Title: 花右京メイド隊 (Hanaukyo Maid Tai) Vol. 4
Artist/Author: もりしげ (Morishige)
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 208pp., w/furigana
First Printing: 10/25/01
Rating: 3/4

A few good chapters, nothing significant. The softball chapter brings out more of Mariel's character. She's been awfully obedient the past few books, so it's refreshing to see that she can get annoyed at times.

There are two bonus chapters, one of which I particularly like as it involves another one of Ikuyo's contraptions, this time a pair of glasses that act as surveillance cameras. The other one might be foreshadowing something in the future, but given that it's not included as part of the storyline, I'm a little wary. There's also a few pages in the back that deal with the mysteries of Hanaukyo Mansion.

The cover looks a bit strange, but that's how it is. I bought this book at $1 from Bookoff thinking that it was just a little sunburnt (hence, the reduced price), but then I saw it at a regular bookstore and it looked just the same.

25. 帰ってきた理由 (The Reason for Coming Back): Despite being the head of her corporation, Ryuka has come back to the Hanaukyo house as she doesn't want to be left out of the manga. However, there's no job in the house for her. She tries to find something to do, but gets kicked out of every position she tries out for. Finally, the "yes" maids take her in (I think that's who there job is).

26. 予算争奪戦！！ (Budgetary Contest): It's time for the annual softball game amongst the different groups of maids in the household. Yashima, Taro, and Mariel join the "Go Club" team. As they play against Ikuyo's team, Yashima performs exceptionally well as a pitcher. Ikuyo has her own tricks in pitching, but it's foiled by Mariel who slugs the ball home.

27. コノヱ対マリエル！！ (Konoe Against Mariel): The finals of the tournament is between the "Go Club" and the security team, a la Konoe. After some early runs, Konoe comes to pitch and consistently strikes out the batters, including Mariel who seems to get more and more annoyed that she can't get a hit. During the final inning, Konoe's throws 12 balls leading up to the bases being loaded and Mariel at the plate. She tries to intentionally walk her, but Mariel winds up and slams the out out of the park. Her team wins.

28. １０番勝負 (Tenth Game): Ryuka wonders why Mariel is qualified to be the head maid, so she challenges her to a series of trials. At first, Mariel wins as the content involves typical household activities. However, during the last few contentes, Ryuka wins as they're more involved in attacks and violence. The 10th battle is a struggle in the pool where Ryuka manages to pull Mariel's headband and top off. Mariel accepts defeat, but it's a meaningless victory for Ryuka.

29. コノヱリーナ！！ (Konoe): Yashima, who has a serious crush on Konoe, gets to spend a day shopping with her. Konoe's reveals much of her hidden femininity when they're shopping for clothes.

Comments

(Comments are Closed)