Pros
- Interesting take on a type of gang war theme
- Protagonist who is filled with hope despite surroundings
- Some fun characters
Cons
- Premise takes a little bit of warming up to
Akiba Meido Sensou Review
Akiba Meido Sensou is a refreshing and humorous mishmash of action, drama, mystery, suspense, and thriller all crammed into an absurd premise that takes a bit of getting used to.
Nagomi’s dream is to become a hostess at a maid cafe in Akihabara. For whatever reason, the idea of catering to all of her customers’ whims to the best of her ability appeals to her even if those clients are all perverted, lustful men.
When she finally lands a job at a struggling maid cafe, she thinks her dream has come true. But the job turns out to be more than just being a maid. In fact, the series spends very little time showing Nagomi or her coworkers doing their jobs as maids.
Instead, Nagomi learns that she has inadvertently become part of a larger power struggle between two opposing maid businesses vying for control over Akihabara. These two opposing businesses operate or control individual maid cafes like a little fiefdom.
Not only do these cafes fight one another for position in their own organization, but they also eliminate their rivals in sometimes very violent attacks.
It’s these attacks that pack the show with drama and action. That this environment isn’t quite forgivable to naive maids like the protagonist Nagomi makes the show a little more interesting because it raises the question of whether or not she’ll be able to endure, survive, or thrive.
Like with most anime (and as it is with life), it’s often not the journey’s end but the friends you make along the way. This cast of eclectic characters, including the maid cafe’s panda mascot, all have their endearing qualities.
Ranko is a maid whose stoicism hides a violent past, making her somewhat unapproachable. Shiipon is only concerned about her appearance, and while she may come across as shallow and uninterested, she’ll defend her friends to the death.
Despite their sometimes radical differences, they’re united together by their shared bond of hospitality and a shared hatred of other maids who dare to poach customers.
Nagomi’s contribution to her cafe is her refeshing naivete and endless desire to please others. This is in stark contrast to her coworkers, maids who have resigned themselves to certain violent death in an inevitable battle against allies and enemies alike.
Many of the anime elements are well-known to fans. Yes, there’s a festival. Yes, the characters may fit certain female anime stereotypes. Yes, the male characters may be bland compared to their female counterparts.
But it’s how these sometimes tired elements work together with a twist in this interesting premise that also gives the show its appeal even if viewers may take a few episodes to get past the strangeness of a maid war.
Akiba Meido Sensou is a fun-filled, action-packed anime that will keep readers engaged in a plot that can sometimes come across as too fantastical. But it’s also this aspect of the show that gives it its appeal and makes it great.
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