Thursday, September 13, 2012

Surprise Attack! Little Sister Warning!: NakaImo 9


Shougo is getting a new neighbor and an unexpected surprise. (Source: Crunchyroll)
To say this was one hell of a 'you gotta be kidding me' episode would be the understatement of the century. To toss one's hands up and say "Well, that solves everything" would be a mistake, because NakaImo is the master at pulling the rug out from underneath viewers just when everything seems obvious. But really, viewers, there is a reason the Crunchyroll official synopsis is so damn vague. The first four minutes of this episode will have your head rolling off your shoulders and banging against the floorboards in disbelief.

First things first: ladies and gentlemen? I'm pretty sure we have Imouto. Actually, I am 100% she is Imouto - and if you saw the end of the episode, you will know why.
Oh, Yuzurina. You arrived so suddenly and have pretty much sent the entire cast into a certified frenzy, most of all Shougo. So, until further notice, Yuzurina - the mysterious girl from the school meeting - is Imouto. I can hear many fans tearing up their betting sheets in frustration; it kind of feels like cheating to not have Imouto be one of the girls from episode one but this is NakaImo after all. It's rather a jerk show in that regard.
So who is Yuzurina? Someone who is keenly possessive of Shougo, for one. Enough to pluck strange hairs from his floor and sniff his sheets for the scent of other women. Yikes! And she is apparently a pervert without boundaries; she has no problem listening in on Shougo and Konoe's perverted sounding tickle fest (which was REALLY AWKWARD to watch at work, I can personally attest to that, even with headphones on). 
Her nose bleed is the nose bleed of a certified ecchi - so, like brother, like sister. Actually, it was really odd to see a perverted nose bleed for some reason? Maybe because I haven't been watching a lot of shows that involve blood reactions to sexy folks (although it probably wouldn't go wrong in Accel World at least once in a while). Still, it was totally adorable in a weird way.
Really, this was Yuzurina's episode. If you ended up not liking her, you probably could not stand this episode. Me? I have not decided one way or another, although seeing her with her glass pressed against her bedroom wall listening in on her onii-sama and his lady friend makes me lean towards more liking her than not. At least she's a somewhat interesting character; I had been worried that a new Imouto entry would have no personality. Shush, perverted Imouto who sniffs laundry is totally a personality in this kind of show.
One thing occurs to me: Sagara knows the identity of Shougo's actual imouto but doesn't seem to act that way around Yuzurina. Is Yuzurina another dead end? Because I don't think I can take another 'fake imouto' scare like we've been getting recently. And considering the result of the blood test - well, how would they explain a positive like that as a hoax? I don't even want to know the kind of science-based back pedaling involved in that process.
There were a few non-Yuzurina scenes that are worth noting, the best one being the scene at the pool. I genuinely laughed aloud when our favorite loud sensei threw her floatation device at one of her students – as well as her reaction to Shougo getting jumped by so many ladies at once, which once again involved throwing shit at people's faces. 
Plus, butts everywhere! And Sagara showing off her new uniform for Lyrical Sisters' summer season; I approve of these new outfits! Really, there was a lot of cute harmless and slightly ecchi fluff scenes that really didn't add to the story - but at least they were entertaining.
And then, after Konoe serves Shougo his dinner (and her failed attempt to deserve 'dessert', much to the chagrin of Yuzurina), we see the moment that will break apart this love triangle of Konoe, Shougo, and Miyabi when Miyabi sees Shougo and Konoe on the street, about to kiss. 
They don't, because NakaImo is a damnable tease, but it's enough to clearly upset Miyabi. What she'll do about it remains to be seen - but for those still hoping for a School Days ending, I would not count it out just yet. Just be on the look out for any nice boats.
Overall, an episode that answers a lot of questions and depending on who you wanted to be Shougo's sister, a little disappointing. Still, considering Yuzurina's pervert ways and the drama bomb dropped at the end of this episode, it should hopefully lead to some delightful harem hijinks in the next episode. Or everything goes in the direction of Higurashi and folks start dropping by flies. Your guess is as good as mine, y'all.
You can watch subbed streaming episodes of NakaImo/Who Is Imouto? onCrunchyroll.

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