The Creatureland Group sends a maid trainer to reeducate the Oinky Doink Café members. How long can they keep up their rebellious streaks?
Episode 4 – The Inside Story! A Drillmaster for The Swine!!
Hmm.
P.A. Works has a reputation for focusing its anime on Japanese cultural touchstones. Shirobako turned its eye to the anime industry. Sakura Quest dealt with the rural villages converting a local legend into tourism. Akiba Maid War applies Japanese crime drama elements to the maid café culture in Akihabara. That’s the formula we’ve seen for the first three episodes. The Oinky Doink maids have suffered gang turf struggles, illegal gambling, and underground fighting. The fourth episode made me suffer culture shock!
I’m an American watching anime, so my cultural cues rely on the television shows, movies, books, and video games I grew up with. Sorry, Akiba Maid War. I’ve seen some Japanese detective movies, but everything I know about crime drama in Japan comes from anime references. That means I’ve got a bunch of holes in my knowledge base of cultural references. That’s why I don’t watch Gintama or Pop Team Epic. Both shows use contemporary Japanese pop culture for their humor. I can appreciate the mechanics of the joke-making, but it’s an academic exercise.
I’ve seen enough yakuza anime to understand Akiba Maid War’s first and second episodes. I relied on video games and 90s American martial arts movies to get the vibe in the third one. But I don’t have a Japanese reference for drill sergeant antics. I have many American ones, like the An Officer and a Gentleman and Full Metal Jacket movies. I can tell P.A. Works is working hard to put in connections to other stories. I wish I knew what they were referring to, so I could appreciate the effort better.
Heh.
Akiba Maid War’s prologue starts with Nagomi being thrown off the roof. What now? Yay! Zoya’s face is no longer covered up in the opening credits!
Uh oh. Tenchou is at the Creatureland Group’s office. Why is she the only one not dressed like a maid? The other managers know Ranko Mannen. When do we get the stoic maid’s backstory in Akiba Maid War? The stories of the Oinky Doink Café crushing others after Ranko joined. The Creatureland Boss is impressive! The Otaku Collector arrived too. Hahaha! Tenchou stuffed her teacup and saucer in her pants! The Boss praised the Oinky Doink Café for its fighting ability and another café for its moneymaking. Gah! Boss shot that one for embezzlement! Ah. Fighting, money, and LOYALTY! The Creatureland Group needs to send drillmasters to their cafés to reinforce these three qualities. Oinky Doink Café needs lessons on how to make money, for sure! They could also fire Tenchou and get someone else, but that won’t happen in Akiba Maid War.
Zoya hasn’t been at the Oinky Doink Café long, but she knows it needs a new manager. That’s the running joke of the Akiba Maid War anime. Uh oh. Nagomi supports learning to be a better maid from a drillmaster. Sano the Drillmaster enters the Pigsty! She quickly identified the café’s problems. Ambiance and maid customer service equates to money in Sano’s eyes. Worse, Oinky Doink doesn’t display loyalty to the Creatureland Group. I’m sure loyalty means dues or “sweets money.” The drillmasters have incentives for success too. Like keeping their lives! Ha! The first order of business is to dismiss Tenchou and Okachimachi the panda. Shiipon and Yumechi have sour faces. I sense an insubordination and mutiny plot!
Wake up at 5 AM! Akiba Maid War turned into a boot camp movie. Oof. Sano uses a magical girl wand as her riding crop! Huh? Is carving words into a tree trunk a thing? Ranko and Zoya are right on it! What! The panda is a dude in a suit! Ugh. Already mutiny against Sano. The drillmaster is quick to change tactics. Aha! This is the prologue scene. Sano coerced loyalty from the maids by throwing them off the roof! I’m skeptical about how easily Ranko and Zoya accepted Sano’s method.
Three days in, the Oinky Doink maids follow Sano without hesitation. What will happen to Shiipon now? Run away! Akiba Maid War turned into a prison camp story. Her colleagues join the hunt, carrying restraints and handcuffs! Oh? Ranko will help her escape. Look at Shiipon when she was JK Gyaru! Hahaha! Shiipon decided to stay after spotting Tenchou dumpster diving! Ooh. Non-gyaru Shiipon is cute too! The Oinky Doink maids paid off their debts to the Creatureland Group. They earned the “sweets money” in only four days. That proves how badly Tenchou wastes money. Sano gave the maids a passing grade!
How long will the Oinky Doink maids act like loyal Creatureland members in Akiba Maid War? Yes! Shiipon played the long game! Okay. Shiipon thought it was necessary to bazooka the tree stump of loyalty. Finally. Every episode ends in fire and explosions! Sano returns to check on the Oinky Doink Café. Total reversion! Sano can see her death coming… Ranko and Shiipon forged a bond. At least Nagomi improved her ketchup writing skills. Being a maid sure is fun!
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.
