Eromanga-sensei Episode 1 [First Impression]

My non blood-related sister can’t be this cute!

Impression

Sagiri is the cutest and the best. If you’re reading this after having watched the episode, I’m sure you expected this post to start off with something along those lines. I’m sure you also expected me to be the one writing it. If you haven’t watched the episode, or are thinking of doing so and are hesitating because of the suspicious premise and don’t want to be put on a list of some sort, then don’t worry! It’s very wholesome, I promise! Nothing lewd at all!

Okay, I lied. It’s extremely lewd. Actually, everything about Eromanga-sensei should not be a surprise so long as you’re aware of its context and pedigree (or lack thereof). It’s a light novel written by Fushimi Tsukasa, whose last and most infamous work was Oreimo. That should explain everything. The main characters being a light novel author and illustrator respectively, the fetish for imoutos, the general lewdness, the awkward sibling relationship, the colour palette, the shots of Sagiri’s ass, the ClariS OP (except with only Clara because Alice has now left), and so on. Masamune even looks a little like a younger version of Kyousuke, and is just as perverted as he is (if he’s getting that excited over going into Sagiri’s room) except he’s arguably even worse because A-1 decided it was a good idea to get Matsuoka to voice him, complete with an SAO (and Haifuri) cameo during Sagiri’s livestream this episode. The main difference is that, unlike with Kyousuke and Kirino in Oreimo, Masamune and Sagiri aren’t blood-related. That tells you everything you need to know about what Eromanga-sensei is really about, and where this will end up.

This is especially true given the ending of Oreimo, which was rather infamous for various reasons. The main reason was because at first, it looked like Fushimi was fully willing to go down the pure incest route. I say ‘pure’ because Kirino and Kyousuke really were blood-related, and they really were romantically interested in each other. A cop-out ultimately happened, in that they broke off their relationship by the end of the series (and second season of the anime) even though this wasn’t what Fushimi wanted, allegedly. Rumour has it that he was forced to conclude Oreimo like that because his editor didn’t want the franchise to blatantly be promoting actual incest. Eromanga-sensei is essentially Fushimi’s answer to the Oreimo fiasco. It’s like he’s saying ‘okay, this time they’re non blood-related, and so nothing’s going to stop me from having the full incest ending that I’ve wanted all along’. In short, this is Fushimi’s revenge and will be a rehash of Oreimo. If you liked that, then watch this! If you didn’t, then… well, if you like lolis, you should still do it for Sagiri.

That’s what I’m going to do. Sagiri is a miracle of the universe. I’m familiar with the source material and didn’t hate Oreimo, but in the end I’m on board to watch Sagiri doing cute things and making cute noises. I’d cook for her. That scene where she kept trying to close the door on him was adorable. And her blushes are the cutest. I can understand why she’s embarrassed to talk about her work with Masamune in person, but there’s no denying that she’s a lewd girl. At all. It was her choice to call herself Eromanga-sensei and make a career out of that sort of thing in the first place. And she was even taking pictures of her own butt as a reference to draw from during that livestream. Not to mention the name of her blog, ‘At the Tip of the Panties’. What kind of name is that?

In general, Sagiri is also miles better than Kirino. Sagiri is stubborn and not exactly the friendliest to Masamune, but unlike Kirino she’s not an outright bitch. Remember the whole Manami thing? It makes her less realistic, I suppose, since one of the draws of Oreimo is that it depicted how thorny most real-life sibling relationships actually were (until the two started falling in love with each other, at least) but really, there’s nothing realistic about this premise to begin with. Putting aside the fact that Masamune is somehow a best-selling light novel author whilst still in middle school, you need to firmly suspend your disbelief to be okay with the very premise that his erotic illustrator is actually his shy imouto whom he’s never seen for an entire year. I’m surprised her room floor hasn’t caved in by now. Surprisingly, it was actually quite clean and tidy when Masamune visited despite the fact that she hardly ever leaves it. Does she even air that room out regularly?

Like in Oreimo, there’s also a theme somewhere in Eromanga-sensei about reconnecting with distant family members and getting to know each other again through a shared interest, while also making new friends like that Megumi girl at the end of the episode. Like in Oreimo, that shared interest happens to be something lewd. And, like in Oreimo, it’s best not to pretend that it’s going to be a theme explored to any depth in a serious and wholesome way. It’ll be there, and it may pop up to create some drama from time to time, but I think Eromanga-sensei has made itself very clear about what sort of show it is from the very outset, which is helpful for everyone who may or may not be interested in it.

I’m not sure whether I’ll cover this in the long-term. I liked the episode, and I’m not too ahead with the source material so I haven’t had the entire season spoiled for me, but it’ll depend on whether I have the time. As far as watching it is concerned, though, it’s a nice dose of cute and lewd, which is basically everything I ever wanted.

Possibility of Watching: Guaranteed
Possibility of Blogging: Unconfirmed