner

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.

I have to disagree with you here, and am a bit surprised to read this take from you, LS.

NGE is the best selling anime of all-time, and it has plenty of character development and storyline.

Most (if not all) of the Gundam animes also have plenty of character development and storyline, and they sell extremely well too.

Code Geass had a very complex storyline, and loads of character development, and it sold very well.

Nanoha A's had excellent character development, and simple but solid storylines, and it sold well.

Bakemonogatari had a tight overarching plot, several solid arcs, and mostly smooth character development. It sold quite well.

Ditto for Clannad and Clannad: After Story.

And I could go on and on and on here. The vast majority of well-selling animes have good character development, and intriguing storylines.

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,

You find K-On's characters to be Mary Sues? Really?

...it's raking in the cash big time. Why? Because it's effective at marketing.

Sure, but good marketing is not mutually exclusive with good drama, and we shouldn't pretend that it is.

And this is the state of the industry. Want success? Market effectively to your target audience. Quality suddenly becomes arbitrary to a point.

No it's not. A good quality anime will get you more viewers and buyers than a poor quality one, all else being equal.

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.

Ok, let's back up here a bit.

Ore no Imouto had a lot of drama in its first five episodes. It took itself and it's characters and it's narrative fairly seriously at that point. It was clearly selling itself, in part, as having gripping drama (you honestly found nothing the least bit dramatic or intense about Kyousuke's confrontation with his father, or about the various confrontations between Ayase and Kirino?).

Really, I can understand where Reckoner is coming from. If an anime presents itself as having a lot of drama and storyline-focus for the first five episodes, then that will create a certain level of expectation in the minds of many viewers for what to expect of the anime going forward.

It's great that Ore no Imouto does comedy well, but after doing a lot of drama in the first five episodes, I don't think we should fault folks for expecting this anime to continue to deliver on that (which honestly I don't think it has).

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?

Well that was Episode 8. Even if someone takes that episode the way that you did (and I certainly didn't), the anime has already left a different impression with the first few episodes.