The latest comedy from Crunchyroll is putting a wholesome spin on a classic genre. Maid café animes have become a big hit among fans looking for a laugh on the hit streaming service. From Blend-S to Maid-Sama, the subgenre is ripe with hilarious potential as the café employees work together with their different personalities while making friends (and possible relationships) along the way. Now, a new take on the subgenre has arrived, and it has the most interesting premise yet.

Ramen Akeneko (also known as Red Cat Ramen) is a series based on the manga by Angyaman that follows Tamako Yashiro as she begins to work for the titular ramen shop that’s completely run by cats. Tamako soon realizes that her role at the restaurant is essentially to care for her feline coworkers by brushing them and cleaning up their workspace. However, this results in her forming closer bonds with them as they become friends.

Even though the cats aren’t actual maids like other series in the subgenre, it still fits the mold of what fans expect from these types of shows. However, it’s the show’s characters and comedy that make it one of the best.

Ramen Akeneko’s Characters Have Unique and Likable Personalities

They Each Stand Out in Their Own Way

One of the most defining aspects of a maid café anime is the personality of each worker in the series. Maid cafés essentially work like an interactive story, so each server has a different way of expressing themselves to make the dining experience more theatrical. Ramen Akeneko is no different. Every single character has a defining trait that helps them stand out in a sea of potential fan-favorites.

Bunzo is a stern yet proud chef who devotes his energy to his craft. Sasaki is a devoted book-keeper that is focused on the technical aspects of the restaurant. Sabu is the extroverted sous-chef that has a lot of energy. Hana is the sweet and fun-loving employee with a nastier side to her. Finally, Krishna, the tiger, is a shy introvert that keeps to herself. These varying personalities make it the ultimate maid café series because it provides so much room for interesting character interactions, but making them all cats adds a dash of wholesomeness to the mix.

Ramen Akeneko Has a Slick Sense of Humor

There’s No Shortage of Laughs

Outside its unique characters, Ramen Akeneko also doubles as a well-written comedy that serves non-stop laughs to the table. It rolls with its ridiculous premise of cats running a restaurant with numerous jokes that poke fun at the concept. Whether it’s customers getting upset about cat hair in their food, despite a clear sign saying it can’t be helped sometimes, or the hilarious reveal of Krishna being a timid tiger, there’s enough in just the series’ first episode alone to make it a must-see for comedy lovers. The timing and pacing of each joke lands pretty much every time, and when watching it comes to comedy, this is all fans could ever ask for.

Ramen Akeneko is an absolute gem of a series that could become an overlooked cult classic. Its characters are endearing with enough wholesome humor to keep anime fans and cat-lovers entertained. Crunchyroll has been producing a ton of quality series throughout 2024, and this new comedy that puts a delightful spin on maid cafés isn’t one to be missed.

Source: MyAnimeList