Servant x Service

[Kraco]

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/7963/02h7.jpg

"The story features the staff of the health and welfare section of the ward office of a certain city. Newcomers Hasebe Yutaka, Yamagami, Miyoshi Saya, and their supervisor Ichimiya Taishi go through the everyday quirks of working at their office."

Links: AniDB (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=9798) | ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=15241) | Official (http://www.servantservice.org/)
Download: Episode 1 - HS (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=449309)
Genres: Comedy, Seinen










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I was smiling or laughing almost during the whole ep. The humour and the characters were perfect for my kind of humour. This means characters that aren't written to look blatantly comedic but oft turn out that way nevertheless, witty dialogue and character interaction, and smart situational comedy. But above all a script that actually works. This is from the same author as ""Working!!" (so it's given it works, har har), which should indicate what manner of stuff composes this show, with the exception of the main characters beeing all adults (so far).

The general technical quality is standard for slice of life shows. Nothing to write blogs about, but gets the work done.

The main characters, so far, are the newcomers Yamagami by Kayano Ai (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=creator&creatorid=20497) (Kanade of Chihayafuru, Saaya of Gargantia), Hasebe Yutaka by Suzuki Tatsuhisa (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=creator&creatorid=644) (Sugata Eishirou of Sora no Otoshimono, Sakamoto Yuuji of Baka to Test), Miyoshi Saya by Nakahara Mai (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=creator&creatorid=6) (Juvia of Fairy Tail, Nagisa of Clannad), and as the straight man of the comedy acts their supervisor Ichimiya Taishi Sakurai Takahiro (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=creator&creatorid=225) (Oshino Meme of Monogataris, Griffith of Berserk films). All performed very well.

I'm sure to keep watching this show, especially if the humour and fun remains anywhere near this level.

[David75]

Out of the 3 new shows I tested, that one was noticeable.
Somehow, I really thought about "Working!", so I guess even a non specialist like me can recognize an authors traits?

It sure is nice and all, I was just a tad worried about how it is possible to have another 12 or more eps out of this. But it's not that important, after all that first ep was good in itself.

[MFauli]

First episode felt a bit bland, and too much overacted humor. Will only keep watching this if I can´t find enough better animes this season ... which might be hard :/

[Buffalobiian]

I aspire to be like Hasabe. :3

[Ryllharu]

Greatly enjoyed it, even more than I expected that I would.

[oyabun]

I aspire to be like Hasabe. :3

He is a role model that we should all follow.

[Dark Dragon]

This is like Park & Recreation The Anime, sign me up.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 02 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=451571)

[Kraco]

No mere high school girl would be able to beat Hasebe. She was hoping for the impossible from the beginning!

[Buffalobiian]

I aspire to be like Hasabe. :3

I definitely aspire to be like Hasebe.

Miyoshi's granny-summon was cuter though. It reminds me of the support from my regular customers back in retail.

[Kraco]

Episode 3 - HS (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=454601)





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A character who can do everything works quite well in a show like this where it doesn't break any bigger power balance but works as comedy. Naturally it makes Hasebe all the more badass. Since there's no relevant power balance, it makes his interaction with Lucy quite funny to watch, especially with Lucy's dense and stiff but quirky personality counteracting Hasebe's omniscience and uninhibitedness time after time.

[Ryllharu]

So does this make Lucy an H-cup? We already knows she thinks an F-cup is small.

I was almost afraid this was going to turn into a romance angle, with Lucy willingly giving him her email address. Thankfully he's more of a pervert.

[shinta|hikari]

Hasebe .

[Buffalobiian]

Despite this being a Lucy/Hasebe-centric episode, I was mostly attracted to Miyoshi and Chihaya. Their cardigan-look looks so cuddly. :3

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 04 ([ASL]_Various_Artists_-_Tamayura_~hitotose~_Original_Soundtrack_[FLAC]_[w_Scans].rar)


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I really didn't like the romantic focus in Working!, but the opposite is true here. Hasebe/Lucy gives the show a bit of drive instead of letting it waffle aimlessly (which is okay too, as long as it's entertaining).

[Kraco]

Man, Lucy is really dense and innocent. Quite dangerous to throw such a person among the likes of Hasebe and Chihaya. But then again, it's not like Hasebe and Chihaya were really evil. The situation is made all the funnier by the fact Lucy is the one who declared she's there for revenge, yet she's also the one to first feel bad about thinking badly about someone. But I guess people who have suffered are also more sensitive to the possible suffering of others. Even if such a worry would be totally unnecessary as long as Hasebe is concerned.

