Review - Mahoromatic - Full Metal Maid Collection

Review - Mahoromatic - Full Metal Maid Collection
Sentai Filmworks
700 Minutes

With the anime DVD producers here imploding here in North America, I've been picking up some of the older shows that are being re-released. And recently I grabbed the complete reissue of Mahoromatic. Originally released by Geneon in 2002, Sentai Filmworks (formerly ADV) has released the 2 seasons and 1 OVA in a single package.

This show starts off with Mahoro, the most advanced battle robot used by Vesper, being decommissioned. Her remaining operating time is limited and she is asked what she would like to do for here remaining time. Next we meet Misato, a junior high boy who is living by himself after his parents have died. He is looking for a maid and after being rescued by Mahoro from a busjacking, she is hired on a trial basis. From this point, the typical harem show ensues. There are the three female classmates who have a crush on Misato. And there is the busty, horny teacher who constantly pines away for and hits on Misato throughout the series. But there is also the added plot developments concerning Misato's parents and how he is related to Vesper and Mahoro. And once all the characters are in place and the story progresses, the usual anime practice of putting them in the typical Japanese year appears is used for the episodes. There is the school festival, the Christmas/New Years parties, the trip to the beach for Golden Week, and of course, the hot springs episode. Intrigue builds as factions fight behind the scenes for the Earth and its inhabitants while Mahoro's life span dwindles away. We are reminded at the end of each episode how many days are left in her service.

I found this show to be pretty standard as far as these types of stories. Gainax produced this show and their work is always worth a look. The style is clean and the animation is above par. There is many instances of gratuitous fan service. Mahoro is on a constant search for Misato's porn stash of dirty magazines. The teacher, if in real life, would be a headline on the Smoking Gun web site with her advances on Misato. And of course, the talk the girls have about breast size is a running gag throughout the show. For this reason, I would warn libraries about this title. It is rated age 17+ and with good reason. There is very little blood (except for an occasional nosebleed) and less swearing. But the nudity would be a red flag for sensitive viewers wanting to watch this.