Shounen Maid

Shounen Maid is a TERRIBLY underrated show. I can get, however, where the reluctance to touch this show might be coming from, since 8bit produced it and the summary sounds like the premise to some terrible shotacon nightmare.

This is one of those (rare in this medium and industry, I am extremely sorry to express) 'don't judge a book by its cover' cases, though: Shounen Maid is basically a gen slice of life show centering around family, friendship and mourning. And it's done beautifully from beginning to end.

The show achieves the perfect balance between sweet, lighthearted comedic tones, and a more serious approach towards ... the emotional struggles of both MCs, both grieving and adjusting to new situations. I can honestly say I've laughed and teared up in almost every single episode.

There's no what one could call an overarching plot, since it's a more episodic in nature show, but there IS a natural flow of events and developments that lead to a satisfying and cohesive narrative evolution.

The side characters are all very enjoyable, and though some could use more screen time, they all still manage to be treated respectfully; at the end of the ride, there's no feeling that any one character could be disposed off and the show would remain basically the same.

The art is perhaps the weakest point of the work, and even then it's just because of how simple and commonplace the character designs could be, but they're truthful to the source material. The coloring is AMAZING: the lighting and shading is great and accompanies the tone of the narrative at all times, making the emotional moments all the more poignant, and the lighthearted ones all the more so. The use of CGI is spot on; I generally cringe at the inclusion of random CGI on shows like these because they stand out and not in a good way, they just look forced and cut the natural flow of the animation, but Shounen Maid uses it sparingly and with great criteria.

The sound is one of my favorite parts of this anime. First off: every voice actor does an amazing job. Fujiwara Natsumi is especially convincing in her role, bringing Chihiro to life outstandingly, being able to convey and portray a wide arrange of emotions delightfully, and making me forget I was actually listening to a grown up woman (which didn't really happen in the dub version, sadly). This is especially notable given that this is her first role! Also kudos to Makino Yui, who was just really fun and easy to listen to.

The opening was DELIGHTFUL. Simply DELIGHTFUL. The song itself was really catchy and fit the mood of the show while the lyrics were attuned to it, which for some reason doesn't happen very often. The ending is really fun and helps a lot towards immersing oneself in the illusion of Shounen Maid (the idols -who aren't main characters- get songs! Plural! And they're pretty good!).

The SFX and ambience sounds are all very well utilized, and the OST is absolutely enjoyable and does its job greatly.

All in all, Shounen Maid is a slice of life gem, and I would very much recommend it to anyone who's a fan of the genre but might be reluctant to give it a shot.

To be honest, I really enjoyed this Anime more than any other Slice of Life based anime. It had a more calm environment and the story was absolutely beautiful. I loved the characters and their way of style. The art actually matched the calm setting as well. Sounds actually went on with the anime since some of the background music was wonderful and matched the theme. I'd definitely recommend this because of how wonderful this anime is in Slice of Life. It is possible that even If someone whom does not like Slice of Life based Anime would love this.

Shounen Maid is an anime series that really caught me off-guard. There's nothing too appealing about the cover and the show's premise sounded like it came from a female fanfiction but what caught me off-guard is this turned out to be a heartwarming slice of life show between a kid and his uncle(There's NO YAOI or Shotacon, I can assure you that)


[Story]:
I actually believe that this is one of the most underrated slice of life anime I have ever seen. I've seen a lot of people who avoided this show because they think the premise is crazy (boy dressing up as a maid, I don't ... blame them) or they think it's some gay show or something. Also, this is by 8bit, a studio known for creating a shit ton of harem shows. If you can get over the fact that an elementary school kid is wearing a maid outfit then you'll see the great things that Shounen Maid has to offer. If not then your loss, I suppose

The story of Shounen Maid is basically about a kid named Chihiro, whose mother has just died, was left homeless and now his uncle, Madoka, shows up and decides to take care of him. His uncle then forced him to wear a maid outfit..Heh, I was joking about the last part. He wasn't forced, more like Madoka was just joking around but Chihiro decides to take his joke seriously and he now wears that maid outfit most of the time.