I didn't really like the remote controlled boss idea, but it did provide some slight comedy. That man would be the very epitome of wasted tax money, though.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 05 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=459493)

[Kraco]

As expected, Hasebe's sister is an even bigger troll than Hasebe herself. I also found it rather believable the troll in Hasebe himself is diminished in the presence of his sister; such a thing would be very natural in RL as well.

I didn't foresee the dating between Ichimiya and Chihaya. But then again, it seems so strained and only waiting to fail that I guess I won't blame myself too much. Nevertheless, it's pretty cold of Chihaya to try to keep Lucy away from Hasebe when she's herself in a relationship. Unless she considers her own already such a big warning example, which wouldn't be too far from the truth, like Ichimiya verified.

[Buffalobiian]

Nevertheless, it's pretty cold of Chihaya to try to keep Lucy away from Hasebe when she's herself in a relationship. Unless she considers her own already such a big warning example, which wouldn't be too far from the truth, like Ichimiya verified.

Is that why? When Hasebe said he thinks he understood why Chihaya hated him, I thought it was because he (Hasebe) was usually giving Ichimiya trouble.

And from the previous episode, I thought Chihaya was mainly concerned that Hasebe would steal Lucy away as his cosplay model.

[Kraco]

And from the previous episode, I thought Chihaya was mainly concerned that Hasebe would steal Lucy away as his cosplay model.

That's really petty!

[shinta|hikari]

As expected, Hasebe's sister is an even bigger troll than Hasebe herself.

Intentional?

[Kraco]

Intentional?

No, my mistake. I must be as confused as Lucy...

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 06 (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=461166)

[Kraco]

I was never a big fan of the stuffed animal boss, but in this episode I managed a few laughs from his scenes. The best was Hasebe sucker punching the stuffing out of the boss, reflecting his old man's behavior.

[Buffalobiian]

I never had any problems with the stuffed animal besides the fact that this series has thus far done without any supernatural events.

I would have thought that the "hard working, 22yo banker" was actually Hasebe (with Tanaka-granny being his maternal grandmother), but all she does is talk about her son's side of the family, so I no longer think that's the case.

[Ryllharu]

The subtext was strong in that the 22 year old banker is someone that Hasebe went to university with, and the reason he hates the name Tanaka.

It is someone that Hasebe just can't handle. This banker Tanaka is either some kind of diligent workaholic saint, or someone with so severe a level of depravity that it makes Hasebe cower.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 07 (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=463455)

[Kraco]

It makes me somewhat annoyed that despite not having watched a single episode of it, I still recognized the quiz pic as a reference to Free.

This series continues strongly. I suppose after 7 good episodes it's safe to say the mangaka isn't one to lose focus or run out of ideas easily. Naturally making most of the characters so pointed helps a lot. Exceptionally I didn't look forward to seeing any romance in this series when it launched and like Ryll was actually afraid of it due to a risk of hampering the comedy, but looking at Chihaya and Ichimiya there's not much danger of that, I reckon. Hasebe chasing the oblivious and naive Lucy is also a good source of fun, not the other way around.

All in all I fully understand why Hasebe wants to avoid the grandson Tanaka.

[Buffalobiian]

I loved the soundtrack during the Tanaka's leap. So well done.

As for the romance thing, I think it works better than you guys expected because Lucy makes sure that it doesn't ever actually go anywhere. She's there just to make all the "innocently stabbing" comments towards Hasebe.

I had no idea that was a Free reference.

[Kraco]

I had no idea that was a Free reference.

Three sporty looking dudes posing in speedos with sparklies around them. If it's not a Free reference, I don't know what it could be. Especially after Chihaya whispered BL to Miyoshi after Tanaka's outburst.

[Ryllharu]

I want to see a pool episode. Or anything similar where Lucy can't hide her true size. Chihaya-forced cosplay would be fine too.

I'm less against any romance focus after the scene in eps 5 where she got super excited about the fact that Hasebe has hentai games with busty heroines. As prudish as she is (when she's not too innocent to recognize it in the first place), she wasn't all offended by the games like most female characters, but was actually hoping that he might acknowledge that huge breasted women might exist normally in the real world. Apparently, quite the complex for her.

Toko is surprisingly stupid by the way too.

[Kraco]

Toko is surprisingly stupid by the way too.

I wouldn't really call it surprising. She has been stupid all along, after all. She's already a high schooler but keeps invading her brother's workplace and harassing his colleagues like some lonely, troubled little girl. Yet obviously she doesn't have any developmental disorders but is a healthy young lady who has even learned lots of legislation and regulations as a hobby, and isn't even really lonely in the first place, even if her history had feelings of uncertainty. She's simply and majorly lacking common sense and that affects her judgement in many areas.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 08 (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=465734)

[Kraco]

Hasebe's indeed a genius, tricking Chihaya that easily. But I guess that also means Chihaya's distaste of Hasebe's intentions isn't really that deep. Or rather her interest in cosplay and dressing up Lucy is all the more deeper in any case. As opposed to that, it looks like with Tanaka fists do the talking far better than any genius lines would.

