Oreimo Spoonfeeding Guide

If you have questions about the ending or the backstory of Oreimo, scroll down to the Spoilered FAQ section. If you're new to the series, read on and don't scroll all the way down.

>What is this series about?

"My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute" is a light novel series by Fushimi Tsukasa, about a brother and sister growing closer after hating each other due to life changing events that happened in their childhood.

>I'm new to this series, where do I start?

For most people, what's recommended is that you watch the anime adaptation first, and then read the light novels. The anime will get you into the story and characters and the LNs will help you understand much more about them and fix the misconceptions you have about the story. There's also a huge amount of cut or overhauled content that will make the LNs a different (read: better) experience than the anime was. When you finish the anime, give a read to the spoiler section below, especially the pastebin, which is essential for anyone coming off of the anime without knowledge of the LNs. The BD extras and After Story are also worth looking at.

>Are the LNs worth reading?

Absolutely. The anime series is an -adaptation- of the light novels, and many parts were cut from the anime or changed significantly for the worse. Most people are left angry by the ending, so a pastebin was put together to help anime viewers for this very reason (linked below). The anime changes significantly certain portions of the LNs, most of which are crucial to the plot or help it along. A notable example is Season 1 Episode 8 (Volume 3). Reading the LNs is absolutely critical to addressing the disappointments you'll have when you finish the anime.

About 3-4 volumes worth of content were cut in the end, which contain more face time for every character in the series, lots of humor, substantial amounts of development in the relationship between Kirino and Kyousuke, and major plot elements that the story struggles without. If you enjoyed Oreimo at all, they are definitely worth reading.

>What translation should I read?

NanoDesu for the first half of the series, then move to Baka-Tsuki.

>What are those cute comics that I keep seeing around?

Those are made by an artist from 2ch. Some are translated, some aren't. Links to download them below.


Links:

Ending Pastebin:
http://pastebin.com/MWLcYrqv

BD8 Extras:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI7tspp4EQY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAS5ooTbYyo

After Story:
http://baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Ore_no_Im%C5%8Dto_ga_Konna_ni_Kawaii_Wake_ga_Nai:A_Momentary_Chance_Encounter

Author Interviews:
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=4729794&postcount=3883
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=4723516&postcount=3568
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=4798487&postcount=296

Translated Light Novels:
http://oreimothetranslation.wordpress.com/
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/?title=Ore_no_Im%C5%8Dto_ga_Konna_ni_Kawaii_Wake_ga_Nai

Translated 2ch drawings:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/73xo4cvwacyzvl0/ZALE70yQTH



SPOILER FAQ (You have been warned):


















>The ending was shit! Why did they break up and both of them end up alone?

Kirino and Kyousuke can never return to being normal siblings. Kyousuke using Kirino's promise to kiss her at the end, as well as the subsequent excuse "It's okay because we're siblings" (the same excuse Kirino used previously) show that they had never let go of their love for each other, but are instead still making up excuses instead of acknowledging that they still have those feelings. More importantly, Kirino was unwilling to accept this, so when Kyousuke forces the realization on her by way of a public kiss on the lips, she renews their life counseling. Keep in mind that the the plot was handled much better in the LNs, so reading them will undoubtedly alleviate some concern.

There's surprisingly a lot that goes into this, and a short paragraph is hardly sufficient to explain all the things that tie into the ending, so for more on this subject, it is highly recommended that you go here:

http://pastebin.com/MWLcYrqv

>Why is the ending ambiguous? Why couldn't the author go for a full relationship end?

The author wanted the ending to be as happy as possible for the both of them. However, he still realistically could not pull off anything that 100% assures their future as a couple, as his publisher wouldn't allow anything too incestuous. So, Fushimi planned for it to be more subtle, ending with more life counseling to resolve these things, while also making it apparent that they are still very much in love. Refer to the author interviews linked above, where he talks about censorship issues and the true intention of the ending.

>Did they fuck?

