Maid-Sama!: Vol. 1 & 2

Gr 7 Up—Misaki Ayuzawa is the ultimate in contradictions. During the school day, she's strict and domineering, a student council president who's always enforcing the rules. But after school she works at a maid café where she acts sweet and subservient for her customers. When Takumi Usui (one of the most attractive and popular boys in school) learns about her secret identity, Misaki is sure that he will reveal her secret and that she will be ridiculed by everyone. But instead, he keeps her secret and gradually starts to bridge the distance between them. As with many manga series, this work takes traditional gender roles and twists them in unexpected ways as Misaki plays two roles at the opposite ends of the female spectrum. The story is ridiculous and funny, featuring lots of exaggerated and over-the-top behavior from the leads as well as the supporting characters. Fujiwara's artwork is expressive and filled with energy, and it contributes to much of the appeal of this story. This book contains the first two volumes of the "Maid-Sama!" series, which were originally published by TokyoPop in 2009. Since then, the manga and TV series of the same name have developed a devoted following, and this title would be a good purchase to replace battered or missing copies.