みなみけ ただいま
Minami-ke Tadaima Episode12 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

The Minami girls are in their kimonos for New Years, but Kana decides to pull Chiaki’s obi, so that she’s spun around, as often happens in old samurai movies. Chiaki wants revenge, but ends up snagging Haruka’s obi and spinning her. Chiaki and Haruka then decide to get revenge on Kana. They manage to snag her and spin her by yanking her obi off. Uchida, Yoshino, and Touma arrive in kimonos, Touma dressed in a male kimono. The Minami girls have to get dressed again before they all head to a shrine to participate in the festivities.

Later, Uchida returns to the Minami residence to join the girls in having a bowl of shiruko with two pieces of mochi in it. Kana ponders this aloud, then produces a photo of herself with Uchida in a bikini from their summer trip to the beach. Kana wonders if Uchida has gotten fat, so she declares that they will go to an indoor pool on the following day. Yoshino joins them, but when Kana demands to know if Yoshino and Chiaki think that Uchida is flabby around the middle, Chiaki says she notices nothing. Kana is disappointed, but when Chiaki realizes Kana wanted to train Uchida, she changes her mind, wanting to train Uchida and call herself the Oni Instructor. Her motives are revenge, but she doesn’t get a chance to do her instructing as Yoshino talks them into getting lunch, after which, Chiaki takes a nap.

At school, Miyuki and Keiko recount their overseas trip as Riko ends up telling Kana she went to her grandmother’s place in Kyoto. Keiko is worried about an upcoming school marathon, which is six miles long. Riko wonders why they are using miles instead of meters and kilometers. Since Riko is speaking in a Kyoto dialect, Kana wants her snapped out of it, but Keiko and Miyuki end up speaking the same dialect. Kana consults with Fujioka, who comes over to speak with them about the marathon. Riko is happy to see Fujioka’s smile, and the three girls stop speaking Kyoto. However, as the conversation continues, Kana gets frustrated and ends up speaking in the Kyoto dialect herself with the others speak normally.

The Minami girls are huddled at the kotatsu when Kana suggests having nabe. Chiaki is disdainful of this idea until Haruka shows her support. The doorbell rings and Kana is forced to answer it. Yoshino, Uchida, and Touma are there, ready to play in the snow. Haruka gets Chiaki and Kana to leave by giving Kana a list of things to go out and purchase. On the way, the elementary school girls start a snowball fight with Kana, defeating her despite her boasting, before making a snowman. Haruka shows up, giving Kana the wallet she forgot. Kana asks why Haruka can’t just go since she’s already out. Haruka says she’s busy, but Kana knows Haruka is headed back to the kotatsu. She nails Haruka in the back of the head with a snowball. Haruka stops, then after a pause, makes a snowball and knocks Kana to the ground with a shot to the forehead.

Mako-chan is at the Minami apartment as Kana explains Setsubun to “her,” which is a festival just before spring where beans are thrown at symbolic oni (a person in an oni mask). Kana puts on a red oni mask and Mako-chan throws beans at her. Kana says it will take billions of beans to defeat her, so Chiaki throws her teddy bear at Kana, offering one to Mako-chan as well. When Haruka gets home, the floor is covered in beans. She asks them to clean up as she makes a snack of a lucky roll cake. Kana demands more because she’s an oni, so Mako-chan borrows the mask to get another slice as well. Chiaki gets one without a mask. Kana wants the oni gone unless the oni is useful. Thus she issues commands to Mako-chan. Chiaki puts on the mask and simply insults Kana with her usual “bakayarou” name. She goes to help Haruka in the kitchen and finds herself asked to peel carrots. As an oni, Chiaki demands there be no vegetables, but Haruka doesn’t give in to Chiaki’s demand.

Thoughts/Review:

Man, I just loves me some Minami-ke. ^_^

While this episode wasn’t especially funny, the funny stuff for me came from the snowball fight, where Kana boasted about taking on Uchida, Chikai, Yoshino, and Touma, only to end up getting beat. Of course, the funniest moment was also the most predictable, that being Kana smacking the departing Haruka in the back of the head with a snowball, followed by Haruka returning the favor times ten. It was the pause after Haruka got hit that built the anticipation for the retaliation. *lol*

Anime and manga has taught me about more Japanese foods than I actually knew about when I lived in Japan. This episode introduced me to shiruko, which is an anzuki (sweet red bean) desert porridge with mochi (rice cake) added for oomph. Anzuki deserts are OK to me, but not the wicked deliciousness of a chocolate creme filled long john (for example). ^_~  Still, I wouldn’t mind trying a bowl of shiruko.

The customs of spinning girls in their kimono by their obi is an old one which I’ve seen lots of times in manga and anime. Ditto the Setsubun festival and the New Year’s celebrations.  Still, it was fun seeing the Minami girls doing these things. I was amused at the oni stuff done when Kana, Mako-chan, and Chiaki each wore the oni mask.

Beyond that, not a lot to comment on. The episode was fun, even if it wasn’t super funny. Sadly, only one episode remains.