Akiba Maid War, Episode 12 [END]: At Moe’s End

After Ranko’s death, Nagomi treads the line between dark and moe. Will she return to a real maid’s path?

Episode 12 – “At Moe’s End”

Hmm.

Akiba Maid War’s version of a face-heel turn for Nagomi reminded me of Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi. Dark Nagomi flexed her violent power but only temporarily. She decided to throw it away to follow the path of moe and paid for it. The Rebel Alliance, er, Akiba otakus, thanks her for it!

Nagi toed the line between obsession and ruthless business during the Akiba Maid War season but fell over after Ranko died. She wanted to eradicate anything that reminded her of happy days with Michiyo. The guilt Nagi felt from killing her adoptive mother was so heavy. Nagi had buried those feelings for so long that she couldn’t handle them when they resurfaced. After maid captains saw how Nagi chose overkill violence, they became reluctant. They saw the lack of sanity behind her eyes. Nagi’s lack of sane judgment proved to be her downfall. If Nagi were still the ruthless businesswoman, she would not have allowed Ranko’s killer to be near her at moe’s end.

Heh.

Oh, sad. Akiba Maid War confirmed Ranko’s death. Nagomi wears the same funeral maid uniform we saw at Manami’s funeral. What’s the best accessory for an Akiba Maid memorial ceremony? A six-shot revolver! Dark Nagomi chose the way of the gun. The other Oinky Doink maids crying in front of a hospital surgery room were more confirmation. Oh, hey! Newspaper headlines on newspapers! Remember those? The editorial staff worries about another maid war. What have we been watching for three months? “What Will Become of Akiba?” is a good question. Oh, Nagomi. The dark shades sell the look.

A short opening theme for Akiba Maid War. Let’s get into it! I was right about who stabbed Ranko. That girl is still growing out the hair for her left pigtail. She held a grudge against Ranko for killing everyone at her Maid Alien café. Just random violence in the mean streets of Akihabara. Nagi is listless. She let Ranko’s murderer go! Oh crap. Nagi kept her promise to Ranko to keep the Oinky Doink Café around. Because Ranko is dead, there is nothing to stop Nagi from destroying it. That’s crazy. Ominous. The episode title is “At Moe’s End.”

Aw. The only picture for Ranko’s funeral came from the baseball game. The comments from the public show their disdain for Akiba Maids. The normies had enough of gang war casualties. The dark humor of the Akiba Maid War anime shines in these small scenes. Ranko’s portrait outside also came from the baseball game. The old ladies wish the government got rid of maid cafés! If the violence between maids keeps going public, the police might have to.

Dark Nagomi strikes! Ack. She shot the cow maid in the foot! Akiba Maid War doesn’t explain why Nagomi chose one of the bully maids to torture. It feels good watching revenge, though. Dayum. Dark Nagomi knows how to bring out the cattle puns. At least the milkmaid had answers. It’s bizarre. Why does Nagi want to crush the Oinky Doink Café after someone else killed a maid that worked there? Dark Nagomi knows how to deliver a message, “Nagomi Wahira is in mourning.” Black Pork is not as good a name, though.

Dark Nagomi is on the hunt. Oh, don’t threaten the ramen chef! I want to know why Uzuko changed her name to Nagi. Ramen Chef and Akiba Maid War are in the mood for stories as he recounts how the beloved Michiyo adopted the orphaned Uzuko! He claims Uzuko always had hungry eyes. Michiyo raised Uzuko during the time Michiyo was a gangster warrior maid. But when Michiyo hired the calm Ranko, the maid boss’s attitude changed. We heard Okachimachi’s version of Uzuko’s assassination job. How does Ramen Chef know so much?

Watch out. Okachimachi sharpens a bamboo spear. Dark Nagomi slaps back. The Creatureland Group is coming for the Oinky Doink Café, so they must prepare for war! Nagomi left flowers at Nerula’s death site to apologize for embracing violence. Oops. The bully maids are back to get revenge on Dark Nagomi’s revenge. The violence is too public. If the normies hate the maids, what do they think of the otaku customers? Nagomi always had a hard head in Akiba Maid War.

