Though not an official holiday, it is observed on May 10th by otakus, cosplayers, and other admirers of the maid aesthetic.
Why this date in particular? A pun. No, really. It comes from May-do ("do" being an alternate pronunciation of 10 in Japanase) which is how a Japanese speaker would say "maid".
While maids are featured quite extensively in anime, there are very few of them dedicated to maids exclusively. But they do exist (there also a few that feature butlers quite preeminently, but that's another story). The most well-know is without a doubt "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid". The pic features Tohru, the eponymous dragon maid. While in the story she is quite a way from being the perfect maid, she has become something of a symbol for a lot of maid fans.
Tohru! I’m not a Maid fan so much, but this is a very good anime that is sweet and laid back. I would say it is a good watch even for those who aren’t traditionally anime fans. It has some elements of fantasy and whimsy and some references that might be missed or carry less impact with people who don’t watch anime or play games etc- but you don’t need a lexicon on anime/“otaku” knowledge to enjoy this one and won’t be subjected to 4 hour long battles involving endless “powering up” or convoluted story lines and mythologies or political novels- it’s just a sweet story that isn’t too hard to follow or intense and despite the title and premise is very much a story of humanity and emotions and connections.
My thanks to happy_frog for once again bringing grade A quality and also for brining Tohru this time too.
You're welcome. And that's a very good summation of Dragon Maid. The slice of life elements certainly outweigh the fantasy elements in terms of appeal for me. (Though let's face it, most people watch it for Kanna.)
I feel the same way about Cardcaptor Sakura. It's technically a magical girl show, but I find Sakura's daily life to be the best part. Interestingly (though perhaps unsurpringly) it also features a maid episode.
Cardcaptor was never my favorite but I appreciate the show and as you say, while it is technically a Magical Girl series it sort of brought a new dimension to the genre. I would say it’s a good series even if it isn’t for everyone, and I agree that the “slice of life” elements are what really make that show special.
I’ve more recently found myself enjoying many more slice of life based series, probably because there are so many good choices nowadays for genre blends with fantasy or sci fi or other elements. A lot of older anime would walk this line between realism and unbelievable happenings like characters with seemingly supernatural abilities. Oddly I find that adding fantastical reasons for characters to have these moments somehow marked the stories more realistic sometimes lol.
Comments
Why this date in particular? A pun. No, really. It comes from May-do ("do" being an alternate pronunciation of 10 in Japanase) which is how a Japanese speaker would say "maid".
While maids are featured quite extensively in anime, there are very few of them dedicated to maids exclusively. But they do exist (there also a few that feature butlers quite preeminently, but that's another story). The most well-know is without a doubt "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid". The pic features Tohru, the eponymous dragon maid. While in the story she is quite a way from being the perfect maid, she has become something of a symbol for a lot of maid fans.
My thanks to happy_frog for once again bringing grade A quality and also for brining Tohru this time too.
I feel the same way about Cardcaptor Sakura. It's technically a magical girl show, but I find Sakura's daily life to be the best part. Interestingly (though perhaps unsurpringly) it also features a maid episode.
I’ve more recently found myself enjoying many more slice of life based series, probably because there are so many good choices nowadays for genre blends with fantasy or sci fi or other elements. A lot of older anime would walk this line between realism and unbelievable happenings like characters with seemingly supernatural abilities. Oddly I find that adding fantastical reasons for characters to have these moments somehow marked the stories more realistic sometimes lol.