First Impressions / Kaichou wa Maid-sama! / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「My Secret」 by 水野佐彩 (Mizuno Saaya)
Watch the OP!: Download, Streaming ▼

「美咲ちゃんはメイド様！」 (Misa-chan wa Meido-sama!)
“Misa is a Maid!”

A tsundere high school maid played by Fujimura Ayumi? Now we’re talking. As I mentioned in the Spring 2010 Preview, this is one of the shows I was looking forward to the most this season. It’s a romantic comedy at heart, centering around 16 year-old Ayuzawa Misaki, who worked her butt off to become the student council president of her predominantly male high school. She instinctively hates men after her father walked out on her family, leaving her sickly mother Minako (Kawasumi Ayako) and younger sister Suzuna (Ishihara Kaori) with a large sum of debt, so she tries to reform her school from the top down. She’s relentless with the male school body when it comes to enforcing dress code and ettiquette, which compounds her problems when the most popular guy, Usui Takumi (Okamoto Nobuhiko), stumbles on her part-time job at a maid cafe in the next town over. “Misa-chan” (as she’s known by her customers) thinks her school reputation is over at that point, but is surprised to find Takumi waiting for her to get off work so he can hear her out.

It turns out she’s working this job because it isn’t overly strenuous and only applied to their recently turned co-ed school because tuition is cheap. Upon hearing her story, Takumi offers his condolences, leaving Misaki at a loss on what he’s thinking. She prepares for the worst at school the next day, but a few days pass and no rumors have been spread, confusing her more. However, Takumi starts visiting her maid cafe over the next several days and just seems to stare at her the entire time. To make matters worse, Takumi takes top spot from her in the most recent exam and she starts overworking herself with her student council responsiblities, reviewing magazines students bring in and correcting their treasurer‘s recent blunder. Noticing this, Takumi approaches Misaki wondering if she’s some sort of a masochist, causing her to nearly collapse from everything going wrong. At work, she’s spotted by the three students she has constant problems with, but Takumi steps in to protect her saying they can’t touch her just because she’s cute.

The next day, Takumi tells her that he made sure the other guys won’t spread any rumors because it would ruin his fun. Not wanting to be in debt to him, Misaki offers to make it up to him in some way, so Takumi suggests she be his personal maid for a day.

 

Unlike the premiere of HEROMAN, here’s an example of an anime adaptation following its manga to a T, except I’m completely happy about it because I loved what I read there. I’ll be the first to admit that I have a soft spot for tsundere characters, which is even better when there’s a nonchalant popular guy to push her buttons. I find this setup particularly amusing because Takumi isn’t purposely trying to get under Misaki’s skin here, yet he manages to inadvertently do so with ease. It’s pretty clear he hasn’t realized that he’s taken an interest to Misaki yet, so his attitude towards her in conjunction with his stalker-like actions and protective nature only serve to confuse her more. What’s even better is that Misaki can’t even fathom dating a guy at this point, let alone the most popular guy at school that all the other girls make a fuss about.

Production-wise, J.C.Staff is doing some really nice work on this series, and I especially enjoy the goofy faces and super deformed characters to help bring out the comedy. In terms of plot, they’ve already shown us the potential this series has in the romance department, by hinting at how Takumi and Misaki’s contrasting personalities actually make them a good couple — more so than it appears anyway. All in all, it’s very Skip Beat-like as I mentioned in the preview, and I love it for that very reason. (Edit: It’s actually more like Special A now that I think about it.) Now I’m not big on the whole maid thing in general, but I have to say that the off-the-shoulder uniform that Misaki wears takes the whole thing from “nice” to “NIIICE”.

Overall, this first episode reassured my plans to follow this series all way through. Marking this series down as a guaranteed watch was one of the easiest decisions to make this season, and I’m already looking forward to episode two. For all you female fans out there (this is shoujo after all), the ending sequence has some Takumi fan-service for you. Enjoy~

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「予感」 (Yokan) by heidi.
Watch the ED!: Download, Streaming ▼

99 Comments

  1. Ha. It seems as though we both posted about the same thing at the same time Divine 😀

    I posted my impressions at 10:27 and yours posted at 10:26. Imagine that. I think I still like yours better but thought I should give it a try and this series was what I looked forward to the most.

