Ladies versus Butlers! - Episode 3

Episode three of Ladies versus Butlers! gives us a proper introduction to Mimina Ousawa, who had a rather harrowing appearance in the first episode but gets fleshed out (in every sense of the word, this series being what it is) more fully here. Oh, and she's really nineteen years old... Honest. No, really, she is, so seeing her naked is fine. God, who am I kidding?!

Anyhow, as this instalment begins Hino finds himself approaching a practical exam as part of his training, and for this particular test he needs to be given a card from one of the ladies in the school's upper education system so that he can take part. Luckily for him Saikyo is on hand to let him use her card, much to the poorly-disguised disappointment of Flameheart.


When the subject of the exam in question is announced as simply following your master's orders, all kinds of evil thoughts flow through Tomomi's head, but eventually she settles to task Akiharu with looking after Mimina until the test finishes. This allows us to glimpse into what appears to be a simple life of drawing whatever she pleases, but which turns out to be rather more stressful than all that for the poor girl. After shunning Hino for most of the time they spend together (and indeed trying to avoid him outright for much of it), eventually it is he who manages to understand her feelings and needs, and therefore win her over into his harem. Probably.

You know, part of me wants to write about how the fan service and titillation in this episode wasn't delivered to the same extreme as either of the opening two instalments, but I'm honestly not sure that I can do that with a straight face - This is Ladies versus Butlers! after all, and there were still a fair few panty-shots and some under-aged breasts to ogle if that is somehow your thing. Except Mimina is nineteen of course, sorry, I keep forgetting. Anyhow, despite all that there was less of the blatant Carry On-esque behaviour this time around in general terms, although to be honest that fact didn't really succeed in making this episode seem any better - It was okay at the most, but generally speaking it proved itself to be rather dull, with Hino's turn as a likeable male lead neutralised by the fact that Mimina's character is as dull as dishwater. Once again then, it's only the hint of some grand plan on Tomomi Saikyo's part that keeps this series interesting from a story-telling perspective, so unless that or flat chests grab you then this is an utterly miss-able effort.