It's getting pretty comedic to watch Lucy refusing a romance yet she's still in fact actively making Hasebe like her all the more.

[shinta|hikari]

<3<3<3 Hasebe!!!

Hasebe is turning me into a fujoshi...

who wants to beat the shit out of Lucy...

if she hadn't said that line about Hasebe's choice of work. That resonated with me.

[Buffalobiian]

I believe Hasebe rushing over to punch Tanaka was the first sign of any real work Hasebe has done.. ever. He was actually puffing a little.

[Ryllharu]

He was desperate to protect all the work he has put into evaporating Lucy's naiveté.

He wants to be with her bad. His sister already realized it (and the opportunities for enjoyment that will ensue), Tanaka has nearly figured it out, Chihaya knows, Ichimiya is just starting to get the hint, and Miyoshi certainly suspects. Hasebe himself only realized just how much he wants her this episode.

It feels like Lucy already likes him too, or at least hopes his preferences align with her body type (that she happens to be very self conscious about), but she's a bit too innocent to make the connection.

Knowing Lucy though, Chihaya will get her in a skirt, but she'll still be wearing the turtleneck.
:/


Still, the Chihaya-Ichimiya-Ichimiya relationship is as funny as the Hasebe-Lucy one is sweet.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 09 (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=467872)

[Kraco]

I know Touko's shouting was supposed to disrupt Miyoshi's talk and thus lead to the misunderstanding, but somehow that scene felt artificial. Nevertheless it was interesting to see how deeply Lucy already affects the genius Hasebe. He has indicated before that asking Lucy out actually makes him super nervous, so in that sense the consequences of this misunderstading were natural, no matter how far-fetched it was. But like they say, people readily believe what they hope or fear to be true, objectivity aside.

It seemed like for the first time Lucy got over her low selfrespect, after Hasebe's phone escapade.

[Buffalobiian]

I know Touko's shouting was supposed to disrupt Miyoshi's talk and thus lead to the misunderstanding, but somehow that scene felt artificial.

It was the phone ringing that blocked the noise, wasn't it? Touko served to drag Miyoshi away from Hasebe right afterwards so that she couldn't fix any misunderstandings.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 09 (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=470145)

[Kraco]

Episode 10 - HS (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=470145)





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One great thing about this show is that things seem like they can change. Quite often in these sort of series the setting is utterly static and next to nothing changes, apart from the characters' personalities being revealed, if you can even count that as a change. However, with Servant X Service I actually feel like Chihaya might be able to tell Touko about the relationship. Just like Touko was able to find out about the section manager's indentity so promptly. Although there are only 3 more eps left, which might potentially prevent it.

Kanon's tour of the building and finding Hasebe slacking off around every corner was pretty funny. The dude really is a pro.

[Ryllharu]

Why did Touko's insults suddenly get less harsh? Was it because she found out that they actually have a boss, or that she's not the one making them "crazy"?

Miyoshi's quirk of seeming very nice, but suddenly getting really mean verbally is probably the most subtle of them all.

[Kraco]

Why did Touko's insults suddenly get less harsh? Was it because she found out that they actually have a boss, or that she's not the one making them "crazy"?

Hard to say. Initially she thought her constant harsh lectures were making them crazy, but I reckon even after finding out that wasn't the case, she couldn't simply revert back to the previous state after the shock. In the end it's not like they'd deserve it all and maybe she realised it. It could also be that having a stuffed animal as a boss is even worse than being crazy, so she might be pitying them.

[shinta|hikari]

She is simply a dumb bitch modern tsundere so even if she knows they aren't crazy, she still tried to be nice because she remembers the guilt she felt.

[Buffalobiian]

Hard to say. Initially she thought her constant harsh lectures were making them crazy, but I reckon even after finding out that wasn't the case, she couldn't simply revert back to the previous state after the shock.

Ah.. so that was it. I thought she changed her insult because she realised that stuffed bunnies couldn't die.


Miyoshi's quirk of seeming very nice, but suddenly getting really mean verbally is probably the most subtle of them all.

My only gripe with it is that it seems to overlap with Lucy's quirk where she says nice things that end up hurting people anyway.

I can't remember the last time I had plain pasta, but it wasn't all that memorable (obviously). Freshly cooked pasta is quite alright with its starchy aroma, but reheated pasta...