    Noobiesnack
    Reply

  4. btw, I still haven’t figured out my sanity as to why 50% of the things I read for manga is shoujo. I guess I just really love romantic comedies and will read anything that is good. Also, I have read other shoujo including, for example, skip beat, 16 Life, NG Life, Oresama Teacher, and Faster than a Kiss. There are more than those, but I think I have a full page of bookmarked shoujo somewhere.

    Oh, and I mentioned it before, but I must mention it again. I really like the commenting. Makes it more discussion-like and you can actually have a semi-conversation with someone.

    One more thing, have you ever thought about adding an IRC ever? I think it would be a neat addition and it would give visitors a place to chat live with others and share more. Just thought I would throw the idea out there.

    Noobiesnack
    Reply

  7. I was gonna skip this one but with Divine’s stamp of approval I guess I’ll pick it up after all. The production quality looks great in those screens too. BTW I’m a fan of the new top bar logo 😀

    imerik
    Reply

  10. Finally, Kaichou wa maid sama is here! XD
    I’ve been following the manga for ages now and have been looking forward to the anime adaptation, though I confess part of me was a bit worried in case it had turned into a fiasco, but thankfully it doesn’t seems like to be the case 🙂
    Thanks for the review and vids of the op-ed!

    sherry
    Reply

  11. You know, I was kinda curious why you thought so highly of Fujimura Ayumi back when you mentioned her in Hayate no Gotoku S2, but after watching Kaze no Stigma a few weeks back, I was excited as well to hear that she was playing another tsundere. :p Hoping for lots of furious blushing and tsundere-ness if she really does become his maid for a day next episode :3

    Nazarielle
    Reply

  12. Good job, Divine! It’s great to see that at least RC hasn’t died completely following Omni’s departure. My hats off to you Divine.

    anyway, I want to see the first episode of Maid-sama! after your review. I’m just wondering as to who’ll be fansubbing it, and when they might release it.

    Cyklops
    Reply

  13. The wife of my brother recommended the manga to me once.
    Well, I don’t have anything against shoujo manga so I thought I will check this one out.

    Seems to look pretty good.

    Kyral
    Reply

  18. Thanks Divine for blogging Maid-sama! This is one of the new anime series i been waiting to watch.
    PS. To those who have Animax Asia channel, Kaichou wa Maid-sama! will be airing on Animax, 3 days after the original broadcast.

    MrTerrorist
    Reply

  20. dude, thanks again for the great work, i will click on your advertisement everytime i visite your site just to encourage your guys for the work u have done.

    btw take your time, just blog us the best current anime u have. ( 2 or 3 is enough ).
    u know wat, i also love to write or comment or watch animes, if this thing isnt too complicated to learn, maybe i can become the third writer if anything’s ok. lol

    well a website for 1 person is just too much goddam work to do.

    p.s i still love that old main site’s top pic : louis from Zero no Tsukaima.(u know she’s cute and that anime is awesome )

    Justin2010
    Reply

  26. Divine, I’m still a bit confused. So you’ll be continue blogging in this new RC in a limited capacity? I thought this RC is meant as an archive.

    And wow, impressed with the new reply function in this new RC.

    Anyway, this was one of the first shows to capture my attention. With a premise of student council president secretly moonlighting in a maid cafe (it’s in the goddamn title), I just gotta watch this. So interesting is the premise that even my local Animax has bought the rights to it, and will be showing this episode this coming Sunday night, just 3 days after its first Japan airing.

    I think it’s a sign that time is constantly flying us by when even Kawasumi Ayako is doing motherly roles. Though seeing Toyosaki Aki doing the maid cafe tenchou Satsuki is a bit baffling, as the character is in her 30s, according to the manga.

