The appeal and reviews of Ladies vs Butlers!: The cute battles are addictive!

Lady Butler! - Lady Butler! - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Light novel

■ Broadcast period

January 5, 2010 - March 23, 2010

■TV Broadcast

AT-X January 5, 2010 to March 23, 2010 (Episodes 1-12) Every Tuesday 22:00-22:30

■ Online distribution

Anime One January 8, 2010 to March 26, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 12) Updated every Friday from 17:00

Bandai Channel January 12, 2010 to March 30, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 12) Updated every Tuesday from 12:00

■Broadcasting station

AT-X, Bandai Channel, Anime One

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

Tsukasa Kozuki

■ Director

Atsushi Ohtsuki

■ Production

・Animation Production: XEBEC

Produced by: "Ladies vs Butlers!" Production Committee (Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan, ASCII Media Works, AT-X, Lantis, Clockworks, NEC Biglobe, XEBEC)

■Works

©Tsukasa Kozuki/ASCII Media Works/Ladies vs Butlers! Production Committee

■ Story

Young lady x butler! A love story like a battle begins?

Hino Akiharu, who looks like a tough guy but is actually quite a coward, has come to the private Shirarei Academy, formerly a school for the richest girls, to transfer to the special course for training servants, the Servant Training Course, in order to pursue his dream of becoming a butler.

However, his butler training was not smooth sailing. What awaited him at Shirarei was a reunion with his dark childhood friend Tomomi. He also met the arrogant young lady Sernia, and had a wild exchange with the extremely clumsy maid Sanae. Will Akiharu be able to become a great butler?

*Quoted from the XEBEC official website

■Explanation

When Akiharu Hino was in elementary school, his parents died and he was taken in by his uncle. One day, he saw on TV a former girls' school, a super prestigious high school for rich girls, Shirarei Academy, and decided to transfer to the newly established education course. He passed the exam and enrolled. However, with his evil eyes, scar on his left eyebrow, spiky brown hair, and triple piercings (safety pins) in his ears, he scares the students (most of whom are rich girls). Meanwhile, he reunites with his elementary school classmate, the dark-hearted girl Saikyo Tomomi, who caused him many traumas. He is also mistaken for a suspicious person by Sernia Iori Flameheart because of his appearance and is chased by her. Nevertheless, Akiharu gradually gets used to school, and the relationships around him gradually change...

■Cast

・Akiharu Hino/Kazuyuki Okitsu

・Tomomi Saikyo/Ayako Kawasumi

・Sernia Iori Flameheart/Mai Nakahara

・Kaoru Daichi/Rie Kugimiya

・Sanae Shikikagami/Ami Koshimizu

・Saori Shikikyo/Yuko Goto

・Mimina Sakurazawa/Rina Hidaka

Pina Sformclan Est/Mai Goto

・Ayse Khadim/Kana Hanazawa

・Hedie/Haruka Tomatsu

・Deep Silence/Hime Sakuma

・Tenyang Ji Kaede/Mariya Ise

・Housui Ran/Saori Hayami

・Daikichi Kazamatsuri/Shinji Kawada

・Shingo Todoroki/Takashi Kawakami

・Mitsuka Mikage/Ayumi Fujimura

・Anna/Akino Watanabe

・Sakurako Benikoji/Saori Goto

■ Main staff

Planning: Akihiro Kawamura, Kazutomo Suzuki, Yasuhiro Mikami, Shunji Inoue, Nobuhiko Sako, Takehiko Shimojima, Shinao Shiji

・Original work: Tsukasa Kozuki (published by Dengeki Bunko)

・Character design/Munyu

・Series Composition/Go Tamai

・Character design and chief animation director: Akio Takami

・Art director/Ryoka Kinoshita

Director of photography: Nakata Tomoyuki

・Prop design: Hisako Tsurukubo

・Art design: Kaoru Aoki

・Color setting: Tamae Matsuoka

Edited by Kumiko Sakamoto

・Sound Director: Aketagawa Jin

Music: Kei Haneoka

・Music producer/Katsumi Koike

・Music Production: Lantis

・Sound recording: Ayumu Anzai

・Sound effects/Daisuke Murakami (Sound Ring)

・Sound assistant: Hideaki Kizawa

・Recording studio/STUDIO T&T

・Sound Production/Magic Capsule, Takatoshi Hamano

・Editing Assistant/Kenichi Hirai

・Video editing: Q-Tech, Motoki Shirai

Advertising: Teruhiko Sato, Mikio Kitajima

・Logo design/Yuji Hagikubo

Associate Producers: Jun Fukuda, Mami Toida, Tomoya Yamamoto

Cooperation: Dengeki Bunko Editorial Department, Dengeki Bunko MAGAZINE Editorial Department, Dengeki Moeoh Editorial Department

