Oreimo Specials

Oreimo Specials

Overview

Oreimo anime specials cover art featuring Sena, Ruri, and Kyousuke
Oreimo Specials Cover Art

The Oreimo Specials are a four-episode OVA that takes place during and directly after the first season of the anime. The first episode in the OVA is actually an alternate version of episode 12 from season one, while the next three episodes all take place between the ending of season one and the beginning of season two.

When the first season ended, it was unclear whether or not the anime would get a second season, and so a different ending was written into the final episode. However, once it was confirmed that there would be a second season, the ending of the first season didn’t match up with what happens next, thus the alternate episode 12 was needed.

In this new version of episode 12, Kirino does go on her trip to America, leaving Kyousuke behind. Because of this, Kuroneko becomes the female lead for the next three episodes of the OVA. It’s during these episodes that we finally learn her real name, Ruri Gokou.

Ruri is now a first-year high school student at the same school as Kyousuke. She claims he isn’t the reason she chose to go to that school, but we all know that’s a lie. I also thought that Ruri was supposed to be the same age as Kirino, but apparently Kirino is younger since she’s still in middle school.

At school, Kyousuke notices that Ruri isn’t making any friends from her class and isn’t interested in joining any clubs, so, as the loyal friend and older brother-type that he is, he decides to help her out. Together they join the game research club because Ruri is interested in making games, although she won’t really admit it.

The president of this club is someone who Kyousuke met in the alternate version of episode 12 when he went to the midnight game release for Kirino. The other members aren’t that important, with the exception of the only other female member, Sena Akagi.

Sena is essentially Kirino’s replacement for most of the OVA because she serves the same role to Ruri. The two girls eventually become friends, but neither of them will actually admit to liking each other. They also have creative differences just like Kirino and Ruri.

Throughout this OVA, Ruri, being the female lead, is also set up to be the primary romantic interest, but, as we all know, Kirino will eventually return and Ruri will be pushed aside for her instead. It’s a shame because once the romantic spotlight was cast on Ruri, I actually started liking her character a lot more.

Ruri "Kuroneko" Gokou from the Oreimo anime specials
Ruri “Kuroneko” Gokou

The latter half of the final episode of the OVA, however, is devoted to Kirino and serves to set up the second season of the anime. Kirino sends a text to Kyousuke telling him to throw away her anime collection, and another text to her father telling him to throw away her awards.

Up until this point, nobody has really heard from Kirino despite her being gone for six months. Because of this, her family is worried about her and so Kyousuke travels to America in order to figure out what’s wrong with Kirino.

Once he gets there, he discovers that she’s having a hard time adjusting to her new life because she can’t play her eroge games, and also can’t seem to beat any of the other girls at track. It’s mainly the failing at track that seems to be giving her the most stress, however, considering that’s the entire reason she went to America in the first place.

In the end, Kirino agrees to go back to Japan with Kyousuke, where she’s reunited with her friends.

New Characters

There are only two new characters who really seem to matter in this OVA. The first is the president of the game research club, Miura Gennosuke. He originally met Kyousuke at the midnight release of some siscon, eroge games that Kyousuke was buying for Kirino.

By the time Kyousuke was able to purchase the games, the final train from Akibahara had already left for the night and so he was stranded with no way to get back home. Luckily, Miura lent Kyousuke his bike because he believed that nobody who would buy the games he did could possibly be a bad person.

Miura is also apparently notably older than the rest of the students because he’s been held back so many times. One of the other club members tells him he should just graduate already, but Miura doesn’t really seem to be bothered by being held back.

The other, more major, new character of the OVA is Sena Akagi, the younger sister of Kyousuke’s friend, Kouhei Akagi. You may recall from either version of episode 12 that Kouhei was at the same midnight release as Kyousuke, but was instead buying a homoerotic game for his younger sister.

This younger sister is the one he was buying it for. Sena is obsessed with homosexual relationships, even to the point of having fantasies about all the male members of the game research club. Because of this, none of the male members of the club particularly like her despite th fact she’s one of only two female members.

She also seems to hate other otaku, despite being one herself, and also hates that her brother appears to be a siscon, despite playing up her role as the younger sister. Everything about her character conflicts with other parts of her character.

Sena Akagi from the Oreimo anime specials
Sena Akagi

Considering the second season of Oreimo appears to pick up directly from where this OVA left off, I think it’s highly likely we’ll see more of both Miura and Sena in the future.

Conclusion

The OVA was a 7/10 just like the first season of the series, and the best part was actually the exact same part as the best part of the first season. For those who aren’t aware, this is when Kyousuke and Kouhei accidentally meet up at the eroge midnight release. I’m glad that scene was left in both versions of episode 12.

Since the OP for this OVA is the same as the OP for the first season of the anime, I won’t be linking it here today.

If you enjoyed this last-minute review (I didn’t have anything to write about today, so I just watched these four episodes), then let me know in the comments below or by leaving a like. You can also follow me on Twitter or Tumblr, or subscribe to my blog via email for all your notification needs.

My review of Oreimo 2 is available here.

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