Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama is, as many have noted, not particularly original. It reuses predictable and overused storylines that weren't that interesting even when they were new.
Everyone is paired off by the end, happily solving any chance at meaningful problems even when the possibility is right there. Arbitrary characters are paired up just because, and the main 'rival' for the male lead gets paired with the female lead's kid sister, which was entirely too convenient. As for that, I like to imagine that, 20 years down the line, during a massive fight, one of them will drop the bomb, accusing/revealing that the sister was a replacement/as close as the guy could get to the female lead. That's the sort of thing that haunts you down the line.
The conflicts are, at least not including the love affairs, not particularly stupid. There is a point about midway where it seems like the manga is about to head to Stupidville, but it manages to save it. Conflict exists, its not suddenly world-ending, and gets resolved within a reasonable timeframe and with a reasonable but not stupid amount of effort by the protagonists. This was a plus, in the sense that it avoided a mistake, not that it was particularly positive.
On the other hand, the possibilities for meaningful conflict are, as I mentioned, completely avoided. Beyond the possibility of not having someone happily paired off despite having his heart broken and showing that no, sometimes things don't work out and not everyone walks out happy, the manga completely missed probably the best opportunity at some depth, by having Misaki's father's return completely swept under the rug.
There was such potential there. The father is not a terrible person at heart, but he is a shitty, shitty father who missed out on most on his daughters' life and left his wife alone for over a decade. That sort of thing takes more than a month and some words to resolve. So much more could have been done there.
The story/plot is predictable, the conclusion of each arc equally so, and the ending about as generic as it could get, which was very disappointing, while at the same time asking for quite a bit of SoB to accept.
Its artwork leaves a lot to be desired. It's not outright terrible, but enjoyment comes despite it, not because of it.
One would ask then, 'Shouldn't all this make for a terrible manga?'
The answer is no, and the reason are the characters. Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama excels in making interesting characters that manage to dodge most of the anime/manga pitfalls while still skirting quite close to the unrealistic.
The lead couple are the main cause of this. Takumi and Misaki are both interesting characters, competent on their own but performing better when combined, independent but welcoming the chance at company. Both are enjoyable to read about even with on their own, and they manage to be pretty stereotypical in their skillsets and attributes while still managing to avoid becoming caricatures.
The secondary character, or supporting cast, aren't as lucky. While certainly enjoyable to read about, they fit much more snugly into stereotypes and caricatures. Coworkers, classmates, family members, they can all be very easily categorized and, to someone who hasn't seen/read this, likened to other characters from other series to no discernible difference. The protagonists aren't exactly innocent of this, but as they are given a lot more screentime and situations to act in, they have more depth by necessity.
All in all, Kaichou wa Maid-sama is a good series for people who like shoujo and romance and a great example of the genre, but if you're looking for originality or a fresh perspective, look elsewhere.
