A rival maid boss walks out of prison and brings back the old, violent ways, threatening Nagomi’s friendship.
Episode 6 – “Blood in A Sisterly Troth and The Menace of The Red Bat”
Hmm.
The three currencies of maid gang warfare are violence, money, and loyalty. Akiba Maid War introduces Manami, the embodiment of violence. She came out of prison and insisted that the maid underworld return to “the old ways.” Manami appears to be the Final Boss of the series, but a wrinkle from the first episode tugs on my attention. Remember: the Otaku Enforcer sent an Oinky Doink maid to Wuv-Wuv Moonbeam to provoke them into killing her. If Ranko had not insisted she accompany Nagomi, the Creatureland Group would have had an excuse to start a gang war with the Maid Alien Gang.
In the other Akiba Maid War episodes, Ranko and the Oinky Doink Café crushed maid cafés. But it’s not clear which gangs they belonged to. We now know the Wuv-Wuv Moonbeam Café belonged to the Maid Aliens, but I thought they were inside the Creatureland Group because of their rabbit ears. The casino maids might not have Creatureland affiliation because they wore bunny-girl uniforms instead of bunny ears with a maid outfit. The themes of maid cafés have quite particular criteria. The Maid Alien cafés need to have space-related decorations and settings. The Creatureland spaces need to be the homes of the animals the maids represent.
Nagi, the Creatureland Boss Maid, didn’t call Tenchou to her office until Oinky Doink flattened the Sheep Maid Café. The Otaku Enforcer cared about the moneymaking enterprise. The kidnapping and attempted murder of affiliated maids didn’t concern the bosses as much. In an earlier scene from Akiba Maid War, Nagi made a showy point about loyalty after she discovered a café embezzling funds. It looks like money is the primary currency of the maid gangs in the current era. Manami and Ranko will bring back violence as the instrument of choice. How will Nagomi respond to the death of Nerula, her sister-maid? Will she become as violent as Ranko to enforce loyalty?
Heh.
Fun and games are over in Akiba Maid War. That’s if you call kidnapping, attempted murder, and wanton destruction “fun and games.” Bring on the maid gang warfare! I haven’t heard anything about the Maid Alien Group. Its maids have space themes. Ah. Nerula is an enemy gang! Nagomi and Nerula will have the gang version of a yuri-flavored Romeo and Juliet friendship tale. Manami, with her red bat, is violently crazy and insanely aggressive! Ranko, the Eternal Storm, was the kindling, and Crimson Supernova will be the spark that burns down the Akiba maids!
Ooh. Manami owns the red shoes in the Akiba Maid War opening credits. The old gang leader of the Maid Aliens died while she was in prison. The new one looks like she eats well from the profits of the maid cafés. Uh oh. Manami wants to know what happened to the Wuv-Wuv Moonbeam representative. We know that Ranko put a bullet through her forehead. The “old ways” meant that Oinky Doink’s manager needed retaliation. Welp. The new Maid Alien boss can’t stand up to the Crimson Supernova, so we can tell where this story is going.
That was nice of the Maid Aliens to inform the Creatureland Group that Manami is now in charge. Nagi has a long history with her. The otaku collector doesn’t care about the Maid Sheep café starting trouble with Oinky Doink. He only cares how Oinky Doink finished it. No mention of Kaoruko killing every maid in Akihabara that shared her birthday. What? The Otaku Enforcer blames Oinky Doink for wiping out the Wuv-Wuv Moonbeam in the first Akiba Maid War episode. He’s the one that sent maids over there to insult them! Does Nagi Bosslady know what this guy is doing in her name? I hope there’s a subplot here. That dude keeps asking the Oinky Doink maids to die. Suspicious!
Ranko and Manami meet at the Dorama ramen shop. Original gangsters eating noodles together before the maid war in Akiba starts. Word travels fast around Akiba. The maids look at Nagomi, knowing she’s doomed. Oh no. How will Nerula and Nagomi’s friendship fare through the Maid Alien’s return to violence? The Oinky Doink girls discuss their options. The assassination of the Crimson Supernova is a tough ask, but how else can they stay alive? Tenchou knows more “old ways,” too. Becoming blood brothers in gangster movies is a tradition, so it makes sense Akiba Maid War has its version. Oho! Nagi was Ranko’s maid-sister! Nagomi is Ranko v2.0. I’m sure the death of the maid tea house manager was the catalyst for Ranko becoming Rambo.
Squee! Asking another maid to take the sisterhood oath is like a public love confession! Sisters drink ramen soup together. The big deal is exchanging name tags. Compare how Ranko and Manami ate ramen together. The oath of sisterhood follows the patterns of old-school Akiba maid wars. Poor Tenchou. She’s so desperate to get enemy intelligence. Nerula just heard orders from above to exterminate the pigs! A tragedy is coming. Nerula’s sisterhood made her betray her loyalty to Maid Alien!
Oh, finally! Akiba Maid War shows us how the gang known as “Police” operate. They take protection money too. They don’t care what the maid gangs do if the public doesn’t see violent crime. Uh oh. Nerula is doing more than protecting Oinky Doink. Tipping off the police is a death sentence. Here it comes. Nerula’s death is the spark for an all-out gang war! Will Nagomi follow Nerula’s dying wish to stay a non-violent maid? Or will she follow the path of Ranko to protect others who fight for her?
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.
