The second volume of episodes introduced me to the lead character, Taro, a teenager that inherited a fortune after somehow losing his parents. In the first volume, he must've moved into the large mansion as this is the setting for his exploits on a large estate in Japan. Joining young Taro for the show are dozens of maids that all live to serve his every whim, try to anticipate his every desire, and provide him with the most comfortable life they can as they all vie for his attentions and affection. Like most fan service shows, the gals all fawn over Taro in various stages of undress, frequently showing their panties and cleavage (among other things). From a guy's point of view, this seems like paradise since having it all (and then some) sure would be nicer than having to work long hours, sweat doing our own chores and dealing with the mundane aspects of life in general.

The DVD started with episode 5, Ryuka Again, where Taro and his closest servants attended a comic book convention in Japan. He ends up dressing like a woman, assisting his minions in the selling of a manga release by one of them, and converting a gal (Ryuka) to his cause. Apparently, she tried to infiltrate his home or something in the first volume but his charms have won her over and she becomes a fixture in the rest of the episodes. In episode 6, Budget Contest, the cast informs Taro that the yearly household budget (for each "division" of the large mansion) is determined by a series of competitive softball games. Of course the rivalry brings out the worst in some of the gals but the surprising outcome was cute nonetheless. In episode 7, Unidentified Living Object, one of the maids hides a small dog from Taro to make sure he doesn't disapprove of it staying at the mansion, leading several of the cast onto a dangerous journey. Lastly, in episode 8, Woman in a Sports Car, Taro takes some time to himself (so he thinks) while riding with a gal the other cast members didn't know. As expected, Taro gets into mischief but so does a number of his staff and his disclosure at the end of the episode managed to peak my interest as to a bigger picture story that was understated throughout the DVD.

For the most part, the stories were predictable with shy Taro trying to placate the various factions of gals wanting to make him happy but it was still cute and managed to provide some titillation in the usual fan service manner that many of us are accustomed to these days. Even though I didn't see the first volume in the series, I'm going to give this one a rating of Recommended for the light hearted manner in which the scenarios were played out. It wasn't the deepest series I've ever watched and no one is going to suggest it as the noblest but it was a lot of fun and that's what anime is all about.

Picture: Hanaukyo Maid Team La Verite: Lost in Kamakura was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as originally produced in Japan. The colors were solid, the images detailed, and the look of the cover was much like what the animation appeared to be in the episodes. While not the most detailed anime style I've watched over the years, it did keep the eye busy in the foreground if not the background and the series looked much like a new one (which it was). I didn't notice any compression artifacts or video noise, showing Geneon to be a leader in domestic anime releases in this regard.

Sound: The audio was presented in the usual 2.0 Dolby Digital original Japanese track or an English dub with each track offering a set of subtitles for the vocals as well as a second subtitle stream that included the signs only. The Japanese track was fully realized with a lot of talent behind it but I had to give my nod to the English dub this time for a richer tone throughout; including the music, the special effects and even some pretty solid vocals. While there wasn't much separation between the channels and the dynamic range was varied, I thought it was a decent presentation overall.

Extras: The extras this time included a clean closing sequence, a paper insert, a plastic Ryuka card and some trailers. While not a very comprehensive set of extras, it managed to add some value to the DVD.

Final Thoughts: Hanaukyo Maid Team La Verite: Lost in Kamakura struck a nice balance between the humor and fan service aspects of the material. It was interesting enough that I'd revisit this one if Geneon decided to send the first volume of the series but I'd also go straight to the third volume too if given a chance. I'll be the first to admit that Taro's misadventures seemed a bit generic at times and missing out on the initial DVD sure didn't help connect me to the show but this was the type of fun a guy can watch, even as he recognizes it's limitations.

If you enjoy anime, take a look at some of the recommendations by DVDTalk's twisted cast of reviewers in their Best Of Anime 2003 and Best Of Anime 2004 article or regular column Anime Talk