Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi
Starring: Eri Kitamura, Satoshi Hino, Yuka Iguchi, Kana Asumi, Kana Hanazawa, Keiji Fujiwara, Mariya Ise, Minori Chihara, Miyuki Sawashiro,
Running Time: 325 minutes
Certificate: 15
MAYO CHIKI! is another entry in the anime sub-genre of Harem shows in which one, usually unexpecting, male character finds himself the object of many girls’ affections. In MAYO CHIKI! our “lucky” protagonist is Kaneda, a smart and sweet enough kid who unfortunately suffers from gynophobia (fear of women) – which will result in nosebleeds if he gets too intimate with a girl.
One day he accidentally discovers that one of the most popular boys in school, and the butler to one of the most popular girls in school, is actually a girl in disguise. This results in a number of highly contrived stories in which Kaneda is forced to confront his fear of women.
A Harem series such as this is bound to feel familiar to anyone who has experienced the genre before; the whole idea is to explore the sexuality and fears of the lead-character by throwing a number of women at him, as well as building one genuine romance. Harem shows can be both offensive and cute and MAYO CHIKI! is no exception: on the cute side we are given a heartfelt romance that gradually blossoms between Kaneda and the cross-dressing butler Subaru, and at the same time, the show is also obsessed with breasts, misappropriated homosexuality, boys and girls seeing each other naked, and women that become far too aggressive in love, therefore depending on the viewer the events that transpire will either be harmless and cheeky fun,or sexist caricatures of females.
The animation, and particularly character design, is nothing to write-home about, and there are moments when the show feels very static and lifeless. The music, in keeping with the tone of the show, is very upbeat and poppy, which lends some pace to proceedings and vocal performances are fitting for each character, but there’s a lot of shouting going on – the real talent of the performers comes during the subtle heart to hearts.
MAYO CHIKI! is decent at passing time and for those who are particularly fond of sexy romantic comedies it will certainly offer enough laughs and enjoyment to warrant a purchase, but had the show been braver in attempting some originality, or focused more on the key relationships, it could have set itself apart from an overcrowded marketplace.
MAYO CHIKI! is released on DVD on 13th May via MVM