Aki Kawamoto (ASCII Media Works), Takashi Watanabe (ASCII Media Works), Takashi Iida (Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan)

・Production Desk: Asami Kitahara

Literature, setting: Takeyuki Ishida

・System Management/Go Hirota

・Animation Production: XEBEC

Producers: Nobuhiro Nakayama, Kazuma Miki, Satoshi Fujita, Yoshiyuki Ito, Tsuneo Takechi, Jun Sugiura

・Line Producer/Takumi Kusakabe

Produced by Kohei Kawase, Naoko Koyama, Takatoshi Chino

・Director: Atsushi Otsuki

Produced by: "Ladies vs Butlers!" Production Committee (Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan, ASCII Media Works, AT-X, Lantis, Clockworks, NEC Biglobe, XEBEC)

■ Main Characters

・Hino Autumn Clear Skies

He is a member of the 1-C Education Department at Hakureiryo Academy's high school division. He looks like a total delinquent. But inside he's a homebody and a bit of a coward, and he's a simpleton who doesn't understand women's feelings. Due to various accidents and misunderstandings, he is treated as an enemy by women, but many people like him because of his personality.

・Tomomi Saikyo

She is a member of the 1-C Upper Education Department of the Shirarei Academy High School Division. She is Akiharu's childhood friend and the trauma maker who implanted so many traumas in him. She went from being a commoner to being the daughter of one of the world's leading companies. She plays the role of an honor student, but deep down she has a dark side.

・Sernia Iori Flameheart

She is a quarter Japanese and quarter British student in the upper education department of Hakureiryo Academy's Takatorou 1-C. She is a direct descendant of a prestigious aristocratic family with the British crest of a "red-feathered waterfowl." She is a beautiful girl, and gets angry when Akihabara calls her "drill" for her distinctive blonde curls.

・Sanae Shikikagami

She is a member of the 1-A Junior High School Education Department at Hakureiryo Academy. She attended the Junior High School Education Department until her family fell into poverty, so she transferred to the Junior High School Education Department. She is clumsy and has big breasts. Her clumsy behavior causes more or less damage to those around her (usually Akihare).

・Daichi Kaoru

A member of the 1-C Educational Department of the Hakureiryo Academy High School. Akiharu's roommate. She hides the fact that she is a girl and disguises herself as a boy to become a student at Hakureiryo Academy. At first she shuns Akiharu, but gradually she becomes interested in him.

Pina Sformklan Esto

She is in class 3-B of Hakureiryo Academy's middle school division. She is the first princess of the Kingdom of Sfor, a small island nation in Northern Europe. She is an otaku who loves Japanese anime and the like, and as a result, she speaks in a manga-like manner. She refers to herself as "concubine." She ends her sentences with "ja."

・Mimina Sakurazawa

He is a member of the 2-A Upper Education Department of the Hakureiryo Academy High School. He is currently 19 years old, as his advancement to higher education was delayed due to a heart condition. However, he looks like an elementary school student. His talent for painting is so genius that he has been featured in a magazine (some say he is a living national treasure).

・Tenjoji Kaede

Chairman (also a janitor). He was appointed by the previous chairman because he seemed to have the most free time, and is the "representative of useless adults." He likes BL novels and games, and is on the internet even during work hours.

Deep Quiet

Head teacher of the Education Department (and assistant to the chairman). A maid who is extremely competent and therefore always has to support Kaede. A cool beauty. She has attended Hakureiryo Academy since kindergarten. She is good at throwing fountain pens.

■Subtitle

・ROUND 1/Boy x Lady (2010/01/05)

・ROUND 2/Lady x Lady! (2010/01/12)

・ROUND 3/Card x Lady? (2010/01/19)

・ROUND 4/Lady x Virgin? (2010/01/26)

・ROUND 5/Lady x Lady!! (2010/02/02)

・ROUND 6／Secret × Boy?(2010/02/09)

・ROUND 7/Lady x Magical (2010/02/16)

・ROUND 8/Samaa × Scandal (2010/02/23)

・ROUND 9／Date?×Chase! (2010/03/02)

・ROUND 10/Loveletter×Rhapsody (2010/03/09)

・ROUND 11/Lady x Lady!!! (2010/03/16)

・ROUND 12/Ladies x Battle! (2010/03/23)

■ Related works

・Ladies vs Butiers!

