Despite not still being produced by KyoAni, Miyakawa-ke retains the overall feel of Lucky Star, most likely due to the number of returning staff members: Yamamoto Yutaka is the director, having previously directed the first four episodes of Lucky Star, of which he did a fine job, episode one's infamous first half notwithstanding. Rest assured, you won't be sitting through five minutes of meandering food discussions here. The visuals, too, are on point, featuring the light but vibrant color palette you've come to expect from the franchise, and the same kinds of adorable character designs that are consistently well drawn.
However, even with the shorter episode lengths, this show tends to follow a slower pace. While Lucky Star was more reliant on nonstop punchline set-ups, Miyakawa-ke instead uses more focused linear plot structures. That's not to say there aren't any punchlines at all, but each episode typically deals with a single scenario or idea for its whole duration, rather than being comprised of disconnected instances.
Oddly enough, the Miyakawa sisters are the only two returning characters who ended up being portrayed by new seiyuu for this series; you might have forgotten that they did actually have two brief appearances in Lucky Star, though their roles were so small that it hardly matters. Hikage's new seiyuu, in particular, is an unusual one, this being her first and only role. Her non-anime-sounding voice gives Hikage a unique charm, so it's a shame that she hasn't done any more voice work since.
Hikage is also by far the more likable of the two sisters. She's a lot more perceptive and cynical than your typical nine-year-old, no doubt a result of the harsh state of poverty that she lives in. Miyuk-...er, I mean, Hinata, on the other hand, is mainly there to create problems for her little sister—these problems being the main sources for the show's gags. Her incompetence may get frustrating, as she continues to make the same selfish decisions over and over throughout the whole show, only redeeming herself on occasion. But, to be fair, the entire premise banks on her acting in this way. Hikage wouldn't be so endearing if she didn't have to constantly struggle due to her older sister's lack of self control and bad spending habits.
You'll find that the premise of Miyakawa-ke is very simple—perhaps too simple. As it is, there's not a whole lot of variety to the series. With that in mind, the show's length really works to its advantage—any longer and the creators might have run out of new ways to tell the same jokes.
Maybe that's why the ending is so satisfying, despite the fact that not all of the source material could be covered. It stops before getting old, and ends things on a pretty good note. If Lucky Star left you wanting more, you owe it to yourself to give this small series a shot; certain cameos will probably make you smile. However, if you're not amused by the first episode, you probably shouldn't bother to continue.
