Forum - View topicMahoromatic vs. Hand Maid May.
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sakura_kiki
 Posts: 18 |
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Lemme start by saying that I've never seen either of these series. Yes, it's strange that I make a comparison thread for two anime I've never watched, but I was bored and thought this might be fun and a way to find out more about them.
I've noticed some superficial similarities between the two and wondered if they had more in common than I suspected. So, let's see some good debating. Also, no flaming or immaturity of any kind here. This is supposed to be for fun. 
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Golden oldies, eh?
Well, the similarities are, as you guessed, fairly superficial. Apart from the "artificial maid" and the incipient harem-style of both series, they are pretty different in tone. If I had to pick one, I'd say that Mahoromatic is definitely the better story -- but Hand Maid May is still worth seeing, not least because it develops into a rather touching story, as the series progresses. In terms of music, HMM has forgettable OP/EDs, whereas Mahoromatic has excellent music throughout, including one of the sweetest little lullabies in anime: Maarui o-tsuki-sama. - abunai |
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sakura_kiki
Posts: 18 |
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Haha, yes. But, hey, at least this isn't another Naruto vs One Piece/Bleach debate, right? But, yeah, I see. I think the main similarity they share is that it's a show with gynoids as maids in a harem anime. And I guess that's already a good enough reason to compare them, eh? 
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Enjeru
 Posts: 221 |
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Mahoromatic, while has quite a bit of fanservice and such....the story is fantastic. Without getting into too much detail and thus spoiling any of the story; it has a great mix of action, humor, and touching drama. This is a title I would strongly suggest.
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Boomerang Flash
 Posts: 1021 |
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I gave up Mahoromatic after a few episodes in spite of the reputation of a great story. The series frequently had full frontal female upper body nudity with the details of the nipple and areola shown, and it was not done in an innocent manner (Astro Boy's charger being in his rear, analogous for not the same) or for shock value (Evangelion, which didn't have the details). There was a comedic element to the displays that prevented the scenes from being entirely erotic, but the eroticism was undeniably present and easily noticeable. This is sufficiently beyond what is normally expected of fanservice that, even if it isn't stated in a separate warning, the level of fanservice shouldn't be downplayed by phrases like "quite a bit," which contains words associated with smallness.
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Monster in a box
Posts: 671 |
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It has one of the best OPs ever, if you ask me. Every other bit of music in the series though, yeah, forgettable. And I haven't seen Mahoromantic, but I found Hand Maid May to be an usually charming, lightthearted series. It lacked a substantial story, but it was still far better than I expected it to be, and it's not half as fanservicy as everyone says. |
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6904 Location: Kazune City |
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 But I'll agree, there is a significant amount of fanservice in Mahoromatic, enough that it could impair the enjoyment of those who take issue with fanservice. Hand Maid May has some fanservice, but not as much as you'd expect from a show with "Maid" in the title. Some pantyshots and maybe android nudity, if I remember right. That one "Faded" clip from AMV Hell 3 is very much out of context.
While these shows seem to be in the same category, they're very different beasts. HMM is a very lighthearted romantic comedy, with a central love triangle of sorts and cRazY side characters always hamming it up. Even when it does get serious, HMM is never going to crush your spirits. With only 11 episodes though, there's not much of a story to get immersed in. However, it does score bonus points for featuring what may be Rie Kugimiya's first ever tsundere/loli+absolutezone role <3. Whatever flaws Mahoromatic has (excessive fanservice, harem-esque silliness, whacked-out Gainax ending in the 2nd season), it has a story, and it is a serious, compelling story. Through all the bathing and bikinis and boobie jokes, there's always that undercurrent that Mahoro has a limited lifespan. Between the alien invaders and the secret organizations, there's a lot of "world-building" that gives the series' events a grander scale than "young boy gets hot robot maid, hilarity ensues." As for the music, I had fond and vivid memories of both Mahoromatic OPs and the first season ED (its trailer appearance was what interested me in the series in the first place). The second season OP is especially good when it gets its "sad remix" as an ED late in the season. HMM's OP/ED are all right, but I had to throw in a disc to remind myself exactly what they were. |
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bonbonsrus
 Posts: 1537 Location: Michigan, USA |
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I have seen and liked both of these shows, however I have to agree that Mahoromatic was the better show.