The show doesn't really have much of a story but rather, it's focused on the heartwarming and amazing relationship development between Chihiro and his uncle. That's the main reason why I love Shounen Maid. Well, there a few more reasons why I love the show. For instance, the comedic aspect of the show is really good. I really love the character dynamics between Chihiro and Madoka because most of the time, it leads to hilarious moments like Chihiro being the mature kid and having to take care of Madoka and Madoka acting like a dumb little kid. The characters are also fun to watch but I'll talk about it more in the "Characters" section.
______________________________________________________________
[Art/Animation]: (8/10)
This is my first time watching an anime from 8bit because most of their shows are harem and I'm not a big fan of harem. The visuals looks good and the animation is a-okay. The character design felt a bit weird to me at first because of their big eyes (KEY's character design still takes the number 1 spot for having big-ass eyes) but I got used to it after a couple of episodes.
______________________________________________________________
[Sound]: (9/10)
I love the show's OST, especially when it comes to the dramatic scenes with a dramatic OST playing in the background. Those sad and dramatic soundtrack are one of the reasons the emotional scenes were effective at gripping my heart and making my eye tear up from time to time. Now the OP and ED theme song(s)

The OP theme song is "innocent promise" by TRUSTRICK. I honestly fell in love with the Opening Song the moment I heard it on the first episode. The singer's voice is beautiful and the song's melody was great. The ED theme song is "Zutto Only You" by Uchouten BOYS. I'm not a big fan of boy's idol song. I don't like them, I don't listen to any and I don't think I will. I mean, I'm a straight guy, after all. The ED theme song is my guilty pleasure. Even though I don't like Boy's Idol songs, I somehow fell in love with this song and I've been listening to it for like the past 2 months........

"It's not like I'll listen to more boys idol songs in the future, idiot..." -Me
______________________________________________________________
[Characters]: (9/10)
The characters is what pulled me into this show. They're one of the main reasons why I fell in love with Shounen Maid.

The main protagonist of the series, Chihiro Komiyo, is a character that I really adored and if I ever decide to have kids (I doubt I will), I'm sure I would want my son to be the same as Chihiro. Chihiro is an elementary school student who loves to clean, cook and do all the housework. Haha, Chihiro is like the first kid I've ever seen who likes to do chores. When kids these days are asked if they want to do chores, they're going to be like "Nope" and they'll back to playing video games or whatever. This is what I love about Chihiro. He's a hardworking sweet young kid who's different from a bunch of kids I've met within the past few years of volunteering. Chihiro's personality can be a bit of a tsundere sometimes and his personality just kills me.

Then we have, Madoka Takato, Chihiro's uncle who decides to take care of him. Wow, I didn't know Madoka gave up being a God and switched genders just to go back to this world and take care of a sweet young kid? I'm just joking, this ain't Madoka from the Madoka series. Anyways, he's a dress designer and he's a lazy guy who barely knows how to clean his own mess or barely knows how to cook. He always messes it up and Chihiro always comes and scowls him for it. Madoka is surprisingly a very nice guy and not once, did I see him get angry nor did he ever get on a mean streak with anyone.

Then there's the rest of the supporting characters. We have Keiichiro Shinozaki, Madoka's assistant who makes sure that Madoka is on a right track in terms of his schedule and also makes sure that he makes his costume. I really love how he's able to put up with Madoka's laziness and his other shit. There's also Miyako Ootori, a cheerful young 16 year old girl who also works as a maid in Madoka's house and she works under Chihiro. She's a maid but she's surprisingly not good at both cleaning or cooking but she eventually improved after Chihiro decides to teach her how to cook and clean. Some maid she is. I really like her character and her cheerful personality.

One final character I want to talk about is Chihiro's mother. Yes, she's dead but she makes an appearance (more like in Chihiro's flashbacks) from time to time so we, the viewers, get to know more about her and how great of a mother she is instead of just some mother who died. She is a hilarious mother and a kind mother who, despite the hard life that she had, never gave up on his son and still took care of him until her death. I honestly shed a few tears whenever she appears in one of Chihiro's flashbacks.
______________________________________________________________
[Enjoyment]: (8.5/10)
I came in to this show with no expectations whatsoever and at the end, this show really surprised me. It made me laugh and it made me cry from time to time. I really enjoyed this show.
______________________________________________________________
[VERDICT]
"Shounen Maid" is one of the most underrated anime I have ever seen and I already stated my reasons above as to why not a lot of people have watched this show. It's just a heartwarming story between Chihiro and his uncle and there's like no Yaoi in this series at all. I also forgot to mention the show's target audience is female but I'm a straight guy who still manages to love the series so.......

