Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

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OP: “Special Life!” by KOTOKO
ED: “Wakugai!! (ワクガイ！！)” by Yoshiki Fukuyama
Production: Madhouse
Kamen no Maid Guy

Talk about the surprise of the year.

When I came across Maid Guy, I was somewhat confused on how to approach it. Rather than comparing to a more traditional comedy like the other maid show I have reviewed here, it is best to look at it as a nonsense comedy. Those can be a hit or a miss, and with the combination of funny characters and outrageous jokes and situations any show can shine. Kamen no Maid Guy, despite a rocky middle, is such a show.

The show, while not have a massive character list, has enough to keep us entertained. Naeka Fujiwara is our main busty heroine. It is very common in anime to comment on big chest, and with Naeka, not only they do that, they have a breast joke at least once an episode. Thankfully her innocent yet fiery personality keeps her amusing. She is also a little stupid which is quite a refreshing change to have a dimwitted master helped by a capable maid rather than have the master an accomplished and rich individual. Her brother, Kousuke, is your ordinary obese Otaku and he is pretty much the guy that reacts the same way we usually do when one of the busty characters do something perverted. There is also Fubuki, the beautiful house maid. Quiet and serene on the outside and deadly on the inside. She is the voice of sense in the series and is the perfect opposite to the show’s real star, the maid guy himself, Kogarashi.

So what makes the maid guy character works so wonderfully? His character. I don’t recall in any anime, especially the comedy genre that has maids or school in it, a 7ft tall giant wearing a mask and has the creepiest smile. While Kogarashi is creepy, you can’t help but to come to like the guy for his shenanigans. Despite the results and beatings he gets, all he really wants is to help, just in a way that no normal human being can tolerate. Rikiya Koyama, his Seiyuu, did an amazing job with his voice and demeanor, making the character even more memorable, especially with his “kukuku” laugh. I have to say he is the most enjoyable character that I had fun watching since Norio Wakamoto’s Onsokumaru from 2×2 Shinobuden.

Not everything works perfectly, though. As some of the characters feel like a rehash. Elizabeth Strawberryfield is a shine example, as she has been Naeka primary rival in the show. While she is entertaining at times, she is cliche as she acts like any spoiled child prodigy, but at episode 8 there are signs that deep inside she is just a little girl with ridiculous dreams. There is also the obligatory lesbian that shows up and her obsession with the heroine, but with her, it’s too much too soon. What’s great is that the writers realized it too and thankfully there isn’t much of her after episode 7. Some characters are great, like the Fujiwara-boob club trio that salivate over Naeka’s boobs. I was even surprised that not only Kousuke doesn’t get his own episode, but the leader of the group gets to shine instead.

Another problem, that are much less troublesome, is the lack of the main premise in the middle of the show. While the first and final episode emphasize how much Naeka is the next successor to her family’s fortune, the show doesn’t create a true danger to her considering she has Kogarashi and Fubuki to protect her. Even when Kogarashi gets his own rival, they never fight and there isn’t a sense of closure. That can also be a sign for a second season, considering Maid Guy’s final words: “See you again!”. If there is ever going to be a second season, I wish more action in addition to the comedy. Boobs are great, but I’d like to see Kogarashi, despite his immense amount of senses, struggles against an equal foe.

Kamen no Maid Guy is for people who don’t take stuff too seriously and just want to have fun. While the first 3 episodes are fun, the 2 afterwards aren’t as funny and it seems to run out of steam quickly, but once episode 6 kicks in the series gets back on its feet and 9 to the end are a blast to watch despite the lack of a climax. I not only recommend the show, I believe it’s the best comedy anime that I have seen this year.

80/100