Otaku Spirit has given us the very best review of Onimai which I have seen or read. I could not agree more with this analysis and the full enjoyment of this work. This is a 10/10 review without question. Onimai is a full out CGDCT and the artists took "cuteness" and nailed it to the wall. There is no perversion, but rather a standard gender-bender which Japanese artists have loved for quite a while. This trope is actually beneficial for young males because it gives them some insight into what life is like for females!
That was a main thing I forgot to really cover (man, I could go on for hours), but typically gender bend anime just falls apart after the initial punchline and it's typically just for fanservice purposes. I think the insight to young men is actually good. Glad you enjoyed the review!!
I absolutely loved this anime. Every episode was an absolute treat. While there was a lot of comedic moments, it was also so nice to see Mahiro and Mihari slowly get closer throughout the series. It absolutely warmed my heart. The characters were so funny/interesting. Honestly, this series wasn’t even on my radar, but after a while, thanks to seeing your episode review video titles for it, I checked out the first few episodes… and then I was hooked. Thank you for reviewing this series all the way to the end. I loved the series. I now have the manga on my to-read list, for whenever I need more Onimai :)
I have never cried at anime before this show and I have watched the shows known for crying but no this show was so wholesome the end scene made me cry I loved it 10/10 show
Loved how they gave a lot more life to it creds to everyone who worked on this anime, I really loved the deep story between these siblings, I really loved how they put that chapter on the last ep, it was a blast (loved the op too and ed).
8:02 to be honest that is the one thing i disliked, i mean, i get the point of it, but i think it's a bit bad if you think about it, she forced him to never do that again, and that is bad, i mean, in moderation it should be OK but because the MC trusts Mihari so much he probably never will even try that, and that is not actually healthy, and yeah, i am overthinking it, but hey, they gave the opening to think about that there, even if like i said, i kinda get the point... One thing i love about the show is the hair colors, i loved the 2 colored hair of each character, it makes them unique and that is great. This anime was awesome and it's sad to see so many anime youtubers angry that a show where the MC is a Loli is well made. Thank you for liking this show and not trying to put some sort of "moral" high standard like so many others did
@@RAYITO112 I certainly hope we're getting one, but if we are, they haven't told Nekotoufu yet (he seems like he hopes there's a second season as well).
Loved the review One correction though, the character designer for the show wasn’t Akio Watanabe but Ryo Imamura, he also worked on the Monogatari series, but also Madoka Magica, Yama no Susume, and even did animation direction for the teaser pv of Mushoku Tensei
@@ToxTalk I've been buying them for years, just don't do it very often due to the cost for instance Onimai BD sets come to $300 not including shipping or import costs.
Me when I first saw this show on a YT short: “oh it’s probably not my thing and weird but, I’ll watch a few episodes” Me after watching the whole show and reading the whole manga: *DAM IT!WHY IS IT GOOD! WHY!?*
I watched this show, beeing interested in its kinda quirky title. And I absolutely loved it. Which I did not expect while starting it as the premise is normally not something I like. The show however is just so much fun and the way its told is masterfull!
I loved it... I read the manga before they announced the anime and I was happy it got an adaptation. I was afraid they would focus too much on the perv side when I knew it was Mushoku Tensei studio, but they nailed it, by far I prefer the anime to the manga. However, I miss the MMO scene and I hope for a 2nd season.
Man what a rollercoaster year. Between Do It Yourself in Fall '22, MagiRevo, Witch From Mercury and Onimai, it been a packed year. I've never been one to be on tender hooks waiting for a show to release its next episode, but I was this time. Caught myself every week going "which episode is coming out today?"! Loved ever minute of it. 😁
It's extremely rare that I love an anime this much. I watch a lot and I like a lot, but some shows hit different. I actually rewatched a ton of the episodes as I waited for the next one to come out and I read the manga - I even got the physical volumes, because there's a german print version. Onimai hits a lot of topics that resonate with me, but it uses this to make you relate to the characters that do cute things, rather than to tell some hard-hitting psychological story. I for example related a lot to Mihari's and Mahiro's growing apart and growing closer again, because I too had a strained relationship with my sister. Or Miyo's insecurities because of her not so pure hobby - I've been there. I'm not usually one for the "cute girls doing cute things" genre, but because I could relate to all the characters in some way, it ended up becoming a regular comfort read and/or watch. The anime taking the concept and running with it means I get two different but enjoyable versions of the same story, which is fun. I like all the characters, but over time, Mihari definitely became my favorite. My first impression of her was this typical sassy, kind of rude personality that pig-tail anime characters often get, but she's such a softie that she starts bawling whenever Mahiro makes progress and it's my favorite thing.
I'll admit, I don't watch anime frequently and I also struggle to complete series, but I've finished it and it's my favourite. Yes, there was a bit of ecchi here and there but the more I saw ONIMAI, the more I began to appreciate it. Probably because I love cute things (as it kinda falls into the CGDCT genre, the one that I think kinda blends me better), but also because it has a lot of wholesome and comedic moments. I won't hide the fact that at the end it moved me. And the cool but sad thing is that if it wasn't for a TH-cam video, I would've not even watched it. I didn't expect it, but I'll give ONIMAI a vote of 10/10. Needless to say that some day I'll rewatch it, maybe even tomorrow, who knows?
I watched the Christmas and Onsen episodes multiple times and picked up new details each time. Such a wonderfully animated show. Also all the touching Mahiro and Mihari scenes had me tearing up. Loved this series!
I just finished watching this on Crunchyroll. For a “veteran” anime watcher I would also recommend this. I agree that the themes did not distract from the fun story telling. (Crunchyroll has the global version so there are censored scenes. But that didn’t detract from the story. ) I love the show because it made me laugh and had cute moments. I like how he had a different outfit on each episode. Nice details. (I didn’t read the manga) The ED is a fun art style change.
