Nagomi realizes the essence of an Akiba Maid when she confronts Manami at the Oinky Doink Café.
Episode 7 – “Creature Gang War Chronicles: The Bloody Extra-Akiba Terrestrial Showdown!”
Hmm.
Akiba Maid War played on two themes to bring us to the next act of the season. The first theme is how changing with the times keeps something eternal. That’s a dialectic, a philosophical term describing how to arrive at truth through constant inquiry and dialogue. The ramen shop below the Oinky Doink Café has remained in Akihabara during the shifting eras of maid culture. How? By altering the taste to suit new customers. Dorama Ramen continued to serve its patrons through the years even though its flavor had changed. Nagomi took that lesson to heart by applying it to the nature of a maid.
Nagomi was a maid, even when she wore a ninja costume. The final confrontation between Manami and Nagomi demonstrated the power a genuine maid had. Manami kept calling Nagomi a ninja because she only saw the surface. Nagomi internalized the essence of a maid. Manami felt the authenticity of defeat from Nagomi’s heart sign. No amount of violence, money, or gang loyalty could overcome the essential power of a maid. Moe, moe kyun!
A maid’s essence is eternal, but its expression changes with time. What had changed in Akiba Maid War during Manami’s prison sentence? When Nagomi talked to Nerula’s favorite customers, she realized that the “masters” of 1999 didn’t want to see maids die. Manami’s “old ways” do not serve contemporary clients. Maid cafés won’t make money if the customers stop coming. Why would a customer that patronizes a specific maid return if she disappears? He would feel gun shy to trust a new maid. The old, violent era maids don’t understand the new attachment that customers form.
These days, we call a guy that feels a parasocial attachment to a maid, idol, Vtuber, or e-thot a “simp.” These guys give out donations and super chats for Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram streamers. Online personalities make money through paid memberships, merchandise, and one-time contributions, but this is nothing new to café maids. They have “regulars,” which is the second theme of the episode. Nagomi took Nerula’s fans’ feelings and Ramen Chef’s lessons to heart.
The gangs in Akiba Maid War put fighting, money, and loyalty as their top priorities. But they wouldn’t exist without paying customers. We’ve seen how protective Yumechi and the late Kaoruko were of their regulars. The higher-ups think that customers don’t care about their personal loyalty to their favorite maids. Customers are worse than cattle to them and will throw money at any maid. But this was never true. The gang bosses have forgotten their power comes from the relationship between a maid and her goshujinsama. Nagomi’s revolution for the new era starts now! Moe, moe kyun!
Heh.
Oh no. Where has Nagomi gone? She’s not sharing a bunk with Ranko anymore. It’s been a week since the murderous events of the last Akiba Maid War episode. Oh, snap. They made Nerula’s manager take the fall. She looks drugged. At least she keeps the kayfabe of the Maid Alien backstory going. Manami eats ramen again. That’s a leitmotif image for this anime. How long will the Maid Alien boss let Manami disrespect her? She collected power while Manami was in prison. Be careful, Manami! But she won’t. The world of café maids turned money into strength instead of violence. Manami’s “old ways” don’t translate to the current era.
Eh? Nagomi is a café ninja, degozaru. Hiding behind a mask is smart. Aha. Ranko draws Nagomi’s reasoning to be a maid out of her. Nagomi is a splendid maid, even when she wears a ninja costume. She’s not a maid who engages in shootouts with weapons like everyone else in Akiba Maid War. Aw. Nagomi couldn’t keep up the play-acting. She wants to be a cute maid, not a mafia maid! Ranko wants to go back to those days before maid violence. Aw, sympathy. Nerula’s regulars found her sister-maid! Ranko told them where to go. These otakus don’t want to get used to having their favorite maid die and choose another one. Polaroids are so nostalgic. Nagomi had a good talk with the Ramen Chef. Things stay the same by changing! Deep wisdom. Nagomi won’t fight as a maid but as a ninja!
Akiba Maid War gives me El Mariachi vibes. Ultra-violence in a siege situation. Oinky Doink Café has many choke points, but Manami’s Maid Aliens have numbers. They’ll even shoot a hostage! Manami has a machine gun too. Now what? I heard firecrackers, not gunfire. Is Ninja Nagomi entering the fray? Look at her go! Ranko can’t believe it! Nin nin! Oinky Doink has the machine gun now! Fire it up! Don’t mess with maids and chairs and brooms. Ouch! Manami retreated!
Oof. Betrayal is no surprise in Akiba Maid War. Maid Aliens disavowed Manami’s action against the Oinky Doink Café. And they merged with Creatureland! This was Nagi’s plan since the beginning. At least Manami knew to let Miyabi go before she faced death. Nagomi looks like a ninja, but she’s a maid! A dead maid can’t serve her masters. Slap! Stay down, auntie. A new era for Akiba maids begins now. Moe, moe kyun!
Epilogue time. Manami won’t live to see Maid Aliens work with the Creatureland Group. Her pool of blood looks like her flowery dress. Artsy. Nagi gave the Maid Alien boss an offer she couldn’t refuse because that’s what she was aiming for in the first episode of Akiba Maid War. But Oinky Doink survived, which complicates things. Nagi is the final boss for Ranko and Nagomi.
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.