[OVERALL]: (8.5/10)


Pros:
+Heartwarming moment between Chihiro and his Uncle
+Amazing Relationship Development between Chihiro and his Uncle
+Comedic aspect of the show is well done
+Great Emotional Scenes
+Nice Soundtrack and Great OP and ED theme song
+Amazing Cast of Characters

Cons:
-Character Design felt a bit weird at first

Shounen maid, as you can deduct from the title and the cover photo, is a comedy, slice of life with a little shounen ai on it. If you like shounen ai, you'll love this a lot; if you don't but you like slice of life, it still remains enjoyable as you can look at it as a heartwarming relationship of uncle-nephew rather than them 'being gay'. Also, it does not contain anything extreme (and by extreme you know what I mean) which makes this anime lovable


The story wasn't that new, the plot only works because one of our mc's parents died, his single mom. ... (Also, the mom has that hairstyle similar of dead mom hairstyle!! xD I'll stop... ) Because of that the boy is forced to be in the anime-ish that will mostly never happen in real life situation so the anime would function.

The story did its minor job as the characters are the main focus. They might have the characteristics which are over the top but their personalities have its each own depth. The protagonist, Chihiro, living his everyday life with a complete different environment is often confused and surprised but he knows that he's welcomed and has a place for him to be in. His uncle, Madoka, who volunteered to take care of the boy is the one who's actually being taken care of because of his child-like, aggressive approach on things. Although when the time calls for it, he acts like an adult and he shows how really cares for Chihiro. Madoka's voice acting is great, you can see, in this case hear, how he changes his tone of voice when he has this 'shift' I've mentioned before.
Some minor characters aren't just being archetypes: they have their own problems and they also learn how to deal with them with the help of other people.


It isn't the best of the best but it is enjoyable, even for who doesn't like shounen ai that much for the reason I've said before. This anime doesn't have intricate story line, almost non existent, just to show the development of characters through their everyday lives but the way it is executed is delightful and pleasant to watch. It is not meant for everyone if this kind of anime isn't your cup of tea but everyone can watch it: boys, girls noone cares if this is a shoujo. I just find myself smiling throughout every episode :]

Shounen Maid. A series that literally translates to "Boy Maid" on the outside seems like quite an odd show. I mean, the show is about a boy who is a freaking maid. (Trust me, Chihiro isn't hot on the idea either) But, underneath the seemingly comical exterior, we get a show from 8bit that despite their rather mediocre track record, is a heartfelt comedy that is really more than meets the eye.

Story: Komiya Chihiro is a 5th grader who has been dealt a rather bad hand. With his mother now dead due to heart failure, Chihiro is now both homeless ... and penniless due to not his mother not having any connections to any of her family members. Left with a note from his mother telling him to move on in life with the motto "Those who do not work shall not eat", Chihiro one day meets a man chased by a dog, a man by the name of Madoka who is not only his uncle, but offers Chihiro a second chance by allowing him to live with him with a condition, to act as his housekeeper for his rather messy mansion home.

The majority of Shounen Maid is a character-based story that focuses on the connections between family and friends. Every episode follows the tale of Madoka and Chihiro as they live by each other's side and taking care of each other with a whole host of side characters that come in and out of the story to make the seemingly mundane and bland story idea more plentiful and bright, a surprise that is even greater when the show gives us steady progress that by the end is nothing but heartwarming. In addition, the show uses the duality of comedy and gentle, caring moments in order to show us the connection that these characters have, adding more to the kind of care and respect that these characters have for each other.

In addition, the show has a lot of flashback moments in order to tell a good chunk of the story. The show uses Chihiro's mother quite often in the series as a link between the show's two main characters, as Chihiro's mom has a lot to do with how these two are as characters. These flashback moments help create even more of a connection and overall adds to the heartfelt qualities that this show has to offer.

However, this show has one major flaw that it does not seem to have any way of solving, and that comes with the majority of the questions in regards to the series's familial relations. There're a lot of loose ends at the end of the series that don't really explain anything. It's explained how Chihiro's mom has no relation to the rest of her family, but doesn't explain why. Madoka has a lot of problems with his family too like his sister does, but there's no concrete reason as to why. For this reason, the story takes a huge pitfall cause no one likes to be hung out to dry like that. It's poor because we get no answers and spoiled the quality of the series's end regardless of how kinda tearjerking the ending is.

Overview:
+ Well-paced character based show
+ Shows connections between the main characters
+ Uses a variety of ways to show connection
- Has a few loose ends that hurt the series in a major way

Characters: Characters more or less fall between two categories of main character and side character, which basically mean you're either important, or you just help add flavor to the series.