It is certainly a possibility. Depending on who you ask, it is either "slightly probable" or "heavily implied" by a 'morning after' hotel scene in the final volume (after Kyousuke's confession), and again in the After Story, in which Kuroneko accuses Kirino of 'bragging' about her love life.


>What did Manami do wrong and why does everyone hate her? She seemed so nice.

 this is due to all the cut content and thematic changes that the anime made. In the source material, Manami is a much more important character and plays a huge role in the climax of the story. A common misconception is that the reason she's hated is that she told Kirino that 'incest is wrong', but in actuality, that was one of the least harmful things she did.

As a child, Manami didn't (and doesn't, right to the end of the story) want to accept Kyousuke for who he is. She believed that he should be normal and complacent like she is, and she's upset when she sees him go out of his way to risk himself for the sake of others. So she sought out the source of Kyousuke's inspiration that caused him to be so outgoing and wreckless: his little sister. Manami told Kirino that loving her brother is disgusting, and that she should be ashamed of it. Kirino, having always disliked Manami, ends up fixating on her feelings for Kyousuke instead of giving them up, which causes them to transform into romantic love. Later on, Kyousuke accidentally hurts a girl while trying to get her to be outgoing and courageous like he is, which leads her to be kicked out of school, and Kyousuke to be hated by all of his friends. This makes Kyousuke question his behavior, and he goes to Manami for advice. Manami tells him that he doesn't need to act that way, and that he's just an ordinary boy. Manami's words of comfort were kind and comforting, but they were born out of her motivation to mold Kyousuke into a more 'normal' person, which she accomplishes by continuing to encourage him to be lazy and complacent.

Volume 11, the volume that was cut from the anime, most clearly shows the contrast between Kirino and Manami as the two most important people in Kyousuke's life: Both of them originally idealized Kyousuke as someone they wanted him to be (Manami wanted Kyousuke to be normal, Kirino wanted Kyousuke to be 'amazing'), and both of them were wrong to do so. However, only Kirino was able to overcome her idealization and accept Kyousuke for who he is, which happens as a result of her realization that Kyousuke is not 'amazing' like she always wanted him to be, and that he's a flawed person just like her.

Even in the anime, you can see Kyousuke slowly change over time. He starts out apathetic and uncaring, but as he gets more involved in Kirino's life he makes more friends and becomes a more outgoing person in general, which is the opposite of what Manami wants. When Manami punched Kirino in the stomach, it wasn't because she's upset over incest, it was because she's upset that all of her efforts to manipulate Kyousuke into her ideal person failed thanks to Kirino. She even says it:

>"… Wooooooo! If only Kirino-chan didn't exist! Everything would have gone smoothly!"

The final irony is that in her attempt to rip the them apart she brough them closer in the end. However, a lot of this probably doesn't make sense to someone coming out of the anime, so read the LNs if you want to know more.

>Why is Kirino such a bitch?

Part of the author's intention was to write Kirino as an unlikeable character at first, and then slowly make her more empathetic and likeable as the series goes on. This is also the case for Kyousuke in the LNs, who at the beginning of the series is rude and cynical, and genuinely doesn't care about Kirino. Part of the reason Kyousuke and Kirino are such a good match is that they're both shitty, flawed people who need each other's company and support in order to live their lives. Over the course of the series, as they reconcile and learn more about each other, they become better people, and both admit they've been terrible siblings to each other (hey, that's the premise of the series!). Although Kirino was 'turned tsundere' as a result of Manami's influence, the main reason she acts coldly towards Kyousuke is because of her inner conflict: Siblings can't be together, but I can't get rid of these feelings. You can hear this every time she says "Don't mix 2D and 3D." which ironically is something more directed towards herself rather than her brother. Another element is that Kirino feels disappointed in Kyousuke for becoming apathetic and lazy instead of committed and successful like he used to be. She eventually comes to terms with both of these conflicts, and drops most of her tsundere attitude.

It's also worth keeping in mind that Kirino is generally considered much more violent in the anime than in the source material. Or more accurately, her tsun/dere ratio is tipped the wrong way because most of her dere moments were cut out.