Ask John: What is Hanaukyo Maid Tai?

Question:
What do you know about the Maid in Hanayuko anime? Is it TV or OVA? Is it hentai? How many episodes is it?

Answer:
Hanaukyo Maid Tai was a 12 episode late night TV series, supplemented with 3 additional OAV episodes, broadcast with Steel Angel Kurumi 2 Shiki during the summer of 2001 under the title Anime Complex Night. As part of an Anime Complex series, each episode of Hanaukyo Maids was only about 12 minutes long. The series was broadcast late at night largely due to its excessive “fan service” content. Hanaukyo Maid Tai is the story of 14 year old Taro Hanaukyo who inherits his late grandfather’s massive mansion and army of teen-age maids. The maids are absolutely devoted to Taro, mind and body, but Taro is so embarrassed by physical intimacy that’s he’s essentially allergic to physical contact with females. The slapstick humor comes from the sitcom resulting from all of the girls, and often times a triplicate of twins at once, trying to provide Taro with every service imaginable, including even “that” service. The maids schedule Taro’s day, his meals, his eating, sleeping, bathroom breaks and bathing, his vacation time, and his schooling, even employing stealthy techniques to make him more popular in school when Taro only wants a quite, simple, “normal” life. Furthermore mining romantic comedy anime traditions, Hanaukyo Maid Tai employs the whole gamut of character stereotypes including the contemporary geisha-like formal and polite maid (a’la Kyoko Otonashi of Maison Ikkoku), the mad scientist/inventor maid (a’la Washu of Tenchi Muyo), the shy pre-adolescent maid (similar to Iris of Sakura Wars TV), the sword-wielding pugilistic maid (probably inspired by Love Hina’s Motoko), the nurse maid, and the jealous, sexually aggressive maid (similar to Tenchi Muyo’s Ryoko), here split into three twin sisters.

In keeping with the “moe” (adorable) style of M.O.E. Studio’s other “cute” anime series Steel Angel Kurumi and the upcoming Rizerumain, Hanaukyo Maid Tai has a very appealing, light-hearted tone in the style of Tenchi Muyo and Love Hina, and unusually cute and attractive character designs and characterizations; however Hanaukyo Maid Tai may never be brought to America because its liberal presentation of naked teen girls, their virtually constant sexual aggression toward the under-aged Taro Hanaukyo, and the sexist (especially by Western standards) concept of a single boy surrounded by an army of teenage girl maids that double as a harem, may make the series a bit too controversial for American release.