Clichés make a show boring. The more clichéd a story is, the less interesting and enjoyable it becomes. But my theory is that this relationship only holds true until you hit a certain magical event horizon where the laws of the universe break apart, one gets divided by zero and clichés become art.

How people react when I tell them I enjoyed IS

Infinite Stratos was my guilty pleasure from last season. I actually caught the last episode in Japan last month and have since read volumes 4-6 of the light novels, picking up from where the anime leaves off. Hence, I speak on good authority when I say that IS is one huge clichéfest. But for some reason, it’s enjoyable.

Only in anime: girls fight to feed you food

The basic premise of IS is one of the oldest stories ever told by anime: some lucky bastard ends up in a situation where he is constantly surrounded by sex-deprived girls who lust for the first man they bump into in the hallway. The inclusion of fighting mecha is initially reminiscent of Sakura Wars, but the storytelling is closer to Tenchi Muyo.

Hey wasn’t this from Gundam 00?

The Chosen One

In the story, IS are personalized powered armour suits, equipped with insanely powerful weapons ripped straight from the Gundam multiverse that — for very feebly conceived reasons — are not used for warfare but given to teenagers for unspecified purposes that no one really bothers explaining. They can only be piloted by girls, except for the one single exception, chosen by the almighty plot device, that is the main character, Ichika Orimura. As a science fiction, IS is pretty terrible, so it’s a good thing that the author is not trying too hard to make it one.

Spot the tsundere

The cool part about the character interactions is the fact that almost all the heroines are tsundere! Okay, it sounds lame when I articulate it in words, but really it is an impressive feat. Probably.

Of the five female IS pilots chasing after Ichika, only one can be categorically excluded from the tsundere classification, while each of the remaining four represents a different sub-division of tsundere. I am pretty sure making 80% of the characters tsundere violates some kind of international convention governing harem anime. This is either a work of madness or genius.

How people react to IS‘ storytelling

Just to be clear, the story is absolutely terrible. But the story is really not that important when it comes to having a good time with IS. You must enjoy the characters and relish the ridiculous situations they create when they get together. It’s one of those shows.

Of course, such a formula only works well for some quick laughs. The lack of an engaging story is definitely unsustainable in the long run.

Tatenashi Sarashiki is introduced in Vol. 5

The light novels injected life into the post-anime story by introducing a new character, Tatenashi Sarashiki (the playful but capable head of the student council), into the mix, hence covering the previously unoccupied teasing-senpai (i.e. Tama-nee) spot, but it is clear that constantly introducing new characters is not a viable long-term solution to generate interest. The author does take a huge step in advancing the overarching story in Volume 6, but so far it has failed to impress.

Beach episode: the forward pass of harem anime

But for the length of 12 episodes, the formula works just fine. In fact, the anime’s excellent pacing is almost sublime in its execution, like the well-timed punchlines of a skilful comedian. I was particularly impressed by episode 9, the fan-service episode, where the writer has somehow managed to fit an unbelievable amount of character and visual fan-service into one tight 20-minute package. That is truly the work of artisans.

So much armour and yet so little is covered

The animation and art quality is also surprisingly decent and consistent across the 12 episodes, all things considered, especially when you compare it to the typical cookie-cutter low-budget adapted-from-game titles found in great abundance in the same genre. Okay, maybe my bar was just set very low.

Ultimately, it takes a particular kind of mindset to get into IS. In my case, I started with very low, almost non-existent, overall expectations and found myself liking the characters, hence a good story was never within my range of considerations and its absence was not disconcerting. It also helps a great deal if you love tsundere, because the show is full of them… XD

More screencaps

Ichika’s teacher/sister is kind of tsundere

As IS technology advances, the skin exposure increases

The kendo-girl childhood-friend tsundere

The twin-tail childhood-friend Chinese tsundere

The twin-drill refined-lady British tsundere

The stoic tough-yet-naive flat-chested German tsundere

Three tsundere caught in an infinite loop of mutual contempt

Tsundere rule: smiles like this are usually followed by swift violence

Possibly the boss character of some fantasy RPG

Floating shoulders, how do they work?

This is a job for Admiral Ackbar’s brother

Some kind of futuristic mating ritual

I think this is what people call a reach around?

Okay so this is my favourite character in the show…

●__◎

Unlimited?! That’s over 9000!

Okay not twin drill. More like quad drill. It’s the future

Bunny ears…

How people react when I told them I was going to Tokyo last month

Eye-patch moé?

Mecha designs in the IS universe are often suspiciously convenient…

tl;dr version: Infinite Stratos is for people who appreciate the finer subtleties of tsundere.

