みなみけ Episode 02

SPOILER Summary: At Haruka’s high school, she’s eating lunch with friends Maki and Atsuko. Maki announces that she’s quitting school but because she’s been threatening this for a couple of days now, Haruka and Atsuko don’t take her serious. When Haruka asks the reason for this, Maki finishes her pan (bread, specifically she has a large bun with a filling in it) and says it is because of their school uniform in that girls have to wear skirts and there’s a chance they could flash their panties. Atsuko says she should just wear bloomers over her panties if she’s that concerned about it, but Maki is distracted by her missing pan. Haruka tells her she’s eaten it, but Maki doesn’t listen and goes to look under the desk, where she can see up Haruka’s skirt. She decides to loudly announce that Haruka is wearing white panties, but only gets out “pan” as Haruka stops her, making it seem like she’s talking about bread. Maki continues to talk about panties and finally Atsuko has had enough and loudly tells Maki to just wear bloomers.

Back at home, the three sisters are eating dinner when Kana wants to know why Haruka came home late. She tells them she had an activity to perform and she was with a boy. Kana wants to know if they did anything “weird” together. Haruka pulls Kana aside to tell her not to teach Chiaki anything weird. Kana tells Chiaki that when guys and girls get together, they are sure to do “weird things,” to which Chiaki wants to know what these “weird things” are. Chiaki keeps coming up with questions which Kana deflects to Haruka, to her embarrassment. At school the next day, Makoto invites Yoshino and Chiaki over to join him and Shuuichi to play games. Chiaki wants to know if they are going to do “weird things” and Makoto protests this greatly. In the end, Chiaki agrees to go and when she gets home, Haruka asks her if she did her homework at her friend’s house. She confirms it and says that nothing “weird” happened. Kana and Haruka both end up saying she shouldn’t do such things as an elementary school girl and confess they haven’t even done such things, which then makes Haruka turn red.

At school sometime later, Chiaki and her friends are gathered around. Makoto is telling a story about Typhoon 14 and Localized Downpour amongst others, which confuses Chiaki. The friends and classmates are stunned by this since these are the nicknames that she gave the various sensei’s in the school. She claims not to remember this. Makoto says Chiaki should come up with nicknames for the people in the class starting with him. Her first choice is simple — “Mako-chan.” He’s not to happy with that so her next choice is “Baka na Kodomo” (Idiot Kid). He’s not happy with that either, but for her, its one or the other and he reluctantly chooses “Mako-chan.” Shuuichi is next and he gets “Plain Yogurt” (the actual English words). Soon, the whole class has been named and so “Mako-chan” says she has to give herself a nickname, so she calls herself “Hime” (Princess). He protests that very much, so she calls him “Bakayarou” (“stupid idiot;” often sounds like “bakaero”). He protests that, saying his name is “Baka na Kodomo” before catching this admission.

Its time to clean the classroom and Makoto is eager to jump in. So, Chiaki has him use the dustpan but her sweeping ends up sending him back. She tells him he has zero points at using a dustpan and when he makes a fuss over it, she dismisses him from dustpan duties. So they trade spots and Chiaki gets covered with dust. She makes him get two buckets of water, then stand there and hold them (an old form of punishment in Japanese schools). The others clean, then class happens, classes ends, and everyone goes home, but Makoto remains. A teacher comes by wondering why he’s still there and he tells the teacher that “she” told him to stand there.

Its evening and as Kana eats chips and goofs off in the living room as Chiaki does her homework. Kana doesn’t like this because it makes her look like she’s slacking. Chiaki tells Kana that she’s aiming for a good junior high school to attend. So, Kana counters by reminding Chiaki that Haruka attended the same junior high school as Kana, thus Chiaki has unintentionally insulted her beloved older sister. Kana decides to quiz Chiaki from a textbook with a difficult question and when Chiaki gets it, Kana demands to know what page the answer is on in the book, which obviously Chiaki wouldn’t know. Kana then states that Chiaki is studying in the living room to be praised by Haruka. So, Chiaki decides to quiz Kana, who comes up with strange answers to the questions, but not the right ones.

Finally, Chiaki decides to make Kana write a paper in 400 words or less on the “weird things” that happen when men and women get together. Kana struggles with this before coming up with a non-answer. Chiaki protests this answers, but Kana tells her to get into a good school where they’ll teach her those things. Haruka gets home and they challenge her to write a paper explaining “weird things.” Her answer on paper is to put this topic aside and talk about what to have for dinner. Kana wants Udon and Chiaki wants Curry, so Haruka skates out of the answer and goes to make Curry Udon.

Thoughts: Sheeze! There sure were a lot of names to try to grab this time, y’all. However, Chiaki totally rules. I had a few good laughs here to be sure. The “chapter” of Chiaki giving nicknames was pretty funny stuff. This is going to become a favorite it looks like.

Not that it matters, but I guess the three girls live alone with no parents. There was a reference to Haruka picking her junior high and high school based on location rather than quality of school.