Eromanga Sensei is a 12 episode anime based upon the light novel series. It had two OVAs released in early 2019. The protagonist is Izumi Masamune. He seems like your typical high school student. However, he is also a fledgling light novel author. He had just recently published the final third volume of his first light novel series. He has never met the illustrator of his light novels but they go by the name of Eromanga Sensei. Despite the suggestive name, the artist doesn’t draw any outright hentai.
Masamune lives with his younger sister, Izumi Sagiri, although they are not blood related. However, she is a shut-in and even since they met on the first day, they have never seen each other face to face again. Sagiri stays in her room despite her brother’s attempts but easily accepts her brothers doing the chores such as cooking and washing for her. The coincidence comes from how Masamune finds out that Sagiri is actually Eromanga Sensei. Once that is out, Sagiri starts to open up to him. Sagiri takes the first step to actually open the door and say something to her brother although it is slow progress.
Despite having already published three light novels, Masamune isn’t a top seller. He is slightly disappointed that no one from school recognizes him after his first physical appearance at a signing event. Masamune’s modest success is a sticking point from fellow light novel author Yamada Elf. She’s a lot more popular and does not hesitate in flouting this around Masamune. At first, she appears as overly arrogant and living in another world but eventually, the pair becomes akin to friendly rivals. She ends up carrying the entire series since she’s the most upbeat, vibrant, and proactive character from the cast.
The anime has a few recurring themes. The first is how Sagiri slowly softens and comes out from being holed up in her room in solitude. There are a few episodes where she progresses exceptionally fast, becoming able to openly speak confidently to her brother and that initial shyness being nowhere to be seen. Another theme is how Masamune, in typical light novel protagonist fashion, remains clueless to the feelings of his sister. It is heavily hinted that Sagiri has romantic feelings for her brother but he doesn’t get the hint. In addition to this aspect, the other theme is how Masamune struggles as a novice light novel author without too much exposure. He is looking to publish his next series but keeps having his proposals rejected.
There are plenty of gratuitous shots of all the female characters. The anime frequently sneaks in fan service scenes. It uses Sagiri’s status as an illustrator specializing in light ecchi scenes as the excuse to have the various female characters perform those suggestive poses. Despite this being your typical harem romantic comedy, the relationships between the characters are fun to watch. In particular, Elf is aggressive in her pursuit of Masamune, being upfront and straightforward. She is also funny since she doesn’t exactly have a normal view of the world.
It quickly becomes a competition for Masamune’s affections when yet another female character enters the fray. Once again a fellow light novelist, her infatuation with Masamune is a bit more of a stretch. She plays on the shy conservative type and is probably the least interesting of the cast. The humor gets better as the series progresses. Once the characters’ personalities are set in stone, it becomes much more natural. Most of the time, the humor relies on the characters in lewd situations. The misunderstandings are enjoyable to watch too, especially the somewhat dated view of a supporting character’s view of Masamune and Eromanga Sensei’s relationship.
The series tapers off with an ending that shows off the result of the development of Sagiri. We get the backstory of the pair and what had inspired them to become an author and illustrator respectively. There are two OVAs. The first one focuses on Yamada Elf, allowing us to understand more about her family. It feels a bit indulgent but is ultimately very enjoyable. The second OVA is less energetic as it has Masamune becoming sick and Sagiri trying to take care of him. It is slower paced but there are still some decent scenes.
Overall, Eromanga Sensei can end up being better than you’d expect. It doesn’t have a strong unique premise since a nice brother who unwittingly attracts girls to fall for him and a shut-in sister isn’t exactly original. However, the characters are fun to watch and their antics are interesting. The light novel author aspect lends to a slightly different twist compared to other offerings
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