Review: Saikin, Imouto no Yousu ga Chotto Okashiinda ga.

There has been an influx of imouto anime series recently, many deride these series as otaku pandering trash, a waste of space. Myself? I happen to love these types of shows, I have no problem with incest and I like ecchi. Recently, My Sister Is Unusual is one such series in the imouto mold but with a twist and a rather good one at that.

The plot starts off simple (and innocently) enough, Yuuya is a single child living with his dad, he remarries and as such he gains a little sister in the quiet Mitsuki. Queue the awkward walking in while she is changing moment. He tries to get to know her but to no avail. Then as they're walking to school Mitsuki falls from some steps and is taken to hospital, she wakes but something isn't quite right. When she gets home she is wearing something very unusual, she has been possessed by a ghost name Hiyori. And this is where the fun begins. Turns out Hiyori can't cross over to heaven and as such has been sent to Mitsuki for reasons unknown by an unknown being, the only way she can finally be at peace and cross over is if she gets enough steps to open heavens door. To do this she needs to get 'lovey dovey' with her onii-chan through Mitsukis body and her new brother. Bet you didn't see that scenario coming?

Right off the bat you will know whether the show is for you, the imouto tag is a warning for those, let's say not enamoured with the trend to steer clear. Yuuya and Mitsuki are not blood related if that helps so incestuous elements aren't quite as suspect. It is a blend of different genres. Oh boy does it has it's ecchi moments, it has it's heart warming moments and of course plenty of comedy. From your typical accidental mishaps, to some bizarre moments to an out of the blue yet hilarious ode to a certain stealth game.

So the ecchi scenes, executed exquisitely I say. The first episode puts it's cards on the table, it knows what the show is, it ain't trying to hide it. It has a yuri scene where Hiyori is pleasuring Mitsuki to fill the chastity belt up a bit so she kind of understands what it's about. The broadcast version is infuriatingly censored with a heart shaped lock covering Mitsukis chastity belt and with white censor beams covering other parts throughout the series. While these scenes do occur they are not as frequent as you'd expect and offset by some real sweet scenes. As I said it's a balance, one that works well.

Mitsuki is a thoroughly well developed character. She experiences a lot of change between the series start and end. You really do feel for her, she suffers continual embarrassment, near death experiences and a stark new life as having a new family thrust upon you is not enough Hiyori posses her. Her interactions with Hiyori are fascinating, she starts off confused but as the series progresses her relationship with Hiyori becomes a highlight. Hiyori can jump into Mitsuki's body and thus overtake her personality. This leads to some humorous moments as well as those extremely serious as emotions are running on more than a few occasions.

Hiyori herself, well there isn't much to say. She's a ghost who knows of nothing of her past other than she wanted to get lovey-dovey with her onii-chan. As the series progresses we see elements of her character come to the fore, what she likes, her hobbies. I cannot say anymore or else I will end up spoiling it.

Yuuya is an interesting character, one that bucks the trend a little. He doesn't really fall for his little sister, he tries to rationalise her actions to amusing degrees at times. He doesn't take advantage, he tries to act like an actual brother. He shows care by asking his friends about what may be going through Mitsuki's mind and how he can help her when she displays unusual habits. Actions like that are a pleasant and welcome surprise. It would have been easy for him to take another altogether different, more perverse direction.

Those are the main three but we have others to fill up the cast. Childhood friend and potential love rival Yukina, Yuuyas friend Shoutarou, Mitsuki's classmate Ayaka and last but not least the rather peculiar Neko. Keep your eyes on her. Pretty standard bunch but they bring a lot to the series through humour and character progression.

The art and animation are good, nothing particularly spectacular or out of the ordinary but that is not an issue. The soundtrack is vibrant, cheerful yet when it needs to it contrasts the emotional scenes perfectly with notable music. The OP is, well it's okay, nothing more nothing less, a bit nondescript but by no means bad. The ED on the other hand is a chirpy, catchy tune and the scenes played out are wonderful.

Of course when I come on to the flaws I personally see nothing to really fault here. However that is me and while I think that, I can certainly see other peoples issues with it. Not so much plot holes or animation hiccups but the whole premise of the show itself. Imouto shows are divisive, very divisive. The opening episode alone I have seen lashings of hate towards, labels of 'trash', 'perverted mess', 'incest crap' and 'otaku bait for little sister fetishists'. While I hate these terms myself I do see why people may direct this kind of attitude towards it. It features a ghost molesting a school girl and the ecchi scenes will put someone off. No doubt about it, this show is an acquired taste. It also uses plenty of genre conventions such as the childhood friend, hot spring episodes and the like, none of this is executed poorly and it does enough to distinguish itself but it will still put off some.

The other potential flaw is a sign of the times in anime. That is that the series does not provide closure as such. The manga upon which it is based is ongoing therefore there are no answers to a lot of the questions. This happens a lot these days as any anime adaptation is basically an advertisement for what ever it is based on, manga and light novels especially. I can most certainly see this being a problem for many but other than a filler ending which would likely irritate existing fans there is no other choice, I intend to read the manga so it has done it's job for me.

When this series was announced I knew this show was for me. It has not failed to deliver. It is a really original twist on the imouto trend, it makes you care for the characters, it veers away from the cliche when you'd expect to hit that direction full throttle. If you are fine with the potential flaws that I talked about then I cannot recommend this series enough.

Studio: Project No.9
Aired: Winter 2014
Episodes: 12 + OVA
Available: All good DVD and Blu Ray retailers


10/10