The BEST episodes of Minami-Ke

#1 - Manners Are...

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/8/2009

Caught up in a sudden rainstorm, Touma is forced to make an emergency stopover at Chiaki's house but finds that the hospitality comes with a price: Chiaki refusing to lend Touma any clothes due to her abrasive conduct. Though she initially misinterprets Natsuki's counsel on her conduct, Touma finally catches the lesson -- and a set of clean clothes. The next arc features Chiaki's lack of discretion and foresight with her affinity for trivia and facts. Fortunately, Fujioka helps Chiaki put her error in this area into perspective. The arc that follows thereafter details the prologue of the social dynamic Fujioka is involved in with both Chiaki and Touma: Chiaki mortifying Touma out of Fujioka's lap. The arc after that details that Natsuki has the same problem of abrasive conduct about which he earlier lectured Touma who enters the room and seats herself at the table. However, Natsuki's attempts to heed his brothers' counsel along with Touma's opinions of the Minami sisters sour the ambiance.

#2 - Because We're Together

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/29/2009

While doing some homework, Chiaki observes Haruka in some kind of distress and anxiously runs to Kana for assistance. Even though she feels that the cause of Haruka's distress is something minor like what to prepare for dinner/breakfast, Kana observes Haruka with Chiaki for a while without gaining any more insight unaware that Haruka is observing their strange behavior and wondering its root cause. While Kana and Chiaki converse after school, Haruka is doing the same with Yoshino and Uchida. The misunderstanding is ultimately resolved by everybody making faces at each other. The next arc features the aftermath of a nightmare that has Chiaki clinging to Kana that Haruka euphorically takes in stride. While Haruka is out on the town with her friends, Chiaki gets over her nightmare while Kana has a similar nightmare that sends her clinging to Haruka who is late coming home. The final arc is set in motion when Kana writes her Tanabata wish to repudiate sweets that gets interpreted as a suicide note that scares both Haruka and Chiaki who think that they are to blame. Fortunately, the misunderstanding is quickly resolved and everybody has a wonderful time at the Tanabata party glad to be together.

#3 - Let's Go to the Beach

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/5/2007

It is really hot and the Minamis decide to take a trip to the beach. Their swimming suits are too small. Kana and Chiaki go buy swimming suits, while Haruka makes dinner. Kana buys Haruka a two piece swimming suit.

#4 - A Girl Cannot Hide Her Sunburn, Nor Her Heart

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/10/2013

#5 - It's Getting Fun

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/1/2009

Chiaki is down in the dumps at the upcoming stewardship of the pool and decides to enliven things by challenging everybody to a game of tag with the »it« person having the garden hose. Makoto stealing the hose and Chiaki's retaliation sparks a three-way water fight with Uchida and Yoshino that obfuscates the issue of Chiaki not being able to swim and that the compensatory computation thereof backfiring on Chiaki. The next arc is a snapshot of Kana's computations of the intermediate school social ambiance in terms of a outing to a public pool followed by the computation crash wrought upon Fujioka regarding appropriate male contact with females and the aftermath thereof. Touma demonstrates her perspective on the issue only to find that male-to-male contact is much more straightforward and has greater latitude.

#6 - Fruitless Love

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/31/2007

The Minami family celebrate New Year's.

#7 - The Delinquent Soccer Player Returns

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/22/2007

Fujioka admits that he likes Kana after she wakes up from a nap at school. Kana runs home then asks Chiaki what Fujioka meant by "I really like you." The next day Kana invites Fujioka over for dinner, Kana ends up kicking Fujioka out.

#8 - 'Dumplings Rather than Flowers' Age

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/9/2008

Spring has sprung and the Minami sisters are sitting around the kotatsu talking. Chiaki confuses 'skirt steak' (harami) with 'flower viewing' (hanami) and is teased by Kana. To save Chiaki, Haruka suggests going flower viewing, though it is still too early.

#9 - The Pattern of Love

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/29/2007

Takeru visits Minami family. Riko has a crush on Fujioka, but is frustrated by his relationship with Kana. Meanwhile, Hosaka imagines what it is like to be a part of Minami family.

