If you take a moment to mull it over, life’s as strange as fiction. While some things and experiences may seem impossible to you, somewhere, someone’s living that exact situation. Likewise, given the circumstances, someone would gladly welcome a situation you deem problematic into their life. In You Are Ms. Servant premiere, this is the staging for what appears to be one of fall 2024’s cutest shows.
You Are Ms. Servant Episode 1 — Synopsis
Before I get into any part of the story, I have to point out that Maid-san is beautiful. Felix Films decided to use all their budget on her fluffy hair, and I fully embraced that decision. Setting aside the musings of someone who hasn’t touched grass in ages, what would you do if a maid showed up at your door and asked if she could work for you? Most people would tell her off. However, Hitoyoshi Yokoya is not like most people.
But his hospitality is short-lived: as he questions Yuki (Maid-san), she reveals that she’s an assassin. And she’s quite proficient at what she does. Realizing that she could be in a lot of trouble, Hitoyoshi manages to get her to leave. But when she does, he notices her hair ornament and rushes to return it to her. He’s so preoccupied with that mission that he fails to see Truck-kun and almost gets isekai’d.
She saves him and Hitoyoshi feels obliged to welcome her into his home as a maid. But that job suits her as well as being upfront about feelings suits a tsundere. Regardless, the two quickly find a comfortable life together but it’s easy to see that both of them have some deep-seated trauma.
Welcome to the Not-So-Wonderful World of PTSD
The human mind is a perplexing thing, so much so that we actually don’t fully understand how it works. Most individuals can live with a lot of trauma, but how well they live is a different story. While You Are Ms. Servant Episode 1 sets up a comedic story, it’s easy to spot that below the surface there are some deep waters. From what we learn and can infer, Yuki trained as an assassin for most of her life. While her physical state adapted to it very well, her psychological state of mind is pretty fragmented and damaged because of it.
Simple things seem to cause her thoughts to spiral, and the things she’s done wear heavily on her mind. Anyone who’s struggled with trauma and depression knows a little statement is enough for you to seriously start bringing yourself down. And Yuki seems to do this often.
Some time ago I watched a show where people in conflict zones eat a meal with their former enemies or aggressors. I can no longer recall its name, but one episode delved into the Bosnian War. In it, a woman who was in Sarajevo during the siege recounted the story of the best meal he had ever eaten. Two years into the war, after surviving on tasteless meals, she found a bit of mustard, which she ate with a piece of bread. She mentioned it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten because it had flavor when everything else didn’t. That haunts me. That’s one of the rawest displays of humanity I’ve ever seen. So, seeing Yuki being moved to tears over the taste of tonkatsu sauce was moving. I’d give that a standing ovation because that’s how you overcome trauma.
You Are Ms. Servant Episode 1 — Overall Comments
You Are Ms. Servant seems to be promising a love story. Best of all, it appears we’re getting a setup where two people mutually help each other overcome harmful stuff in their lives. The voice acting and art style were both enjoyable. Someone in the animation team has a deep aichmomania kink. And to them I say, Hell yeah, I get you. I too have been known to indulge in that particular obssession.
So far the whole of Fall 2024 has been stacked. I’ve always thought the best shows of the year air in fall or winter and this season has semented that belief. Yuki is without doubt one of the cutest waifus of the season so I’m pretty excited to see where this story goes.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Shotan / Shogakukan / Kimi wa Meido-sama. Production Committee
Anime Corner was provided with an advanced screener of the anime.