Anime Review: Kaichou wa Maid-sama

In honour of the three chibi avatars on my blog header, let's start this anime review blog with a take on the shoujo series Kaichou wa Maid-sama, which literally means the Class President is Ms Maid.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Episodes: 26
Aired: 2010
Producers: J.C. Staff, Sentai Filmworks

Arguably the best supporting characters of this series, the three stooges provide half the comic relief and endear you to them with their unwavering loyalty.

The funny thing is, they started out as riff-raffs that took a dislike to our female protagonist, Ayuzawa Misaki - the school president determined to rein in the male population. But once they found out her secret identity as a waitress in a maid cafe, like any other hot-blooded guy, they fall for her. Surprisingly, their affection only grows stronger with each passing episode, and they seem content to adore from a distance. Albeit a very short distance, considering how they always stake out the cafe to be near her.

It's unfortunate, though, that they, like the other supporting cast, are not given much room to develop. The spotlight is reserved instead for the ultimate alpha male at school, Usui Takumi.

Cool, aloof and talented, he is every fangirl's dream. Top it off with his unpredictability to say the most bizarre or do the most surprising things, and you have a really interesting character to fall in love with.

Which Misaki did, of course. How could she not, when he is always there for her (and with those puppy-dog green eyes)? Don't be mistaken though - Misaki is intelligent, reliable and hardly needs rescuing. She is strong and feisty without being overbearing, yet at times vulnerable as a young girl should be, and those are qualities that easily make you want to root for her.

Her role in the series begins with the cleansing of the school, once an all-boys institution, to attract more girls to enroll and even out the gender population. Her unyielding stance towards the guys plus her unbeatable fighting skills earn her an unsavoury reputation.

But her part-time job to help her family with the bills is a secret that could ruin her image as the tough class president. Of course this means that her secret is bound to be exposed, by the most popular guy at school no less. He falls for her not because of her maid persona, but rather her independence and responsibility towards the family. From there on, he uses his droll personality to push her buttons, his own quirky way of bringing her closer to him.

Which brings me to the anime iconography. This series utilises chibiness to emphasise the characters' emotions, contributing a big part to the show's enjoyment. This is why animes are so much fun!

Rating: 9/10 - Would have been a perfect 10 if not for the useless filler that is Episode 9. Ok ok, so I'm bias. XP