#10 - The Neighboring Minamis

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/17/2007

The Neighboring Minamis are introduced.

#11 - The Birth of Mako-chan

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/12/2007

Chiaki invites her friends over to work on home work. Kana asks Makoto what type of girls does he perfer. Haruka comes in and Makoto decides to help Haruka cook. The next day Chiaki ignores Makoto the whole day. Makoto comes over with Uchida the next day and Kana dresses him up like a girl.

#12 - Does It Hurt Yet? Secrets of Mako-chan

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/2/2008

Kana believes she has prophetic dreams and can predict the next nights dinner. Makoto is almost caught crossdressing by Yoshino, and Kana worries whether she is a bad influence on Makoto. Haruka is told that she has been selected to study abroad and is having a hard time with the prospect of leaving.

#13 - Vegetables with Your Merry Friends on Your Day Off

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/24/2013

#14 - Even One Bite More Is Painful

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/23/2008

Chiaki helps to prepare for a school sports meet. Meanwhile, the sisters learn that Fuyuki is moving and is forced to leave in the middle of the sports meet. Kana learns that Haruka has been selected to study abroad.

#15 - Everyone at Once, 'Thank You for the Meal'

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/30/2008

Frightened of the prospect of Haruka studying abroad, Kana and Chiaki decide to step up to the plate and exert more of an effort with the cooking and cleaning as well as the other domestic chores in order to put Haruka's mind at ease after sending her off with a smile. It quickly becomes evident that the prospect of having to actually take care of themselves in Haruka's absence is much more than Kana and Chiaki can endure. While being tearfully embraced and exhorted to stay with them, Haruka explains to Kana and Chiaki that she has no intention of studying abroad anyway.

#16 - As Expected, It's Getting Bad

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/16/2008

Toma's secret is almost revealed to Fujioka when he sees her in a girls uniform. Kana covers for her by making Fujioka believe that everyone must crossdress at her place and tries to force Fujioka to comply. Kana feigns a cold on Saturday to avoid doing the city cleanup; Chiaki stays to keep an eye on Kana and figures out she was faking. The next day, she truly catches a cold and tries to avoid being found out, all the while recruiting Uchida and Mako-chan for help.

#17 - Start of the Year

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/4/2009

A euphoric moment of Haruka securing Chiaki's kimono gives way to frustration that Kana is oversleeping along with the consequent compensatory frenzy thereof that does not seem to bother Uchida who (at the cost of her micro-economy) has been enjoying herself at the festival. The fortune that Uchida purchases with Kana's money only amplifies this fact; unfortunately, Uchida takes the fortune too seriously and overlooks that realizing a fortune takes effort on her part. The next arc features Chiaki contrasting fried noodles and their instant-cup brethern with Touma who has no idea what Chiaki is telling her until Haruka returns home with Kana and prepares some tea that Takeru enjoys using old leaves rather than the ones from the first harvest. The arc that follows thereafter details the home visit the school nurse regarding Chiaki who is none too thrilled with the prospect and that Haruka refuses to intercede as Chiaki's guardian. Between Takeru's obliviousness and the school nurse's flirting along with Kana watching the whole thing, poor Chiaki is absolutely mortified. The final arc details Takeru availing a superstition that points to Kana pulling her usual pranks and a fact that has been demonstrated all throughout.

#18 - What's Said Here, Stays Here

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/31/2013

#19 - If I Am Worthy

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/15/2009

Frustrated and bored with the practice for the three-legged race, Chiaki decides to call it a day much to Makoto's dismay. Kana tells Makoto of Chiaki's dearth of sports proficiency and warns that helping Chiaki will jeopardize his transvestite mirage. It becomes obvious that Makoto and Chiaki have not learned to synchronize with each other and that Makoto's transvestite mirage is quite the Damocles sword for Kana to maintain as is demonstrated when a mishap with soda leads to Kana and Chiaki sparring with parables that teach a physical metamorphosis is not a prerequisite for a euphoric relationship. Chiaki accidentally breaking the Minami sisters' mugs sets the stage for a labyrinth of complex and unnecessary strategic game theory computations that conclude to Kana's detriment.

