Nagomi questions her dream to become an Akiba maid. Was it always this violent? Then she went to a Maid Casino and found her answer.
Episode 2 – “Gambling Adoracalypse: Yumechi”
Hmm.
The Hidive translation team had fun with the second episode title of Akiba Maid War: 賭博萌キュン録 ゆめち (tobaku moe kyun roku yumechi – gambling moe kyun record Yumechi). Hidive translated “moe kyun roku” into “Adoracalypse,“ a portmanteau of “adorable” and “apocalypse.” The literal translation is the straightforward manga otaku slang of “Moe kyun record.” Moe (萌え, もえ – sprouting, budding) is a magical word that encapsulates why a fan likes a certain waifu. These days, moe is self-referential in the otaku space. It’s fun to see “moe” used unironically in a maid café from 1999.
Akiba Maid War drew a connection to the most recent anime about gambling. 賭博 (とばく, tobaku – gambling) is different from the “gambling” we see in Kakegurui. The Japanese kanji 賭 (kake, かけ, bet, wager, gamble) covers any context of risk. Tobaku refers to gambling as a pastime. So, one can bet (kakeru) capital on a new product line, but one goes to a casino for gambling (tobaku). The maids exchanged their lives for chips before blowing up a casino, so their situation was closer to Kakegurui’s circumstances.
Nagomi bets her life to become a maid café girl. But she doesn’t know how high the stakes are. The Otaku Enforcer makes clear that café maids are cheap. He asked Tenchou to send one of her maids to another café to die! The underbelly of Akiba maid cafés is dark and gritty. Maids are just another asset to move around to pay off debts on money and honor. It’s disturbing to see the cynical resignation of this life from Yumechi and Shiipon. The dark humor of Akiba Maid War turns this hopeless tale of maid chattel into the maid café version of Pulp Fiction.
Heh.
Ooh. Akiba Maid War has a maid casino! Yumechi is on the final call of Texas Hold ‘em. Her maid companions are in a cage! What is going on here? This is a flashforward, so we need to see how she got there.
It’s the morning after for Nagomi. Ah, good. Ranko is not a Robo-maid. She’s a Rambo maid! Ranko stitches up her bullet wound with a bottle of tequila. Akiba Maid War is hardcore. Hey! Ranko and Nagomi made the news! The newscaster says feuds between Akiba maids have been quiet recently. The Oinky Doink Café maids wear cute pajamas. Shiipon’s conversation about a shot-up café is so casual. Fun! Tenchou is at a driving range with other animal ear maids! For some tee-shot punishment. The Otaku Enforcer is angry that his plan turned into a massacre. He wanted to provoke the Moonbeam Café maids to kill a piglet maid to cause a gang beef. Whoops! The hogs roasted a whole cow! And Tenchou still owes her dues.
Nagomi does not understand yet. Business as usual includes shooting up another maid café! Aw, poor Nagomi. She’s traumatized from all the blood she saw last night. Ketchup writing on omelet rice will be a trigger in Akiba Maid War. Mixing strawberries are also traumatic. We’re learning a lot about café maid terminology. Going for “a walk” means “passing out flyers.” Guh. There’re turf wars over where maids stand to hand out pieces of paper. Oh, don’t tug our heartstrings like that. Nagomi’s new friend will have a tragic end soon. Even Nerula knows how rough “skirmishes” can be. “Violence is part of the deal,” she says!
Of course. Akiba Maid War will not abide by any positive energy. As soon as Nagomi felt better, Tenchou announced that the Oinky Doink Café was going out of business! Wow. She is a ball of terrible luck compounded by worse decisions. What a surprise! A loan shark owns a maid casino! We’re watching a gangland tale through and through. Tenchou used the Oinky Doink Café for collateral to get a loan to pay off her “sweets money.” Then she went to the casino to “invest” it. Of course, she lost it all. Oh, no. Tenchou thinks she can win all her money back!
I love the nostalgic horn music Akiba Maid War uses. It’s a classic crime story atmosphere. Welcome to the Maid Casino! There’s your proof that the loan shark works with the Maid Casino. Here we go. The maids will win a lot until they don’t. You can get it all back if you use “maid futures” as collateral! Maids’ lives are cheap for Akiba maid gangs. The Oinky Doink girls need to get away from Tenchou as fast as possible! Oh. The veterans already knew what was coming. Har. How do they convert “maid futures” into dollar amounts? Moe, moe, chance!
That went as well as we figured it would. Tenchou claims maids go crab fishing to pay off their debt. In maid uniforms! I doubt it. They might go catching crabs another way if you know what I mean… Yumechi thinks she has a chance to win. Darn you, Akiba Maid War, for giving us hope! Yumechi knows how to play and can follow tells and cheats. But she’s still at a disadvantage. The House knows what cards she has! And we’re caught up to the flashforward at the start of the episode. Yumechi went all in! Then she recounted how the dealer and her partner cheated. Ha. Hahaha! Her Full House 8s and Jacks lost to 9s! The hope is gone. Ranko, you’re up! We know what’s coming next.
Blammo! Down goes another maid group in Akiba Maid War. Everybody has guns! Bring on the gangster drama horn music! Shiipon and Yumechi can handle pistols, but it’s been a while. Hoho! Panda Okachimachi sabotaged the kitchen. Things are about to get hot! Rambo Ranko returns Casino Maid’s grenade. With interest! Ooh, artsy thematic imagery of burning money.
Geez. The Oinky Doink Café maids are even more cavalier about their “fireworks” than about shooting up a bunch of rival maids. How will Otaku Enforcer react to this? They’re still behind on their dues, but at least they’re alive. Will Nagomi ever get used to casual crime and violence?
Akiba Maid War (Akiba Maid Sensou) streams on Hidive in Japanese and English with English subtitles for the North American region. Crunchyroll streams the anime worldwide elsewhere.
