Wednesday 18 March 2009

Minami-ke Okaeri - Episode 11

Episode eleven of Minami-ke Okaeri gives plenty of attention to Riko in her never-endingly fruitless pursuit of Fujioka, and to be frank it seems to be having a bad effect on her.


The episode begins with the appearance of "Observer Hiroko", although the word "observer" should probably be replaced by "interferer", as she passes forth her knowledge and thoughts on the helpless Kanna-Fujioka-Riko love triangle, before trying to help Riko practice confessing to Fujioka with little to show for her efforts when all is said and done.

Riko soon gets another opportunity to impress however, as she's invited to a study evening (along with Fujioka) by Kanna. Of course, everyone's favourite member of the Minami household steals the show, dreaming a predictably surreal way of being a good host to her guests, but falling victim to her own "wonderful" hospitality on account of the paranoia and habits of the others, with mildly amusing consequences.

Riko's next plan is to impress Fujioka with her intellect in the hope that he'll come to her for tuition, a plan which brings about some rather Hosaka-esque daydreams in the process. However, Riko is pipped to the post somehow by Kanna, who manages to outscore her on test results and thus ruins said dream.

After all that, Riko finally gets a break as Chiaki and Mako make some Valentine's Day chocolate, primarily at the whim of Kanna. Eating chocolate and playing Othello appears to be Kanna's idea of paradise... Fujioka take note.

After giving me a few good laughs last time around, episode eleven of this series was a bit of a damp squib really, raising little more than a smile or two for its efforts. Not a bad episode, but only Kanna's bathtime hospitality efforts really stick in the memory, continuing the extremely hit and miss nature of this series.

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