[Ryllharu]

My only gripe with it is that it seems to overlap with Lucy's quirk where she says nice things that end up hurting people anyway.
That the difference obviously.

When Lucy cuts someone down, she's entirely unaware of it and apologizes sincerely afterward. She didn't even realize it would be insulting in the first place, she's that naïve. When Lucy gets upset, she'll get flustered and at worst throw a binder, but she's never really mean.

When Miyoshi does it, her veneer of politeness shatters, and she's speaking what she has really been thinking all along. Her apologies don't exactly strike me as sincere either. She's more like Chihaya than she's like Lucy. She might get caught up in things from time to time like she did in this episode accepting a date with Tanaka, but once she gets fed up, she gets downright nasty. Even Chihaya is surprised at how cruel she'll get.

[Kraco]

Episode 11 - HS (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=472452)





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This felt a bit low key episode after all the previous ones. Perhaps because this had so much of Miyoshi ending up making people realise their weaknesses. The change in Hasebe's personality is quite striking. I hope it will be fixed before the end. He's the greatest single source of humour so having him all gloomy isn't good for the heart of this story.

Miyoshi and Tanaka Jr actually hitting it off so well surprised me. Hard to say what exactly Miyoshi is looking for in a man if after all that Hasebe, Hasebe, Hasebe prattling he still found Tanaka agreeable.

[shinta|hikari]

She found Tanaka agreeable without the Hasebe prattling. She said so herself at the very end.

[Kraco]

Episode 11 - HS (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=474708)






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I was thinking during the first ep that it would be funny if it was Hasebe's old man, considering we knew he's a civil servant as well and maybe similar to Hasebe. But foolishly I dropped the idea when Hasebe started to get so interested in Lucy, when in fact I should have done the opposite. Not that I'd have really thought about it too deeply with a situational comedy series like this, but this did have pretty strong ongoing plots, so in hindsight it makes perfect sense.

Hasebe seems crushed by the revelation, but in reality it would offer Lucy the most direct route to her nemesis; after all, she would become her enemy's daughter-in-law and thus would be in a position to continuously exact revenge. Well, not that I'd expect her to ever manage to do anything even if she was standing right in front her goal.

[Ryllharu]

I had figured it was Hasebe's old man the moment he mentioned that his father was also a civil servant. It was either that or the boss himself. I didn't think it really mattered in the end, though I am a little surprised Hasebe is so perturbed by it. In the end, Lucy says she will have eternal vengeance for the person who approved her name, but not once since she started working there has she ever put in the effort to find that person. This leads me to suspect she's not really as angry about it as she claims.

Her co-workers and the citizens who come to see her appear to have absolutely no concern about her name at all. While I'm sure she was made fun of a lot in school, everyone else just calls her Lucy and ignores the rest. She doesn't even get upset about that anymore.


I do feel a little bad for Chihaya. Her boyfriend is a dumbass, and she can't quite get around to admitting to Toko that she is the mysterious girlfriend. She and Toko are friends anyway, and with Toko's new "I've got to free him," attitude, I don't think she'd be that upset for long. She's hate it if it was anyone else.


etc., blah blah, so and and so forth, Lucy has huge boobs and a dazzling figure. Thankfully she has Hasebe and Chihaya guarding her.

[shinta|hikari]

I feel sorry for Hasebe.

I like and feel sorry for Chihaya and all, but when she dissed Hasebe at the end of the episode, I wanted to break her nose.

What the fuck is with the "chara" (gaudy) bullshit? Hasebe has long since shown Lucy, and everyone else for that matter, that he is serious. This better end with him getting the long end of the stick.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 13 (http://www.nyaa.se/?page=download&tid=477085)

[Kraco]

I liked this ending. While it wasn't exactly conclusive on any front, it at least had a preliminary taste of things moving forward. Plus Hasebe spilling the beans himself was naturally good. I was starting to hate Chihaya, like Shinta, during the break room scene, but in fact it was her (and Ichimiya) who finally pushed Hasebe to do the right thing, so at that point I forgave her. Of course she didn't do it for Hasebe's sake, but fortunately Lucy was getting so despressed as well that Chihaya was forced to act. She's quite spiteful and jealous no matter how you look at her, but in the end I think it's better to judge people by their actions, not by what's under the hood.

I guess a big part of Chihaya's malice is caused by the fact she knows she's hardly any better than Ichimiya and she hates that fact. Nothing prevents her from telling Touko the situation, it doesn't have to be Ichimiya, but she's not making any better progress there, despite trying multiple times. Maybe she will hate Hasebe even more now, after he went all out and confessed the "crime", even if by accident. That's something Chihaya and Ichimiya never managed.

I wouldn't mind a second season of this show. Not at all.