First is Komiya Chihiro, the 'Shounen Maid" of the story. As a fifth grader who lives by the principle of "Those who do not work shall not eat", Chihiro is one of the most hard-working children that you will probably actually see. Living a life of housework due to his mother working long hours in order to make ends meet for them, Chihiro not only has respectable cooking ability for a boy of his age, but has an obsession with cleaning and wants to make sure that everything is sparkling and neat. So, in a sense, he's basically the perfect candidate for a house caretaker. Chihiro's character is one of appreciation and humility, offering to be Madoka's house caretaker in return for a roof over his head, food, and school tuition. As a character, he doesn't really grow very so much as as he grows into the new environment he's placed in.

Then there's Takatori Madoka, Chihiro's new guardian who is a tailor with a very...sporadic and wonderfully childish personality. As well as enjoying making clothes for people that he would find people to but cute in (Mostly Chihiro), Madoka's character takes the brunt of the character development in the series. With Chihiro in his life, the series spends the majority of time wrapping his growth and development around this boy, bringing about a lot of love and care between these two that makes their relationship all the more sweeter.

In contrast, the side characters are mostly unchanging and stagnant background characters that add more flavor to the series, ranging from characters that appear very often like Keiichiro and Miyako, to Chihiro's best friend Hino, to the extremely minor and seemingly unnecessary boy band group known as Uchoten Boys. For the most part they aid in helping to breathe life to the relationship between our main characters more and make the world and their circle of characters a lot more lively and colorful.

Overall, the characters of Shounen maid are a flurry of characters that are wrapped around this relationship between the two main characters. The brunt of this series is about how well the personalities of Madoka and Chihiro work with each other with a bit of Chiyo (Chihiro's mother) to put them together. The problem however is that, on their own, each character doesn't really have much to them and really relies on each other to bring worth to the series.

Overview:
+ Great relationship between the main cast
+/- Side characters provide flavor to the story without much to them by themselves
- On their own, characters don't really have much to them

Art: Produced by 8bit, the show has a surprisingly good and sharp artstyle with wonderfully detailed backgrounds that from my expereince with 8bit, is better quality than the majority of their works. With a colorful artstyle that is slightly muted in brightness, the overall look of the series is gentle and calm in perspective to the tone that the show exudes. In terms of character design, the show has a largely moe artstyle complete with round eyes with a lot of childish qualities that quite honestly, works for the show, especially since the majority of its cast consists of small children.

In terms of comedic stylings, the show uses a lot of exaggerated facial expressions in conjunction with a lot of situational comedy in order to bounce off the interactions from character to character. (Particularly with Madoka's inability to keep anywhere clean) It also meshes quite well with the series's standard artstyle which is a nice touch.

Overview:
+ Good, crisp artstyle
+ Well used comedic stylings
+/- Mostly moe artstyle

Sound: The OP for Shounen Maid is a song that really ties into the relationship with its main characters. It's a kind, gentle song that despite it not really being the most memorable thing to listen to, has its merits and fits very well with the show it's in. The ED is a boy band song sung by the seiyuus of the 'Uchoten Boys' characters, and really doesn't have very many qualities that make it special.

Personal Enjoyment: Shounen Maid is a series that I didn't expect to be as good as it was. It's not a diamond in the rough when it comes to anime, but it's a series that was definitely more than meets the eye. The relationship between the two main characters was very sweet and heartfelt, and really drove in the idea that good things come to those who work hard. It was very nice to see Chihiro continue to do his job despite how young he was and was never a spoiled brat, but rather a hard-working young man with a good heart and a clear mind.

Did I like this anime?

Yes. This show surprised me by being so much more unique than I originally thought with the premise of a boy who is a maid. With moments that shined through the importance of family and the value of ambition, Shounen Maid had more personal values to it than I had thought otherwise and as such, gets a thumbs up from me for being both unique and actually kinda memorable.

What didn't I like about this anime?

The show had a few cliffhangers on some of its flashback aspects that were more than just unfavorable. They said a lot of stuff about the characters' past, but never had the guts to put in the effort and actually give us answers. They were teasers and loose ends that really stung, and for that I say, "Damn you, 8bit."

Would I recommend this anime?

