J18 Doujinshi Review: Maid Education

Created by Kyokcho and brought to the English-speaking world by J18 Publishing, Maid Education is among the newest hentai manga available now from J-List, and surprisingly, one of the few highlighting maid fetishism. For anyone looking for a maid doujin, Maid Education is a must-buy, with an enjoyable art style and delightfully sinister plotting — in more ways than one. For those on the fence about maids, read the below and discover what makes Maid Education worthwhile to read.

Once an aristocratic noblewoman, Rurikawa Tsubaki’s family has lost their power and respect, and she now serves the man she holds responsible for her family’s fate — Lord Peumann. There’s no thorough explanation of society here (this is still ultimately a hentai). But our heroine expects to serve the lord sexually, so we can infer that sexual service is a regular aspect of being a maid, and serve, she does.

Bought and Maid For

It’s unclear how Tsubaki ended up at Lord Peumann’s manor, whether she was bought, offered the opportunity, or begged for it. What is clear is that she’s here to survive and retain her will and dislike for the man who put her here, even acting cool and false as she goes through her maid education. Too bad for her, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Especially intimate contact.

The artwork in Maid Education isn’t anything special. A few frames stand out for subtle titillation along the lines of less is more. And a couple others make good use of perspective to reflect power dynamics, though. This shows an effort to match art and plot that elevates Maid Education despite its uncomplicated appeal. What makes Maid Education shine is Tsubaki’s inner monologue, which persists throughout and creates tension between what Tsubaki is doing, what Lord Peumann is demanding, and what she actually intends.

The way she isn’t so worn down than realizing she enjoys lots of what she’s going through is a relief after so many questionable consent plots rely on “mind break” to suggest everything is acceptable. The cool Tsubaki keeps you wondering if she is playing through a plan’s steps — and her enjoyment is just a speed bump on her way instead of making her enjoyment derail her as a person — despite all of Lord Peumann’s efforts to break her down.

Filled with Pride

With 60 pages and two chapters, Maid Education is simultaneously done too fast, creating anticipation of where the plot can go next. And it has enough content that there’s a small arc and a sense of completion. People uninterested in maids and power dynamics can skip this one. But people with even the mildest interest in cool-character types, or just maid-style play, should check this out and make their family proud.