みなみけ 夏やすみ
Minami-ke Natsuyasumi OVA
Minami-ke Summer Vacation

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

With only  a week of summer vacation left, Kana tells Chiaki that there’s one thing they have to do, and she’s not referring to the piles of homework still untouched. As such, Haruka takes Kana, Chiaki, Uchida, Yoshino, and Touma to the beach. As Haruka sleeps, Chiaki tries to mentally prepare herself to enter the water. Kana suggests a pose that makes her look eager to get into the water, but that backfires. Kana suggests a pose that says she’s not ready, but that backfires, as does her suggested pose of contemplation. By the time Chiaki is resolved to go in the others are ready to come out for some shaved ice, where the discussion ends up being about the body languages of different poses.

With three days left, Kana hasn’t done her homework as Chiaki still has to do her personal goal. When Chiaki gets back from her errand, she discovers Kana’s rhino beetle has escaped, though Kana blames her. Touma has a rhino beetle, which she names Natsuki, after her brother. Kana has a study session with Fujioka, Keiko, and Riko when “Mako-chan” arrives. Seeing Kana doing homework, Mako takes offense and flees since he hasn’t done his. Homework resumes as Keiko scolds Kana for just guessing. Chiaki enters the room, but leaves after Kana tells everyone she hasn’t finished her homework. Keiko wonders if anything is in the plastic box on the table, causing Kana to be sad over the loss of her beetle.

Haruka, Atsuko, Maki, and Hitomi are at a family restaurant when they notice Haruka seemingly down, which she attributes to noticing Kana and Chiaki being somewhat depressed. Touma discovers her rhino beetle is gone as Fujioka finds Chiaki working on a gymnastics move that she listed as a personal goal. Fujioka encourages her to try again the next day, which she does successfully. Meanwhile, a rhino beetle flies into the apartment and enters the plastic cage, pleasing Kana. Kana apologizes to Chiaki, so she and Chiaki make up, pleasing Haruka.

This leads Kana and Haruka to start talking about having a party for Chiaki doing her gymnastics goal, so Haruka goes to get ready, but she wants Kana to take a picture of Chiaki doing it. At the park, Chiaki feels the pressure and fails, so the party to celebrate her accomplishment becomes a pre-celebration meal. That night, all three sisters go to the park to have Chiaki try again, but Chiaki is too full. Kana suggests a jog, but when they are done, Chiaki is too tired. Kana is disappointed, but Haruka says today can be a sisters made up day, which Kana is OK with. With that, Haruka picks up Chiaki on her back to take her home as Kana hopes that Chiaki can perform the move tomorrow.

Going back to when Haruka, Atsuko, Maki, and Hitomi are at a family restaurant, Atsuko gets kidded about not making a decision on what to get to eat and just ends up getting what the others get. Hitomi does not like this as she thinks that Atsuko’s indecisiveness could lead her to have affairs with the other girl’s boyfriends. Hitomi summons the waiter and tells Atsuko she has that long to decide. Atsuko decides on the big steak set meal by choosing it at random.The girls talk about guys and the important things guys must be. Hitomi realizes that Atsuko didn’t get the meal she ordered, likening Atsuko accepting this as Atsuko going with a guy she didn’t like. As such she forces Atsuko to ask to be given what she ordered.

Elsewhere, Hosaka is at a “McDonalds” trying to decide what to order, leading to him starting to strip down. This is observed by Natsuki, who wonders how long it will take Hosaka to order. In the end, Hosaka orders a soft drink.

Thoughts/Review:

I’m informed this OVA episode was adapted from manga chapters 200, 202, 203, and 205. That being said, can someone explain to me why the heck Kodansha Comics hasn’t licensed this manga series? Seriously! Heck, Del Rey should have licensed this back in the day.

Regardless, it was nice getting back to the Minami-ke anime love. ^_^

The beach trip wasn’t anything special, though I noted that Haruka got serviced with heaving cleavage shots. I was amused by the girls talk of poses and what body language those poses spoke.

For Kana’s homework session, I laughed out loud at how the scoffing tables were turned on Kana after she finally decided to do her homework while Mako still had yet to start.

I was also amused by Touma calling her captured rhino beetle (presumably the one Kana previously had) Natsuki.

The third story having Chiaki accomplish her personal goal was not unexpected, nor was her flubbing when under pressure to do the gymnastics move again. But, it did allow for the sisters to not only make up, but have a nice family moment as well. ^_^

The story with Haruka, Atsuko, Maki, and Hitomi at the “Denny’s” restaurant was funny, thanks to the awesomeness of Hitomi. Atsuko is the quite, get along type of girl, so Hitomi pretty much nailed it when she saw Atsuko giving in to one of her friend’s boyfriends hitting on her, or giving in to some guy she didn’t really like.

Of course, Atsuko has been somewhat decisive when it comes to Hosaka. *lol*

Speaking of which, Hosaka only got a cameo at the end, but it was funny just the same, just because it is Hosaka we are talking about. *lol*

They even got a parody reference to Hataraku Maou-sama! in there, which made me laugh even if I’ve not seen the anime nor read the source material.

The anime managed to work in every character from the franchise save for Hayami. (I’m not counting Shuuichi since he was pretty much written out of the anime, save for two cameos in Minami-ke Tadaima.) I don’t know why she was missing, but oh well.

In the end, a rather fun episode, making me wish the manga were licensed and gracing my bookcase.