Having a character in a series attempt to win an argument using squirrels seems like it would go down well around these parts; thankfully squirrel related tomfoolery is not all Minami-ke has to offer as it manages to break out of its well trodden, all-girl-school-comedy premise and develop into a raucous look at the life of a family of oddities and the selection of characters which get pulled into their orbit.
The first season of Minami-ke seems to constantly better itself by proving time and time again that it will not beat a dead horse, providing capricious situations that seem patently obvious when shown, but on reflection take on Rube Goldberg-esque set up. For instance: Makoto, a typically brash and uninteresting character whose only lot in life seems to be to provide a catalyst for Chiaki's deadpan cynicism, add in the desire to visit the Minami household without incurring special kinds of wrath, mix in some typical gender-bending and atypical cross-dressing, sprinkle in some adoration for Haruka and the result is something that never seems anything less than hilarious. Time and time again the off-the-wall comedy provides sporadic moments of howling laughter buffered by constant amusement with a boy with a propensity for loosening his shirt and sparkling to the trio of straight-faced brothers who also share the name Minami.
Episodes are all but worthless in isolation and rely on the build-up of characters and events to lift it out of randomness and drudgery. The measure of the show is how well it manages to convey the world surrounding the three titular sisters without ever marginalising them or letting other character steal their spotlight; the slow growth of affection with the sisters and their interplay is easily its most skilful accomplishment and never does the pace languish in expected "dead zones" of humour. The comedy focuses on several core themes: age, friends and routine. Most of the opening episodes' laughs stem from Chiaki's lack of knowledge of "adult" topics or Kana's misinterpretation thereof; the show then ensnares a selection of the Minami's closest friends either providing foils to their oddball attitudes or embracing it wholeheartedly; interspersed with all of these are the short vignettes of daily life from kicking a stone all the way home or greedily devouring a cake bought for your sisters.
Characters, situations and comedy are stitched together so deftly that it's hard to think of Minami-ke as a series at all and more the ongoing tribulations of the characters, a weekly window into their lives and intimate moments. The series wisely steers clear of the drudgery of modern existence, avoiding moments of repose or showing the characters at anything less than full-bore; it also knowingly dodges pointless titillation with comparatively well-proportioned curves and using brief flashes of undergarments as set ups for even cheekier and more worthwhile moments. The thirteen episodes cover an entire year in the lives of the Minami sisters from new-year to new-year and with predictable activities for each season, the show reveals more about contemporary Japanese life than one would have perhaps thought; scathing looks at culture such as the sitcom "Sensei and Ninomiya" whose protagonists rarely utter anything else to the obligations of mundane, yearly events.
All of this jocularity is supported by a solid voice acting cast with Minori Chihara (Yuki in Suzumiya Haruhi), Marina Inoue (Yoko in Gurren Lagann) and Rina Satou (Negi in all Negima incarnations) providing some seamless and fitting performances for Chiaki, Kana and Haruka respectively. The opening sneaks in many later series revelations, relying on the infectious but ultimately forgettable song to divert attention; the ending meanwhile is perfunctory and mirrors the slide-show scenes accompanying it. The art-style is awash with shades of brown and beige, never quite breaking out into full technicolour even in the obligatory beach episode; the animation on the other hand never shows the bullet-time budget burn of the first episode but remains serviceable without overexerting itself.
The second series from a wholly different studio inherits the voice actors and groundwork laid by this first, but whether the wit and captivating characters carry over to the different creative team will take another thirteen episodes to conclusively say. Fundamentally though, all of this is just a clinical way of saying that Minami-ke is never anything less than entertaining, remarkably original and tirelessly endearing and manages to evolve beyond its all-girl roots and become something marvellous.