Release Date: Oct. 3, 2013
Studio: Feel
Genre: Comedy, Harem, Supernatural, Ecchi
Premise: After acing an online pop culture quiz, bona fide otaku Kanou Shinichi is recruited by an undercover government agency to serve as an economic liaison between Japan and a newly discovered fantasy world in another dimension.
Verdict: Pretty funny for a harem. I tend to steer clear of anime that is too heavy on the fanservice, but so far OC has given some substance to a genre that is often nothing but ass n titties. As is customary for a typical harem character, Shinichi is a thoroughbred geek. He is fluent in all pop culture references and tropes, maintains a significant collection of figurines, games, and tankobon, and, most tellingly, has no love life to speak of, having long since been rejected (by his childhood friend, no less!) for his peculiar interests. Likewise, the female characters introduced so far all fit into particular moe tropes: the timid and clumsy petite maid, the busty and mature older sister, and the fussy, temperamental younger sister.
Where the show really gets its legs is the unique setting: the magical kingdom of Eldant. Shinichi wakes up in this fantasy world filled with dragons, elves and lizard men after coming to what he thought was a job interview for a tech company. His interviewer turns out to be a government big shot who has scouted Shinichi to manage mass media distribution for his company, Amutec's, newly formed Eldant branch, in charge of marketing anime, manga and video games to Eldant's population. The job's appeal is easy to see - I don't think there's an otaku alive who would pass up the chance to explain the merits of Street Fighter compared to Dead or Alive to a real live elf - and this should give the show some substance in between conveniently angled panty shots. All in all the pop culture references and celebration of geek culture make this one harem I can get behind. Give it a spin!
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