Kara Dennison
August 18, 2021 
Anime maids are everywhere you look. If they aren’t the star of their respective show, they’ll at least show up as a secondary character. Or, bare minimum, the show will have an episode at a maid café so we can work in our quota of pretty dresses and polite smiles. But why do we love them so much?
In lieu of Miss Kobayashi coming in to yell at length on the topic, here’s why we think anime maids maintain an allure. Who are some of your favorites?
Nostalgia
When we think of maids — even cute, contemporary anime maids — we’re reminded of historical books and dramas. The idea of a house kept ticking over by maids and valets and butlers loses a bit of its romance when you look past the uniform. But at least aesthetically, it brings a sense of nostalgia.
The manga and anime series Emma: A Victorian Romance actually made an effort to be spot-on. In the midst of the maid trend, manga artist Kaoru Mori wanted to show the reality of the job in its historical context. To that end, Emma was a veyr different sort of story… but one still loved by its fans.
The Outfits
Unlike Emma’s very traditional dress, most anime maids have uniforms that are designed to be cute above all else. They have their own uniqueness and personality — in other words, uniform that’s the opposite of a uniform! Characters like Kanna in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid can show off their unique style with variations on the look.
If the character is actually working as a proper modern-day maid, there’s a certain style you’re likely to see maintained. Blue/back and white with frills and red trim seems to be the go-to. But there are maids out there in every color and style of uniform you can imagine. Better still… cosplay opportunities!
Their Secrets
With notable exceptions like Emma, anime maids are rarely just what they appear to be on the surface. They could be androids, dragons, trained assassins, or magical girls. Their quiet, traditional role could be hiding all sorts of surprises — especially if they’re pulling double duty as bodyguards.
Granted, Kogarashi of Kamen no Maid Guy isn’t exactly treading lightly in his disguise. Not when he’s a hench brute of a man with USB connectivity. But for those who are more subtle, like Kogarashi’s keeper Fubuki, it’s extremely cool to see fighters emerge from the woodwork. Especially in pretty dresses.
What do you love most about the maids of anime and manga?
