The basic premise of the show is that a high school girl named Maika wants to get a job so she can pay for the expenses to study abroad. There’s just one problem; nobody wants to hire her because she has a naturally nasty look in her eyes. Feeling dejected, Maika’s fortune changes for the better when the Italian manager of Cafe Stile, Dino, hires her because she’d be perfect at playing a sadistic waitress in his restaurant. His strong penchant for dark haired Japanese girls also played a part in his hiring of Maika. Long story short, Maika finds success at her job and formulates strong friendships with her coworkers.
Basically, each episode showcases different scenarios in which the characters end up in comedic situations. Now these types of shows can either be hits or misses. It ultimately depends on the quality of the characters and the jokes. Fortunately for Blend S, it got both departments right. Let’s briefly analyze the prominent characters to see why they positively contribute to the success of the show.
Maika is the protagonist, and she really is a gentle and innocent girl. She wants to make customers smile and always tries to do her best. Though thanks to her menacing glare and awkwardness, she oftentimes ends up being a picture perfect sadist, much to her chagrin. Though its her unintentional tendency to act like a sadist that makes me and the customers at Cafe Stile adore her so. I was afraid that the emphasis on her vicious glare would end up getting old, but it actually didn’t. It was used in many different scenarios throughout the anime’s runtime that kept the humor revolving around it fresh and fun. Though she’s great on her own, what really makes her shine is her chemistry with the other characters, specifically Dino.
Dino is the manager of Cafe Stile, and its very clear that he is a masochist (and a pervert in the eyes of his employees). He has a one sided love for Maika and has nosebleeds whenever she does something remotely cute. He’s actually one of the better male leads that I’ve seen in recent memory, because while many act too serious to be entertaining characters, Dino’s silliness makes him very fun to watch. Whether it be happily getting stepped on by Maika or failing to get his feelings across to her, Dino never failed to bring a smile to my face whenever he appeared on screen.
Kaho acts as the tsundere at the cafe, though in reality she would be better described as a game addicted shut in. She’s a nice character, though I personally like her best when she interacts with Akizuki, the chef at the cafe. He’s also a recluse and has no experience with women, so his interactions with Kaho usually end up being both cute and comical. Mafuyu is the final original cast member and is the little sister at the cafe. When she works, she puts on a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts and acts like a loving, bubbly imouto. However, she really is a 20 year old college student who rarely shows emotion. Its an amusing contrast, and since I’m a fan of both of her personality types, I ended up really liking her character.
The other two characters worth giving a shoutout to are Miu and Hideri, who start working at the cafe in the latter portion of the anime. Miu is a dōjinshi artist and a pervert while Hideri is…well, lets just say that Hideri is the “surprise.” Now all of these characters are decent on their own, but when blended together, they really stand out. They just compliment each other remarkably well, which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.
Blend S was refreshing. Many anime that I’ve seen recently have tried to construct an intricate story filled to the brim with “epic” plot twists and the like. While some succeed, many more ultimately fail, and watching them ends up becoming more of a chore than a pleasant viewing experience. With Blend S, I was able to relax and just enjoy some light hearted comedy, which can honestly be all that’s needed to make a show great. Blend S is by no means spectacular, but it's a nice show to watch if you just want to see some lighthearted fun.
