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.
Reluctant at first, they are forced to accept the responsibility, as refusal means a court-martial from the Galaxy Federation and a hundred years of penal servitude. Seiko always gets infuriated at the end of every mission as every weapon they use costs them more money than they are paid for doing their job. In fact, this reason is used as a basis for one of the later episodes in the show.
As earth's defenders, they have to fight against threats the earth faces from extraterrestrials. Extraterrestrial design is frequently bizarre, ranging from floating eyes, to alien toys, to heart shaped spacecraft, to a floating weapons factory, to a giant plant. Notably, one is an alien in the form of the Soviet Emblem that uses a hammer-and-sickle attack. The anime ends fairly predictably, with the Daichis becoming a close knit family once again, despite the hurdles faced by them as earth's defenders and their future responsibility as the same.
Main characters
; Dai Daichi ; Nozomi Daichi ; Seiko Daichi ; Mamoru Daichi ; Ellen Shiratori
Episodes
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Script
Original air date
Staff
Screenplay, Original Story Concept, and Mechanical Designs: Shōji Kawamori Director: Tetsu Kimura
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."
