StoryThe ongoing hunt for good ecchi brought me to the doorstep of Kamen no Maid Guy – an anime with a scary looking promotional poster, and a lack of well
known subbing groups picking up the title. It didn’t look promising,
and the absence of recommendations from other perverts made starting
the show a little daunting. But as ever, the odyssey of panty-shots
takes president, and so I fired up the first episode with the hopes of
finding a hidden gem.
Straight away, the show gives the impressions of a plagiarised mishmash of Bamboo Blade, He is my Master and Hayate the Combat Butler.
Although this feeling remains, Kamen no Maid Guy certainly finds its
own (crazy) little anime niche and runs with it throughout the entire
twelve episodes. Interspersed amongst the plethora of panty shots and
boatloads of boobs, there is a genuinely likable comedy. Relying mainly
on innuendo and in-your-face perversion, the series dares to go a step
further and slap the viewer around the face with a satirical trout at
the most unexpected moments ensuing in plenty of nose snorting and even
outright guffawing.
Perhaps more surprising than the inventive bullying techniques
regarding Naeka's cup size, is that the laughter remains strong
throughout. The number of side characters and constantly switching
focus between them keeps a fresh feel and allows the writers to be
extremely creative with each perverted situations. How many series can
boast a kendo tournament where the loser strips to the delight of her
peers? Or a demon teacher who merely has to look at a girl to have her
fall completely in love with him and do his every bidding? The butch
man dressed as a maid is not the only randomly bizarre part of the
show, but this is one of the rare cases in which spastic comedy works
extremely well.AnimationAs per the norm with ecchi shows, Kamen no Maid Guy's animation
is relatively simplistic with a special focus on the female form.
Various breast shapes and sizes are drawn with loving care and
attention whilst retaining a natural resistance to gravity. The
characters also exhibit quirky facial features – girls sport large,
innocent eyes and fashionable hair styles, whilst the boys are stock
designed bishounen. Well, apart from Kogarashi, and his cross dressing,
mask wearing strangeness.SoundThe first thing to strike me (metaphorically speaking) was the “boing”
sound effect that accompanies Naeka’s movements. In the same vein as
the rest of the series, it is completely over the top and utterly
hilarious. Incidental music is comical, and wouldn’t feel out of place
in a Bugs Bunny romp. Ranging from a country-style guitar twang, to a
mischievous ditty that accompanies Kogarashi’s explanation of his super
maid techniques, the tunes are off the wall and fit Kamen no Maid Guy's
insanity perfectly. Also deserving of great praise, the OP and ED rock
and have some amusing visuals to accompany them. The voice acting is
certainly befitting of the show, however the constant screams of
“nooooo!!” as Naeka’s breasts are under threat of being exposed can
start to grate...CharactersThe characters, although not the show's greatest strength, are what
keep the humour flowing so easily. Naeka will earn the viewers sympathy
as she repeatedly finds herself (and her mammary mountains) as the butt
of every joke. Frequently playing the tsundere, her actions are
completely understandable, although maybe I can empathise because I’m
also female...
Kogarashi remains a mystery throughout the series, and not just because
of his apron wearing fetish; using his maid powers to protect his
goshujin-sama, he seems to cause more problems for Naeka than solving
them, usually involving her underwear in some shape or form. Fubuki is
a more typical servant taken on to protect the family, and is also
useful when it comes to keeping the Maid Guy in check. Very handy with
a nail studded baseball bat, she is often caught up in some bizarre
plots that see her stripped down to virtually nothing. Don’t expect any
deep character development, as there is none. Instead, laugh along with
some very amicable and diverse personalities that fit the insane show
perfectly.
The rest of the side cast are massively stereotyped, but this is
definitely a bonus in a parody driven show. From the pettanko loli to
the glittering bishounen teacher that has females falling at his feet,
each adds a new spin to the varying, yet hilarious, despair of Naeka.OverallI know this will not appeal to ecchi-haters, as it does feature girls
being exploited for their “female protrusions” and underwear shots.
However, those that revel in perversion will love the varied cup sizes,
hilarious jokes and utter depravity used to make the viewer smile.
Probably about as far from intelligent viewing as you can get, Kamen no Maid Guy is a great show to waste a day with when you’re ready to kick back and
relax without thinking. Just be prepared for questioning looks from
passersby as the cow-titted girl's breasts steal the focus of each
show... I know I certainly got some!