Here comes the turn. Ranko’s souvenirs will bring Dark Nagomi back to the light. Back to the moe! Weird. The Creatureland top maids have lunch at the ninja café where Nagomi hid. They’re complaining about Nagi. They think the Head Maid went off the rails when Ranko walked out of prison before Akiba Maid War started. The maid bosses lost confidence in Nagi.

Nagomi is back! She has a plan on how to fight Creatureland. The enemy has money, weapons, and loyalty from their soldiers. What do Nagomi and her maid friends have? They have the fiery power of moe! They’ll bring a real Akiba maid war to them! But first, Nagi needs to rid herself of detractors. The Head Maid shuts down the debate with bullets. Nagi needs loyal foot soldiers to follow her. Her lieutenants know for sure she’s gone off the deep end.

This is hilarious. Akiba Maid War won’t give Ranko a moe maid portrait for a memorial. One last bowl of ramen at the shop. Here comes Nagi’s wrecking crew. Geh. Nagi even killed Ramen Chef. Everybody dies in this show! Wow. Nagi was sure she would meet Ranko’s revenge, but she expected gunfire. Not a moe maid welcome! The Oinky Doink Café is putting on the best night of service for their masters. It’s Moe Moe Blam Campaign Day! Mistresses with guns get free service!

Nagi decides to treat the Oinky Doink’s display as their Last Supper, which means Akiba Maid War shows us one last dance number for the finale. The Oinky Doink Café maids have no fear. Only moe! Har. The other maids are into Yumechi’s cheer! Their drinks are so tasty now! Here we go. It’s Nagomi’s maid performance of a lifetime. Nagi recalls more innocent times of maids dancing. Can’t have that! Blammo! Nagomi continues dancing with a flesh wound. How tough is this girl? Yes! The maids’ guns and knives have become light sticks, like Ranko’s dance of death in the first episode. This is tough to watch for Nagomi’s friends.

Nagomi’s dance is over. What will Akiba Maid War show us next? Ha! The Lion Maid started clapping! The lyrics hit too close to home for these maids. They’re forever seventeen years old in their hearts. Gah! Nagi shot the Lion Maid! Is that too much for the other maids to take? Nagomi’s message is that guns don’t spread the spirit of moe. Maids welcome their masters and mistresses home. Nagi shot Nagomi every time she triggered a happy memory! Before we can react to Nagomi’s end, Nagi gets shot in the head! It was that Maid Alien again! And Okachimachi finished her off with a bamboo spear! The end! What?

I see time enough for an Akiba Maid War epilogue. Thank goodness. The year is now 2018. Nineteen years later. I see Uma Musume: Pretty Derby anime billboards! Nagomi would have been 36 years old, the same age as Ranko when she died. Akihabara looks like the real-life version. Hey! Nerula and Nagomi’s regulars have grown up. They tell their younger colleague how rough Akiba used to be. Whoa! New Oinky Doink Café! The uniforms look the same! Who are the old guys visiting? No way! A 36-year-old maid? In a wheelchair with pictures of our old maid friends. Nagomi survived! Moe moe kyun!

Final Thoughts.

The main characters’ names in Akiba Maid War told you who would win the battle of moe.

• 渦子 Uzuko – Maelstrom Child
• 嵐子 Ranko – Tempest Child
• 和み Nagomi – To Calm Down

Ranko brought the storm that erupted in Akihabara during the season. Uzuko started that whirlwind fifteen years prior. Nagi, if spelled 凪 (なぎ), means “calm (at sea),” but if it’s spelled 薙 (なぎ), that means “mow down (the enemy).” Uzuko took on the name “Nagi” to embody the lull between storms. The calm was only on the sea surface as a violent whirlpool crushed enemies in a maid war. Nagomi represented the genuine spirit of softening. Her sacrifice calmed Akihabara’s maid café culture. Gangs trade in money, violence, and loyalty, but they pale when measured against a maid’s genuine worth. Moe.

Akiba Maid War was the breakout show of the fall season. Take the stylized violence of El Mariachi and Pulp Fiction and mash them up with singing maids! Every episode had a body count. I recommend this anime to anyone who appreciates otaku culture, idols, themed cafés, and old-school gangster movies. P.A. Works knocked this one out of the park.

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.