みなみけ～おかわり～ Ep. 10

SPOILER Summary: It’s a cold, early-spring afternoon as Haruku comes home with Maki and Atsuko, all three carrying groceries. Maki complains about the weight of her bag (which is for Haruka) when the wind comes up and somehow knocks her over, causing all the eggs to break. Inside, Kana is grilling Atsuko about whey she likes the news until Atsuko heads to the bathroom. A stray cat that comes by is on the balcony of their 4th floor apartment/condo so Chiaki lets it in, the cat’s name being Atsuko as well. Then a series of human Atsuko entering the room just as cat Atsuko disappears under a table or the like, and vice versa happens.

Chiaki decides that human Atsuko needs some training on comeback lines as spring is sure to bring out the “bakayarou.” Kana sees that Maki wasn’t invited for this training and lets her know that Chiaki must considers Maki an idiot. The conversation turns to skirt steak (“harami”) which Chiaki hears as “hanami” (flower viewing, done in spring). As such, Chiaki is teased by Kana for this error and Chiaki is embarrassed by making such an idiotic mistake, especially since the sakura trees are not blooming just yet. However, when Haruka comes home (buying more eggs?), things have become such that now a hanami is planned despite the fact that its too early for such a thing. That means inviting the gang over.

The day of the early hanami arrives and Kana hands out assignments. Makoto, who’d told Chiaki he’d come, arrives as Mako-chan instead, causing some minor concerns for himself. Makoto, Fujioka, Fuyuki, and Touma are assigned to find a good place for the hanami while Chiaki, Yoshino, Uchida and Kana go buy stuff for the hanami. Haruka, Maki, and Atsuko will prepare yakiniku to bring out. With that, everyone goes to do their thing, which Chiaki having a time keeping Uchida and Kana in check as they want to buy other things. Fujioka and company find a good spot, while Haruka gets Maki and Atsuko to leave the kotatsu to help her until Hayami-senpai arrives with “juice,” having previously overheard the hanami plans.

Fujioka’s group has long found a good spot to set up the blankets and are waiting when Kana and company finally arrive with the stuff they’ve purchased. Since there is no sign of Haruka and company, Kana returns home to find out what the hold up is, only to discover that Hayami has gotten the other three girls drunk and incapacitated. Hayami comes onto Kana again and tries to get her to drink, but Kana wisely stays out of it and manages to escape with a bag full of “juice.” She returns to the hanami spot and because her answers are odd as to what happened with Haruka and company, Chiaki decides to find out for herself. Kana follows her and gets home just in time to see Chiaki downing some “juice.” Back at the hanami site, everyone is drunk but Fuyuki, who’s desperate for someone to rescue him.

Finally, it is a cold, rainy night and Chiaki has spent some of her own money to buy a “cup noodle” and is waiting the 3-minutes for it to be done. Kana comes home all soaked and so Chiaki goes to draw a hot bath for her. Kana spots Chiaki’s ramen cup and so turns on the TV and begins to consume it. Rather than go off on Kana when Chiaki returns, she’s resigned to the fact that Kana is Kana and tells her that once she’s done eating, the bath is ready. Seeing her depression, Kana feels bad and leaves, soon returning with two other ramen “cup noodle” bowls for Chiaki to choose from, which cheers Chiaki immensely.

Thoughts: Another completely pointless episode that was not funny and as such, a complete and total waste of time. I see there are a few people who seem to think this series is just hot stuff, but I’m not seeing it at all. There was nothing funny about a little wind making Maki fall over. There was nothing funny about Atsuko having a stray cat named after her. There was nothing funny about Chiaki’s mix up. There was nothing funny about the shopping antics or finding a hanami spot. There was nothing funny about Hayami getting everyone drunk.

I will admit that the last little story, while not funny, was sweet with Chiaki not going off on Kana for eating her Cup Noodle and Kana producing two others for Chiaki. That was a good thing.