Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2 - Episode 6

Comiket has brought with it a chance meeting between Kirino and an acquaintance of hers - but who is this rather dapper chap who goes by the name of Kouki Mikagami?

Well, what we do know about Kouki is that he works as a model and designer for the same company that have been pursuing Kirino of late, and that he's also an otaku who is selling some of his wares at Comiket.  Beyond that, the exact status of the relationship between himself and Kirino is rather vague, but they certainly seem to be getting on well enough.  It's an issue which troubles Kyousuke, albeit perhaps not quite as much as being handcuffed in Ayase's bedroom and quizzed on why he was out on a "date" with Kirino.

It's matters of the heart which loom large over this entire episode, as an interrupted confession to Kyousuke by Ruri is followed by Kirino unabashedly unannouncing that Mikagami is, in fact, her boyfriend - a revelation which causes chaos in the midst of what should have been the gang's Comiket after-party.  When Kirino invites said boyfriend to meet her parents, things inevitable come to a head - never mind her father's drunken ranting locked away in his bedroom, Kyousuke's initially cold treatment to Kouki followed by a proclamation that he isn't going to let just anyone take away his little sister is the moment that breaks the dam between the two siblings, allowing them to vent their frustrations and return everything to (relative) normality.

Although I'm all for Oreimo making the most of its characters to dramatic ends now and again, boy was this week's episode overblown, with layer after layer of needless conflict brought about simply because the series was capable of doing so rather than with any real sense of character development in mind.  Speaking of which, I continue to feel let down by Kyousuke's character in this second season at times, as he vacillates jarringly from the normal guy who we knew and loved from the first season into a creepy wretch whenever Ayase is involved.  In short, I miss the days when this series was mostly played for laughs, and the drama was just the window dressing for the series.  Y'know, like you did in last week's episode, which managed to be the best instalment of this second season so far by a country mile.