Following my recent review of the so-wrong-yet-so-right tsuncest (yes I just made that up) PSP game OreImo, this article from Otome Sugoren seems timely. Of course, I do not personally read what appears to be the Japanese equivalent of Cosmopolitan and was merely linked to this particular article. Please don’t judge me.

So anyway, here are the top eight classic tsundere lines chosen by Otome Sugoren’s highly scientific surveys (lol) for your guilt-ridden perusal.

So tsundere that she is used as the textbook example

Number 1: “hima datta kara!”
The girl calls you up saying, “I had nothing else to do!”

Girls who call you for no particular reasons to grace you with their company because they are “free”. The way they stubbornly stick to their excuse is cute. Guys sense a hint of affection behind such statements and feel happy.

“I guess your present is okay…”

Number 2: “tekitou ni oitoite yo”
Presented with a gift, the girl says, “Just leave it somewhere” and receives the gift haphazardly, but her face looks very happy.

Although they try to act like they do not care about the gift, their grinning expressions make you feel at ease. Girls who try to maintain a facade contrary to their true feelings can melt a guy’s heart.

She doesn’t need your help

Number 3: “hontou wa jibun de dekirun dakedo”
The girl asks for your help but stresses, “I could’ve done it myself.”

For example, smart and confident girls who have problems with electronics may try to hide their shortcomings when asking for help. Girls who try to hide their weakness but fail can be seen as adorable by guys.

She’s just encouraging you

Number 4: “darashiganai otoko dane! “
The girl complains, “You are such a slob!” but still helps you out.

The senpai at your part-time job who scolds you for messing up but covers up your mistakes perfectly. No matter how much they complain, these girls still can’t help but lend you a hand in the end. Guys love the maternal instinct.

>:|

Number 5: “bakka jyanai no!”
“Are you stupid?” The girl curses at you but still accepts you for who you are.

You quit your job without consulting her and she asks if you are an idiot, but in the end consoles you and says, “If you really can’t find a job, I’ll support you.” No matter how angry they get, these girls stand by you in the end. Their affection gives guys peace of mind.

The forgotten dark history

Number 6: “anta, douse hima desho!”
The girl says, “You are free anyway, right?” and asks you out on a date.

The girl is trying to make an underhand remark about how you have no one else to go on dates with, but nevertheless it makes you smile. Guys enjoy the back-and-forth process in establishing an “unspoken understanding” with such girls.

It’s no big deal.

Number 7: “arigataku omoinasai yo!”
The girl hands you a present and says, “You had better be grateful” while avoiding your glance.

Girls who try to hide their embarrassment by doing this are unbearably cute. Their snide contradictory remarks accentuate the importance of their actions and make their love for you stand out even more prominently.

Has this line ever been truthful in the course of human history?

Number 8: “tsuide ni tsukutta dake dayo!”
The girl prepares a bento filled with love for you, but says, “I just happened to make some extra!”

Even though she claims it wasn’t meant for you, the bento is for some reason full of your favourite food. A homemade bento alone is already a powerful item for winning a guy’s heart, but its effects are made even more powerful by the fact that it is inexplicably sumptuous despite being made “incidentally”.

She is not blushing

Tellingly, most of the statements end with an exclamation mark. Ah… who doesn’t love a tsundere girl?

Now you know enough lines to write your own light novel! Just repeat each one 500 times and you are all set. If you need more inspirations, you can try this CD.

It is surprisingly difficult to find pictures of tsundere girls looking tsun.

According to Nico Nico Pedia, ξﾟ⊿ﾟ)ξ is the official emoticon for tsundere. It depicts a twin-tail girl making an unhappy face.

And to end on a wtf note.

So I finished the new Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai game for PSP. Well, I didn’t 100% it but I saw all the “true” endings except for Manami’s and that’s good enough. It’s not a bad game if you are into AVG but its primary purpose is basically fan service.

Story

The game takes place about one year after the start of the anime. I have no idea what is its place in the novel timeline. There are two major changes that I think probably took place in the light novels: Kuroneko is now a highschool freshman in Kyousuke’s school and calls him “senpai” and Ayase is somehow acquainted with Manami and calls her “oneesan”. (She still calls Kyousuke “oniisan”.)

Kyousuke’s kawaii kouhai

The story is divided into two portions. The first part is common to all the characters and is relatively short. It consists of two major events: Kirino and gang taking part in a Siscalypse competition and Kyousuke going on a school trip to Kyoto.

