Shōnen Maid

Episode 9

As the season winds down, Shōnen Maid finally gets around to addressing its tiny hint of an overarching plot. Of course, if you've followed the show up until this point, it should come as no surprise that “tiny” is the operative term here. Still, as we've established, this is a show carried by sweetness and colorful characters, not ambitious storytelling. If you've been looking forward to your weekly check-in with Chihiro and the gang, odds are you won't walk away disappointed.

This week's first story features the first extended appearance of Yuuji's little sister Hana, who runs away from home after her brother peeks at her friendship notebook without permission. Despite Yuuji's pleas for forgiveness, Hana decides to take up temporary residence at the Takatori estate to teach him a lesson. If you've ever watched a family sitcom, you should know how this plays out. Before long, a homesick Hana regrets coldly dismissing her brother and, with a bit of nudging from Chihiro and Madoka, ultimately decides to accept his apology and return home. While this is probably the series' least inspired setup to date, the segment is peppered with cute scenes (many of them courtesy of Hana), and we get to learn a little more about the dearly departed Chiyo. There aren't a ton of laugh-out-loud moments, but the few we get are pretty darn funny. Hana dissing her oldest brother's faux Tuxedo Mask cosplay in that innocent-but-slightly-callous fashion that only the small can pull off is particularly amusing.

The latter half of episode 9 finds Chihiro going on a tea date with his obvious grandmother, while being tailed by Yuuji and Ryuji. Throughout the segment, the as-yet-unnamed senior drops even more hints about her identity, many of which fly right over Chihiro's head—but not Yuuji's. By the time she and Chihiro part ways, the audience is given confirmation of what we've known all along: this woman is the mother of Madoka and Chiyo, as well as the grandmother of Chihiro. Doubtful of Madoka's parenting skills, she's apparently considering the possibility of bringing Chihiro to live with her and her husband. The prospect of Chihiro being taken away from Madoka will likely offer up some dramatic conflict for the season to end on. However, given how predictable Shōnen Maid has been thus far, it seems pretty obvious that Chihiro will decide to remain in his uncle's care despite all his faults.

While I'd like to say that Chihiro's interactions with Granny were the highlight of this story, the surprisingly funny banter between Yuuji and Ryuji stole the show. (I had no idea these two had become so tight.) Had the old woman's identity not already been painfully obvious, I may have felt differently, but ultimately, her role in this episode was to confirm what most of us have known since her first appearance. It was also nice to see Ryuji again, even though his presence in this story serves little purpose. Despite being officially introduced, the members of Uchoten Boys continue to make themselves scarce, so any reminder that they exist outside of the end credits is generally welcome. The fact that Ryuji enjoys palling around with 10-year-olds is a fun nod to his childish nature.

It seems like with every episode, I praise and criticize this show for the same reasons. It's rare that a series can remain so enjoyable in spite of such high levels of predictability, but Shōnen Maid continues to walk this tricky tightrope week after week. Combining the show's knack for cute comedy with a bit of plot development, episode 9 is among the strongest episodes thus far.

Rating: A-

Shōnen Maid is currently streaming on Funimation.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for over two decades.