The first time I watched Kaichou wa Maid Sama was around 2011 or 2012, I remember falling in love with this anime (as a teenager). After growing up, I decided to watch it again, but maybe my feelings for it changed a bit…
Kaichou wa Maid Sama’s Plot
Seika High School used to be an all-boys school but recently has turned into a co-ed one. However, there are more boys than girls and thus, the boys usually torment the female students. In a place ruled by men, Misaki Ayuzawa took the reins of the school and became the first female student council president. She gained the nickname “Demon President” due to her strict and cold personality towards the male students. But Misaki supports her family by working secretly in a maid café, keeping it a secret from the other students. What will happen when the popular student Takumi Usui discovers her other life?
Story: Is it good?
Who in the anime community doesn’t recognize Kaichou wa Maid Sama!? Even if someone hasn’t seen the anime, it is a pretty famous shoujo story. Still, famous doesn’t always mean the best, right?
Like any other anime, Maid Sama has its weaknesses and virtues, as well as people who love it or loathe it. Personally, I think Maid Sama is an enjoyable anime, but some situations made me feel disappointed.
Misaki is a girl whose family situation wasn’t the best and who needed to work in a maid café to help her family with the household expenses. Aside from that, she’s also the student council president in an academy where the majority are boys.
Misaki does her best to make the academy a better and safer place for the girls and hence, she’s seen as a cold-hearted and fiery girl. However, if students realize she works as a maid, her reputation would be ruined, so she decided to keep it a secret.
At first, I liked to see that Misaki was portrayed as an independent and strong woman who needs no man to take care of herself… But I guess that was too good to be true.
Misaki faced a lot of troublesome (and cliché) situations and ALWAYS ended up being saved by the good-looking and perfect male lead, Usui. It disappointed me. In the end, she was another female heroine who needed to be rescued by the male lead.
Talking about Usui… A blonde guy who can do anything splendidly and on top of that, he has a rich background (it reminds me of Tamaki from Ouran High School). Everything is good until you realize that Usui is a toxic and possessive guy… Moreover, he was popular among girls and I wonder why he was a walking red flag.
I know Usui is a fictional character, but still, I think that some things should not be considered normal. However, I read that in the manga, Usui has better development and is more “mature”, so maybe just in the anime, he gives off that kind of vibes.
There are many supporting characters, most of which lack any development or depth. Some of them contributed to the comedy and dramatic aspects of the story, but that was it. In the end, almost all of them are quite forgettable.
Well, there is a character that made quite the impression on me, I can say that he is the only (aside from the main characters) that got a bit of development: Hinata.
Hinata is Misaki’s childhood friend and he’s also in love with her… He’s the only one who could have been a worthy love rival to Usui. Sadly, the story introduces him almost at the end of the series. But even if he appeared in the last episodes, he had a lot of development.
It is a romantic comedy and it perfectly manages to make viewers laugh with its hilarious scenes. But being part of the romance genre also means that it will have many clichés.
Student festivals, kisses under the fireworks, and even the typical beach episode, you will find them all here! I’m not disappointed with these situations though, but sometimes it gets too repetitive and boring.
It has a lot of clichés, but that doesn’t mean it was the worst anime either. Not everything is bad, I laughed a lot with Maid Sama, even if I have different opinions about it… It is just that the story doesn’t fill my expectations about a good shoujo anymore.
Characters
Misaki Ayuzawa
Despite being a tsundere, I liked Misaki. She didn’t have an easy life, but the word “surrender” wasn’t part of her dictionary.
I know that Misaki has a strong will and does her best to support people who need help. I would have liked to see more of her independent and strong side though… She was soon overshadowed in that aspect because Usui always appeared out of nowhere to rescue her.
Takumi Usui
At first sight, Usui is an outstanding guy who is always successful in everything he does.
I have mixed feelings for him and even though I don’t entirely like him, I can understand that under that façade of perfection, he is trying to choose his own future. And as a member of a noble family, he has to face many obstacles to stay with the person he loves.
Animation and graphics
Considering that Maid Sama is an anime that came out in 2010, the visual and animation quality is really good. The anime could easily pass itself off as a series from this era and no one would notice.
The character designs are great and their expressions are detailed. Also, I enjoyed watching their chibi versions whenever a comedy scene came.
Soundtrack
Maid Sama anime really stands out if we talk about its OP and ED songs. All of them have a catchy melody and even now, I still feel a bit nostalgic when I listen to those songs.
The background music is top-notch as well, they really add fascinating vibes to the anime atmosphere.
Final thoughts
Although I don’t think I will re-watch this anime again, I can’t deny that it used to be an enjoyable one for me, and even now, it still made me laugh with some scenes.
But there’s a phrase that says, “times change and we change with them” and I can’t agree more with it. When I was a teenager, Maid Sama was one of my favorite shoujo anime, but not anymore.
And perhaps the manga is better, but I’d prefer to spend my time reading other shoujo manga that should be animated too! We need new shoujo anime, pretty please.
If you have spare time to watch an anime with 26 episodes, you can give it a shot, who knows, maybe you will have a different perspective than me. Still, I guarantee you will laugh, but as I always say, some anime shows are not for everyone!
Have you watched Kaichou wa Maid Sama? What are your thoughts about it?
Last Updated on January 20, 2022 by Yu Alexius
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