If you want a lighthearted and heartwarming anime and don't mind the weird premise, then I would suggest Shounen Maid. In all honesty, this show is one that is both wonderfully weird and memorable. Seriously, give it a shot. I promise you, you won't regret it.

People beware, despite it doesnt have explicit shounen ai, you can feel the implied shounen ai in the behaviour of characters, is obvious main characters of this anime are gay (or bi), even when story never develop any romance between them. I don't care about it and actually I enjoy this show, but I am surprised to read reviews which can make you feel this doesn't have anything to do with gay characters, when it does. I mean, this is not kuroshitsuji (which already have some "almost gay moments"), no, this is closer to loveless or super lovers, believe me, if you don't like shounen ... ai you would feel akward watching this anime in so many moments.

I am rather new with reviews, however, I am willing to give it a try!

First of all, the story (7):

Shounen Maid is a slice of life story about Chihiro who, after his mother dies, is left homeless and with supposedly no relatives to turn to. That is, however, until he saves a flamboyant man from a puppy (yes, really). This man admits to be the younger brother of Chihiro's mother, his uncle, and takes him in.

At first, Chihiro is very reluctant to be a 'freeloader'. He decides to clean the house to make up for him staying there.

Admitted, the story isn't really all that ... special. However, with the help of fun characters, hilarious humour and good pacing, it all works.

The characters (8):

The characters are all multidimensional and oh so fun to watch. The two main characters, being Chihiro and his uncle (Madoka), are both very different people. Chihiro is an honest, sweet but strict young boy. He scolds his uncle all the time, but there is never any real anger behind it. It is mostly for the sake of comedy.

Madoka is clumsy, gentle and easily distracted. He's terrified of dogs, loves cats (even though he's allergic to them) and is horrible at cleaning.

Their different personalities cause a lot of the comedic moments. Throughout the anime you feel their bond getting stronger, and you can tell how much they care for one another.

Quite some people thought that this anime was going to be a shounen ai between these two, but it definitely isn't. It's about the bond they develop as family.

The supporting cast is adorable and easy to like. There are quite some supporting characters, however they are introduced in a way that doesn't make the amount overwhelming.

The characters are honestly what makes this anime as good and enjoyable as it is.

The music (7):

The music in this animation was solid, it didn't stand out but it worked well for the scenes. The opening and ending are the songs that stand out the most. The opening is quite catchy, though I admit that I skipped it quite a few times. That's just a matter of taste though.

The animation (8):

The animation was honestly gorgeous. It fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the show, it's gentle, soft and soothing. The background designs were stunning. The character designs are what you expect from this type of anime: all of the characters are pretty and cute.

Entertainment value (9):

Great! This show isn't boring at all. It's something I can watch all day and now be bored. Even though it doesn't have real challenge or drama (except towards the end a little) it never ceases to be enjoyable.

The comedy is great and I admit that I laughed out loud quite a few times, which I don't do that often.

Conclusion:

I give this show 8/10! If you like slice of life/comedy shows, and something that is easy to watch, then this show is perfect for you. But even if that isn't your thing; when you're having a bad day, then give this show a try too... It will lift your spirits.

This is definitly the most underrated show of summer 2016.

I saw the manga though I haven't read it so when I saw that this manga was going to have an anime, I was WHY NOT? and I was so happy I watched this show. Made me smile.

Story:

Chihiro-kun's life is so dramatic, his mother passed away, and he has no relatives whatsoever. Except Madoka-sama, his uncle, showed up, and gave him a home and all the luxury, but Chihiro-kun doesn't want to, he loves to clean so he became the Boy Maid of the house, thus the story began.

Actually the story was more on character development than the plot thickening sort of thing. You will ... get to love the characters and symphatize with them as they uncover the cold truth.

Art:

I love the art of the anime, it fits the theme of the show, and I love the dresses Madoka makes, and it so kawaii!! JUST LOVE IT!!!

Sound:

The OP is so lovely, makes for a bright wakeup from bed, I love listening to it everytime. The ED is so cute, though I'm not into Idols but the beat is so catchy. The seiyuu of Madoka-sama is so kawaii!!

Character:

This anime gave me characters to love, and relate to. The backstory of Madoka-sama is so tearjerking, the story of Chihiro and his mom. Also, the other characters weren't one dimensional, they were so awesome.

Enjoyment:

The anime was like a page turner novel, it makes the watcher wanting more, and I sure am.

Overall, the anime needs a season 2 ASAP!!

t's hard to explain, but watching this show makes me so happy.