I am sure there was a lot of fanservice as Boomerange Flash said, however I have no issues with seeing it and it didn't detract from the story in my opinion. The story is such that it draws you in and makes you care, and the only reason it doesn't sink into a show that makes you dwell in depression is the lighter comedic moments, without those, the tone of the show would be much darker. I thought it was a nice blend of both and a show I would watch again. Hand Maid May I remember less of as it didn't affect me as deeply as Mahoro did. I remember it being a fun light show, nothing really serious however. I wouldn't say don't watch this, but if you were debating between seeing only one of those, see Mahoro. Remember: Dirty thoughts are bad! |
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BrentNewhall
 Posts: 31 |
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I have no comment, since I haven't seen Mahoromatic. This did catch my eye, though:
Um, "nothing really serious"? spoiler[May's memory is erased at the end. She effectively dies, since her personality is completely reset to factory defaults, and she doesn't remember anyone.] That's pretty serious, isn't it? I agree that Hand Maid May is overall a fun, light show, but the ending impressed me; it was a complete about-face and surprisingly dramatic, given the nature of the show. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But, maybe that's just me. |
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bonbonsrus
Posts: 1537 Location: Michigan, USA |
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Sorry, like I said, I remember less of that show. I only remember the lightness, and it was a long time ago I saw it.
I am old, I forget stuff sometimes 
It clearly didn't have the same effect as Mahoro did on me, although some of that maybe because it was a much shorter series as well. |
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sakura_kiki
Posts: 18 |
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Alright. I think this topic should close before any fights break out or something. Most of my threads are too controversial for this forum, it seems. x.x
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Enjeru
Posts: 221 |
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Oh hahaha this is pretty tame for around here. There are some "hot button" topics that start some arguments. However, unlike some other boards I have been a member of, for the most part there is little arguing just for the sake of having an argument. Most everyone has a passionate opinion. Anywho....back to the topic. I would just suggest watching them both. I have my favorite of the two (which I mentioned in a previous reply) as well as it seems everyone else does. But that is one of the great things about media, the viewer is given the freedom to make their own choices about what they like and dislike. I think both series are a good choice and I would be suprised if you found either of them to be a waste of time. |
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abunai
Old Regular
Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Yah, this is tame. Fortunately, nobody has set off the lolibomb by mentioning Kodomo no Jikan yet.... oops.
Some have nothing but passion, but there you go. We can't all be in love with reason and facts.
Seconded. No waste of time in either of these. In fact, as I believe I have observed before, even fairly bad anime are worth watching, because they provide a spectrum of comparison by which to recognise and better appreciate the good anime. Not that either of these is bad, they're both a good bit above the level of mediocrity. - abunai |
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BrentNewhall
Posts: 31 |
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Oh yeah, I wasn't trying to start a fight or anything; just genuinely curious why the poster though May wasn't dramatic, given the ending. Totally cool; I've certainly forgot plenty of anime, and I've had weird reactions to lots of things (I love E.Y.E.S. of Mars and the original Dominion Tank Police, after all...).
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Gewürtztraminer
 Posts: 1028 Location: Texas - Its like whole other country. |
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I am a rabid Mahoromatic fan.
What initially drew me to the series was a trailer on some Geneon disc I had (not the one the trailer they have here on ANN). The way that Geneon/Pioneer did their trailers was kind of odd, they were lumped together as one menu choice (you could chapter through them though), and very rarely had English. The trailer started off with ominous music set to clips of Mahoro fighting alien monsters, explosions, military equipment, it reaches a climax and then.... Then the music shifts to the light/upbeat first closer, set to a lot of clips to the comedy side of the series. I had to rewatch it to make sure it was the same show. I bumped it to the top of my rental queue. What I got back was one of the best action/slight drama/ecchi/ comedy series I had seen to date. You could have a totally silly/funny episode about Mahoro's battle to find and throw out all of Suguru's dirty magazines, and then at the end was the somber reminder that Mahoro stops functioning in an all too short "x" number of days. As the characters grow closer, their motivations and reasons become clear, the drama starts to reflect the somberness of the episode end reminders. The ending episode is one of my favorites for any series. I could have done with less with the teacher, Saori, but her status is explained pretty well in the end. The character of Minawa seemed a little cliched and weak in the second half, but it did not detract too much for me. I happily shelled out for the Geneon thin pack release last summer. I rented Hand Maid May a few weeks later. Hand Maid May was funny, not as much fan service, and could have been improved in my view if: spoiler[ 1. May stayed small for the entire series. 2. Kazuya (the main guy character) would be more interested in Kasumi (his neighbor) than in the androids. 3. It had been a little less of a Harem set up, that looked like a prelude to a simple H game. 4. Kotaro (the rival/friend) had been written out, I really dont think he added much of anything to the series. ] Right stuff has put the series on sale for a great price pretty recently, but I just could not see myself ever sitting around and thinking "Hey, I want to watch this again! Where are my HMM discs?" It is worth seeing once, and it may hit your fancy, but I would rate Mahoromatic superior. |
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