Minami-ke Episode 06

Mako-chan, the honorary protagonist of this episode.

"The Birth of Mako-chan"

"Mako-chan Tanjō" (マコちゃん誕生)

Airdate: 11 November 2007

Internal Date: Sometime in October 2007, after the 14th.

Previous Episode → 05

Next Episode → 07

Synopsis

This episode creates Mako-chan.

Chiaki's close friends invite themselves, and later Makoto, to her house to do homework. Makoto develops a crush on Haruka, but his subsequent behavior incurs Chiaki's jealousy and causes him to be banned from the house. Upon hearing of the situation, Kana instructs Uchida to bring Makoto the next day, where she implements her dastardly plot: sneak Makoto past Chiaki by helping him cross-dress, knowing he won't be able to refuse. Makoto soon finds himself unable and unwilling to break out of the deception and its attendant benefits, beginning to slide down the slippery slope. Hilarity ensues.

Segment One

Haruka, as seen by Makoto.

If this had been planned, Makoto would be evil.

Chiaki does not want Makoto visiting anything.

Chiaki tears a book in two.

Chiaki punches Makoto.

^[Manga]Makoto laments to Shuuichi the large amount of homework they have been assigned. They then overhear Uchida and Yoshino agreeing to work together on homework at Chiaki's house. Makoto queries them about it, commenting that the homework must go by easily if they work together. Chiaki points out that they would do it quickly either way, and that this more of an excuse to have fun while studying.

Uchida agrees with Chiaki, saying that they are all smart. Makoto tells her to stop faking and pulls her over to the "idiot team". Chiaki then claims Shuuichi for her side. Yoshino, surprising Chiaki, tells Makoto to stop complaining and just join them. Chiaki is unable to refuse.

Upon arriving and Chiaki's house, they find Kana half-dressed and in the process of hanging up clothes.

They then attempt to begin, but Makoto instead chats with Kana who imparts her "wisdom" on Makoto. Makoto says his eyes have been opened, but Chiaki punches him and tells him to wake up. Chiaki tells Kana to go away.

Again, Chiaki attempts to study, but Kana continues to be immensely distracting, this time asking Makoto which girl he likes, and telling him to pick one out of the three seated there.

At this moment, Haruka arrives home, instantly winning Makoto's affection. Haruka says she will make snacks for everyone. Chiaki tries to offer to help, but is intercepted by Makoto. Makoto then loudly helps and wins praise from Haruka, incurring Chiaki's jealousy and wrath, enough for her to tear a book in half.

At school the next day, Makoto celebrates the fact that they again have a ton of homework, but when he attempts to invite himself to Chiaki's house, he is instantly shut down.

Segment Two

Chiaki hits Makoto.

Chiaki hits Makoto with an inkstone.

^[Manga]Later, Makoto begins to ask Uchida a question, but changes his mind and asks Yoshino instead. He changes his mind again and now asks Chiaki, who is practicing calligraphy, herself.

Makoto asks "Minami" if she's been ignoring him, and she nods yes. He asks why, but she does not respond. He then asks using the familiar "Chiaki", triggering a slight twinge of anger. He then calls her "hime", finally causing her anger to boil over and her to hit him.

Makoto then confers with Yoshino and Uchida, complaining that he has no idea why she hates him. They both recall why, and begin talking to each other about it in false voice, pretending to be the objects they are holding. Uchida says it is because of Makoto's idiocy. Chiaki begins a piece of calligraphy, causing the other two girls to speculate that it may reveal the reason why she hates him. They wait expectantly.

Chiaki's excellent calligraphy states "baka-yaro".

She holds it up and nods in satisfaction. The girls then encourage Makoto to go apologize. He approaches and shows her a sample of his very poor calligraphy, a signed apology. Chiaki then tells him that he has failed, but seems to soften a little, telling him not to bother her while concentrating, and to stop taking calligraphy so lightly. She then shows him her "masterpiece".

He praises her calligraphy, then foolishly calls her "hime" again. She hits him with her inkstone.

Later, Makoto again confers with Yoshino and Uchida, saying she persists in ignoring him. This time they are all holding brooms, and Uchida says it's Makoto's fault.

