Onimai: I'm Now Your Sister! (Japanese: お兄ちゃんはおしまい!, Hepburn: Onii-chan wa Oshimai!, lit. "Big Brother is Done For!" or "That's Enough of Big Brother!") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nekotofu. The series has been serialized online since 2017; it is also currently serialized in Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Rex magazine since April 2019. It is licensed in English by Kodansha USA. An anime television series adaptation by Studio Bind premiered in January 2023 to mixed reception.
Plot
The series follows Mahiro Oyama, an otaku living with his scientist younger sister Mihari. One day he wakes up as a young girl, a result of one of Mihari's experiments. Mahiro must now learn to live as a middle school girl, all while making friends in his new school.
The protagonist of the series, Mahiro was previously an otaku man living with his younger sister Mihari until he was turned into a girl as a result of one of her experiments. Mahiro ends up transferring to a junior high school.
Written and illustrated by Nekotofu, Onimai: I'm Now Your Sister! began serialization online via Pixiv and other platforms in 2017.[1] It also started in Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Rex magazine on April 27, 2019.[5] As of April 2022, six tankōbon volumes have been released by Ichijinsha.[6] In North America, Kodansha USA is publishing the series in English.[7] In Germany, Manga JAM Session publishes the manga as Ab sofort Schwester!.
An anime television series adaptation was announced on April 22, 2022. It is produced by Studio Bind and directed by Shingo Fujii, with scripts written by Michiko Yokote, character designs handled by Ryo Imamura, and music composed by Daisuke Achiba and Alisa Okehazama.[1][21] The series premiered on January 5, 2023, on AT-X and other networks.[3][22] The opening theme song is "Identeitei Meltdown" (アイデン貞貞メルトダウン) by Enako feat. P Maru-sama, while the ending theme song is "Himegoto*Crisisters" (ひめごと＊クライシスターズ) by Marika Kōno, Kaori Ishihara, Hisako Kanemoto, and Minami Tsuda.[23]Crunchyroll has licensed the series outside of Asia.[24]Medialink has licensed the series in South and Southeast Asia.[25]
Episode list
Ryo Imamura is chief animation director on the series.
"Mahiro's Time of the Month" Transliteration: "Mahiro to Onnanoko no Hi" (Japanese: まひろと女の子の日)
Eri Irei
Michiko Yokote
Shōma Yamazaki
January 12, 2023 (2023-01-12)
3
"Mahiro's Close Encounter" Transliteration: "Mahiro to Michi to no Sōgū" (Japanese: まひろと未知との遭遇)
Yasuhiko Akiyama
Miharu Hirami
Daiki Nishihara
January 19, 2023 (2023-01-19)
4
"Mahiro's New Friend" Transliteration: "Mahiro to Atarashii Tomodachi" (Japanese: まひろとあたらしい友達)
Unknown
Unknown
TBA
January 26, 2023 (2023-01-26)
Reception
Onimai: I'm Now Your Sister! ranked fifth in Da Vinci's Next Manga Award 2018 in the web manga category in August 2018,[29] and ranked ninth in Web Manga Overall Election 2019 in October 2019.[30] The manga also ranked third in AnimeJapan's Manga We Want to See Animated Ranking in 2020,[31] and ranked seventh in 2021.[32]
In English-language coverage of the series, critical responses to the Onimai anime were mixed.[33][34][35] Reviewers discussing the its first episode in Anime News Network's Winter 2023 Preview Guide responded with strongly negative reviews, criticizing the premise, lolicon themes, and incestuous overtones of Mahiro's relationship with Mihari, as generally distasteful.[33] Caitlin Moore, in particular, described it as "pure lolicon garbage," and opined that the depiction of Mahiro's transformed body constituted a "pedophilic gaze." However, Moore said that she did not consider the manga to sexualize Mahiro's body to the same degree, and stated that she believed the anime's production team was responsible for introducing this perspective to the material. Moore also noted the potential transgender reading of the premise, and said it would potentially resonate with trans viewers despite the perceived distastefulness.[33]
Rebecca Silverman, by contrast, described the fanservice as "relatively toned down" but stated that the premise of the show was too "mean" for her to find any humor in it.[33] This opinion was echoed by Richard Eisenbeis, who said the premise was "horrific" and also considered the depiction of Mahiro's newfound interest in yaoi, which he interpreted as being justified by his physical sex having changed, ostensibly causing him to now be attracted to men, to be "rooted in gender essentialism."[33] Nicholas Dupree, echoing similar sentiments, praised the high production value despite expressing disappointment with the material.[33] Writing for Anime Feminist, Cy Catwell voiced similar criticisms, characterizing Onimai's first episode as "fucking disgusting." Catwell staunchly denied any potential for Onimai to be positively read as a transgender story, and said that they found it made them uncomfortable as a trans masculineagender individual, despite also praising the visuals and music.[36]
Discussing the first three episodes in the first of Anime News Network's weekly reviews of the anime, Kim Morrissy gave a far more positive review, even going so far as to say "Onimai is the best anime of the season." Morrissy strongly praised the animation production, and particularly the work of series director Shingo Fujii, who previously worked on Precure. They also characterized the story as broadly relatable for its perceived theme of growing to accept significant personal changes, particularly to transgender viewers for the "element of wish fulfillment" in depicting a simple and immediate gender transition. While Morrissy acknowledged the fanservice and story elements that could dissuade viewers, they ultimately said that those who were accepting of those elements would find a "genuinely rewarding show."[35]
Notes
^As a girl, Mahiro's name is written as 緒山 まひろ, which has the same reading but is written differently.
