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Kiichiro Hayase is known as the richest, hottest, most qualified bachelor or in town. But unfortunately, he has one major character flaw: clumsy enough to need someone to take care of! Enter Miss Kishi, the most competent and professional maid around, who constantly makes sure her boss doesn’t keep tripping over her own feet. She is calm and stern, which makes Kiichiro worry that she is unhappy deep down. Can he express his gratitude and make her happy, or does he crumble and burn along the way?
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| My Maid Miss Kishi
| by Kelly Sullivan
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| Review: |
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Introduction:
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Kiichiro Hayase is known for being the richest, hottest and most qualified bachelor in town. But unfortunately, he has one major character flaw: clumsy enough to need someone to take care of! Enter Miss Kishi, the most competent and professional maid around, who constantly makes sure her boss doesn’t keep tripping over her own feet. She is calm and stern, which makes Kiichiro worry that she is unhappy deep down. Can he express his gratitude and make her happy, or does he crumble and burn along the way?
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| My Maid Miss Kishi
| by Kelly Sullivan
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300
| It’s really hard to recommend patching up a romantic comedy that revolves around a single idea or gimmick. I think a good writer can get incredible emotional and comic miles from the simplest of ideas, and seeing how far some creators can go with certain premises is one of the reasons I love reading manga and watching anime 1. However, especially when it comes to romantic comedies, the same simple frame can be incredibly hit or miss, creating stories that are either emotionally impactful or mind-numbingly disjointed. I wouldn’t call it a bad story by any means, but unfortunately it leans more towards the latter than the former.
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| While its premise is very simple and humorously effective, there are a bunch of small distracting elements that add up to the story without I’m so amused to think it means existence. One of the distractions is the protagonist Kiichiro, whose gimmick basically revolves around the fact that he’s perfect in every way, shape and form other than awkward. But while the contrast makes sense on paper, the book is less clear on just how far his abilities and ineptitudes go. This man is rich, successful, handsome, and exudes an impressively powerful himbo energy. His straightforward approach may be charming, but it’s not all that appealing, and I find the word “clumsy” to seriously downplay his general ineptitude in mundane tasks, which I find more concerning than funny. This guy stumbles on everything, and in one section of the book, he reveals his complete inability to wear clothes that seem to come from nowhere. Its contrasts are not as effective as inconsistent representations, and it feels like the book just wants me to agree with whatever it puts on paper for the sake of comedy.
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| Sometimes the comics make it clearer how we get from point A to point B, but sometimes it cuts right into what’s going on, At the same time, I hope the audience can fill in the blanks by themselves. This comes to the second problem with the overall layout of the story: the panel-to-panel transition leaves a lot to be desired. The result is that some gimmicks are more confusing than hilarious, and emotional and intimate moments become less impactful because the transitions are so abrupt. It’s a pity, because I think the painting is generally good and attractive, the most prominent is the painting and framing of Miss Nakakishi throughout the book,
Even the best parts of the book get bogged down by this rambling approach to its story and introduction. Miss Kishi is a stoic, “as is” character who really sets off her boss well. She is very capable and very forthright about why she does what she does. My favorite part of the book was actually early on when she admitted that part of the reason she put up with everything was because the pay was so high. The two leads have great chemistry together, and they share a moment every now and then that makes the romantic frame between them believable. Although the depiction of Kiichiro’s only character flaw is overly exaggerated and inconsistent, the book amply illustrates why he wants Miss Kishi to remain close and express his gratitude.
| There is clearly something going on behind the emotionless demeanor shown by Miss Kishi, but I think this book The book doesn’t do a good enough job of emphasizing this. Sometimes you get a sense of relief or frivolity from the character in an authentic way, but sometimes there’s a little confusion about the emotions she’s dealing with. I’d say it’s an attempt by the book to be mysterious and build curiosity among readers, but I’m not so sure given how confusing some of its other elements are. Some chapters would end with Miss Kishi’s emotional expressions, but there were no follow-ups or cool moments to really appreciate the perceived importance of these carefully painted panels.
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| Overall, the story doesn’t make the most of its premise. Its humor is hampered by its lack of focus on many of its key elements. While our two protagonists have decent chemistry, some emotional beats still hang in the air in an unsatisfactory way. Personally, I don’t think I’ll be returning to this series anytime soon. While not terrible, I definitely think there are stronger rom-coms out there with similar character dynamics that are better worth your time.
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