"I like how he had a different outfit on each episode. Nice details. (I didn’t read the manga)" He still changes outfit all the time in the manga, but his hairstyle is almost always just his natural look, which I personally prefer anyway.
i agree with most if nto all of the things you said about the show, but you forgot to mention one thing...THE OP AND ED GO HARD AF, like those are some serious bangers
I LOVE this show, I feel like most people won't be able to look past the controversial parts of it but I've now watched it 3 times over and it's a great story, I hope for a season 2 even tho I don’t have my hopes up for it
10/10 anime, in fact it was rated the best anime in Japan when it was airing (not even joking, you can Google this to verify it’s true). It was more of a surprise to Asian anime fans when we found out it wasn’t nearly as popular as it is here…
Honestly I'm kind of glad they skipped the amnesia chapter? Not only does it not do much to advance Mahiro's character development, but in hindsight it seems really out of character for the same Mihari who burst into tears of concern at Mahiro's "mysterious stomach pains" to NOT immediately take Mahiro to the hospital to get his head injury checked out. And while I would love to see a second season someday, my biggest apprehension at the moment is that I can't think of any chapters in the later manga that seem like they would make for a suitable season finale...
I actually found out about the manga at the end of last year. I instantly fell in love with the character designs and when I read that it's about a guy being turned into a girl, I was even more interested. So I bought the first 3 volumes and before I finished them, the 4th one released, so I got that too (these are the German releases btw). Then I found out that in a couple of months an anime adaptation will come. I was super hyped for it since I loved the manga so much. Sadly I'm not able to watch it on CR so I had to find other ways, but if it will release on DVD then I'll buy it for sure. I tend to get behind on seasonal anime often if it's not somethin like MHA, Demon slayer or Made in Abyss but Onimai was also a series where I had to watch every episode as soon as possible. At first I was confused about the character desings since the seemed to be more complicated than the simple manga designs and I thought if they change them, they generally make characters easier to animate. Well they not only made more complex designs, they animated them really well. I mean I don't know when I've seen such fluent animation in a regular anime before. lol The opening and the ending are fun, I even enjoyed the soundtrack in the background (when I reread the manga, I'll listen to the actual OST) and the voices were great too. Though I was sure that Asahi would fit perfectly the VA, that Mahiro got in the actual anime. I mean she did voice characters that are like Asahi before. But the VA they got for Asahi fits pretty good too. At the end of the last episode they also showed a blue haired character which hasn't appeared before in the anime (I don't remember how much she appeared in the manga) so I'm guessing they want to do another season or they keep the door open for it. Hopefully whoever makes the decision, decides to give this series another season. Please don't let it end up like 2 other series I love: Girls last tour and School-live.
I loved it, it's an easy AOTS for me. The only real problem is that I can't imagine a happy ending for the story, so all that's left it to believe in Nekotofu.
Really nice review. I need to go finish the anime. With so many shows I ended up letting this fall off until I could catch up. I do love it when studios improve on the source material. I had read some of the first manga of this series before the anime released.
Great review! I love this anime and it’s my favorite of the season. I never would have checked it out were it not for your enthusiastic review of its early episodes. Thank you for introducing this wonderful show to me.
I met one guy in a comment section of a clip of this anime who said this anime is "hypocritical" because the boys are as cute as Mahiro he gets questioned by pure logic and deletes his comment only to post it again lmao
I made a joke on some anitubers video about Crunchyroll ditching best boy/girl so they wouldn't get in hot water this year over Mahiro. Now that it is finished this seems more like a nostradamian prediction. On another note. I started to not look up staff on new anime so i don't set too high of expectations but Poyoyon Rocked so hard on the OP. This was a Doga Kobo CGDCT show on steroids!
I really enjoy this show, but I know so many people who would love the story but anyone I try to show it to turns it down because it’s anime, because it’s sub and not dub, and especially because the first two episodes have some ‘interesting’ visuals.
I feel like the pacing at the beginning of the anime was a bit slow, like there was quite the pause between dialogues. But with each and every new episode, I've noticed that it has improved significantly. At first I was a bit disappointed by the adaptation because I loved the manga, but over time my opinion began to change and now I absolutely love this anime, especially the later episodes.
I really enjoyed this show. The only (not exactly negative) thing I would say is that it’s over. I didn’t want this to end. I got drawn into their world. Very heartwarming and loving relationships really pull on the heart strings. It would be great if there were a second season. How many volumes of the manga are there? Thanks for the excellent review. I’m subscribed to this TH-cam channel and I listen to the podcast as well.
I loved the art style very very much. I liked its wholesomeness, color palette, and incredible way it animated motion/movement that felt realistic in a way I've never seen another anime achieve. I liked that it wasn't overtly sexual or fan servicey even though there was some sprinkled in that I could do without. I thought the comedy was a touch flat or underwhelming at times (not always) which made the pacing feel quite slow and because of that I wouldn't put it as AOTY or AOTS, but I still enjoyed the show. I struggled between giving it a 7 or 8/10. If it was paced better I probably would have given it an 8 or 9 but taste is obv subjective. It did so many things almost perfectly but overall I felt it lacked something that I couldn't put my finger on. I wasn't scrambling to hit next between episodes and maybe I was wanting it to do that for me, I'm not sure. Very good review imo. One little correction though is that Miyo is a himejoshi, not a fujoshi. Fujoshi is a girl that likes yaoi; Miyo likes yuri.
