Minami-ke

Honestly speaking,Minami-ke is my first slice-of-life anime to be watched.Since my very first viewing in 2013,I have reviewed it for at least 20 times and actually fell in love with those types.Much Obliged to Minami-ke for providing me a gate to such a realistic but also marvelous new world :)

Story(9/10)

The story itself ,centering around the daily life of the three Minami sisters and their acquaintances,is so simplistic that even leaves few and far between trails of exaggeration commonly used in many other slice-of-life animes.Therefore,I might ask you “don’t expect too much from it”(confession time,I plagiarize the phrase from the Chiaki’s ).But,owing to the seemingly ... plain storytelling gimmick ,it is successfully crafted more than a mediocre comedy — in other words, not only does it manage to avoid being a dull and daily live broadcast,but also succeed in striking more responsive chords in your heart in that you would be definitely confounded by the very down-to-earth scenes,perhaps some of which you already went through in an identical or similar way.

Besides,I might mention that the show-within-a-show Sensei To Ninomiya Kun, to which translated the teacher and his student Niomiya ,is so nonsensical and anti-climatic but funny enough that you shouldn’t miss it .

Art（8/10)
In the first place，its palette characteristic of pastel shade disposes you refreshing and agreeable towards that series,and creates a gentle tone actually fitting the motif of a slice-of-life comedy .In the second place,the design of the shape of mouth is just like a water-drop ,hence an excessively cute impression is made and I like this superb idea of designing so much. And a pair of stretched arms accompanying the water-drop’s shaped mouth is surely more preferable.

There might be some flaws from your own palate,and I do agree that“ the tendency to switch styles when the girls are being serious to a more hardened styling...it just seems out of place with the rest of the animation being so soft,...”,opined the user GeneralCox.But for some others such as my sister ,it might be observed as an amusing comparison and spice added to the soft art.It is reminiscent of another famously slice-of-life anime Nichijou，bearing an abundance of the utilization of comparsion in facial expression as well.However,from my point of view,Nichijou applies it much better.Nevertheless, the few flaws,probably subjective to some extent, are not totally important in effect.

Sound (9/10)

The background music,surely excluded the role music for Hosaka(Gracious!Mentioning the name is immediately reminiscent of his wacky and insane laughter,”ahaha,ahaha,ahahaha”) ,is dolce and makes you revel in its storyline .Besides,both the opening and ending theme is catchy, chirpy and funny with the concomitant shots of the main trio’s and their friend’s daily life , though I slightly prefer the latter to the former owing to its nice soothing tone,particularly with the emergence of the scene depicting the three Minami sisters looking up at the ether.

Characters(10/10)

This show crafts a wide range of diverse characters,from the main ones to the supporting part,whereas none of whom would make you feel redundant.You will soon grow fond of the mischievous and carefree girl Kana with a pedal-to-the-metal outlook,the deadpan Chiaki always with a pair of drowsy eyes ,and the sublime beauty Haruka sort of the Yamato Nadeshiko(大和撫子), denoting the ideal type of womanhood in Japan yet not actually the same as the ACGN’s one always bound up with sister-con.

Despite the supporting characters are also absolutely impressive and individual as the main ones ,I am not going to spout and rave about how joyous they have brought me and how successful while put them all in combination with the three Minami sisters ,considering many great answers already been submitted.But I might add that the personality shaping itself of each character is detailed and fantastic enough as well,that is to say,it never means to be transferred into an one-fold process, albeit under the idea of simplistic crafting.And that’s why we can catch glimpses of the dreadful stares or menacing gestures coming from the supposedly serene Haruka,while Hosaka is a genuine versatile bloke with the ability of doing everything with great dexterity in spite of his somewhat disgusting behaviour.Also,you might think it’s hard to believe Kana isn’t an idiot until you witnessed her some cunning behaviour such as trying to transform the little boy Makoto into a loli "Mako-chan",or Fujioka Kun isn’t no more than a brooding“Banchou”,pending some sweet scenes to be seen,for example, he dressed like a Santa Claus so as to send Chiaki a toy of grizzly bear as gift in Christmas Eve .Likewise,Chiaki not always pose a jaded face especially concerning the interactions with her most admired sister Haruka,whereas Touma’s great talent for weaving makes you wonder if Minami Touma a real tomboy?All the remaining supporting characters are similarly well-done within mere 13 episodes, though this review is confirmed to lapse into a tedious harangue had I incessantly enumerated the diverse aspects in each character.However,you will never have a chance of finding out the subtle workmanship of characters striking a discordant note with the simplistic storyline and slice-of-life settings.
Meanwhile ,homage should be paid to the seiyuus of this series,good job.It would be impossible for the anime to immaculately come across without seiyuus’ enthusiastic and technical voice acting ,especially when it comes to display its characters’ respective likeable features with their individually quirky foibles.Not to mention the fantastic fusion while all the characters come into interactions with each other.

Enjoyment(9/10):

Perhaps most of us were initially more intrigued by a fictional world full of fantasy,plots,magic,moe elements,hot-blooded actions,love affairs,or so on,due to our yearning for an idealistic and disparate world. But later we might seek to find something more realistic for the sake of procuring more resonances in a more similar world,and probably that is one of the reasons why slice-of-life anime can be so widespread.As many MAL users have already pointed out that this Minami-ke series is so realistic that makes you think that either the main or supporting characters are real persons in reality,its delicate shaping of personality still makes you feel it’s a totally light-hearted comedy rather than a gritty reality documentary.Therefore,it seems that Minami-ke is an authentic warm place existing in somewhere,maybe your house or your heart,while its door always open to welcome you after hours of hard toil from workplace. The Minami sisters and their friends are so hospitable，as if your really existing besties you can confide in.

Overall(9/10)

Based on the aforementioned discussed, I gave an overall rate 9.

Thanks for your feedback.

Minami-ke is a slice of life comedy, and stars the three sisters Haruka, Kana and Chiaki.

Story
Since this is a slice of life, it’s a bit obvious how the story goes. We see the daily lives of the sisters and their friends, with a different focus in each episode. Nothing special happens really. Still I really liked how the story was presented, and many characters were involved in various ways, and lead to a lot of hilarious moments. The writers (probably the mangaka as well) made great use of the huge amount of side-characters, without it feeling unnatural. That’s what I loved the most. Each episode ... was unique, and about different persons each time. I also had trouble thinking what would happen next, in other words it was a very unpredictable show. And of course, and most importantly, it’s funny.

Art
Overall I’d say this show is very good looking. The colours used are great, and the show has a very soft feeling. Character designs are great too. The only thing I didn’t like, was that in some shots the characters’ noses looked a bit weird. They disappeared and it looked ridiculous. Thankfully it didn’t happen too often. Otherwise the animation is very consistent, and it maintains the calm atmosphere of the plot in a nice manner.

Sound
Good background music, quite good opening and ending, sound effects in place, and good voicing. What else is there to say?

Character
The three main characters, the sisters, are just great. They compliment each other in a really nice way, and they are hilarious. That aside, what I think is the best about this show, are all the supporting characters. There are so many, each of them unique, and they all get enough screen time to shine. The character designers must be geniuses (props to the mangaka as well, for making such great characters). The characters are the best thing about this show, in my opinion (I mean, Hosaka and Mako-chan are remarkable characters, they alone are almost enough to justify a 10 for characters!).

Enjoyment
Of course I enjoyed it, it was funny as hell. The episodes were all enjoyable, and I think I’m gonna rewatch this, as my first series. But still Minami-ke lacked something for me to give it top grade in this category.

Overall
All in all a very funny show, totally unpredictable and one of the better shows of 2007. Just go watch it.

Guess I’m gonna watch Okawari soon…

It was so pointless it was fun. The episodes are broken into segments focusing on one plot for like ten min before moving on to the next. Each and every episode had at least one thing you could laugh about. The dynamic between the sisters almost feels natural messing with each other getting revenge and then coming to a sweet resolution.

I like the youngest character the best she's smart and snippy always messing with the middle sister.
The middles sister I like the least she does things that can be so annoying and make me want to physically hit her, but that also shows how ... invested you can get with the characters. They feel so real that you want to interact with them.

I also really like how they integrate other character so flawlessly it's not forced or awkward. Bancho!

This is a comedy anime that is "kind of nonsense, but strangely interesting." It's a show similar to Lucky Star. Nothing much is to be expected from it, but it is definitely a MUST WATCH.

Before every episode starts, it is always stated not to expect too much from it. This show is simply about the Minami-ke sisters and their everyday lives. However, they are not your average, boring sisters so expect a lot of laughter from their thoughts, their actions, and their experiences.

This show is most creative with their art. The characters are drawn well and so is their environment. It's well animated. The only ... problem they have here is that they have this really ugly face close-ups when a character is serious. Those specific close-ups destroy the overall beauty.

The sounds are great! Voices, SFX, music, OP, ED, everything is good.

Character is this show's highest point. The show is great because of their personalities and their very funny chemistry. They all fit in well. The only problem here is that there are times when the characters are too harsh or too weird that it's not funny anymore.

This show gives a high level of enjoyment since its great comedy will be making you laugh frequently. Everything is to be enjoyed from OP till the ED. However, with the stated problems, it doesn't give enjoyment to the max.

Sum it up in three words: Innovative, Cramps, Ninomiya-kun

This is going to be the first time that I will actually write a proper review, because I think this anime deserves one. Judging from its ranking, it is not so high, but I think this is one of the most under-rate anime today. There are so many people out there who tries to make funny anime, a lot of them are slapstick, and a lot of them are just so annoying because they try to be funny when they are not. (Hayate the Combat Butler for example) When an comedy anime is not funny, it is ... unforgivable. This doesn't apply to Minami-ke though.

Story: (No rating) This is not really an anime with a storyline, it is, as it says, the daily lives of three sisters. It is not something extra-ordinary, no espers and great big evil plots, it is EASY TO FOLLOW and laidback.

Art: At first I thought it wasn't very good, but as you get used to them, you will really start to like the style. I especially like how they draw the mouth, I think it is very cute! The people who wrote this anime also used DIFFERENT style of drawing at different situations, for example, when they are giving each other "evils" the art suddenly starts to become more mature and real, to make fun of the character's body language. tbh, there are a lot of original comedy that no one else has ever thought of, which is why I recommend it.

Sound: Well, the opening

Character: In an anime that deals mainly in character-development, it does it outstandingly. At first sight, you will instantly fall in love with the contrasting personalities of the characters and you will "yearn" for how they interact. You will learn about new characters but the main focus is on the three sisters. It is ESPECIALLY good that one sister goes to primary school, another secondary and the third - high school. So there are things that the youngest sister don't understand such as she doesn't know what "doing naughty things" mean, while being teased by others. CLASSICAL. That is only to name one of many moments.

Enjoyment: “Sensei and Ninomiya-kun” <<< when you watch it, just look out for that. EVERY EPISODE, I LAUGHED OUT LOUD SO MANY TIMES. (In three years of watching Anime, I have NEVER laughed at an anime because it was funny, NEVER) Everything the characters do are very spontaneous but yet believable in a real life situation. Everything from cross-dressing to bikinis, you would never have guessed. IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE YOU.

Overall - I am not a person who really like comedy anime, I prefer the more deeper, emotional side of anime, so based on my reference, I can only give it a respectable 8. But if you love your comedy, you will definitely love this. (and if you don't prefer the comedy genre, this anime may give you a different outlook but be prepared to get cramps from laughing too much.

This isn't as popular as Daily Lives of High School Boys or Nichijou, and although this isn't as good as Nichijou it still deserves some recognition. The comedy here slaps, and the animation is good.

The Story: About three sisters who live in a house. THey all attend schools, each of em has a boy chasing after them. They all take care and love each other though they show different ways of showing it. There isn't much in terms of plot as it is mostly a comedy anime.

I absolutely love it.

The comedy is good so as long as the comedy is good, It is fine.

The ... animation: pretty good for its age

the music: OP is good although one thing to note is that the background music can get a little distracting at times. Sometimes I focus more on the background music more than the anime itself.

Other than that, really good show. Basically Azumanga Daioh, but sisters, more emphasis on home life instead.

Also this one does not have Osaka sadly :'(


Final Score: 6/10 you should watch it!!
Thanks!
-CyanCheetah

Minami-ke is a comedy with no complex plotlines like Azumanga Daioh, but for those who enjoy it, it is a similarly entertaining series. By depicting the theme of three sisters who share home and school life all with different personality, the show builds on familial dynamics. Absurd and quirky, the series is laced with many romantic entanglements and promises to keep you entertained in its thirteen episodes. This is despite the fact that the narrative remains simple, as the show's humor and presentation make the entire experience delightful.

The animation style of Minami-ke is similar with other comedies where the facial expressions and moves are over-exaggerated ... and typical tropes are used. Specifically it succeeds in making parodies out of genres like shoujo and shounen-ai, thereby creating a funny genre of its own. Though it doesn't score highly in terms of sophistication, its visual gags and pop-culture references are entertaining enough to keep the viewer hooked.

The introductory song with the background music is a very good choice, and the voice acting is always great as it makes the characters believable. As the eldest, Haruka shows her strong sense of responsibility by frequently looking after her siblings. Through Kana, middle sister, with her inexhaustible liveliness, is the main source of laughter in the group. Besides, the eldest sister, born as an extrovert, Chiaki, expresses her genius through her acts. While character development is no more than a minor addition, their hilarious dialogues still remain amazing.

In conclusion, Minami-ke is worth viewing for its anime comedy, a dish that pitches a unique blend of humor and simplicity. With the episodic plotline of the series, its concreteness is left open for interpretation. On a light note, if you seek some comedy, Minami-ke is the show to watch.

The Minami sisters were some of the most unique sisters I’ve seen in anime, and even something made in 2007 still holds up in current day. Slice of life can be perfectly described with Minami-ke, as we look through the lives of Haruka, Kana and Chiaki. Along with the supporting characters, many of the plans that go through with these three are viewed through an observable lens that can make the story more interesting if anything.

The funny moments where Kana notices her friend cross dressing to impress Kana to even Haruka not understanding how school romance works with a boy who’s feelings are not reciprocated ... due to her thinking that she wants to fight him to a duel, make this somehow an anime that I was surprised no one bring up when it comes to 2000’s anime.

Looking at the exaggerated dreams of the love interest for Kana thinking that they’d start a family one day, even though from the offset it looks like she’s not even aware of his existence until the last few episodes makes the prequel version of Minami-ke a slice of life anime worth it. The comedy and thought process that goes through making something like this felt very special for it’s time. If anything, I’d recommend this for a person wanting to get into the slice-of-life genre of anime as a whole.

I am a pretty big fan of slice of life anime, but not indiscriminate. Minami-ke really grew on me after the first few episodes. My favorite thing about this series ( and the currently airing second season called Minami-ke Okawari) is the chemistry between the sisters ( especially Kana and Chiaki). In fact, these two have become some of my very favorite anime characters ever. Also, contains one of the cutest appearances by a stuffed animal I have ever seen ( Fujioka the Bear).

Of course, as with most slice of life, there is VERY little in regards to a plotline in Minami-ke. Most of the ... episodes could probably be watched separately as stand alone comedies. The only "plots" that exist in the series is the story of Fujioka's affection for Kana, Makoto's and Touma's crossdressing, maybe a few other minor details that aren't coming to mind right now.

The characters and voice acting is what really gets me about Minami-ke. The characters are very lively, with their unique personalities, but aren't unrealistic in the way they behave. The artistic depiction of the characters is also more realistic than many other series ( not as many huge breasts flinging everywhere, or huge shapely hips, or unrealistic hair color, or girls that look underdeveloped/overdeveloped for their age). I think this "realism" is generally why I prefer Minami-ke to Lucky Star. Minami-ke still has a very high kawaii factor.

Overall, the series is funny, soft, not over-the-top, with great art/voice acting, and doesn't needlessly bombard you with pop-culture references ( if you enjoy these, I'd suggest Lucky Star).

Minami-ke is a solid wholesome slice-of-life/gag comedy.

CHARACTERS = 9/10

The characters for the three sisters are well thought-out. At first it seems like they might be pretty easily stereotyped into just one particular attitude, but the way they interact with each other is surprisingly dynamic. The additional characters also get a decent amount of airtime and provide some variety to the series. They are slightly more well-developed than seen in many other anime. However, with two characters, Mako and Touma, their personalities are somewhat similar which kind of takes away from their respective gags.

STORY = 8/10

The intro of each episode says it all -- don't expect ... too much from this anime. It is part slice-of-life, part gag comedy. Taking it as such, the series does well to keep each episode different, following each sister for about equal amounts of time, with Kana probably getting the most airtime. It does enlist classic tropes like a beach episode and a Christmas/New Year's episode. What's also fun are the continuous gags they keep going throughout the show, such as the news story about loincloths or the drama they're watching about Sensei and Ninomiya-kun. However, there are side stories that get a bit dull and even repetitive, such as with Mako or Touma.

SOUND = 10/10

This series does a great job with background music and sound effects which really fit the vibe of each scene. The voice acting is terrific. Each sister sounds true to character, with Kana and Chiaki being highlights. The OP and ED songs are well-chosen, with a happy, bouncy energy to them.

ART = 8/10

The art has a nice, soft color to it which is easy on the eyes and allows the artists to change up the style in order to support a gag, such as when the camera zooms in on the characters' eyes and they glare at each other -- although this does seem somewhat out of place. Each character is well designed, allowing viewers to decipher who each person is. The backgrounds and settings such as the schools and the Minami home are all well animated. Overall the art is nothing particularly impressive -- hard to judge without a lot of crazy scenes -- but it's certainly appropriate for this type of series.

ENJOYMENT = 7/10

I enjoyed watching this anime. However, personally, the gags were hit or miss. I certainly could appreciate them all as funny but I wasn't laughing every time. I often found myself laughing more at the ongoing background gags (loincloths, Sensei and Ninomiya-kun) than at the main narrative.

OVERALL = 8/10

Would I recommend Minami-ke to a friend? Yes. It's a fun, slice-of-life gag comedy that's quite enjoyable.