The story branching depends on whom Kyousuke teams up with for the competition (or if he takes part in it at all) and the souvenir he decides to buy in Kyoto (every girl wants a different thing).

Kirino and Saori vs. Kyousuke and Kuroneko

After Kyousuke returns from Kyoto, the story branches into the respective character paths. The main branches are for Kirino, Kuroneko, Saori, Ayase and Manami. Each character has around 3-4 endings, usually with one true ending, one good/normal ending and some bad/weird endings in between.

Paths

Plenty of spoilers. Continue at your own peril or skip to the next header.

Kirino: In a subconscious bid for Kyousuke’s attention, Kirino loses all her otaku-related memories, including those of Saori and Kuroneko. Kyousuke has to convince Kirino, a fashionable girl with good grades and a modelling career, that she is actually an otaku. Hilarity ensues.

True ending involves a semi-kokuhaku from Kirino at Comiket. Bad endings include Kirino forgetting about her true self and her otaku friends forever.

Isn’t this from Tsukuyomi Moon Phase?

Kuroneko: Kuroneko is working on a new doujinshi for the upcoming Comiket. She sees herself as the tragic creator whose source of creativity is her suffering and loneliness. Although she is falling behind the deadline, she refuses to ask for help from the others and actively avoids Kyousuke. It is up to Kyousuke to smack some sense into her if you know what I mean — I don’t.

True ending involves Kyousuke pledging eternal allegiance to the fallen angel.

Saori ＠ω＠

Saori: Saori, who is actually the ojousama of a rich family, is pushed into an arranged marriage with a 40-year-old paedophile princeling of a large conglomerate who wants her to stop her childish hobbies. Not an assertive person and obedient to her parents’ wishes, Saori gives all her precious otaku goods to Kyousuke for safe-keeping and bids everyone farewell. Kyousuke has to convince her that her wishes are just as important and she should stand up for herself.

True ending involves Kyousuke and Saori getting married out of the blue. Seriously.

It’s cuter than a cat in a box

Ayase: She has arguably the most romantic path in the game, though still kind of weak by most AVG standards. She seeks Kyousuke’s help in her attempts to understand Kirino better but ends up falling for Kyousuke. She is afraid of revealing her feelings because she thinks that Kyousuke is only teasing her when he does things like calling her “Lovely My Angel Ayase-tan”. Unlike the other girls, Ayase gets a proper kokuhaku scene.

True ending involves Ayase getting knocked up and living happily ever after with Kyousuke. Bad ending is yandere ending with off-screen stabbing action. There is also a weird ending named the “Forbidden Yuri Ending”… I leave that to your imagination.

Manami: Did not play her path. Meh.

Kanako: There is an ending for her that branches out towards the end of Ayase’s path. It is actually somewhat interesting. Heh.

End of spoilers. Continue from here.

Gameplay

The gameplay is hard work if you don’t use a walkthrough. There are two main mechanics involved.

The first is collecting titbits of information called O.R.E. (I can’t remember what it stands for) and deciding whether to use them when prompted to change the direction of the story. The second is a system called Two Shot where you have a face-to-face conversation with a girl and have to decide whether to tsukkomi her via quick-time event or not at certain points of the conversation.

Example of an O.R.E.

O.R.E.s are high-lighted in yellow

The O.R.E. (silly acronym is silly) system is persistent across replays so you get to use information you obtained in previous playthroughs to change the direction of the story. For example, Ayase’s true ending can only be obtained if you have an O.R.E. obtained from Kirino’s true ending.

Two Shot

Press square to give her a piece of your mind

The Two Shot system is kind of arbitrary. It is more trial and error than anything. Sometimes an obvious tsukkomi produces a negative reaction for no apparent reason and sometimes an apparently hurtful tsukkomi is exactly what the girl wants. I suppose it’s like real-life except that there is a quick load button that lets you jump back to any of the last thirty scene changes or gameplay decisions.

These modern AVGs have it good. Back in our days we had to walk uphill both ways just to find a save button and we were happy with our three measly save slots.

Thoughts

There are some genuinely hilarious moments in the game, particularly if you get the otaku-related allusions and occasional 2ch lingo. The dialogues are witty at times and live up to expectations set by the anime.

The gameplay is somewhat reminiscent of Really? Really! which in turn is a derivative of Ace Attorney, except that it is not as fun. You will fail repeatedly at the Two Shot system until you learn the true meaning of hate and just wiki the solution.

