Plot
The opening scenes of the anime show the Daichis in a furious argument over a divorce petition. Suddenly a bright flash of light blinds them completely and they are shown their future roles to be played as defenders of the earth.Main characters
; : :A problem child of the worst kind, he is hyperactive and doesn't think twice before he does anything, which usually puts him in a spot most of the time. He hates his dysfunctional family life, but at times is capable of showing considerable filial emotions and loyalty. And he has a big-time problem with his arrogant sister, Nozomi although, he still cares. :He also has an unusual pet with him which he names "Weird", possibly owing to its very unusual nature. ; : :Dai's older sister with a severe attitude problem. It is shown in the anime to have originated owing to her mother making her do all the housework. She is for the most part a misunderstood and very confused young lady. She has an optimistic side as well but it appears very rarely. She has a liking for rock music and it is shown in the third episode of the anime. she does get very annoyed by Dai but, nevertheless still cares for him. ; : :A flirtatious, money-hungry lady and a snob who is the mother of Nozomi and Dai. She is extremely mean and has a hint of sadism. She is extremely vain and cares for nothing save for herself, and has a very irritable temper. These attitudes are shown to gradually disappear towards the end of the anime. :She also has an affair during the series with a colleague at work, Hayakawa, a photographer by profession....Though she breaks up with him a little before the end of the anime. Despite her meanness, she does love her family deeply from within. It is not apparent though at first as in the very first episode, the opening scene is the family on the brink of being torn apart by a divorce petition about to be filed by Seiko. ; : :Dai and Nozomi's father who is a half-absent IT-professional, he is almost always clueless about the situation around him. Very, very fat, he is shown in his lighter moments with some kind of food in his hand all the time. But the man is highly intelligent and sensitive otherwise. Is also a wimp and an easily terrified fellow. :Mild-mannered and easily frightened, he is the most hilarious member in the cast. But he dearly loves his family and is very reluctant to let the family be broken. He is very kind and gentle and fundamentally very decent, but very absent-minded and awkwardly slow and clumsy, especially in social situations. ; : :The alien who recruited the Daichis as an earth defense force, she is a very small girl, appearing the same age as Daichi. Level-headed for the most part, she oversees the functionality of the defensive group and reports to her superiors about their status from time to time. She is also the one who makes sure that the identities of the "superhumans" as the public calls them, are never discovered. It seems that Daichi has a crush on her and the feeling seems to be mutual. It's revealed in Episode 13 that Ellen is in fact a fairy-like giant with powers to teleport and strong enough to withstand a nuclear explosion and takes orders (which she questions) aboard a silver-saucer spaceship. Flashbacks hint Ellen as a baby was rocketed off her home planet before it exploded.Episodes
Staff
Screenplay, Original Story Concept, and Mechanical Designs:Music
Shigeo Naka of The Surf Coasters provides the score for the anime. The opening theme is "Samurai" by Rolly, and the ending is byReception
The show was generally, although not universally, well received. Chris Beveridge of Mania.com called it "an under the radar show that's been quite a lot of fun" and said "With just three volumes it's a great little show to check out with little commitment and definitely qualifies as one of those rough gems that you come across when you aren't looking for it." Carlo Santos, writing for Anime News Network, "The idea of lampooning clichéd anime genres is nothing new, but The Daichis is one of the few shows that gets it right... Even amid the absurdity, there are some remarkably true-to-life moments... that make The Daichis a real family story and not just a farce." Santos urged readers "Don't miss out on this surprisingly good series." John Sinnett on DVD Talk highly recommended it as "a funny show that always brings a smile to my face." In a review for DVD Verdict.com, Joel Pearce was "not impressed" with the series after watching the first two DVD volumes from Geneon: "The biggest problem with the series is the development team's reliance on the same small well of jokes, and it's already getting dry." However he did acknowledge the anime's "solid animation and voice work" and said that "Whether you choose to listen to the original language track or the English dub, the characters are well-portrayed, and just as annoying as your own dysfunctional family."References
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