By Atekichi and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)!” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

If anyone still reads the site TV Tropes, there is a page devoted to what is known as a “Gambit Pileup”, where a storyline is derailed by multiple people who each have their own plan to take control of the narrative. This is frequently used for comedic purposes, but All-Works Maid really takes it to a higher level, as everyone is desperately trying to resolve the plot of the otome game they’ve found themslves in, only to see that Melody has solved everything, done every romantic route, and taken the main villain as her pet puppy. And that’s just in the first volume. This second one gives us an additional reincarnation from Japan, but also shows us that things have not completely been solved. The first villainess boss may now be Melody’s mistress, but the world still needs a first villainess boss, even if it has to use dark powers to create one. Worst of all, though, Melody has a crisis of faith. Maid faith.

We open back in Japan, where a grandmother in hospital, Maika, is talking to her granddaughter about a revival of an old otome game from years and years ago. Maika is upset, as said game was her obsession… until it took the life of her brother and his not girlfriend, who went missing in a plane disaster. Maika then goes to sleep… and wakes up as a little girl in a slum, completely confused. And then gets even more confused when her memories regress to her teenage self. Will she be able to find her brother and interact with the plot? Meanwhile, school has started and Luciana has made a friend… well, one or two. Most everyone else still seems to think of her family’s reputation first. And villain and love interest Bjork has to find a new jealous witch to make violently happy, and uses his knowledge of human behavior to do so. (I’m so sorry.)

The most interesting parts of this book are Melody and new character Micah (as she is spelled in this new world). Melody is at her best when using her talents to do things like resurrect an ancient temple with the power of horrifying magic, or accidentally resurrecting her mother into the spirit of an android maid (the latter is left vague). But at one point she’s asked “what is a perfect maid anyway?”, and trying to find the answer causes her to almost fall to bits, until she realizes how she can move forward and still be happy, even if it does disobey orders. As for Micah, she’s responsible for most of the funny bits in this book, as she goes from desperately trying to resolve plot points that everyone else resolved to simply screaming tsukkomi all the time. It’s good tsukkomi, I like her. I wish her well with her former savior turned evil possessed villain turned butler.

The ending promises we’re still not QUITE done with the main plotline, even if the Big Bad can’t decide whether to destroy the world or play fetch. Whatever he chooses, I’m sure Melody will effortlessly stop it. Very silly fun.

By Atekichi and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)!” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

It could be argued that I’m reading too many of these sorts of books. Because, not to spoil something you should be used to by now, but there’s an otome game in this novel, and a villainess. We have definitely hit the point where we’ve got burned-out fans, especially as we’re now getting at least an anime a season with that premise. And yet, I persevere. Because sometimes I get something as completely batshit as this book, whose heroine starts out OP in Japan and only gets worse when she’s reincarnated, who can accidentally solve the entire premise of the otome game she’s been reincarnated in without realizing it, who is secretly the daughter of a noble and already has a love interest who is tortured because he can’t reveal that. And the reason he can’t reveal it is that her one goal in life is to be a maid. The BEST MAID EVER. And nobility will, frankly, just get in the way of that goal.

Ritsuko was an incredibly talented child in Japan. So talented she grew jaded… until she discovered MAIDS. The concept of maids fascinated her and became her obsession, to the point where she traveled to England to become a maid… or at least, she would have if not for that plane crash. She’s reborn as Celesty, a silver-haired girl in a small village, and lives a normal life… until her mother dies, which fills her with grief. On reading a letter from her mother revealing her real past, she suddenly develops magic. Strong magic. Impossibly strong magic… which she quickly manages to hide, because having overflowing strong magic would get in the way of her goal. Instead, she bids farewell to the village and heads off to the big city, where she plans to find work as a maid. Because she is still over the moon about maids, no matter what the world.

So as you likely gathered, this is a broad comedy. It’s at its best when it’s leaning into its genre and feels like a deconstruction. Celesty (who quickly changes her name to Melody, which she’ll be going by from now on) is not the only person on that plane crash who was reincarnated. