Story:7/10
In any slice of life anime, we know that a strong storyline won’t be part of most of the series out there. As such, Minami-Ke: Okaeri sticks very strict to it’s layed back story formula. If you have seen the earlier two versions of this series, you will find pretty much the same kind of pacing and humor, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The jokes between the various characters are all present, however it seems to be missing the charm that the first two seasons brought to the table. Being that this is the third installment in the series, I was really hoping that at least some of the character relations and/or friendships would have come to some kind of closure or resolve. Sadly however there really is little to none here. Many of the "Kana vs. Chiaki" scenes that were made staples are sadly missing, as is many gags from Hosaka and Makoto (however, what they do have by them is indeed funny). And really that has been what the series has always been about; comedy! There are some pretty clever bits in this version, many of which can be quite hilarious. Now that doesn’t mean you get all giggles, because there are some hit and miss episodes, or ones where it starts off very funny, then starts to come down a bit (and vis a versa). One thing that I have always praised about the Minami-Ke series for, was how the show never relies on one sol character to keep the storyline funny, and once again it delivers on that regards nicely, and each character adds their own humor as only they can do! So aside from some hit and miss episodes with the humor, it still remains an enjoyable title for the "slice of life/comedy" fans out there.
Art: 6/10
I still to this day don’t know why they had to change the artwork from the first season. I realize that it has since been done by a different studio, but even still, the earlier version seemed to work well enough for it! Well they ended up tweaking it again, and gone is the creepy looking faces the characters would get when they were annoyed and the like. The eyes have been made a little bit smaller, and the characters seem to look a bit more mature. The backgrounds were pretty washed out, and didn’t really eave much of an impression. It was really hard to adapt to at first, but I found myself getting use to it by episode 4. The art isn’t anything bad really, it just seemed so unnecessary to change it in the first place.
Sound: 8/10
All of the background music from the series has followed along nicely throughout all the seasons, all with a little bit of tweaks here and there, it still remains quite down to earth and relaxing, with many soothing instrumental pieces. The voice cast has all returned to fill their roles for all the characters, and once again pull it off very well. The opening and ending songs are much more lively when compared to the original Minami-Ke soundtrack, and are quite catchy with their happy upbeat sounds! A nice soundtrack for the ears!
Characters: 8/10
The characters (along with their comedy antics) have always been a staple to the series, and once again it delivers. I found the character chemistry between some of the various cast members to be a bit more planned out for this version. We get some funny and tender moments between Chiaki and Kana! Hosaka and Makoto, while not seen as often as in the last seasons, are still as funny as they ever were. We also get some humor from characters either not usually funny, or even shown that much. Such as Riko and Touma. Heck even Fujioka has plenty of good humor to give! I was happy that the characters remained as fun to watch as ever!
Enjoyment: 7/10
I really did enjoy what the third season had to offer, the comedy and character interactions were overall very fitting to the Minami-Ke franchise. However, due to the fact that the comedy also wasn't quite as funny as the last 2 seasons, I enjoyed this one a little bit less than the previous. Still, what it does have to offer is still very good!
Overall: 7/10
The anime seems to be keeping a solid pace for the franchise. I don’t think the series has been quite as good as it had been back with "DAUME, " but I still feel that fans of the show should indeed check this one out as well. The comedy is still there, the characters are still as charming as ever, and hey--it is more Minami-Ke!
