, abbreviated as , is a Japanese manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 written and illustrated by Masakazu Ishiguro. The manga started serialization in Young King OURs

Young King OURs

is a monthly seinen manga magazine published in Japan by Shōnen Gahosha, aimed primarily at male audiences, mostly older teens and young adults. It is the sister publication of Young King...

magazine on March 30, 2005, and nine bound volumes

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

 have been released in Japan as of August 2011. The anime adaptation was broadcast from October 7, 2010.

The series follows the exploits of whiny Hotori Arashiyama, her friends, family, neighbors, shopkeepers and colleagues at the local maid cafe

Maid cafe

Maid cafés are a subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan. In these cafés, waitresses dressed in maid costumes act as servants, and treat customers as masters in a private home, rather than as café patrons...

. The typical slice of life format is occasionally interspersed with stories dealing with aliens, ghosts and the paranormal.

Main characters

Hotori is the clumsy, whiny and happy-go-lucky main protagonist of this series. She has a love for detective stories and mysteries. She also has a deep dislike of mathematics, because she cannot see much value in it. Hotori works part-time at Maid Seaside Café after being told by the owner to repay the frequent curries she ate there as a child.

Toshiko is the brown-haired bespectacled school friend of Hotori who decided to work in the same café because she has a crush on Sanada, who is a regular customer. She has a stern nature but is very forgiving of Hotori's strange behavior. She dislikes her nickname of "Tattsun" (sometimes extended to "Tattsun-tsun").

Hotori's childhood friend and classmate. His father is a fisherman and he helps out often at his shop. His mother died when he was young. He has a crush on Hotori and is unaware of Toshiko's feelings.

Proprietress and head maid of the café. Hotori has known her for a long time and calls her "Granny" but they are not blood related.

Buck-toothed classmate of Hotori and table-tennis ace.

Oya High School mathematics teacher. He is also Hotori's homeroom teacher and sees her as one of his two nemeses (the other being his own math teacher from childhood). Hotori has a crush on him.

Initially mistaken as a younger boy by Hotori because of her short hair, she is in fact an upperclassman at school and a member of the ping-pong club. She likes cats and plays bass guitar.

Arashiyama household

Hotori's father.

Hotori's mother.

Hotori's younger brother.

Hotori's sister and youngest member of the family. Also likes detective stories and has good investigative skills herself.

The Arashiyama family's pet dog, resembling a Japanese Raccoon Dog

Japanese Raccoon Dog

The Japanese raccoon dog, also known as in Japanese, is conventionally considered as two subspecies of the raccoon dog, hondo-tanuki , and ezo-tanuki . Their common Japanese name is often mistakenly translated into English as "badger" or "raccoon"...

. In the anime, she ends all of her sentences with "poko".

Townspeople

Hotori's arch-nemesis, the local police officer.

Fishmonger and father to Hiroyuki.

Owner of the grocery store and frequent visitor to the café.

Clumsy owner of the local antique shop.

Tsundere

Tsundere

is a Japanese character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms , meaning to turn away in disgust, and meaning to become 'lovey dovey'...

 classmate of Takeru, whom she has a crush on. Her nickname is "Ebi-chan".

Manga

Anime

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru has been adapted into a 12-episode anime series that started airing on October 7, 2010. The anime is directed by Akiyuki Shinbo

Akiyuki Shinbo

, born September 27, 1961 in Fukushima, Japan, is a Japanese animation director. Shinbo started his career as an animator in 1981 at Studio One Pattern. He then made his directorial debut with Metal Fighter Miku in 1994. He is most notable for his involvement in a number of Shaft works since 2004...

, co-directed by Naoyuki Tatsuwa, and produced by Tokyo Broadcasting System

Tokyo Broadcasting System

, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....

 and Shaft

Shaft (company)

is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...

. The first Blu-ray/DVD of the series was released in Japan on December 24, 2010. The opening theme is Down Town

Down Town / Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara

"Down Town / Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara" is Maaya Sakamoto's nineteenth single. "Down Town" is used as an opening theme for the anime series Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru while "Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara" is the opening theme for the OVA Tamayura and the ending song for Majo no Takkyūbin...

by Maaya Sakamoto

Maaya Sakamoto

is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and voice actress. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime series Little Twins, but is more well known for her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne...

 and the ending theme is by Maids (the main female cast) and arranged by Round Table

Round Table (band)

Round Table is a Japanese pop band known mostly for their Anime soundtracks. They are most popularly known in the Anime demographic for their hit single, "Let Me Be With You" - the opening song for the anime Chobits. The band was formed in 1997 with Katsutoshi Kitagawa and Rieko Ito as band...

, both released by Victor Entertainment

Victor Entertainment

is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...

. The CD of Down Town was released in Japan on October 20, 2010 and the CD of Maids Sanjou! was released on November 24, 2010. At Anime Weekend Atlanta

Anime Weekend Atlanta

Anime Weekend Atlanta is an annual three-day anime convention held in the Atlanta, Georgia area, typically in the month of September. Since the first convention in 1995, Anime Weekend Atlanta has become one of the most attended anime conventions in the United States and as of 2010 it has been the...

 2011, Sentai Filmworks announced that they have licensed the anime and will release the series in 2012.

Episode list

>

#	Title	Original air date

External links

• Anime Official Site - Tokyo Broadcasting System