The anime “Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!” has been the subject of controversy after receiving negative reviews from the Western press, which has led Japanese fans to express their regret and call such criticism “exaggerated” and “ridiculous”.
The series, acclaimed by viewers in Japan and ranked as the highest rated television anime of the season of Winter-2023 (January-March) in Niconico and on the anime rating website Anikorehas generated conflicting opinions on its reception by the English-language press.
In the English-language coverage of the series, critical responses to “Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!” have been mixed. While some reviewers praised the animation and music, universally considered to be of exceptional quality, others were critical of the premise and lolicon-related themes.
In the “Winter 2023 Anime Preview Guide” of Anime News Networkseveral reviewers criticized the portrayal of Mahiro’s body in the first episode. Caitlin Moore described it as a “pedophile look”. However, both Moore and Chiaki Hirai of Anime Feminist mentioned that the manga did not present the same degree of sexualization and they believed that the anime’s production team was responsible for introducing this perspective into the material. For her part, Rebecca Silverman was softer in her criticism, describing the fanservice as “relatively subdued” but noted that the narrative premise was “bad.”
Richard Eisenbeis considered the premise “grisly” and also criticized the point of Mahiro’s gender transformation, sparking a new interest in yaoi, as “rooted in genre essentialism”. In her review of the first episode for Anime Feminist, Cy Catwell called “Onimai” “disgusting,” citing many of the same criticisms as the Anime News Network writers. Catwell was especially critical of the point of Mihari’s non-consensual experimentation on Mahiro. Although he hadn’t read the manga and couldn’t talk about their differences, he expressed his strong disapproval of the series.
Chiaki Hirai, criticizing the first three episodes, agreed with Catwell’s criticism. Despite this, Hirai described the perceived themes of friendship and gender dysphoria as “relatable and even healthy,” comparing it to “Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu“, and stated that those who were not deterred by the “problematic” aspects could appreciate the series. In Anime News Network’s weekly review, Kim Morrissy had a more positive opinion, saying that “Onimai” is the best anime of the season.
Morrissy strongly praised the narrative, humor, art, and animation production, noting the work of series director Shingo Fujii, who previously worked on “Precure.” He also characterized the story as broadly relatable for its perceived theme of coming to terms with significant personal change. Although Morrissy acknowledged the fanservice and story elements criticized by other reviewersespecially the forced feminization of Mahiro and some “nonsensical” jokes, Ultimately, he said those who embraced those elements would find a show “genuinely rewarding.”
The bold premise and loli-related themes and fanservice present in “Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!” have been the main points of criticism by some Western critics. These criticisms have generated a heated debate in the anime community, with mixed opinions on accepting or rejecting controversial elements of the series. Although some Western critics have raised concerns about the series’ portrayal and themes, Japanese fans defend “Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!” and express their disappointment in the way the series has been received abroad.
They consider the reviews to be exaggerated and do not reflect the quality and positive aspects of the anime. For them, the series offers themes of friendship and gender dysphoria that can be relatable and even comforting. The divergence of opinion demonstrates the diversity of perspectives surrounding “Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!” and its impact on the public both in Japan and abroad.
