Reviews

One of the earlier entries in the super-powered maid genre, this action rom-com is still pretty entertaining. It sits right in the middle of that transitional era for Gainax circa 2000 where their work was starting to take on an increasingly goofy look and tone in what would eventually become Trigger's signature style. As an early digital anime it suffers common problems from that time, such as lazy backgrounds and an oversaturated colour palette, but plenty of that Gainax charm shines through. Action scenes are decent, though it's the comedy episodes that carry this first season. It relies a bit too heavily on characters who just have one joke that they repeat ad nauseum though.

There's a more serious side to the show. Mahoro is a combat android who now serves as a maid to the son of her former commander. This is her idea of penance for having been forced to kill him, and all the while the series reminds us that Mahoro is using up her final year before she stops functioning. Meanwhile she keeps being drawn back into battles with the aliens that her secret organisation has been fighting for years, though unleashing her full power would drastically reduce her remaining lifespan. This side of the series works fine, though it doesn't always mesh well with its comedy side. It feels like two different shows bolted together at times.

The first season hovers between a 6 and 7 for me, but the comedy episodes just about tip it to the higher mark.