What hypes me most about this show is that it shows studio bind is still top tier, which gives me extra hope that mushoku season 2 will be as amazing as season 1
Loved Onimai. In fact seeing one of your videos about it was how I found this channel. Subscribed now as I thought this was a great take. I agree, if nothing this show was a master class in how to adapt manga to anime. A silly gag webcomic honestly has no right to be this good. I am going to have to go back and re-read the manga but it really seems they kept the heart of the plot, but added depth. Also the amount of emoting and emotion they showed was out of this world. The mall scene in episode 9 is hands down one of my favorite pieces of animation I have seen. The focus on the quiet characters using just the music and camera angles to tell the story was so good. Music, it had such a great opening and closing songs. Such ear worms.
Excellent show, beautiful, well thought, master class from Studio Bind. My only problem is the censored version that came to us... it was in my opinion, a lack of respect for us watchers out of Japan.
Yeah, I really didn't want to get into the global censorship as it's not really the choice of the creator or the animators. It's still available, just a problem of distribution.
@@otakuspirit I understand why you didn't mentioned it. I just felt let down, such a good job from the animators and the distributors mess up with their perfect job.
While I may not be the target audience for shows like this, I can definitely approve when anime adaptations are done right, which sadly not every anime studio does.
Onimai vs Mushoku Tensei S2 for AotY? Now that's spicy! However I prefer to view it as I imagine it is intended by Bind, two equal and complementary servings, both packed full of heart from the animators filled with great character moments
And both will get snuffed by Crunchyroll Anime Awards (lol!). Can't wait for summer though! The thought of bind going up against itself is interesting!
My favorite show of last season just a wonderful show Kaede is best girl of the season i love her so much i really want a bluray set for this show in my collection.
This was the only anime I watched this season and I loved it. Most anime doesn't interest me. For one to get my attention there has to be something about it. I'm going to be honest even I'm not fully sure what makes me love Onimai so much, but I know it has it in spades. Legit one of the few anime I can say I love. Not like, LOVE. Only others I can say that for being Dragon Maid and Nichijou. Read the manga just before the anime came out and really liked it. BIND went above and beyond for the anime. It's just sad it seems to be frowned on in the west, but from what I've been hearing Japanese fans seems to love it so hopefully we get a second season so we can get Nayuta. Loved the anime so much I pre-ordered the Mahiro Nendoroid and I've never cared for figures.
I went into this anime after seeing alot of the gifs people posted and when I read the synopsis I was like "welp, I feel like watching a trashy anime so why not", I was expecting to watch Eromanga sensei 2 or something really awful and laugh at it in a "so bad it's good" sorta thing. G O D, I am SO SO HAPPY I was completely in the wrong, I just LOVE this show, it is so sincere, it is so heartwarming, and I'd say it is very innocent it many ways in what it shows, I absolutely adored it and there are many scenes where I could relate so much on it. Be it in the relationship Mahiro has with his sister or his relationship to Kaede and to her own friends. There were many things about it that hit me on a personal level and honestly, I am so happy that it exists, I too am hoping for a second season. This has got to be one of my favorite animes this season, no doubt.
I really enjoyed this anime, especially the fact that they didn’t take the pervy route with the metamorphosis of the MC A very wholesome watch. Loved it !
I could not agree with this review more this anime is without a doubt 10/10 and it's without a doubt AOTY for me at least as I can't see any future anime this year beating this for me :) I loved this anime start to finish all of the characters were great there wasn't a single character I disliked which is pretty rare for me as almost every anime I have watched over the years usually has at least one I don't like but with this anime I loved them all, its just so cute and heartwarming especially Mahiro's character he is just perfect and the relationship he has with Mihari through out the series is just amazing even when they are teasing each other I couldn't help but smile at how much I loved the 2 of them together through out the entire series :) I also loved the anime's opening & endings its probably the only anime I have ever watched from hundreds of different ones I have seen over the years that I actually watched every opening and ending in each episode and never skipped even one even after seeing it half a dozen times in each episode, You can really tell that the studio had a lot of fun with the show especially in the opening & ending, I really do hope that this anime gets a season 2 one day as I really do need more Onimai in my life :)
Hmmm i fin loved it i find the "brother" sister interaction very interesting when mihari sees mahiro learn and talk with others and than she feels bad and happy at the same time Btw is there more of the source material left ?
The manga is still ongoing, so yes. The anime got about halfway through what there is of the manga, except they also skipped some things (and re-ordered others).
I'm going to nitpick for a second, Miyo is not a fujoshi, she's a himejoshi. Fujushis like yaoi himejoshis like yuri. As far as character tropes go, they're very similar but there are differences.
This is just my favorite anime after Aot because it's so cute and comfy it is just a chill anime that makes fun to watch and because of that its my second best anime
"He's always been a shut-in. He spent his entire life really just cooped up in his room." That's untrue. He started to get like this when Mihari started to really overachieve and people started looking to him like he should be doing that, too. All of the "controversies" were derived from baseless assumptions and intentional misinformation. Of course the series never goes too far. "the change in his taste" I don't think his tastes really changed, it's just that he now has the opportunity to explore those tastes either because of societal expectations or because he himself feels it's appropriate to do so since he's playing the role of a girl. "I like taking care of myself now" I dunno about that part. He's just gotten back into the habits. "change in taste for eroge stuff" ... was a one-off gag. "Mihari almost uses the excuse of his change to sort of bring him out of that shell." Almost? That was _the entire point to it in the first place._ "he's seeing this as something that he, personally, likes more." Something I appreciate about this series is that Mahiro isn't just kicked out of the hobbies he already enjoyed. He still likes them, but he _also_ likes this social element, too. "Again, he's becoming what he's been changed into. He's becoming a girl" You say that as if he wasn't that way before and as if guys can't be that way and have to be predatory monsters. Mihari loved her onii-chan enough to do all this for him for a reason. He's kind, thoughtful, and helpful. Hell, one of my problems with the anime was changing it so that Mihari helps Momiji with her math while Mahiro just thinks of himself instead of Mahiro going around the table to help her himself. So basically half this video was "Man, Studio Bind did such a great job turning this crappy, basic-ass manga into something actually worth a damn!". Huge disrespect to the mangaka and not a great look for you.