    Takumi is your typical nonchalant yet amazing at grades shoujo-manga hunk, not that I’m complaining. I can’t quite pinpoint in which other manga I’ve seen those nonchalant looks of his before, probably another shoujo manga.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

    2. The purpose of this site is to serve as an archive, but that doesn’t prevent me from posting periodically as well. =)

      For now, I felt the urge to talk about some of the new shows premiering this week. I’m not 100% sure what I’ll do after, but I’m drifting towards covering at least a few shows in a limited capacity.

      divine
      Reply

    3. Don’t forget Divine, my offer still stands to cover some of the less popular series, some of the manga out there, and to make posts on any big anime related news. Btw, I know your lurking out there Omni… I see you!

      And yay for having conversations with yourself 😛 It kind of gives you the option to rely to your self to add any additional comments after the fact.

      Semple
      Reply

  31. Production values seem pretty good, but they really messed up the colours in this anime. For example, misaki’s hair in the manga is brown, while the boss of the maid cafe is supposed to be yellow. The school uniforms are supposed to be blue, not that ugly neon green colour. Also the face of misaki looks different from the manga. Ok, nm, I just looked at the manga, and its more in tune with the first few chapters of it. The later chapters, it seems that the author/artist started to improve her drawing style

    hugh
    Reply

    1. I am glad I am not the only one who noticed the difference. It really stands out to me, especially the hair color and all the Uniforms. And yes, it seems the artist improved her drawing after the first few chapters.

      Semple
      Reply

  33. Did anyone else find Usui’s voice WAAYYYY too deep? It just sounds completely different from what I imagined in the manga. His face was pretty stiff throughout, too. And I can’t say I like the music…
    J.C. Staff DID do an excellent job with this, though. I’m definitely gonna keep watching it.

    Kit Kat
    Reply

  34. Aaah, I love this anime. I’ve read the manga as far as I can and its -so- very similar its amazing~ |D

    The scene were Misaki says ‘Welcome back master’, and they stare at eachother for a while, and then Usui laughs made me laugh both in the anime and the manga~ Awesome~

    Neko-Saphira
    Reply

  39. I follow this shoujo manga, and I enjoy it, although I wonder what they’ll do with the ending, since the manga doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon. I hope it’s popular enough to get a second season, instead of being put into “no real ending, read the manga or keep buying DVDs so we might make a second season” like Skip Beat!

    shirokiryuu
    Reply

  42. It’s nice to J.C. Staff back to their pastel, watercolor art-style from the H&C days. It’s kind of refreshing after all the sharp edged skylines they had to do for the To Aru series.

    AuroraFlame
    Reply

  43. Glad you decided to do a little blogging.So far the new shows have been pretty good, although I have reservations about Heroman. Maid-sama is all I hoped and I’ve been happily suprised by Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou and B Gata H Kei. Both very funny. Hope you’ll
    continue blogging, even if its limited.

    Kalliente
    Reply

  45. This episode was pretty good. I really like the two main characters. The acters do a good job voicing them and made the episode enjoyable. So far the spring season is off to a good start. Next, angel beats, cant wait!

    Infinite
    Reply

  49. “I was gonna skip this one but with Divine’s stamp of approval I guess I’ll pick it up after all.”
    Dittoing the comment. 😀 I love the manga but shojo anime adaptations have been disappointing me lately ;___; But this I’ll watch.
    I’m ao happy you decided to continue Random C.<33333333333 Ty for the post.

    Chloesong
    Reply

  57. Usui reminds me of Takeshima Kei from Special A. Overall, I’m not sure how I feel about episode 1. The jokes don’t really get to me somehow. And yucks, the school uniform is off-putting. I do like the maid uniform’s design. Misaki looks awfully cute in it. Still, I’m going to watch Ep.2 and decide if I’ll continue watching.

    ayumikat
    Reply

  65. No offense to Omni, but the color scheme+avis is a great(and needed) upgrade from the previous site.

    Anyway, I liked this(the manga) better than Special A(the anime) which I couldn’t even get halfway through the series :\. This 1st ep was a very nice start, and I hope it doesn’t slog down in the middle like the manga did.

    frubam
    Reply

  70. After watching this first episode (and reading a bit of the manga), lets just say I’m now interested in this series. I’m not too fond of shoujo series (especially if it gets too sappy–I’m too cynical for that), but I’m giving Kaichou wa Maid-sama! a try. At least I now have an alternative anime to K-On season 2.

