Watch Servant x Service

Servant x Service is an anime television series produced by Aniplex, based on a seinen manga series by Karino Takatsu. The show premiered in 2013 and stars the voice actors Ai Kayano, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, and Mai Nakahara. The series is set in the town of Mitsuba, where a group of government employees work at the Health and Welfare Division of the local office. The show primarily follows newbie civil servant Lucy, who is on a mission to find out who approved her name with the unconventional surname "Yamagami" and to get revenge. Alongside Lucy are three other employees at the department: her cheerful and hardworking co-worker Yutaka Hasebe, the strict and serious supervisor Taishi Ichimiya, and the somewhat spacey but kind and experienced Saya Miyoshi. Together, they navigate the complex bureaucracy and varying demands of the job while also dealing with their own personal lives and relationships.

One of the things that sets Servant x Service apart from other workplace anime is its attention to detail and realism. The show's setting in a government office provides ample opportunities for the writers to poke fun at how complex and mysterious administrative procedures can seem to outsiders. Throughout the series, the characters deal with everything from filling out paperwork to handling customer complaints and requests, with the added challenge of not having a clear understanding of why certain protocols exist in the first place. This can lead to both comedic situations and more serious discussions about the role of government employees and the impact of their work on citizens.

Another strength of Servant x Service is its characters. While the show has a mostly light tone and focuses on comedy, the characters are all given distinct personalities and backstories that make them feel more three-dimensional than many anime protagonists. Lucy, for example, is initially introduced as a somewhat uptight and angry character who is determined to get revenge on whoever put her in this situation. However, as the show progresses, we see more of her vulnerabilities and her motivations for wanting to do well in her job. Similarly, Hasebe, the flirty and occasionally lazy co-worker, is revealed to have a troubled family history that he is struggling to come to terms with.

One of the standout aspects of the show is its treatment of romance. Unlike many romantic subplots in anime, the relationships in Servant x Service are refreshingly grounded in reality. Lucy, Hasebe, and Ichimiya all have their own love interests that develop over the course of the show, but these relationships progress slowly and often take a backseat to the day-to-day work of the office. This mirrors the way that many real-life workplaces operate, with office romances simmering under the surface but never quite taking center stage. The show also touches on more serious topics related to dating and relationships, such as the challenges faced by people with disabilities or the difficulty of balancing work and personal life.

Visually, Servant x Service is a well-executed anime with bright, colorful animation and consistently pleasant character designs. The show doesn't rely on flashy visuals for its humor, instead letting the sharp writing and strong performances carry the comedic moments. However, the show's animation does excel in some of the more fantastical sequences, such as a dream sequence in which Lucy imagines her coworkers as various fairy tale characters.

Overall, Servant x Service is a standout workplace comedy that manages to balance humor, romance, and more serious themes in a satisfying way. The characters are engaging and well-developed, the writing is sharp, and the setting of a government office provides ample opportunity for laughs and commentary. Fans of anime comedies or workplace comedies may particularly enjoy this series, as well as anyone looking for a light-hearted and heartwarming show with a little bit of depth.

Servant x Service is a series that ran for 1 seasons (15 episodes) between July 4, 2013 and on Aniplex