Final Impressions / First Impressions / Servant x Service

「これで良し 明日につなぐ 楽しい職場」 (Korede Yoshi Ashita ni Tsunagu Tanoshī Shokuba)
“Now We’re Set, A Fun Workplace Leading To Tomorrow”

Now that was a good end.

A really good end, actually, and though some of you might not be happy with the fact that Lucy and Hasebe aren’t dating after all that, I think that was the right place for this series to end. After all, Lucy only just discovered her budding feelings for Hasebe; unlike him, she hasn’t been in love with him for a long time, and she’s yet to come to terms with her feelings and with his. That she’s gotten as far as considering it is quite the achievement for our naive little Lucy, and things are looking up. Which is more than you can ask for sometimes when you work a desk job.

Whose Fault is it?

Can you really blame Hasebe’s dad for the lame decision making he made on Lucy’s name? If it’s true that your child is sick, isn’t it only natural to have a hard time concentrating on your job? Sure, Hasebe Sr. is probably an airhead like Hasebe who doesn’t take his job as seriously as he should, but it doesn’t make him a bad guy, just as it doesn’t make our usual Hasebe a bad guy for being a flaker. It’s not really something that should be blamed on one person so much as on an unfortunate set of circumstances. Though maybe Lucy’s parents should feel a little bit bad about thinking up the name in the first place; just a little.

Lucy’s Self-Esteem

Honestly, Lucy’s feelings for Hasebe are not so much the problem in them not dating as is her own self-image, and it’s not really a stretch to say that the circumstances surrounding her name are a big part of the problem. Whether she likes her name or not is actually a pretty big deal as far as self-esteem goes; it’s just not nice being teased for something so crucial to your identity. I know, having been in her shoes my whole life, how lame it is to see people laugh and make fun of your name, and how that affects how you feel about yourself. When it’s a process that goes on your whole life, it’s really hard to stop thinking you’re worth more than those cruel laughs. As it is, she doesn’t feel like she deserves Hasebe’s attention properly; she doesn’t think she’s worth more than a tease, and while that sentiment changes a little as she realizes her feelings, there’s still some stuff she has to overcome before she really takes that step toward commitment.

Fin

As most comedy shows go, this was a pretty satisfying end. You get good characters on the cusp of learning something (such as Ichimiya and Chihaya working out their relationship) but not quite getting there, and that’s okay. This is the sort of show where “life goes on,” and life does go on; you keep learning new things, meeting new problems, overcoming obstacles, and moving forward. Life is a fun place, if you want it to be, and even a boring old desk job can be fulfilling if you look in the right places.

Epilogue:

 

ED2 Sequence

End Card

Final Impressions:

Servant x Service was a series that I was intrigued by from the start. I don’t know how obvious this has been, but I love to laugh, and comedies are one of my favorite genres to watch, though they’re also one of the most difficult genres to blog. At first, I didn’t find this series uproariously funny so much as I found it to be quirky and amusing, but over time, it grew on me. From the catchy as hell OP (which I will miss horrendously) to the distinct and fun characters minus one Touko*cough*, most everything about this series was a pleasure to take part in every week. The direction and writing were brilliant, the laughs were well constructed, though not necessarily anything new, and best of all, there was a clear sense that the author of the series really gets civil service and what it’s like to work a desk job. Those people we interact with at offices aren’t robots (though Momoi is, fufu), and they have their lives they live behind the employee facade they put up every day. There are cosplayers, office romances, devoted fathers, and all sorts of other personalities at work, even if we’re not usually partial to seeing those sides of those people. It’s this spark, this bit of understanding, that really makes the show dynamic and fluid and fun, and I for one really enjoyed it immensely. It’s a shame that that’s come to an end for now, and my Thursdays will be a hell of a lot less enjoyable without “May I Help You?” playing on my screen every week. Thank you all for staying with me through yet another season, I hope you all had as much fun as I did watching Lucy, Hasebe, and everyone else go about their everyday lives. Now onward! To a tomorrow filled with more anime, fun, and office romances! Okay, maybe that last one is a bad idea sometimes.

47 Comments

    1. there’s actually a drama cd that covers the cross over! i hope this is not a spoiler, but we know that Satou and Yachiyo from Working should get married. and they (accompanied by other charas from Working) did go to the office to submit their application. and it’s the glorious comedy from there

      tenshika
      Reply

  11. Pleasant surprise of the season. I loved it and I want more.

    The only thing I really don’t get is when Chihaya uses the expression “ざま(zama(sp?))”. Can anyone share the meaning of this?

    bolton
    Reply

  17. Ahh, so I’m not the only one who thought this was basically like Working!! but under the guise of a civil service job instead of a restaurant.
    Or am I still the only one..?
    However, I would love to see either a crossover or a second season. There’s no way they’d just leave us hanging like this right?

    Yuzu
    Reply

  19. TANAKA and the rest!! Kuuki yome!
    He really needs Miyushi’s S to keep him in check :3
    Also, Dere Lucy was just too much HNGGGG!!

    Ahm… Anyway, I want to thank Kairi for sticking up with the show and blogging it till the end even when it was clashing with IRL stuff.
    I myself ended enjoying the show even more that I thought I would so needless to say “season 2 whem?!”

    Patsuan
    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, I’m really sorry about all the lateness and general unprofessionalism this season, I’ll do my best not to let it happen again next season. >.< Seeing you guys enjoy my posts and discuss after an episode is the best feeling in the world, I'll work hard not to let you down!

      Kairi
      Reply

  21. Now that sure was some epic resolution to Hasebe’s guilt trip. Lucy is just too kawaii, with her de-facto wedding proposal “it’s all your fault so you’ll have to take responsibility”. <3

    Credit to Hasebe finally taking the courage to be honest to Lucy goes to Ichimiya, who told him it's better not to keep secrets for too long. (Though he's probably the least qualified to say so, what with Chihaya's death stare, and his later chickening out about telling his sister about Chihaya. LOL )

    And w00t at Miyoshi furthering her relationship with Tanaka (grandson), with her actually taking on the dominating role while Tanaka (grandson) sheepishly submits to her. XD
    https://randomc.net/image/Servant%20x%20Service/Servant%20x%20Service%20-%20ED2%20-%20Large%2002.jpg

    Besides Working, congratulations to mangaka Takatsu Karino with another popular comedy made. Will be looking forward to season 2 (as well as Working season 3).

    echykr
    Reply

  23. im a bit disappointed that lucy and hasebe doesnt start dating after all that. give us season 2 so we can see it! ichimiya and chihaya’s relationship is still a secret to touko until the end, poor chihaya. anyone here that find chihaya without hair pins is a lot cuter? and please miyoshi dont date that uh, what is his name again? that hasebe’s stalker friend?

    Ryuuzaki
    Reply

  26. Some idiot here is downvoting everyone’s post here for the sport of it it seems. This is his second wave, seeing as the most recent posts have all received a -1 regardless of the content. I have gone ahead and upvoted you guys.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  28. Dashing in this response since I’m at work… I don’t suppose the reason we can’t see the face of the fiance’ is because he’s a character from ‘Working’, maybe????? Seems like a waste of figurative celluloid to show that if it doesn’t matter.

    SmithCB
    Reply

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