Shōnen Maid

Episode 4

In its fourth outing, Shōnen Maid continues its tradition of presenting familiar material in a charming and enthusiastic manner. We've all seen variations of this week's stories in other shows, but since character relationships and clever gags are Shōnen Maid's true strengths, its lack of original storytelling is mostly forgivable. Like previous installments, episode 4 doesn't aim to break any new ground, but it provides a fun half hour for viewers who aren't opposed to revisiting well-worn territory.

This week's Shōnen Maid aims to keep things light. While there are still tender moments to be found, episode 4's primary goal seems to be pure amusement. Although I doubt this will become the show's new normal, I can't see much harm in occasionally dialing back the schmaltz. Now that the key players have settled into their respective roles, it feels like the show—and its stories—have a lot more breathing room.

The first segment finds Chihiro reneging on his promise to leave his uncle's bedroom alone. After happening upon a surprisingly regal cockroach, the anal-retentive mini-maid cleans the slovenly Madoka's inner sanctum from top to bottom, throwing away the latter's most treasured possessions in the process. As Chihiro soon discovers, the hollow wrapping paper he tossed in the trash means the world to his uncle, who values the paper—and the gesture it represents—more than the gifts contained therein.

It's a minor quibble, but I'm a little confused as to how Madoka's room was able to attract cockroaches. There's no question that the space was cluttered, but there didn't appear to be any food lying around, and nothing about what we were shown screamed “Pigsty!” Perhaps the joke was that Chihiro's cleaning compulsion distorted his view of the room. I was also surprised by how cold and distant Madoka became in response to the wrapping paper being thrown out, although it's similar to how a hoarder might act in that situation. (Again, his mess hardly qualified as hoarding-level.) I suppose he has a right to be upset, but giving Chihiro the cold shoulder doesn't really mesh with this character's established personality.

The second story is essentially a subdued comedy of errors. Upon discovering a photograph of an attractive tween in Keiichiro's appointment book, Chihiro comes to the misguided conclusion that this girl is either the man's current squeeze or a prospective love interest from childhood. Chihiro then embarks on a quest to uncover the girl's true identity and her relationship to Keiichiro, all while keeping the whole thing a secret from Miyako. Viewers at all familiar with anime sitcoms should be able to spot this segment's humorous “surprise” ending from a mile away. Even so, the way the characters react to this obvious twist is genuinely funny and speaks to Shōnen Maid's ability to make old things seem new.

Beyond its mildly gimmicky concept, Shōnen Maid doesn't have much to offer in the way of originality. Still, provided the execution is good, knowing what to expect each week isn't inherently a bad thing. You can always count on Chihiro to cook and clean obsessively, Madoka to treat his nephew like a pet, and Keiichiro to act as the dignified straight man to the hijinks unfolding all around him. Coupled with the show's underlying—but not overly-sappy—sweetness, this is enough to keep me tuning in every week.

Rating: B-

Shōnen Maid is currently streaming on Funimation.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for over two decades.