・Ladies vs Butlers! Music Clip

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1

・LOVE×HEAVEN

Lyrics by Aki Hata

・Composer: Tomokazu Tashiro

Arrangement: Takahiro Ando

Singers: Tomomi Saikyo (Ayako Kawasumi), Sernia Iori Flameheart (Mai Nakahara), Kaoru Daichi (Rie Kugimiya), Sanae Shikikagami (Ami Koshimizu)

・ED1

・My starry boy

Lyrics by Saori Kodama

・Composer: Hiroshi Komatsu

Arrangement: Kazunori Watanabe

・Singer: Nakahara Mai

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Ladies vs Butlers!" is a TV anime series that aired in 2010, and is based on a light novel by Kozuki Tsukasa. The story follows the delinquent-like protagonist, Hino Akiharu, who aspires to be a butler, as he transfers to the tutoring department of the prestigious girls' school, Shirarei Academy, and grows through his interactions with various unique young ladies. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and features of this work, as well as the recommended points.

Story and Characters

The story of Ladies vs Butlers! revolves around Akiharu Hino's enrollment at Hakureiryo Academy and his relationships with the unique characters he meets there. Akiharu may look like a delinquent, but on the inside he is a homebody with a timid personality and a simple-minded man who is ignorant of women's feelings, which contrasts with his charm. The characters surrounding him are also all unique, and the diverse characters who add excitement to the story include his dark childhood friend Tomomi Saikyou, the arrogant young lady Sernia, and the clumsy maid Sanae Shikikagami.

In particular, the relationship between Akiharu and Tomomi as childhood friends, the chaotic exchanges with Selnia, and the trouble caused by Sanae's clumsiness are some of the comedic elements that are prominent in the story. Also, the process in which Akiharu hones his skills as a butler and the changes in the relationships around him are also points not to be missed.

Animation and performance

XEBEC, the animation production company, puts a lot of effort into character design and drawing, and the designs that highlight the individuality of each character are particularly impressive. Many characters make a strong visual impact, such as Celnia's distinctive blonde curls and Sanae's design that emphasizes her large breasts. In addition, the speed and timing of the movements in the slapstick comedy scenes are exquisite, so the viewers will not tire of the show.

In terms of directing, director Atsushi Otsuki makes full use of various directing techniques to bring out the comedy elements to the fullest. For example, in the scene where Akiharu gets into trouble, he skillfully uses camera work and sound effects to bring laughter to the audience. He also pays close attention to the characters' facial expressions and gestures, and portrays the changes in their emotions realistically.

Music and theme song

The music is by Kei Ueoka and produced by Lantis. The opening theme "LOVE×HEAVEN" is sung by Tomomi Saikyou, Celnia, Kaoru Daichi, and Sanae Shikikagami, and is impressive for its light rhythm and catchy melody. The ending theme "my starry boy" is sung by Mai Nakahara, and is a sad ballad about her feelings for Akiharu. These songs are important elements that add to the atmosphere of the story.

Recommended points

I would especially recommend "Ladies vs Butlers!" to the following types of viewers:

1. **People who like comedy anime**: This work is perfect for viewers who want to laugh, as it has many slapstick comedy scenes. You can enjoy the gap between Akiharu's delinquent-like appearance and his inner self, and the interactions between the unique characters.

2. **People who like stories of character growth**: The story, which depicts Akiharu honing his skills as a butler and the changes in the relationships around him, is perfect for viewers who want to enjoy character growth.

3. **People who are interested in the relationship between a young lady and her butler**: This story is set in a school for young ladies, and will satisfy viewers looking for a work that depicts the relationship between a butler and a young lady.

4. **People who like anime based on light novels**: This is a faithful anime adaptation of the original work by Kozuki Tsukasa, and is enjoyable for both fans of the original and new viewers.

Related works and their appeal

Related works to "Ladies vs Butlers!" include "Ladies vs Butlers!" and "Ladies vs Butlers! Music Clip." While these works share the same worldview, you can enjoy different perspectives and stories. "Ladies vs Butlers!" in particular is a sequel that depicts Akiharu and friends' new adventures, and is appealing for its deeper character development and the introduction of new characters. "Music Clip" is also a work that can be enjoyed primarily for its music, and can be enjoyed as an album containing the theme songs and insert songs.

summary

"Ladies vs Butlers!" is a work that is appealing for its unique characters and slapstick comedy. You can enjoy Akiharu's growth story and the changes in the relationships surrounding him, providing viewers with laughter and emotion. This is a work that is especially recommended for those who like comedy anime and character growth stories, those who are interested in the relationship between a young lady and her butler, and those who like anime based on light novels. You can experience an even deeper worldview by enjoying related works as well.