    Story-wise, the “rivalry” between Misaki and Takumi reminds me of Yukino and Soichiro from Kare Kano/His and Her Circumstances (yes, based on that statement, I’m that old as an anime viewer, though I only caught a glimpse of Kare Kano). The “hiding a secret” shtick is played better here than in Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (though that may be because the said show focuses more on comedy and fanservice).

    Can’t wait for the next episode (and K-On season 2, of course)…

    I hope you can continue blogging this series, divine…and its good to see you continuing what Omni started. My best regards to Omni. *sincerity mode*

    P.S.: In case the italic tags don’t work, don’t be vindictive jerkasses about it. Thanks.

    Incognito
    Reply

  71. I couldn’t be happier with this first episode, and I’m even more pleased that many of my favorite reviewers share the sentiment.

    Absolutely would LOVE for this show to be licensed so I could own it, as I’m already stalking the manga releases. (I want the whole set. Gotta catch ’em all!) Usui struck me from page one of the manga as an interesting character. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what IMO sets him apart from the typical shoujo love interest, but it’s undeniably there beneath the surface that make him up.
    Misaki as well is an enjoyable chick to watch, and I feel like I can empathize/sympathize with her situation, feelings, and reactions to the world around her in some key ways.

    Thank you so, so, SO much for deciding to follow this anime! I positively adored Random Curiosity for a long time and was sad to learn it was coming to a halt, but now I’m overjoyed to know I can still follow reviews, other fans, and get screenshots from the current series from just as talented a blogger as the last. <3

    Ashen
    Reply

  77. As I was watching this, all I could think of was Special A. The whole girl is poor, works hard to achieve high status but is still 2nd place to someone else (and doesn’t really try as hard as her) who she falls in love with – add to the fact that both the male and female lead look similar to those in Special A too.

    I liked Special A so hopefully this series will be as good if not better.

    duh
    Reply

  78. Hmm… I really hope they change it up a bit though instead of following the manga…. =_= cause honestly…. Show Spoiler ▼

    ThePotatoGod
    Reply

  80. I was pleasantly surprised with this show. I wasn’t planning on watching it because I got this thing against maids in anime, but the main character design caught my eye so I checked it out. Well it’s well animated and the comedy is intelligent with believable characters and situations mostly. I’ll be watching this.

    sealouse
    Reply

  81. I dunno really.. I’ll still keep on watching this, coz I adore Usui, manga Usui. But I was disappointed wit hthe adaptation.
    It definitely fails in animation quality compared to Kimi ni Todoke, which has the best shoujo anime quality up to this date (and it’s even not my favourite).
    Seiyuus are fail. Usui’s voice’s nothing like it’s supposed to be. Misaki’s voice is too generic.
    OP and ED are honestly stupid, in terms of music, not catchy or at least nice at all.
    Character anime adaptation design is far from being perfect and both Misaki and Usui have lost that part of their appearances that made them stand out and turned into ordinary anime characters.

    I hope it gets better though.

    Jane
    Reply

  83. I kind of forgot about this anime, and I found it “advertised” in a manga-hosting site (at least the manga is advertised). Thanks to my regular visit in this site, I remembered this awesome anime.

    Loved the first episode and looking forward to it!

    achluo
    Reply

  86. From the first glimpse of the anime’s trailer on animax, I’m already in love with the story. Adding to the iteresting storyline are even more interesting and prettily drawn characters[ i love their eyes! and of coz usui~]

    HM
    Reply

  87. hmmm… I’m totally psyched that KWMS is an anime now, but I think the animation decisions were just “ok.” Sakura’s hair I always imagined as honey blond and cute, and Usui’s hair is just a bit too blond for me. Also, I honestly think Usui looked hotter in the manga. But he’s still pretty awesome here.

    And the green uniforms? >.> did not expect that.

    I’m glad that they’re sticking to the manga, even though I do wonder how they’re gonna fit everything in the manga in.

    Nagihiko
    Reply

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