The only negative about this show it's over. No 2nd season announced. Jokes aside, I love Onimai. That's it. No words can describe how I feel about the manga and the anime.
This anime made me like Miko-Chan's so much more!! While I usually am very uncomfortable with girls like that, I like her animated reactions so much!! ✨😁✨
Why am i thinking that even IF somehow Clover Works takes Onimai it will be close to being good or even as good as what Studio Binds did at Onimai becoz after Spy x Family and Bocchi the Rock i feel that it will be as good as both of their latest works
I love this anime but I’m having troubles recommending it because of the controversy and people might think I’m weird even though they didn’t actually check it out
Just tell them not to watch any out of context scenes and not check out any reviews. Watch the anime from start to finish then give your thoughts. That's how i do it
Onimai is super cute, it's educational, and mostly wholesome! I definitely reccomend this anime for people who want a nice change of pace from isekai anime or romance and the like. 10 out of 10 if you can avoid the intro and ignore the partial nudity Edit: I absolutely LOVE this anime!!! ❤
I have two things I don't like about Onimai anime: all the extra fanservice, and some added scenes that don't land well (or changed scenes that don't land as well as original versions). But even with that in mind, it's still a strong 9. Love this anime. Love the manga. Waiting for season 2.
I am a trans girl and I absolutely love this show. It shows so, so, so many relatable things in regards to the MTF transition, and the hikikomori-to-socialite transition, both of which happened to me at the same time too...
I actually jumped in cus I saw so many trans folk talk about how much they loved the show, and I figured it looked super cute (Not me being mentally 6, having colourful art styles entertain me) and yeah, I totally get it. Honestly, I'm surprised more people don't read it in a trans way even if that's not the author's intention, because at least how the anime presents it, it VERY MUCH feels like one.
Watching this anime was like watching someone's egg crack in real time, and it was very fun to watch. I was a bit surprised when it suddenly became a cgdgt anime, but I thoroughly enjoyed it enough to read the manga
Even more reason for Japanese to GateKeep their country away from Western companies. Anime Studios need to understand that they need to cater to their fans, NOT Western Countries sensibilities.
Perhaps some works cater to Western tastes, but they never pander to Western mainstream viewpoints. They don't even pander to Japanese mainstream viewpoints. I will say something harsh: I hope that Western streaming services can invest more money in anime studios, so that they can produce more anime that caters to otaku tastes.
@@ToxTalk I do agree that Western Streaming Services can invest more money into Anime Studios so they can produce more Anime that caters to Otaku tastes. However this will need to come from those who understand Japanese Entertainment Culture first and foremost. So I can't trust SONY and I can't trust Netflix even if Netflix has been closer than others. Whoever ends up owning Sentai Filmworks in the next few years needs to also understand this too,
for me anime was cute and i really liked it but compared to manga it had certain "improvements" that kept it from being even better and that is too much in your face fanservice where it needed none, mostly concerning kaede and miyo. not to mention english title is just plain wrong as it would be closer as you no longer a brother or fan literal translation older broder is done for another season would be nice though People lobe broken unemotional characters and nayuta would most likely gather some audience of her own
Its just so comfy, im absolutely in love with the pastel color palette
I really hope for season 2
Otaku Spirit has given us the very best review of Onimai which I have seen or read. I could not agree more with this analysis and the full enjoyment of this work. This is a 10/10 review without question. Onimai is a full out CGDCT and the artists took "cuteness" and nailed it to the wall. There is no perversion, but rather a standard gender-bender which Japanese artists have loved for quite a while. This trope is actually beneficial for young males because it gives them some insight into what life is like for females!
That was a main thing I forgot to really cover (man, I could go on for hours), but typically gender bend anime just falls apart after the initial punchline and it's typically just for fanservice purposes. I think the insight to young men is actually good. Glad you enjoyed the review!!
I absolutely loved this anime. Every episode was an absolute treat. While there was a lot of comedic moments, it was also so nice to see Mahiro and Mihari slowly get closer throughout the series. It absolutely warmed my heart. The characters were so funny/interesting.
Honestly, this series wasn’t even on my radar, but after a while, thanks to seeing your episode review video titles for it, I checked out the first few episodes… and then I was hooked. Thank you for reviewing this series all the way to the end. I loved the series.
I now have the manga on my to-read list, for whenever I need more Onimai :)
My job is complete! Salute!
Seriously, I can't help but to smile watching Onimai. It only took me one episode to get invested in Mahiro and Mihari.
I have never cried at anime before this show and I have watched the shows known for crying but no this show was so wholesome the end scene made me cry I loved it 10/10 show
Loved how they gave a lot more life to it creds to everyone who worked on this anime, I really loved the deep story between these siblings, I really loved how they put that chapter on the last ep, it was a blast (loved the op too and ed).
Watch them every time!
8:02 to be honest that is the one thing i disliked, i mean, i get the point of it, but i think it's a bit bad if you think about it, she forced him to never do that again, and that is bad, i mean, in moderation it should be OK but because the MC trusts Mihari so much he probably never will even try that, and that is not actually healthy, and yeah, i am overthinking it, but hey, they gave the opening to think about that there, even if like i said, i kinda get the point...
One thing i love about the show is the hair colors, i loved the 2 colored hair of each character, it makes them unique and that is great.
