The beginning of what will hopefully be a weekly feature on this blog. Which, to be honest, I'm still trying to find a purpose for.
Anyway. This week's chosen opening is from one of my favorite series this year, Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai (trans: My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute). Despite the title, it's not an ero anime. At least, I don't think it is. It still might surprise me, but given the episodes I've seen so far I'd be pretty surprised if it turned out that way. But this isn't an anime review blog, so I'll leave a blow by blow account of the series to others, and simply say that it's something rather akin to Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, in that it takes a rather humorous look at the life of an otaku in Japan. And I do mean the true meaning of an otaku, i.e. one whose obsession over anime and manga and (in this case) ero games has reached a possibly unhealthy level.
On to the opening! irony is by ClariS, which according to last.fm is comprised of two high school students who got their start on Nico Nico Douga, of all places. Not sure how much credence I give to that, but at least it explains why I'd never heard of them before. Unfortunately, it also means I have no previous body of work to compare to, but that's fine too. Some of the best anime OPs have come from singers making their debut (Nami Tamaki, Aiko Kayou).
The song is somewhat standard jpop fare. A bit of a heavier beat than normal, and it doesn't depend on super high pitched voices to carry the day; ClariS's vocals remind me a bit of Crystal Kay, actually. Not to say they can't hit the high notes, but they use the full register, which is good to hear. The song weighs in at 4:20, with the usual pattern of verses, refrains, and a bridge.
The bridge is actually what I dislike about this song; there's a kind of synthy-remix thing going on there, and it feels like it's just feeling in space. I think it would sound better without that; again, the vocalists have great voices, and should be allowed to carry the day.
I don't speak Japanese, of course, so I won't attempt a translation of the lyrics. It's not as if I listen to Japanese music for the lyrics, anyway. In any event, the song has something of a feeling of growing up to it. It's odd. I'm not sure how to explain it, only than a slight regret for what's gone by. Whatever it is, it definitely grabs at me. That it's a super catchy tune helps, too.
Four out of five stars, and perhaps a leading contender for anime opening of the year.