I wouldn't expect a show about a kid who likes to clean to be so enjoyable, but my gosh, it is.

The characters are all friendly and cute. They really interact with each other well, and makes me just want to watch what happens next.
The art is gorgeous.

I feel invested in this family. While the show is very light and lighthearted, there are still some pretty emotionally-powerful moments.
I can't help but laugh, and smile while watching. Everything is just well done. (And I may have teared up a few times. But ... don't tell anyone I said that, ok?)

This show is massively underrated. It's so well made that it's quite refreshing. Nothing is done for no reason really. The art style is great, the animation is great, the music is really nice, characters are all different and some very refreshing compared to other shows. It's very laid back but all the characters develop somewhat especially the MC who is gradually coming to terms with the loss of his mother whom you see in flashbacks and dreams throughout the show.

It's about the daily life of a grade schooler who is coming to terms with the loss of his mother, as you learn about the ... boys past and future, his mother and her decisions as well as the MC's uncle.

Fantastic show a must watch for anyone who enjoys characters and a laid back show.

After his mother unexpectedly passes away, neat freak Chihiro reluctantly goes to live with his costume designer uncle, Madoka, in a fancy but hopelessly dirty mansion. Unaccustomed to such wealth, Chihiro comes to an agreement with Madoka that Chihiro will keep the place clean in exchange for room and board—he even has a maid costume to boot! Chihiro is a worrier by nature, making him different than his easygoing mother and uncle. But despite some misunderstandings, the two form a bond and do their best to take care of each other.

This sweet slice-of-life anime was adorable with lots of heart and a really strong emotional ... core. The story is episodic, and its art and music are simple but pleasant. The voice-acting is good as well, especially with the down-to-earth Chihiro and the more dreamy Madoka. And though the anime focuses strongly on their relationship, all the characters, even the secondary ones, are likeable. I especially loved the emphasis on how hard work, friendship, community, and food can help a person through hard times. I’d recommend this anime for a rainy day because it will lift your spirits.

It’s almost a shame that the title and cover art feature the “maid” concept so heavily, as some viewers may be put off by it and would be missing a genuine and heartwarming anime.

If someone told me last year that I would find myself in love with a show called Shounen Maid, I would have called them crazy! Before this anime came out, I thought it was going to be absolutely terrible, just like what I thought of Steven Universe before I actually sat down and watched it. I mean, it's a show about a ten-year-old boy who has to live with his uncle, and said uncle makes him half-dress in a maid outfit for kicks and giggles. Tell me you didn't think "Oh my God! Is this gonna be some super sexual shotacon hentai?! Is it trying ... to condone pedophilia?! No way am I watching this garbage fire!!" when you read that premise. I won't lie, I thought the same way. But then the show actually came out and people were suddenly praising it up the wazoo. Again, just like Steven Universe. So I sat down and watched it...and while I admit I don't like the art style much for reasons I'll explain in a bit, this show really went against my expectations and actually wound up being really nice!

Based on the manga by Ototachibana, the show is about a young boy, Chihiro Fujiwara, whose mother just died from a heart attack. It had always been just the two of them, but with his mother gone, Chihiro is all alone...or so he thinks. One day, his mysterious uncle, a rich costume designer named Madoka Takatori, appears to take him in as his ward. But while Chihiro appreciates the gesture, Madoka isn't known for keeping his house clean, and Chihiro can't stand anything that's not clean, so he works hard to clean the house all on his own. Since Chihiro's not the kind of kid who just wants stuff handed to him, Madoka proposes a deal: Chihiro can stay at the Takatori house if he's okay with handling the chores, since Chihiro likes doing that. Chihiro accepts...though Madoka makes him wear a frilly maid outfit as a uniform for funsies. With that, Chihiro has a new home.

Let me tell you something right now: This isn't a dumb sexual shotacon anime like most people thought. Rest assured, Shounen Maid is nothing like that, misleading title and initial premise not withstanding. It's actually a wholesome, low key slice of life story about a kid trying to deal with his loss and meeting new people upon going to his new home. And thank God it actually turned out to be genuinely good. Otherwise, I never would have given this show the time of day, especially after hearing people talk about it. Of course, this isn't a perfect show, and it does have a few problems, one of those being the animation. Well, not really the animation per se, but the character designs, particularly how large the characters' eyes are. They're fine on the kids, but the adults having them just makes them look really awkward, especially with how their eyes almost take up the entire upper halves of their cheeks. The actual animation is quite good, with colorful backgrounds that are easy on the eyes and smooth movement as well, along with the occasional cutesy chibi head every now and again. The soundtrack is also nice and pleasant, with a lot of woodwinds, oboes, flutes, and violins that perfectly fit the soothing, heartwarming atmosphere the show is going for...except for the ending song, which is basically typical boy band fare straight out of the mid-2000s.