This anime was awesome and it's sad to see so many anime youtubers angry that a show where the MC is a Loli is well made.
Thank you for liking this show and not trying to put some sort of "moral" high standard like so many others did
Absolutely loved it. Read the manga starting years ago, And when it got its announcement knew it would be good, but not THIS masterpiece.
I totally read the last part wrong lol. Glad you loved it!
The whole production had a passion while adapting this show this is art
Imagine what studio BIND could be capable of? They did onimai in between the production of mushoku S2.
I'm most sertan we're getting S2 for onimai
@@RAYITO112 I certainly hope we're getting one, but if we are, they haven't told Nekotoufu yet (he seems like he hopes there's a second season as well).
Loved the review
One correction though, the character designer for the show wasn’t Akio Watanabe but Ryo Imamura, he also worked on the Monogatari series, but also Madoka Magica, Yama no Susume, and even did animation direction for the teaser pv of Mushoku Tensei
It is definitely my favourite show of the season, I've even ordered the BD sets from Japan which I rarely do due to their prices.
True fan! I bow to your dedication!
I am glad to see the overseas BD market expanding.
@@ToxTalk I've been buying them for years, just don't do it very often due to the cost for instance Onimai BD sets come to $300 not including shipping or import costs.
@@CommanderZx2 Ouch, I am tempted but ouch. Will have to wait and hope for an NA release.
Me when I first saw this show on a YT short: “oh it’s probably not my thing and weird but, I’ll watch a few episodes”
Me after watching the whole show and reading the whole manga: *DAM IT!WHY IS IT GOOD! WHY!?*
I watched this show, beeing interested in its kinda quirky title. And I absolutely loved it. Which I did not expect while starting it as the premise is normally not something I like. The show however is just so much fun and the way its told is masterfull!
I loved it... I read the manga before they announced the anime and I was happy it got an adaptation. I was afraid they would focus too much on the perv side when I knew it was Mushoku Tensei studio, but they nailed it, by far I prefer the anime to the manga. However, I miss the MMO scene and I hope for a 2nd season.
The moment everyone freaked out in the game over his voice I thought "Yeeeeep, that would happen" lol!
Man what a rollercoaster year. Between Do It Yourself in Fall '22, MagiRevo, Witch From Mercury and Onimai, it been a packed year. I've never been one to be on tender hooks waiting for a show to release its next episode, but I was this time. Caught myself every week going "which episode is coming out today?"! Loved ever minute of it. 😁
I love the vibrant pastel color environment of the anime
I would kill for a Second season of this Anime
If someone contacts you with a name, don't answer it!!! It's the fbi!
haha
9:30 Also my experience with what you'd call a real life "gyaru".
It's extremely rare that I love an anime this much. I watch a lot and I like a lot, but some shows hit different. I actually rewatched a ton of the episodes as I waited for the next one to come out and I read the manga - I even got the physical volumes, because there's a german print version. Onimai hits a lot of topics that resonate with me, but it uses this to make you relate to the characters that do cute things, rather than to tell some hard-hitting psychological story. I for example related a lot to Mihari's and Mahiro's growing apart and growing closer again, because I too had a strained relationship with my sister. Or Miyo's insecurities because of her not so pure hobby - I've been there. I'm not usually one for the "cute girls doing cute things" genre, but because I could relate to all the characters in some way, it ended up becoming a regular comfort read and/or watch. The anime taking the concept and running with it means I get two different but enjoyable versions of the same story, which is fun.
I like all the characters, but over time, Mihari definitely became my favorite. My first impression of her was this typical sassy, kind of rude personality that pig-tail anime characters often get, but she's such a softie that she starts bawling whenever Mahiro makes progress and it's my favorite thing.
You sold me on watching this.
I'll admit, I don't watch anime frequently and I also struggle to complete series, but I've finished it and it's my favourite. Yes, there was a bit of ecchi here and there but the more I saw ONIMAI, the more I began to appreciate it. Probably because I love cute things (as it kinda falls into the CGDCT genre, the one that I think kinda blends me better), but also because it has a lot of wholesome and comedic moments. I won't hide the fact that at the end it moved me. And the cool but sad thing is that if it wasn't for a TH-cam video, I would've not even watched it. I didn't expect it, but I'll give ONIMAI a vote of 10/10. Needless to say that some day I'll rewatch it, maybe even tomorrow, who knows?
I watched the Christmas and Onsen episodes multiple times and picked up new details each time. Such a wonderfully animated show. Also all the touching Mahiro and Mihari scenes had me tearing up. Loved this series!
I just finished watching this on Crunchyroll. For a “veteran” anime watcher I would also recommend this. I agree that the themes did not distract from the fun story telling.
(Crunchyroll has the global version so there are censored scenes. But that didn’t detract from the story. )
I love the show because it made me laugh and had cute moments. I like how he had a different outfit on each episode. Nice details. (I didn’t read the manga)
The ED is a fun art style change.
"I like how he had a different outfit on each episode. Nice details. (I didn’t read the manga)" He still changes outfit all the time in the manga, but his hairstyle is almost always just his natural look, which I personally prefer anyway.
i agree with most if nto all of the things you said about the show, but you forgot to mention one thing...THE OP AND ED GO HARD AF, like those are some serious bangers
I LOVE this show, I feel like most people won't be able to look past the controversial parts of it but I've now watched it 3 times over and it's a great story, I hope for a season 2 even tho I don’t have my hopes up for it
"I'm surrounded by teenage girls, I must resist the temptation"
Yeah that line was a masterclass, 10/10
Thank you for your suggestion. Just binged the whole season during new years and it was absolutely wholesome.
