And Yet The Town Moves: Complete Collection (2010/Sentai Blu-ray)

Picture: B Sound: B Extras: C Episodes: B+

Hotori works as a part time maid in a maid-cafe, unfortunately she is the most inept maid with no 'maid' like qualities. She is joined by her classmate/friend Toshiko (who is maid-like and seems to be maid fanatic) when she discovers Hiroyuki, a boy she like frequents there. Add to the fact there is a grandmother in a maid outfit, Hotori's math teacher, and Kon the school's bad girl frequents this Seaside 'Maid' Cafe... you do the math.

In And Yet The Town Moves: Complete Collection (2010), Hotori makes the clumsy maid look good. She is a total failure at bring service to her customers. The only place she seems oddly adapt is in solving mysteries and having stories (about her life) which are stranger than fiction. Toshiko joins in things for less than pure reasons; she is after Hiroyuki who is a regular at the Seaside 'Maid' Cafe. However, Hiroyuki has a crush on Hotori and Hotori is clueless (no way this will end well). In a cafe with a grandmother-in-a-maid-outfit, it is an anything-can-happen maid cafe (expect real maids).

This was one wacky anime series, while it make fun of 'maid' culture it's jokes were more for an adult audience, it required a knowledge of Japanese language and culture to understand it's various 'pun' jokes. As the series progresses, things make less and less sense.

The 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfers and DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo lossless mix (with Pro Logic-like surrounds) are just fine and very consistent throughout, if not up to Sentai's very, very best. Extras include clean opening and closing animation and trailers.

Episodes commence with the following...

Street No. 0001: The Cafe of Ultimate Bliss, Before and After - Hotori works at a maid cafe and is discovered by her classmate Toshiko ...and decides to join her.

Street No. 0002: Sexual Harassment Lawsuits Are Majorly Popular - Hotori's Math teacher discovers Hotori's part-time job. Hotori tries to blackmail him to keep quiet about it.

Street No. 0003: The Boy Who Lost His Cat - Hotori meets a Kon (whom she thought as a boy) who lost her cat.

Street No. 0004: The Equation of Curses - Hotori's Math teacher tries to figure out an equation to his life's curses... which all points to Hotori.

Street No. 0005: The Truly Awkward Toshiko Tatsuno - Will Toshiko work up the courage to ask Hiroyuki out on a date?

Street No. 0006: The Pandora Maid Service - It's Toshiko and Kon's birthday, what should Hotori get them?

Street No. 0007: The Naito Flight of Love - Hiroyuki and Hotori play hooky and skip out on school for a day.

Street No. 0008: Fully-Automatic Band Music - It's the school festival and the girls put on a maid band.

Street No. 0009: Smash! Adult Shopping Plan - Toshiko shows off her mad ping pong skills. Shizuka finds a mysterious snack ...from the future?

Street No. 00010: Old Men and Holes - Did Hotori meet ghosts and time traveling aliens? (When did this turn into a SF?)

Street No. 00011: Kon-sempai's Summer of Bitter Tears - Hotori's father makes a guest appearance (sorta of). Hotori crashes at Kon's place unexpectedly, sleeps in her bed and eats her food.

Street No. 00012: Soremachi - Hotori dies and gets to go to heaven and then gets sent back?

- Ricky Chiang