Genre: Comedy, Slice-of-life
Length: 13 episodes
Score: OK
This is a simple little everyday comedy following the three Minami sisters: Haruka, Kana and Chiaki (Their names contain ‘spring’, ‘summer’ and ‘autumn’ respectively). Haruka is gentle and motherly, a bit like Kasumi Tendo but with more backbone; Kana is reckless, excitable and a bit thick; Chiaki is skeptical and dismissive. The focus gradually grows slightly to include their classmates, including various crushes, cross-dressers and put-upon victims.
Honestly, there’s nothing in Minami-ke that’s at all original or groundbreaking. But it earns a decent score simply because it’s extremely well crafted: the writing, pace, animation and production are all high quality, and almost everybody will enjoy it. It’s beginner-friendly, inoffensive and pleasing to the senses.
Minami-ke Okawari
Length: 13
See my original review of Minami-ke. This sequel was made at the same time as the original company, which leads to some unsettling differences in style, but the writing is largely the same. Okawari (which means “seconds”, as in “please sir, can I have some more?”) does seem to be more fanserviceful, taking any excuse for a bath/swimming pool/hot spring. The cast continues to grow as well, and most episodes will involve some event that a dozen people have to get involved in.
It’s funny, but it’s nothing that wasn’t in the original.