みなみけ ただいま

Minami-ke Tadaima Episode 08 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Hosaka gets nailed in the face by a volleyball during practice while he fantasized about eating curry with Haruka and her “daughters”.  Sometime later, he has another bento brought in for Haruka, but as usual, Hayami distracts him by setting him on the notion of having a barbeque. As such, he sets out to start inviting people, but then has second thoughts, deciding he’ll have a barbeque with Haruka and her “daughters” after they are a couple. Returning to the classroom, Hosaka informs Hayami of his decision as she polishes off the last of the bento. After she confesses to eating it, he tells her that she shouldn’t eat the bentos he brings in.

On the weekend, the Minami girls are having a barbeque in a park with Natsuki working the grill. Touma, Maki, and Atsuko are there as well. Haruka asks Natsuki to grill some vegetables first for Chiaki since Chiaki is already hungry and doesn’t like vegetables. Natsuki complies, but Chiaki is not amused. However, when Kana reveals that Chiaki will have to eat the vegetables before she can get any grilled meat, Chiaki forces herself to eat them. She finally gets the meat, and finds the taste wiping away the bad memories of the vegetables. However, she’s not happy to see Haruka attempting to feed Natsuki, so she starts to complain. Natsuki silences her with a baked sweet potato while preparing yakisoba. Chiaki realizes Natsuki is just too perfect to complain about.

At both the elementary and middle schools, people are talking about a new show on TV that gets people to like vegetables. That afternoon at home, Kana discusses this with Chiaki, who thinks the idea is stupid since no show will get her to like vegetables despite the fact that she ate a lot of them at the barbeque. Kana has recorded an episode of the show and plays it. Afterward, a hypnotized Chiaki demands Kana get her vegetables. Kana brings over some vegetable sticks, so Chiaki eats a carrot and loves it, much to Kana’s surprise. Chiaki continues eating the vegetable sticks until she’s consumed them all. She then demands the shocked Kana bring her more.

At the high school, Hosaka brings Hayami a bento of nothing but vegetable sticks. Hayami doesn’t want this kind of bento from Hosaka and manages to escape, fleeing down the hall. Hosaka gives chase until Hayami runs into Hitomi and hides behind her. Hitomi ends up eating the vegetable stick Hosaka had. The two begin enjoying the vegetable bento and try to get Hayami to eat, to her horror. That afternoon, Chiaki runs into “Curry Fairy” Hosaka at the supermarket as he shops for vegetables like her. After a fantasy vegetable duet together, the two sample some cooked sausages and return to normal. Chiaki comes home with sausages, only to discover that Haruka is hypnotized and wants vegetables, thanks to that TV program.

Thoughts/Review:

I have to say that I think this episode was probably the funniest and best of the lot for this current iteration of Minami-ke. Indeed, this episode rises to the level of the first Minami-ke series.

Hosaka episodes are always a hoot, and this one starts on the right foot with a Hosaka family fantasy with Haruka and her sisters, whom he still refers to as daughters.

Naturally, Hayami takes advantage to score a bento.

Ah, but the writers do the awesome and turn the tables on Hayami by having Hosaka trying to force her to eat a vegetable bento, going so far as to chase her and even involve Hitomi. I laughed so hard at that.  Then when Hosaka was freed of the hypnotism of eating vegetables, he again gets the better of Hayami with the sausage bento. Great, great stuff.

I laughed at how Haruka planned to get Chiaki to eat vegetables at the barbeque with Natsuki’s help, but it was Kana’s “Fire God” speech to Chiaki that just made me laugh. Its great that Chiaki sometimes gets owned by Kana.

During the barbeque, I was really hoping that Haruka would feed Natsuki just to get a reaction from him, but alas, it didn’t go there. Well, in an episode so full of win, this is not a problem at all.

(As an aside, I did wonder why the Minami barbeque didn’t have Chiaki’s and Kana’s friends come by, to say nothing of Haruo or Akira.)

Hosaka scored not one, but two songs in this episode, and both of them were awesome. However, his duet with Chiaki was the boss. I loved that we saw a return of the Curry Fairy, as Chiaki refers to Hosaka, complete with the supermarket setting. But as I said, the fantasy duet on stage between Hosaka and Chiaki was just awesome.

A bell pepper beverage in a vending machine? *LOL* Awesome!

“Plain Yogurt” Shuuichi returns, but only for a dance cameo with Makoto. Hopefully, he gets a speaking role down the line.

Finally, what kills vegetables? A fat-filled, ultra tasty sausage link. Oh yeah! ^_^

As I said, this was the best episode so far of Minami-ke Tadaima.  The laughs were almost non-stop and the win was all over. This is how Minami-ke should be, complete with Kana being immune to the pressures to eat vegetables. ^_^