When the first teasers and synopsis for Akiba Maid War came out, I anticipated this original anime to be as cute and moe as possible. Even after the gory first episode, I still had hopes for this show to become pleasant, wholesome, and a bit cringey like any other café series. While the pilot episode really did give a clear concept of where the series is going – a yakuza gang war but with maids, I was still clinging to the prospect that the issues will get resolved immediately and that we would get back to improving the Oinky Doink and helping it become the best maid café in Akiba – similar to how Nagomi dreamed it to be in the first place.
Turns out the issues never got resolved and the bloodshed continued landing the café in its direst situation yet. One thing I found really surprising is how much I resonate with the main character Nagomi. It took six episodes for me to realize just how similar we are (sorry Bocchi). Her level of optimism about maids in Akiba is on par with my fluffy expectations of the show and she also wants to halt this silly and nonsense war and just go back to being cute and doing maid-y stuff, without knowing the history of this dog-eat-dog world.
We’re halfway through the season and it looks like there’s no chance for my expectations to actually come true (same as Nagomi’s dream of being a cute maid). Not saying that the whole concept of the show is bad or that its direction is going downhill. In fact, this yakuza war in the guise of cutesy maids is a cool twist among its genre of café girls and despite my broken anticipations, I personally am loving the show and I very much look forward to it every Friday. What I didn’t like though was Nerula’s death, which was the highlight of the sixth episode. You see, every week maids are dying in this show; the Oinky Doink café always has its back against the wall and the manager is constantly being threatened with death but in the end, only the enemies of the said café end up being six feet below the ground. At this point, it feels like the employees of the said café have plot armor because they constantly get away from impossible situations.
Nerula, on the other hand, works for the opposing faction and her life is, therefore, on thin ice. However, I never expected her death since her first appearance and more so I thought she would be just another side character that Nagomi saw on the street and then forgot by the next episode. Even though her screen time was short, she showed us that she was Nagomi’s true friend as she put her life on the line for her. Her display of sincerity and camaraderie made me grow fond of her and it was extremely heartbreaking to see her pass away in the arms of her one-true friend Nagomi.
Unlike other maids though, her death wasn’t all in vain. Nerula’s passing was the wake-up call that Nagomi and myself included needed in order to take this show more seriously. The sad reality that the world of this anime had set up hasn’t sunk to us yet until the heart-wrenching events in episode six. Nerula’s sacrifice is a reminder for us that the cute and fluffy maid dream in Akiba Maid War is far from moe-moe cute. With both mine and Nagomi’s dreams crushed, what next?
While the first half of the series seemed to be just some random thug fights and shenanigans, each episode was vital for this upcoming arc. It almost feels like the series subtly leads up to the moment of Manami’s release from prison. Of course, not every dot has been connected yet and who knows what other hints we’ve missed in the previous episodes. What we know for certain that’s coming next is that the Oinky Doink café will go to war against the other group led by Manami, the Crimson Supernova. While this somehow feels like the climax of the show, it makes me wonder if this is where the plot armor worn by Oinky Doink members will ultimately get penetrated. Frankly, I’m not ready yet for another death especially if it’s from someone from the café. I guess that’s the beauty of an original anime series, you never know what you’ll get like how I still can’t believe that all this time I subconsciously self-inserted with Nagomi of all people and she’s not even my favorite girl in the series (Yumechi best girl!).
Akiba Maid War is an original work by Kedamono Land Management Strategy Room. Studio P.A. Works animating the series and Cygames is in charge of the music production. The anime airs every Thursday and it is available to stream on HiDIVE. If you enjoy the series, consider voting for it in our polls!
Screenshots are taken from HiDIVE
© “Akiba Maid War” Production Committee