Lovely My Angel Ayase-tan

The endings are kind of lacklustre. As mentioned, I feel that Ayase is the only one who gets the proper heroine treatment. I suppose this is why she calls herself the “hidden heroine” at some point in Kirino’s path. Saori looks really gorgeous without her ＠ω＠ glasses though.

Character ranking:

1. Ayase
2. Kirino
3. Kuroneko
4. Saori
5. Kanako
6. Minami

Ending ranking:

1. Ayase
2. Saori
3. Kanako
4. Kuroneko
5. Kirino

Yeah I really can’t motivate myself to play though Minami’s path.

I like Kuroneko as a character but her path is probably the least interesting one. Kirino’s path is more entertaining and emotional, but the ending is one huuuuuuge cop-out. Not that this is unexpected, but I was hoping for a more…unorthodox resolution.

Spoiler ahead.

I find the final scene in Ayase’s true ending strangely thought-provoking. (Click on the button to see it.)

Ayase married Kyousuke and is pregnant with his daughter. Kirino returns to Japan from her modelling career in Paris to visit them and to witness the birth of her niece.

In a way, Ayase is a proxy for Kirino’s love for Kyousuke. Ayase and Kirino both love Kyousuke and at the same time they also love each other, but only Ayase can cross the last barrier. The last scene feels almost touchingly poignant in a zen-like way, if you can remove your worldly preconceptions and that feeling of creepiness lurking at the back of your mind long enough to ponder over it free from prejudices.

Okay, maybe I am reading too much into this shit as usual.

If only…

When Kyousuke spills the beans about his relationship with Ayase to Kirino in the true ending, Kirino is initially upset and asks him if things would’ve still been the same if they weren’t siblings.

This is probably the most overt acknowledgement of the unspoken nature of their mutual love that can be found in the game, and of course it’s not even in Kirino’s own true ending.

Unrelated but amusing: in Kuroneko’s true ending, where Kuroneko and Kyousuke get together, Kuroneko proclaims herself the older sister of Kirino and teases her about it. Her closing line is, “watashi no imouto ga konna ni kawaii wake ga nai.”

End spoiler.

The game also comes a Breakout-clone mini-game, a short in-character voiced commentary for every single unlocked CG in the album and a full plot diagram to show you the paths/endings you are missing. Not too shabby in terms of extras.

Breakout clone

CG album

Screencaps

I took way too many screencaps so I’m just going to dump everything here. Some of them may be considered spoilerish even without context.

You can…almost…

Kirino’s channelling Konata

The bad bad ending is where you end up with him

A common sight at Comiket

The weird supernatural ending…

Obligatory scene in all AVGs

Come to think of it, there’s a swimsuit CG for every girl

;_;

AVIO

:O

ಠ_ಠ

Ayase emails this to Kyousuke as a “reward”

(*´д`*)ﾊｧﾊｧ

Train ride to Comiket

The only other proper kiss scene in the game

Kirino confronts Ayase and fights over Kyousuke

Sweet scene, still something sinister slumbers silently

Kuroneko places a curse on Kyousuke

Kuroneko speaks fluent geek

Obligatory sukumizu

Kuroneko collapses

Kuroneko R.I.P. 2011

(´・ω・｀)ハァ？

Ruri-ruri

Saori emails this to Kyousuke as a “reward”……

Saori just won the game

uguuu…

You can actually see her eyes if you look hard

Saori removes her limiter and goes over 9000

The glasses were there to protect your sanity

(*´д`*)ﾊｧﾊｧﾊｧﾊｧキターー

pettan pettan tsuru pettan

The only other kiss scene in the game what is this I don’t even

Phew. Most screenshots ever?

Now back to Valkyria Chronicles 3…

There is no way my post title is so long. Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai, or OreImo as it is commonly abbreviated, is an interesting twist of the quintessential tsundere anime genre popularized by titles such as Shakugan no Shana and Zero no Tsukaima.

And beyond that, it, like Genshiken, is a testament to the subculture that has sprung up around bishoujo anime and games.

Despite its suspicious title (“There is no way my sister is this cute”), OreImo, at least the anime adaptation, is not about incest. There is certainly some suggestive tension between Kyousuke Kousaka and his tsundere sister Kirino Kousaka that does not usually exist between siblings, but arguably the masterful execution keeps it within tastefully platonic limits.

This can be disappointing if you walk into it hoping for another Koi Kaze, but on some level the setup is oddly appropriate given the personalities of the two main characters and the theme of the story. Nevertheless, the show does contain enough emotionally-charged moments to make the viewer blush excitedly like a giddy school girl.