Thankfully, the dynamic characters more than make up for the occasional animation slip-ups. I loved the whole ensemble, as they all had a wide array of personalities and quirks, but also didn't lean into typical anime archetypes. Madoka acts like a whiny, lazy uncle, but he's actually compassionate and does genuinely love his nephew and worries that he might be growing up too fast. Keiichiro could have just been the overworked butler, but he also has quite a bit of charm to him by being a confidant for Chihiro, having a life beyond just being Madoka's butler, and being the voice of reason for Madoka. Miyako could have easily been just the busty girl next door character and little more than walking fanservice and boob close-ups, but thank GOD the anime didn't take her in that direction. She's klutzy and nice, but is also proactive and a lot smarter than people give her credit for. But I think Chihiro is the best out of all of them. At first, he does seem like the kind of idealized kid who acts more grown up than he should and is really OCD about cleaning and stuff, practically raising Madoka when the latter should be the one raising him, but the anime always makes sure to remind us that, at heart, he's still a young boy. He likes reading fantasy novels, is scared of horror movies, likes animals, and can be kind of demanding and bossy at times. His character alone pretty much carries the whole show, and his chemistry with all the other characters is wonderful to watch.

Now, this anime might not be for everyone. Since Shounen Maid is very much a slice-of-life show, its pacing is deliberately slow and languid, and much more character-driven than story-driven. This might not sit well for people who prefer faster pacing and more action-oriented stuff, and that's fine. I think Shounen Maid's slow pacing works to its benefit, and the show itself doesn't try to be anything more than the cute, wholesome family drama it wants to be. But there is one more bit of criticism I have in terms of its audio: Some of the characters' voice acting tends to border on grating or really overdone, the biggest offenders being Madoka and Hino. For the former, he's voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki, who is normally a pretty good voice actor, but here he gives Madoka a ridiculously high pitched, whiny voice that makes him sound like a teenager than an adult, and when Madoka yells and screams, it is absolutely painful to listen to. Hino's voice actor, Mitsuki Saiga, is also a prolific and very talented voice actress, but the voice she gives Hino just makes him sound like a strangled duck, and I feel bad about saying that because she's normally really good at what she does. But I find she's better at doing low pitched voices for quieter, more stoic characters than upbeat, loud, and cheerful ones. It really says something when the English dub voice actors for them turn out to be way better and more listenable. Seriously, watch the English dub. It's really good! That's really all I have to say on the show.

Overall, don't let the misleading premise and image of Chihiro in a maid outfit fool you. Shounen Maid is the perfect example of how not to judge a book by its cover, and it's a nice, heartwarming, wholesome anime that deserves more love and appreciation than it gets.

first off all this is my first time writing a review im sorry if some of my review gones wrong.
i really like the anime, the story is just a normal life like a ussual slice of live ,it just very relaxing ,so fun to watch and relaxing. and there is also a few conflict nut its okay (i guess?) not type of boring slice of live and very recomended.
all of the character is very cute ,handsome,and etc very suitable foe a slice of live anime.
i really enjoy this anime and allready rewatch it several time .
over all its a 100/10 just perfect.Really Unpopular ... and very recomended.

Just about this show is making me feel like i'm at ease especially the opening, i just keep rewatching the show but it's just so underrated and so good, the only downside here is that the manga is now finished after almost 10 years with just 10 volumes :(,

The characters are all so funny especially with chihiro and madoka's interaction when it comes to work and chores and other stuff, and i like how chihiro is just a hardworking kid to the point that he passed out and slept out of exhaustion, but he can be scary strict too

anyway, this is just my personal ... opinion and i would recommend this anime if you just want peaceful side of anime, i can guarantee you guys will like this :D

I’ve never watched a series that so perfectly encapsulates the iyashikei genre. Everything about it is so warm and simple, I’m shocked that so few people bring up this series when discussing the slice of life genre. However, I think one of the main things that turns people away from this show is how it seems like a show made for shotacons at first glance, but trust me, it’s not that in the slightest!