10/10 anime, in fact it was rated the best anime in Japan when it was airing (not even joking, you can Google this to verify it’s true). It was more of a surprise to Asian anime fans when we found out it wasn’t nearly as popular as it is here…
Honestly I'm kind of glad they skipped the amnesia chapter? Not only does it not do much to advance Mahiro's character development, but in hindsight it seems really out of character for the same Mihari who burst into tears of concern at Mahiro's "mysterious stomach pains" to NOT immediately take Mahiro to the hospital to get his head injury checked out.
And while I would love to see a second season someday, my biggest apprehension at the moment is that I can't think of any chapters in the later manga that seem like they would make for a suitable season finale...
Tbf, it's not confirmed it won't show up, the anime has been re-ordering stuff a ton after all.
I loved this anime, too. I really hope they give it a second season.
I actually found out about the manga at the end of last year. I instantly fell in love with the character designs and when I read that it's about a guy being turned into a girl, I was even more interested. So I bought the first 3 volumes and before I finished them, the 4th one released, so I got that too (these are the German releases btw). Then I found out that in a couple of months an anime adaptation will come. I was super hyped for it since I loved the manga so much. Sadly I'm not able to watch it on CR so I had to find other ways, but if it will release on DVD then I'll buy it for sure. I tend to get behind on seasonal anime often if it's not somethin like MHA, Demon slayer or Made in Abyss but Onimai was also a series where I had to watch every episode as soon as possible. At first I was confused about the character desings since the seemed to be more complicated than the simple manga designs and I thought if they change them, they generally make characters easier to animate. Well they not only made more complex designs, they animated them really well. I mean I don't know when I've seen such fluent animation in a regular anime before. lol The opening and the ending are fun, I even enjoyed the soundtrack in the background (when I reread the manga, I'll listen to the actual OST) and the voices were great too. Though I was sure that Asahi would fit perfectly the VA, that Mahiro got in the actual anime. I mean she did voice characters that are like Asahi before. But the VA they got for Asahi fits pretty good too.
At the end of the last episode they also showed a blue haired character which hasn't appeared before in the anime (I don't remember how much she appeared in the manga) so I'm guessing they want to do another season or they keep the door open for it. Hopefully whoever makes the decision, decides to give this series another season. Please don't let it end up like 2 other series I love: Girls last tour and School-live.
"a blue haired character which hasn't appeared before in the anime (I don't remember how much she appeared in the manga)" Nayuta joins the main cast.
I loved it, it's an easy AOTS for me. The only real problem is that I can't imagine a happy ending for the story, so all that's left it to believe in Nekotofu.
Really nice review. I need to go finish the anime. With so many shows I ended up letting this fall off until I could catch up. I do love it when studios improve on the source material. I had read some of the first manga of this series before the anime released.
Great review! I love this anime and it’s my favorite of the season. I never would have checked it out were it not for your enthusiastic review of its early episodes. Thank you for introducing this wonderful show to me.
This is an example of what adaptations should be like, it elevated the original work in every single aspect, easily AOTY contender for me
Remember everyone, don't be sad that its over but rather happy that it happened
i fucking love onimai!!
I met one guy in a comment section of a clip of this anime who said this anime is "hypocritical" because the boys are as cute as Mahiro
he gets questioned by pure logic and deletes his comment only to post it again lmao
That one person has been copy/pasting comments like that onto videos for _literally years._ It's crazy.
@@BloodrealmX wait, really? I need to know more lol
@@the8bitclicker_193 I've seen their comments with "3 years ago" and stuff.
@@BloodrealmX Jesus that's some dedication
I made a joke on some anitubers video about Crunchyroll ditching best boy/girl so they wouldn't get in hot water this year over Mahiro. Now that it is finished this seems more like a nostradamian prediction. On another note. I started to not look up staff on new anime so i don't set too high of expectations but Poyoyon Rocked so hard on the OP. This was a Doga Kobo CGDCT show on steroids!
Mahiro would win both anyways.
I really enjoy this show, but I know so many people who would love the story but anyone I try to show it to turns it down because it’s anime, because it’s sub and not dub, and especially because the first two episodes have some ‘interesting’ visuals.
The visuals in the first episodes helped draw me in. Watching Mahiro enjoy being cute in episode 1 hit me right in the feels.
You summed up pretty much everything I wanted to say too, happy you liked it too
I so want another season of Onimai, one of the slice of life animes I've seen
I feel like the pacing at the beginning of the anime was a bit slow, like there was quite the pause between dialogues. But with each and every new episode, I've noticed that it has improved significantly. At first I was a bit disappointed by the adaptation because I loved the manga, but over time my opinion began to change and now I absolutely love this anime, especially the later episodes.
I really enjoyed this show. The only (not exactly negative) thing I would say is that it’s over. I didn’t want this to end. I got drawn into their world. Very heartwarming and loving relationships really pull on the heart strings. It would be great if there were a second season. How many volumes of the manga are there? Thanks for the excellent review. I’m subscribed to this TH-cam channel and I listen to the podcast as well.
I loved the art style very very much. I liked its wholesomeness, color palette, and incredible way it animated motion/movement that felt realistic in a way I've never seen another anime achieve. I liked that it wasn't overtly sexual or fan servicey even though there was some sprinkled in that I could do without. I thought the comedy was a touch flat or underwhelming at times (not always) which made the pacing feel quite slow and because of that I wouldn't put it as AOTY or AOTS, but I still enjoyed the show. I struggled between giving it a 7 or 8/10. If it was paced better I probably would have given it an 8 or 9 but taste is obv subjective. It did so many things almost perfectly but overall I felt it lacked something that I couldn't put my finger on. I wasn't scrambling to hit next between episodes and maybe I was wanting it to do that for me, I'm not sure.
