Kara Dennison
October 7, 2022 
This season, Akiba Maid War shows us that living your best maid life can be brutal. The maids at the Pig Hut need to do more than be cute and serve up omurice. In fact, their job can be downright deadly. But they’re not the first to be in this position… and they probably won’t be the last.
Anime has a proud tradition of maids, butlers, and other servants going above and beyond. Some are high-end bodyguards, while others are stepping back from a more violent life. Either way, we’re big fans of their energy. Plus, revisiting these shows gives us something to enjoy while we wait for the latest installment of Pig Hut shenanigans!
Kamen no Maid Guy
Based on the manga by Maruboro Akai, Kamen no Maid Guy packs the energy of Akiba Maid War into a beefier (and funnier) package. The title character is Kogarashi, a strange masked man who looks like he was pulled straight out of Fist of the North Star. He packs the same level of punch, and for good reason: his real job is protecting Naeka, heir to her billionaire father’s fortune. Kogarashi has his own “bodyguard” in Fubuki, a ninja-like maid who keeps him in line.
Kamen no Maid Guy is an odd little show, running 12 episodes and an OVA. It’s more than a little fanservice-y, too. But if you’re here to see maids making mayhem, you can pick up the Blu-ray from Discotek.
Mahoromatic
Post-Evangelion Gainax was a wild time, as the studio started to figure itself out. Among its turn-of-the-millennium series was Mahoromatic, based on the manga by Bunjūrō Nakayama and Bow Ditama. Unlike Akiba Maid War and its very human maids, Mahoro is an android—albeit one with a limited life span. With 398 days left to live, she chooses to work for the son of her late superior officer.
This Gainax/Shaft collaboration, much like Mahoro herself, has a real heart and soul. And while the anime and manga have somewhat different endings, they amount to the same type of tear-jerker. Be sure to add it to your HIDIVE playlist!
Hayate the Combat Butler
Hayate the Combat Butler might not be as brutal as Akiba Maid War, but Hayate definitely goes through it. After being sold to pay off his family’s gambling debts, he ends up in the employ of nerdy rich girl Nagi. Fortunately for her, Hayate is a hard worker—he’s kind of had to be—so she’s in good hands. Whether the threat is school drama, her own video game obsession, or combat-ready anime references, he’s here to help.
This show is a rom-com, gag anime, and action series all rolled into one. And there’s a lot of it. Fortunately, you can start watching now on Crunchyroll.
Need more anime for your watchlist? Here are three vintage series free to watch right now.