Shounen Maid is a slice of life series about Komiya Chihiro, an 11 year-old boy whose mother passed away. But when he happens to run into his uncle who he had never ... before heard about, everything changes for him. Upon discovering how unkempt his uncle’s mansion is, he decides to become his maid in exchange for getting to live with him. Hence the title, “boy maid.”

The show’s plot is easygoing, and most of it is fairly episodic, though there are plot points that are introduced in certain episodes that continue throughout the show. The show is mostly comedic, however there are still a couple of moments that did a good job at being emotional, both the comedy and the emotion are handled well. I feel like this show also avoids an issue that many slice of life anime have where they end up being boring rather than simple, this show is simple while still being sincere and heartfelt.

The show’s art can also be described as simple. It’s not the most unique or memorable, but it’s cute and matches the show’s tone well. One of the things that does stand out is Madoka’s mansion, it’s very intricate and elegant, you can tell a lot of thought went into designing it. The character designs were also nice, I don’t have much to say about them, they match the characters well.

The voice acting also matched the characters well. Natsumi Fujiwara did an especially good job at voicing Chihiro. The soundtrack was nice, it has a very calm and warm feeling to it. The opening and ending are both good, they’re very upbeat and fun.

The characters were all very loveable, which is good since slice of life shows have to rely on having a good cast of characters in order to be enjoyable, since the plot isn’t a big focus. Madoka’s relationship with Chihiro was very sweet, watching Chihiro slowly grow closer to him was very cute as well. A lot of people seem to mistake their relationship for being romantic, though I believe Madoka is just very affectionate with Chihiro because he cares about him. Keiichirou and Miyako were nice inclusions to the cast as well, Keiichirou had moments where he was shown to care about Chihiro too, though in a less extreme way than Madoka. Chihiro’s grandmother was a character I was expecting to be far more one-dimensional than she actually was. The scenes with her really made her a more sympathetic person.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. It was very sweet and comforting, and I think if you enjoy the slice of life genre or series that focus on familial relationships, you'll enjoy this series too. Definitely don’t write this anime off like a lot of other people have!

Rating:

Story - 7/10
Art - 7/10
Sound - 7/10
Character - 8/10
Enjoyment - 8/10
Overall - 8/10

I finished watching Shounen Maid. I wish there were more episodes. I liked it.

To my surprise, it was unironically a sweet wholesome story about family. I recommend it if you have family issues.

Overall it was comfy, had some funny moments, and some of the characters were likable. The OST was decent.

Things I didn't like: excessive use of typical crude Japanese humour. A lot of it was simply unfunny, in my opinion. This is coming from someone who watches a lot of SOL and is already used to tolerating this sort of thing. Also the art style was nothing special and I didn’t really like ... the character designs.

Overall 7/10 mainly because it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Lesson Learned don't judge the anime through 1st impressions.
The concept is kinda goofy and at first glance the characters are so-so but give this a chance and I'm sure you won't regret it.

Plot
While it's true that the plot is nothing special as it's about a boy who becomes a maid I was drawn to how heartwarming the story went, even though there's not much plot. each episode will give a smile on your face maybe because of the less conflicts or how good are the chemistry the characters has. or how they execute the message that they are trying to tell because even though it ... has a funny genre it actually delivers it's message which I think is really good.

Characters.
There are only few characters and at first glance they are so-so like I said but for some reasons I find them likable, I wanna root for Chihiro fore being mature at such a young age I wanna hug Madoka for being childish even though he's old. The two just have a good chemistry as the childish adult and mature kid.
but my favorite is Miyako whom despite being an Ojou sama is not afraid to try new things and is not prideful for a rich lady I mean she asks help from a kid and she's okay with it.
Keiichiro is pretty normal and the rest of the characters are okay but they are likable in their own ways
overall each character is a ball of positive energy in which i really like.
They are different traits that produces positivty which results in a really heartwarming show.
Desugn and Sound
As for the Design I don't complain much about it as I know how hard it is animating a series but yeah I like their designs though i think it's something that's not memorable maybe because the anime does not standout at first glance.
As for the Sound I think it's pretty okay as well I just think they could have chosen a better ending because I don't know what the three Idols are into the series other than to greet Madoka a happy birthday.

Overall I think this show is just full of positivity and is very heartwarming, and surprisingly for me it's family friendly less ecchi less violence more comedy.
It does not stand out when you see the picture or characters but give it a chance you'll enjoy it.