Very good review imo. One little correction though is that Miyo is a himejoshi, not a fujoshi. Fujoshi is a girl that likes yaoi; Miyo likes yuri.
i fuckin ADORE this show man
i still can't believe how stacked Miyo is
What hypes me most about this show is that it shows studio bind is still top tier, which gives me extra hope that mushoku season 2 will be as amazing as season 1
Really loved this anime, I really hope there will be another season!
You got 2 things wrong, Mahiro didn't spend his entire life cooped up in his room, just part of it. And Miyo isn't a fujoshi.
Loved Onimai. In fact seeing one of your videos about it was how I found this channel. Subscribed now as I thought this was a great take. I agree, if nothing this show was a master class in how to adapt manga to anime. A silly gag webcomic honestly has no right to be this good. I am going to have to go back and re-read the manga but it really seems they kept the heart of the plot, but added depth. Also the amount of emoting and emotion they showed was out of this world. The mall scene in episode 9 is hands down one of my favorite pieces of animation I have seen. The focus on the quiet characters using just the music and camera angles to tell the story was so good. Music, it had such a great opening and closing songs. Such ear worms.
Excellent show, beautiful, well thought, master class from Studio Bind.
My only problem is the censored version that came to us... it was in my opinion, a lack of respect for us watchers out of Japan.
Yeah, I really didn't want to get into the global censorship as it's not really the choice of the creator or the animators. It's still available, just a problem of distribution.
@@otakuspirit I understand why you didn't mentioned it. I just felt let down, such a good job from the animators and the distributors mess up with their perfect job.
I got pleasantly surprised from this show. I expected something different I can't complain tho. Very enjoyable anime.
While I may not be the target audience for shows like this, I can definitely approve when anime adaptations are done right, which sadly not every anime studio does.
Yeah. It's sad because its a great concept, the animation is lovely and everything is done well, but I just can't. I really can't stomach cutesy stuff
Onimai vs Mushoku Tensei S2 for AotY? Now that's spicy! However I prefer to view it as I imagine it is intended by Bind, two equal and complementary servings, both packed full of heart from the animators filled with great character moments
And both will get snuffed by Crunchyroll Anime Awards (lol!). Can't wait for summer though! The thought of bind going up against itself is interesting!
My favorite show of last season just a wonderful show Kaede is best girl of the season i love her so much i really want a bluray set for this show in my collection.
This was the only anime I watched this season and I loved it. Most anime doesn't interest me. For one to get my attention there has to be something about it. I'm going to be honest even I'm not fully sure what makes me love Onimai so much, but I know it has it in spades. Legit one of the few anime I can say I love. Not like, LOVE. Only others I can say that for being Dragon Maid and Nichijou. Read the manga just before the anime came out and really liked it. BIND went above and beyond for the anime. It's just sad it seems to be frowned on in the west, but from what I've been hearing Japanese fans seems to love it so hopefully we get a second season so we can get Nayuta. Loved the anime so much I pre-ordered the Mahiro Nendoroid and I've never cared for figures.
Stil... waiting for season 2..
@@JU4IE Me too🙏😭
I went into this anime after seeing alot of the gifs people posted and when I read the synopsis I was like "welp, I feel like watching a trashy anime so why not", I was expecting to watch Eromanga sensei 2 or something really awful and laugh at it in a "so bad it's good" sorta thing.
G O D, I am SO SO HAPPY I was completely in the wrong, I just LOVE this show, it is so sincere, it is so heartwarming, and I'd say it is very innocent it many ways in what it shows, I absolutely adored it and there are many scenes where I could relate so much on it. Be it in the relationship Mahiro has with his sister or his relationship to Kaede and to her own friends. There were many things about it that hit me on a personal level and honestly, I am so happy that it exists, I too am hoping for a second season. This has got to be one of my favorite animes this season, no doubt.
I really enjoyed this anime, especially the fact that they didn’t take the pervy route with the metamorphosis of the MC
A very wholesome watch. Loved it !
Lol I liked the part where he apologised to his own reflection in the bathroom. It was funny
I could not agree with this review more this anime is without a doubt 10/10 and it's without a doubt AOTY for me at least as I can't see any future anime this year beating this for me :) I loved this anime start to finish all of the characters were great there wasn't a single character I disliked which is pretty rare for me as almost every anime I have watched over the years usually has at least one I don't like but with this anime I loved them all, its just so cute and heartwarming especially Mahiro's character he is just perfect and the relationship he has with Mihari through out the series is just amazing even when they are teasing each other I couldn't help but smile at how much I loved the 2 of them together through out the entire series :)
I also loved the anime's opening & endings its probably the only anime I have ever watched from hundreds of different ones I have seen over the years that I actually watched every opening and ending in each episode and never skipped even one even after seeing it half a dozen times in each episode, You can really tell that the studio had a lot of fun with the show especially in the opening & ending, I really do hope that this anime gets a season 2 one day as I really do need more Onimai in my life :)
Hmmm i fin loved it i find the "brother" sister interaction very interesting when mihari sees mahiro learn and talk with others and than she feels bad and happy at the same time
Btw is there more of the source material left ?
The manga is still ongoing, so yes. The anime got about halfway through what there is of the manga, except they also skipped some things (and re-ordered others).
I just hope that the fact they put “THE END” twice at the end of the finale doesn’t mean that they already decided that they’re not making a season 2.
this anime is legit so good like it gives me confidence to better myself very epic 10/10
I'm going to nitpick for a second, Miyo is not a fujoshi, she's a himejoshi. Fujushis like yaoi himejoshis like yuri. As far as character tropes go, they're very similar but there are differences.
