Minami-Ke

Minami-Ke
みなみけ

Status: Completed
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life
Type: Series

Synopsis:

Minami-Ke is a story about three sisters, Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki. It revolves around their extraordinary ordinary lives at home and at school.

Plot:

Minami-ke is absolutely true to its genre. It revolves around the normal lives of three sisters and their hilarious moments. This means there is no serious progression in the plot-line. It does not develop in any significant manner nor does it insinuate any possible plot twists as we might see in the Drama genre. All-in-All what Minami-ke offers is a very casual and enjoyable watch. Each episode is filled with the unique personalities of the Minami family and are carefully interwoven to offer a very warm and natural feeling in every fans' heart. There is very little to critique about Minami-Ke's storyline mainly because of how open ended it is. There is no sense of direction nor any prodding from side characters to steer the series into any abrupt change. Instead the Minami sisters synthetically push the plot of each episode themselves and the audience is left to watch and enjoy rather than ponder and critique. Absolutely brilliant, it is a true show of how a Comedy/Slice of Life is done.

Plot Rating: 4.0
Many funny moments in the series. True to its genre, viewers are relaxed and laughing. Lack of precious memorable scenes is the only downside.

Characters:

The Minami-Ke family is brimming with life. Each sister sports their very own unique personality seldom seen in any other series to date. Although yes there are similarities that can be drawn to Haruka, Chiaki and Kana on the other hand are unmatched, and are widely famous for their antics. The two sisters are nearly polar opposites within their own realm of thoughts. Putting these two together in the same room every episode creates a splendid recipe for comedy. From Chiaki's "Bakayarou!" to Kana's poses, fans thoroughly enjoy these two spectacles each episode. Aside from the comedic exhibits of Minami family we also have the interactions between the sisters and their friends that come over nearly every episode to visit. Just because these characters aren't part of the family doesn't mean that they won't be as well made. With careful examination and comparison to other series, the side characters of Minami-Ke are certainly much more colorful than most. By colorful I mean how they contribute to each episode in order to make you laugh. Characters outside of the family such as Touma can be easily be taken as one of the main characters because of how involved she is. However, keep in mind that the title of the show is Minami-Ke, and it is very apparent that the sisters are still running the show. So to be able to create such a colorful cast and weave them together so well, it is something that deserves a real good pat on the back. Good job 童夢.

Character Rating: 3.5
Awesome assortment of characters. Each with their own well-made personalities and they all strive to play a role in the series. Unfortunately the sisters and their friends haven't made that big of an impact on the Anime fanbase.

Production:

Let's face it. If you were looking for a high-end, fast paced, intensely detailed animated experience, then unfortunately for you this is not the place. Minami-Ke animation wise is about average for its time. Although this is appropriate for its genre, it would still benefit from better animation. In fact any series can benefit from better animation, and for that I can't let Minami-Ke slide for a mediocre job in animation. There were several titles at the time of its release that displayed intricate and creative directing styles. This adds flavor and fine finesse to their series, which in turn helps them to take a step out of the crowd and stand in the spotlight for all anime fans to praise. Many would still argue that it's an issue of genre, but that is not true at all. That mindset will only build up new cliches and close out any new possible ways to animate shows in unorthodox manners. Besides the animation work there is also the design to consider. In this area I believe Koharu Sakuraba did a very fine job of designing the characters and the series as a whole. Notice how the smoothly the character design works in conjunction with their personalities, and also how well the characters blend in so well to the plot. Whether it be natural innate talent or careful thoughtful planning, the creation of Minami-Ke is truly an elegant work of art.

Production Rating:  3
There is nothing impressive about the animation work. However the character and storyline design completely serves its purpose.

Conclusion:

Sitting on your couch, at a table, a desk, or on the floor with a cup of tea and some crackers - or whatever you do while you watch anime. You'll probably see the same thing done in Minami-Ke, but with a sprinkle of comedy to brighten things up. Minami-Ke is a great show to watch after a long stressful day at work,a tough day at school, or even just on a rainy day. So sit back and enjoy.

Snugtrition's Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5