STORY:
Shinryaku Ika-Musume does not have any real plot, rather every episode is made up of three short skits that illustrates the humorous everyday life of Ika-chan (the protagonist) and her 'adoptive' family. Just like other similarly structured comedies such as Crayon Shin-Chan and Seitokai Yakuindomo, each skit is either a hit or miss: you either have a good laugh at the end of every seven minutes or you go 'jeez~'.
However, let me assure you that Shinryaku Ika-Musume will definitely have you ROFL at the end of every skit. At least I do. Unlike a lot of other comedies which usually consists of repeating the same old joke every episode until you are totally bored, Shinryaku Ika-Musume doesn't. You can see Ika-chan playing with her friends in one skit, and the next you see her fooling the three MID scientists. The same joke rarely repeats itself. Every skit is well-crafted, and it brings you a broad smile on your face at the end.
ART:
Shinryaku Ika-Musume sports some good character designs, most unforgettable of all includes Ika-chan and of course the three MID scientists. Other than that, the art throughout the whole series is pretty standard.
SOUND:
I wonder why slice-of-life comedy series seldom gets awesome soundtrack. Probably because it's a 'slice-of-life' series, it's meant to emphasize the everyday lives, not some epic story or things like that. That being said, the soundtrack of Ika-Musume is also not something you would look out for.
On the other hand, the OP and ED of the series are quite good. The OP, 'Shinryaku no Susume' is catchy and fits the overall mood of the series. The ED, 'Metamerism' was a weird choice for such a lively show, but nevertheless it was a decent song.
What I particularly enjoy most about Shinryaku Ika-Musume's sound is the voice acting. Ika-chan's voice actress was obviously a correct choice - she managed to inject life into the cute character. Another character who had a great voice was Chizuru (I call her Brock Ver. Female, just to let you know).
CHARACTER:
Because it was a show made up of character-driven skits, the character development was done quite well. Each character had enough screentime and had good development. As the show progresses, we see more and more different perspectives of the characters. Obviously the one who got the most development was Ika-chan. Other people, such as Eiko and Sanae, was developed well too. However, Chizuru still remains my favorite character.
OVERALL:
All in all, Shinryaku Ika-Musume is one good comedic series that I would recommend to even my friends who don't watch anime. The well-written humor mixed with the slice-of-lifeness would make you want to watch it again and again.
