In recent years, "maid shows" have become one of those staples of a fan's collection -- be it the wacky antics of Mahoromatic, or the cute, innocent fun of Hand Maid May. However, these shows have always tended to fall into a certain stigma. Basically, anything with breasts seems to be honor-bound to lust over the main character. Of course, with series like Hand Maid May, this is entirely plausible since a majority of the female leads tend to be created by some artificial means, or have some connection to the male lead. This leads one to wonder: how would things play out if the female leads actually led their own lives? What if the maids had interests outside of what's in the major male's pants? Apparently, I'm not the only one that's asked these questions, since Morishige created Hanakyo Maid Team: a maid series that shows that not all hired servants are bound to their employers at every waking moment.

With most maid shows, there usually tends be around one to five maids that vie for the main character's affections. Hanaukyo takes things further by introducing a literal army of maids. Surprisingly, though, very few of these characters are interested in finding their way into the not-so-dashing hero's pants. Actually, outside of the comedically horny Personal Staff, there is little lust for the main character. Instead, the maids have their own lives, and as a result, their own stories to tell. It's actually these stories that drive much of the show, as viewers watch them unfold through the series' progression. However, since this is a maid show, one has to suspect that little is taken seriously. Many of the characters' lives are carried out with a playful wink and smirk as every episode is laced with enough humor to keep viewers amused. While he isn't exactly the main focus of things, Taro, the male protagonist, is not completely ignored, either. On the contrary, his tale proves to be the most important of all, as viewers watch him grow and change.

OK, serioiusly, this guy can't be older than 3 with those looks.	Holy Gazombazillas, Batman!

I really have to give character designer Takaharu Ohkuma credit on this one. The major cast alone consists of some nine members, not including Taro. As one may expect, the majority of the female members are of the busty, shapely variety. However, what works for the majority does not become the whole as several members, including Ikuyo and Cynthia, attempt to break away from the whole "sex sells" ideal (especially Ikuyo, who, at times, proves to be nothing short of damned creepy). At the same time, I've not even mentioned the astoundingly large army of maids that inhabit the Hanaukyo manor. While the secondary players receive little screen time, they have been given a surprising amount of attention and detail. The animation can be best described as, "typical television quality." The overall presentation is clean, but it's obvious that the animation teams didn't try to push the envelope.

On the musical end of things, composer Michiru Oshima has opted for a simple, subdued sound. Most of the background themes rely heavily on the use of acoustic instruments, particularly strings. The pieces serve their purpose and convey the mood of situations at hand well. Unfortunately, these compositions aren't exactly memorable, and tend to blend into the onscreen happenings fairly often. The series' opening theme, "Voice of Heart", is a sweet, slower piece performed by Rie Tanaka. The closer, "Osewashimasu!" (performed by the actresses that play Lemon, Marron, and Melon), is the polar opposite of "Voice of Heart", with an upbeat, playful nature and a catchy score.

Fans that have enjoyed series such as Mahoromatic or Hand Maid May will undoubtedly find an enjoyable experience in Hanaukyo Maid Team. The series's lighthearted tone, as well as its new take on a firmly established genre create a satisfying show that appeals to just about any audience.