#20 - The Man Sweats Under the Blue Summer Sky

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/27/2013

#21 - Making Chilled Noodles

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/3/2013

#22 - Me, Too

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/11/2009

Touma pays the Minami sisters a visit with an unknown payload whose revelation Chiaki objects in Haruka's absence. Though she inhibits herself for the time being, Kana begins to succumb to avarice when Fujioka comes for a visit. What follows is an exercise in game theory in which Kana leads Chiaki through an enigmatic scenario to obfuscate her volition for having the entire payload to herself since Haruka's estimated arrival time is an unknown variable. Kana's only mistake is that she forgets to consider all the players. The next arc features Haruka and Chiaki being rather vague and indirect about the supermarket and the route thereof as well as a neighborhood dog giving way to Chiaki encountering a shopping list that she suspects that Kana tampered with. The arc thereafter details Hayami comparing notes with Maki regarding Hosaka before she gets the idea to wield Hosaka's computations as her plaything. Hosaka tries befriending Maki and Atsuko but is puzzled when they swiftly flee. The final arc features Haruka taking notes from a cooking show about the preparation of curry while detecting the necessity of visiting the supermarket. Chiaki taking on this stewardship with the very notes that Haruka was taking earlier ends up inspiring Hosaka and herself an extra spicy curry.

#23 - The Order That Must Exist

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/25/2009

In spite of being the reason for Touma's earlier »Hands off!!!« repulsion, Kana decides that Touma is getting out of hand while making the same mistake with Chiaki at dinner. Haruka swiftly answers the dominance question between Kana and Chiaki right before Touma arrives again with a slideshow of her family government. Kana gives Touma a photograph to show Natsuki that causes a computation crash. The next arc depicts the Minami brothers discussing what to give Touma for her birthday and revealing that Natsuki is the second-generation Banchou that has gotten into a misunderstanding with one of his classmates Hitomi who is fishing for insight regarding maturity and thinks that she can determine Natsuki's thoughts via eye contact.

#24 - It's Law

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/22/2009

During the homebound commute, Uchida and Yoshino's stopover to buy some baked yams during the homebound commute gives way to Kana explaining to them her »Laws of Popularity«. Availing a bunch of soda cans, Kana directs Uchida and Yoshino through an exercise with soda cans to practice the Law of Weakness Appeal. Unfortunately, Chiaki (especially after the soda geyser) is not amused at the exhibition and Atsuko is put on the hot seat after Haruka takes Maki away. Touma imparting an emphatic »Watch where you are going!!!« punch to a contrite Makoto before walking away ultimately demonstrates that male-female interaction is as a kaleidoscope and that there are a myriad of variables in play. While Kana spends the next arc fishing for iconoclastic responses, Atsuko shares her »cool when silent« perspective of Hosaka before later comparing notes with Maki leads into a comical social sequence in which Hayami and the approaching Hosaka along with Maki and Atsuko seem to have completed these cerebral computations without verifying the results with the outside world.

#25 - Even If It's a Fight

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/18/2009

Touma's ecstasy during the homebound commute is quickly extinguished by Natsuki helping himself to the snack consecrated for that purpose. Thereafter, Touma's sudden arrival on Chiaki's doorstep gives way to the revelation that Touma has an ongoing passive-aggressive dynamic with her brothers and paints a dysphoric snapshot of Touma's family. The next arc details how the Minami sisters deal with an abundance of apples. The arc concludes with the Minami brothers prosecuting protracted and complex computations regarding the utilization of the apple Touma brought back with her. The arc that follows thereafter details Haruka conferring culinary counsel upon Natsuki while Kana and Chiaki discuss Haruka and Natsuki first as individuals and then as a romantic couple. Chiaki dismisses the prospect before directing Kana to finish the curry Haruka is making. Unfortunately, the culinary protocols for both Haruka's curry and Natsuki's cookies get interchanged with dysphoric consequences. The final arc is related to the first and details the conflagration of Touma confronting Natsuki who repels his brothers' attempts to come to their sister's aid. In an attempt to guide her through guarding against this kind of misunderstanding, Kana demonstrates to Touma a form of Japanese script that looks a lot like arithmetic.