Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2 - Episode 2

While you might typically expect Kirino's return to be met with nothing but joy from best friend Ayase, it seems that she's once again having some problems with some of the more extreme otaku proclivities demonstrated by Kirino - thus, it's Kyousuke to the rescue once again!

More specifically, Ayase's problem is with Kirino's obsession with a new dating sim, which has seen her talking to her PS Vita (which is clearly nonsensical and unrealistic - there are no PS Vita games) and using her phone to send text messages to her virtual girlfriend.  Doing a little digging at Ayase's behest, Kyousuke learns that the game is called Love Touch, and having seen a full demonstration of Kirino's obsession with it he soon understands Ayase's problem.

Thankfully, even Kirino knows that she's getting a little too into the game, and thus lends it to Kyousuke to look after her virtual girlfriend while she takes a break from it.  The trouble is, Kyousuke himself is soon also hooked, although it does allow him to understand that even his sister's Love Touch obsession is at least indirectly related to her friendship with Ayase - something which he tries to demonstrate to her in a not entirely successful, but ultimately fruitful, way.  Then again, maybe Ayase is taking some aspects of the game a little too seriously for her own good...

Although I'd love to say that this is the moment that Oreimo returns to form, something felt seriously "off" about this week's episode.  Most notably, Kyousuke simply doesn't feel like the same character any more - to have the detached and slightly snarky elder brother we've come to know and love replaced with another drooling otaku dating sim addict both stretched credulity and broke one of the important aspects of the show, that being Kyousuke as the every-man surrounded by rabid otaku.  That aside, on a more positive note there were still some funny moments here and there (including Ayase's hilarious final take on using Love Touch to impress Kirino), and little touches which perfectly capture the otaku condition (Kirino tilting her head trying to peek under a virtual girl's skirt was uncannily accurate), but I hope the series has more in its arsenal than simply that moving forward - if nothing else, it really needs to remember what made the first season so enjoyable, which it seems to be in danger of forgetting at the moment.