Inspiration for Maids in Animes
The term maid is used to refer to female servants since the Middle Ages. Maid was derived from the term, maiden. Maids were well known in Europe for serving their masters. Eventually, their popularity grew outside of European countries. As times changed, maids began to phase out as a profession. After some time, maids made their way into mainstream culture and grew in popularity because of their outfits and mannerism, especially the aesthetic from the Victorian era and the French maids. This can especially be seen in Japan, with their maid cafes and animes. In the anime world, we can see the popularity of maids and how they vary. Well, haven’t you ever wanted to be served by some beautiful maids? Someone to cater to your every desire and to be at your beck and call? Then let's dive into some maid theme animes!
Blend S
1 Season, 12 Episodes
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
16-year-old Maika Sakuranomiya is wishes to study abroad but can’t land a part-time job. Her constant rejection is due to her menacing look. However, after failing to get another part-time job Maika stumbles upon Café Stile manger Dino, who falls in love with Maika’s look, hiring her on the spot. Will Maika embrace her look?
In this anime we have our protagonist take on a special role to work in the café. Although, the anime doesn’t explicitly say that is a maid café, I consider it one. Moreover, the selling point of the show is the comedy as all main female character’s personalities are beyond the normal norm. The plot isn’t heavy nor difficult to understand. However, this anime can turn some viewers away because of the "dead” plot or repetitive jokes. However, having a straightforward anime with cute characters, decent plot and enjoyable comedy it a great way to unwind after a long day.
Maid Sama
1 Season, 26 Episodes
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Having been an all-boys school, transitioning into a co-ed school, Misaki Ayuzawa finds being the first female president can be difficult. Having a poor reputation among the boys as the “Demon President,” Misaki has a secret that she keeps hidden and would ruin her reputation if found out. However, Takumi Usui, the most popular boy in school discovers her secret, what will Misaki do?
For anime released in 2010, Maid Sama has a deep hold in the anime community as a recommended romance anime. That being said, this is more of a romance anime with the female lead being a maid. Unlike other animes, where the characters take pride in being a maid, Misaki is embarrassed of being maid. When her secret is exposed, she is forced to become an exclusive maid, making her situation a bit more complicated. We focus on this relationship between our two characters as they get to know each other. This is a charming and funny anime that most anime fans enjoy. Overall, I really enjoyed Maid Sama and I found it rather entertaining. I really recommend that you guys check it out too. Have fun!
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
2 Seasons, 13 Episodes
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Slice of Life
As Kobayashi an overworked and underpaid office workers is surprised when she opens her apartment door only to be met by an unusually frightening sight—the head of a dragon. The dragon immediately transforms into a cute, busty, and energetic young girl dressed in a maid outfit, introducing herself as Tooru. What will Kobayashi do now? What trouble could this dragon bring?
Kobayashi respects and admires maids. In this anime, we follow the daily life of Kobayashi and her dragon maid. This is a fun and comedic anime to watch. Unlike other animes where we see the characters acting as maids in a restaurant, we have more of a live-in maid. Tohru handles the household fares, such as cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. Tohru isn’t your typical maid since she is a dragon, but she takes her maid duties seriously and with pride. As a slice of life with a fantasy twist, makes this series an enjoyable show. We follow our characters through their daily life and the antics of having a dragon for a maid.
The Duke of Death and His Maid
1 Season, 12 Episodes
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Supernatural
The young duke (Bocchan) cursed with the ability to kill anything he touches. Sent away by his family to live in a desolate and isolated mansion. However, he is not alone. His dutiful butler Rob and the flirtatious maid Alice keep him company and make his life less miserable. But what happens when Bocchan begins to fall for Alice. How will they overcome this curse?
When I heard this was becoming an anime, I was super excited. I am a fan of the manga. With the manga running over 190 chapters created by Koharu Ikami, we can hopefully get a season 2. We have a rom com with some spice. This is a playful anime as it comes to the interactions between the characters. The wholesomeness and beauty of falling in love is expressed in how Alice tries to support her master. However, one down fall that turns many viewers away or causes apprehension is the CGI in the series. CGI in anime still has a long way to go before it can be mastered. But looking past the CGI, the series art is good the characters are solid and well-rounded. Take a moment to check this sweet anime. Make your own judgement.
Emma: A Victorian Romance
2 Seasons, 12 Episodes
Genres: Drama, Slice of Life, Romance, Historical
Emma has been a maid for most of her life. Working for a retired governess—the strict but compassionate Kelly Stownar—Emma has grown to love her work and has long since accepted her place in society. However, that all changes Emma meets William a noble. Noble society will never allow them to have a relationship. What will become of them? Will they be able to overcome the opposition they face?
The unorthodox relationship between master and servant can have great backlash in aristocratic society. Emma is great anime that captures the struggles of loving outside your class. An anime made in the early 2000s, it is a great anime in regards to love and maids. This historical anime captures the servitude and history classmen ship. This series reminds me of shows like Downtown Abby. This is anime stands out for the way it holds historical accounts of the European aristocratic life and what happens when you crossed the line. We also get to see the solid characters and great artwork for the period. Overall, this is highly recommended maid anime series to watch.
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