Kirino Kousaka is a typical teenage girl who hates her brother Kyousuke Kousaka. But one day, Kyousuke accidentally discovers that Kirino is actually a huge closet otaku who has a pile of eroge tall enough to touch the ceiling hidden in her otaku closet and an ironic fetish for little sisters. Kirino, who has thus far kept her double life secret from even her closest friend, is initially horrified but slowly realizes that having someone share her secret may not be such a bad thing. With Kyousuke’s help, Kirino gradually overcomes her self-loathing and decides to be more honest with her passions (perhaps in more than one way). Of course, with Kyousuke around to help her buy 18+ eroge, she also descends farther into oblivion… めでたしめでたし。

That stack of games cost a few thousand dollars

As with any anime dealing with otaku, things get really meta. There are many allusions and references to real-life anime and game titles and Kirino’s many dilemmas (usually, which girl to kouryaku first) probably strike a chord with many of the show’s viewers. Every commercial break eyecatch contains a imouto-themed parody of an actual anime or game and every episode has a unique ED song along with a unique illustration provided by a well-known doujin or eroge artist. As with Genshiken, it gives you a very warm and fuzzy feeling inside to know that this perverted little niche has grown to become a substantial subcultural force of its own.

Eyecatch

Kirino practising sexual grooming on virtual lolis

In a way, OreImo is really just Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, except that Haruhi is Kyon’s little sister and she likes to play pornographic games about little sisters instead of searching for UFOs or aliens. Haruhi herself has some maniac tendencies (e.g. making Mikuru dress up as a bunny girl to provide fan service) that endear her to the audience’s inner selves. Kirino takes that concept one step further by being a full-blown closet otaku. And like Kyon, Kyousuke gets to clean up her mess afterwards behind the scenes.

@_@

To be honest, while combining Haruhi and Genshiken does make for an interesting concept as it is, the real draw of OreImo for me is the complicated relationship between Kyousuke and Kirino. There’s a popular saying in Japanese, tomodachi ijou koibito miman 友達以上恋人未満 (more than friends, less than lovers), which on a side note actually has an eroge named after it. You can probably call Kyousuke and Kirino kyoudai ijou koibito miman 兄妹以上恋人未満 (more than siblings, less than lovers).

Kirino cries knowing that she can never be with her brother…

Even though Kirino fits the typical tsundere heroine archetype that has proliferated throughout the industry over the years as part of its moétification, and even though Kyousuke is more or less an exact replica of Kyon, the fact that they are siblings serves as an insurmountable absolute barrier against potential developments. All tsundere characters have their barriers (e.g. the master-servant relationship seen in Zero no Tsukaima) to prevent the relationship from escalating beyond the status quo until the season finale, but the one between Kirino and Kyousuke is real and indestructible. There isn’t even the usual wriggle room of “siblings unrelated by blood”.

There is no way my family has so many different hair colours

Having not read the novels, I spent most of the 12 episodes wondering how the show intends to give a satisfactory ending to the web that it has weaved. An actual incestuous ending would be, in my opinion, oddly out of place — too straightforward and simple for a story that so carefully dances around the issue. And yet, a tsundere setup without a teredere ending just feels wrong. This sense of dilemma, I feel, is where OreImo truly differentiates itself. Wherein most works of similar genre a happy ending is predictable and welcomed, in OreImo it is uncertain and emotionally complicated.

Indeed, I personally find that OreImo’s “Good Ending” is the non-controversial compromise that is decent but somewhat hollow. Perhaps this is why OreImo will have 4 extra DVD episodes that will form 2 alternate endings to the series. Will I be condemned if I say that I am looking forward to the “True Ending”?

^_^

>:(

Ahh… Toranoana at Akiba. Nostalgic.

Kirino’s awesomely psychotic best friend

There is no way my otaku meta-anime doesn’t feature a Comiket episode

This proves it. Kirino is Konata!

Kuroneko, cat-eared dweller of the eternal darkness

Mutually-Assured Tsundere

KIRA☆

Also looking forward to the OreImo PSP game… >_>

Image from Akiba-blog

From Akiba-blog: Enter 「ツンデレ☆りなっくãã€ or “Tsundere Linux”, a book that supposedly teaches you about the famous open source operating system in a totally moélicious manner. It even has a cute abbreviation もえりな (moerina).

Image from Akiba-blog

The book apparently covers various topics such as getting cheap second hand computers, explanations of the various distros and installation procedure for Debian, Firefox and 2ch browser. And a tsundere girl. Don’t forget the tsundere girl.

They totally need to make one of these for Cisco networking, the most goddamn boring topic in the world.