"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."

In short, it was a fun, breezy way to spend some time with enough cute bits to draw my attention and keep me from feeling like a pervert as the subservient maids went about servicing their "master", Taro. Sadly, the series is only a three volume one so when I received Hanaukyo Maid Team La Verite: Saving Mariel (vol. 3), I had bittersweet thoughts about seeing the end of the story, well before I thought the elements could play out. The adult aspects were slightly downplayed compared to the previous volume but there was still a bit of fan service to be seen with the scantily clad ladies doing their best to win over Taro with their charms and willingness to serve that some of you will still appreciate the genre conventions yet it became more personal this time too. In episode 9, The First Date, Taro actually went out on a date with Mariel, having a great time. Things ended on a strange note when she collapsed into a coma (talk about a bad date!) which was the focus of episode 10, Blue Silent Bell, and Taro was forced to evaluate his feelings for her as well as his lot in life. Episodes 11, Forced Entry and 12, True Smile, focused on a rescue mission to restore Mariel with the help of the entire household against what seemed like insurmountable odds and at the possible cost of everything they possessed, ending on a positive note (of sorts) and tying up the threads in a nice way with some interesting surprises for Taro and company.

While the concept of being a guy winning the genetic lottery and inheriting a huge fortune, complete with dozens of hotties at my beck and call, fuels many a fantasy, the appeal of this show was much deeper than that once you get past the initial impression it leaves. In simplest terms, it was about a guy looking for love and willing to sacrifice it all for someone destined to be at his side. Sure, the audience most appreciative of this type of show will be substantially different than me, but that didn't diminish the charm it had or weaken the light humor that rarely went over the top as a great many other shows seem to do to catch our attention these days. I'm going to rate this one as Recommended too, but only for those of you willing to overlook some of the flaws this kind of show presents (tending to be somewhat shallow, having a lot of undeveloped characters in minor roles, and the broad brush the roles of the cast were painted with come to mind). It was cute to watch though and I enjoyed seeing it more than once so there must be something to it (for me at least).

Picture: Hanaukyo Maid Team La Verite: Saving Mariel 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 Konoe 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: Saving Mariel had some interesting material to it, some solid technical aspects, and balanced the humor, drama, and fan service nicely. It may not make any top ten lists but it was warm in the way some well traveled ground was covered and the visuals combined well with the music to tell this limited story of a boy in search of something he didn't know he had lost until it was ripped from his hands. I still prefer shows with more depth and texture but this kind of thing manages to work its way into my field of view once in a while, with interesting results.

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