This is just my favorite anime after Aot because it's so cute and comfy it is just a chill anime that makes fun to watch and because of that its my second best anime
"He's always been a shut-in. He spent his entire life really just cooped up in his room." That's untrue. He started to get like this when Mihari started to really overachieve and people started looking to him like he should be doing that, too.
All of the "controversies" were derived from baseless assumptions and intentional misinformation. Of course the series never goes too far.
"the change in his taste" I don't think his tastes really changed, it's just that he now has the opportunity to explore those tastes either because of societal expectations or because he himself feels it's appropriate to do so since he's playing the role of a girl.
"I like taking care of myself now" I dunno about that part. He's just gotten back into the habits.
"change in taste for eroge stuff" ... was a one-off gag.
"Mihari almost uses the excuse of his change to sort of bring him out of that shell." Almost? That was _the entire point to it in the first place._
"he's seeing this as something that he, personally, likes more." Something I appreciate about this series is that Mahiro isn't just kicked out of the hobbies he already enjoyed. He still likes them, but he _also_ likes this social element, too.
"Again, he's becoming what he's been changed into. He's becoming a girl" You say that as if he wasn't that way before and as if guys can't be that way and have to be predatory monsters. Mihari loved her onii-chan enough to do all this for him for a reason. He's kind, thoughtful, and helpful. Hell, one of my problems with the anime was changing it so that Mihari helps Momiji with her math while Mahiro just thinks of himself instead of Mahiro going around the table to help her himself.
So basically half this video was "Man, Studio Bind did such a great job turning this crappy, basic-ass manga into something actually worth a damn!". Huge disrespect to the mangaka and not a great look for you.
The only negative about this show it's over. No 2nd season announced. Jokes aside, I love Onimai. That's it. No words can describe how I feel about the manga and the anime.
This anime made me like Miko-Chan's so much more!! While I usually am very uncomfortable with girls like that, I like her animated reactions so much!! ✨😁✨
Why am i thinking that even IF somehow Clover Works takes Onimai it will be close to being good or even as good as what Studio Binds did at Onimai becoz after Spy x Family and Bocchi the Rock i feel that it will be as good as both of their latest works
It is a masterpiece and it is a whole some anime to watch
Well I love it and nobody can stop me!
You're problematic!!!!!!!
@@otakuspirit GOOD!
Totally agree 10/10
I love this anime but I’m having troubles recommending it because of the controversy and people might think I’m weird even though they didn’t actually check it out
Just tell them not to watch any out of context scenes and not check out any reviews. Watch the anime from start to finish then give your thoughts. That's how i do it
Onimai is super cute, it's educational, and mostly wholesome! I definitely reccomend this anime for people who want a nice change of pace from isekai anime or romance and the like. 10 out of 10 if you can avoid the intro and ignore the partial nudity
Edit: I absolutely LOVE this anime!!! ❤
"If you can avoid the intro and ignore the partial nudity" There's nothing wrong with the opening and the nudity is nonsexual.
I have two things I don't like about Onimai anime: all the extra fanservice, and some added scenes that don't land well (or changed scenes that don't land as well as original versions).
But even with that in mind, it's still a strong 9. Love this anime. Love the manga. Waiting for season 2.
I don't know why I loved this anime so much but I did
Yep the direction nailed it
You made a mistake: Miyo is not a fujoshi, she is a himejoshi.
This anime is truly phenomenal sad the west didn't admired it in japan ranking onimai is famous all over and it's #1
I love this anime
I've seen mitsudomoe..... so onimai isn't too bad.
I loved this show so much that I’ve been buying the manga lol
Indeed 10/10
I love the manga, I love the anime.
So goooood! I can't wait to continue the manga.
I am a trans girl and I absolutely love this show. It shows so, so, so many relatable things in regards to the MTF transition, and the hikikomori-to-socialite transition, both of which happened to me at the same time too...
I actually jumped in cus I saw so many trans folk talk about how much they loved the show, and I figured it looked super cute (Not me being mentally 6, having colourful art styles entertain me) and yeah, I totally get it.
Honestly, I'm surprised more people don't read it in a trans way even if that's not the author's intention, because at least how the anime presents it, it VERY MUCH feels like one.
As long as you're not lying about the series trying to "claim" it, relate away.
I love the anime
Watching this anime was like watching someone's egg crack in real time, and it was very fun to watch. I was a bit surprised when it suddenly became a cgdgt anime, but I thoroughly enjoyed it enough to read the manga
Even more reason for Japanese to GateKeep their country away from Western companies.
Anime Studios need to understand that they need to cater to their fans, NOT Western Countries sensibilities.
Perhaps some works cater to Western tastes, but they never pander to Western mainstream viewpoints. They don't even pander to Japanese mainstream viewpoints. I will say something harsh: I hope that Western streaming services can invest more money in anime studios, so that they can produce more anime that caters to otaku tastes.
@@ToxTalk I do agree that Western Streaming Services can invest more money into Anime Studios so they can produce more Anime that caters to Otaku tastes.
However this will need to come from those who understand Japanese Entertainment Culture first and foremost.
So I can't trust SONY and I can't trust Netflix even if Netflix has been closer than others.
Whoever ends up owning Sentai Filmworks in the next few years needs to also understand this too,
I liked this show however it’s definitely not a 10/10 that’s crazy it’s like 6.8/10 nothing crazy
Female what? Female young human? That's called girl.😁
You are based
for me anime was cute and i really liked it but compared to manga it had certain "improvements" that kept it from being even better and that is too much in your face fanservice where it needed none, mostly concerning kaede and miyo. not to mention english title is just plain wrong as it would be closer as you no longer a brother or fan literal translation older broder is done for
another season would be nice though People lobe broken unemotional characters and nayuta would most likely gather some audience of her own
dw bruh i didn't like it
I thought it was MID. Very moe blob.