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Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings by Dennis Tedlock

This volume can be divided into two parts. First is the introduction of the Popol Vuh; second, the translation of the work itself. It is...

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Kaichou wa Maid Sama!



Ayuzawa Misaki is well-liked by her friends for her passion and determination  in trying to manage her time in both school and work. As school council president, she's very strict and hardworking, oftentimes labeled as a terror to the boys. Her insistence in creating a school environment attractive to the female students sometimes gets her in trouble. It was this willingness to help the female students that forced her to confront Usui Takumi, a good-looking and talented popular guy who is known to have broken more than a few girls' hearts. Misaki is determined to keep this wholesome image and must therefore keep her part-time job a secret from her schoolmates. She loves working at Cafe Maid Latte but she doesn't want to be seen in such condition. Later Usui discovers what she does for a living but promised to keep it a secret. Since then they see each other more often.


The story is about friendship, perseverance, and change. It highlights the trials and triumphs of Misaki and Usui and how these strengthened their bond. It has interesting supporting characters and plenty of funny scenes. However there are some inconsistencies in the series. First is Usui's initial intention in befriending Misaki. It seemed that he was serious of his claims from the very beginning even if they barely knew each other. Granted, he could have been just teasing her and later realized he's starting to like Misaki for real. Second, Usui's background was not revealed in the series (Note: check the manga for Usui's background), yet Misaki's was fully explored. That information did not help in creating the tension towards the final episode and did not make a good comparison to Shintani Hinata's case, Misaki's childhood friend. The only contention Usui had for Misaki's heart was their experiences together, but it seemed contradictory for someone as smart and strict a person as Misaki to not question the guy's sincerity and ask about his life.

Although the series is riddled with sexual innuendo, beginning with the idea of a strong female character who is also a "servant," I enjoyed most of it especially the episodes that featured the supporting characters. 

Rating: 7 out of 10