Manga Review: Maid-Sama!, Volume 1 & 2, by Hiro Fujiwara

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Volumes: 18.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

As if being class president of a predominantly male high school wasn’t hard enough, Misaki Ayuzawa has a major secret—she works at a maid café after school! How is she supposed to keep her image of being ultra smart, strong and overachieving intact once school heartthrob Takumi Usui discovers her double life?!

Can Misaki trust Usui to keep her secret from the rest of the kids at school? And why the heck is he always showing up at the maid café? Maybe she should start taking him seriously when he says he likes her—especially when he throws in an unexpected kiss!

Review:

I collected the previous version of this series, released by Tokyopop. I rather enjoyed the series then, but it has been a while since I originally read it.

First of all, I would definitely recommend this version over the Tokyopop ones. The translations are better, but this time, all of the sfx are actually translated, as opposed to the panels that Tokyopop couldn’t be bothered with. I like the font, as well, and the pages look cleaner. The design and color of the covers look nicer, not so plain. Plus, it’s a two-in-one, at a fantastic price.

I would have liked extras or color pages, but that’s okay.

Now, with a more experienced mind, I did notice different things in this read. Firstly, that it’s a bit rushed and exaggerated in the beginning. The transition of Misa’s job being revealed to Usui is super fast, and her reactions are a bit much. The story lines are a little rushed at times, and Misa’s hate for men is definitely exaggerated. The way she takes on every single responsibility, as well as her overprotective feelings for women, still drives me crazy. Why is she the only one who ever does anything? Not a single other girl can fight? Really?

It gets better as time goes on, though, as does Usui’s characters. He’s a little too pushy at first, but I do like him, and I enjoy the way he teases and cares for Misa. He does push her being a girl too much, though, like she needs to be weaker. In contrast to that, I like that Misa can easily handle her own most of the time, and he doesn’t always have to save her.

Misa also has to learn at times not to let her hatred of men take over when making decisions as president, and I like that she does actually listen. That shows growth, which I appreciate.

I like Yukimura, too, and the idiot trio. I hope that Misa makes a real girl friend soon, who stays in the picture. Overall, though, I enjoyed this volume. It was fun to re-read the books, and I’m definitely excited for this release to catch up with where the Tokyopop one ended. I can’t wait for more.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!