Segment Three

Amnesiac Ninomiya

The three sisters are watching an episode of Sensei and Ninomiya-kun, which starts off with the revelation that Ninomiya has amnesia after being hit by a car. Sensei drowns his sorrows in a bar, getting in a fight and getting thrown out. Meanwhile, Ninomiya deliriously leaves the apparently poorly-run hospital and returns to the spot of the accident. Conveniently, this is right in front of the bar where Sensei was thrown out. He runs into the again-rainy intersection to reach her, just as a car approaches, but a power outage prevents the sisters from watching any more. Chiaki tells Haruka to call the power station and complain.

Segment Four

How Chiaki sees the world.

What happens.

Mako-chan dodges a bullet.

How Mako-chan reacts.

^[Manga]Uchida explains Makoto's predicament to Kana. Kana tells Uchida to bring Makoto next time, promising that she has an interesting solution to his problem. Uchida is not sure this is a good idea.

The next day, Kana repeats Makoto's situation back to him and gives her proposed solution. Makoto will visit as her friend, in disguise. Makoto protests that Chiaki would never fall for that, but Kana explains that Chiaki keeps her eyes half-closed in order to avoid seeing what she doesn't want to. Kana then prepares to make Makoto's hair "cute", despite his protests. Uchida enjoys watching his humiliation.

Kana then gives him her old clothes to wear, again despite Makoto's delusional protests that he can never pass as a girl. Kana tells him that it suits him, and gives the three of them bottles of milk, which they chug after pledging to work hard to sustain the deception.

Chiaki arrives back, and Kana explains that the seemingly new girl is her underclassman, "Mako-chan". Makoto protests to Kana that the name is too much of a giveaway. Chiaki, however, does not see through the deception.

Later, Haruka arrives home, much to Mako-chan's delight. With no warning, Haruka unbuttons her shirt to relax after a long day. Kana tries to rescue Mako-chan by telling Haruka not to just randomly undress, even if she is only in the presence of girls. Makoto passes out. Kana wonders what kind of "technique" Haruka employed to obtain such a reaction and Mako-chan deliriously mumbles the phrase back to her.

Segment Five

Busted.

Makoto somehow manages to do this again.

Mako-chan wonders what it would be like.

Haruka shows up at the worst possible time.

Mako-chan passes out again.

Later, after school, Uchida encounters Makoto shopping for girl's clothing at the local department store. Uchida says she'll pretend she never saw anything and tries to leave, but Makoto refuses to let her. In their struggle, Makoto accidentally pulls Uchida to the floor for the second time in the episode, and again apologizes.

After apparently having bought Uchida an ice cream cone to appease her, Makoto discusses the situation with Uchida. They agree that it is not feasible to continue borrowing Kana's clothes or Chiaki will become suspicious of Mako-chan. Uchida lends Makoto a temporary set of clothes so that he can buy more without looking strange. Uchida refuses to let him keep it when he asks.

As they inspect the clothes on sale, they accidentally wander into the bra section, where Mako-chan lets his inexperience show by grabbing one and saying wondrously that he will have to wear one.

At this moment, Haruka appears out of nowhere and offers to help Mako-chan with what appears to be his first time buying a bra. Uchida and Mako-chan fail to think of a way to refuse, and Haruka pulls Mako-chan into a dressing room, so that she can measure and examine his chest so that she can know his size. Mako-chan thinks he is now trapped, again because he believes, contrary to all evidence, that his chest, specifically his abs, will give him away. It does not.

After a thorough examination, Haruka concludes that it is far too early for Mako-chan to be wearing a bra, since he is not old enough.

Haruka leaves and Uchida tries to ask Mako-chan how it went out, but Mako-chan passes out again, deliriously talking about "technique".

Haruka arrives home just as Chiaki emerges from the shower in a towel. Haruka asks Chiaki to stop so that she can visually inspect her chest size, and concludes that no bra is necessary yet for her either.

Manner of Adaptation

Adaptation was again quite faithful, with the anime adding many rhetorical and visual flourishes, as makes sense in such an adaptation. The original segments were executed well.

Fan Reaction

Reactions were extremely positive, with many fans ecstatic at the humor potential embodied by Mako-chan and the over-the-top events that followed.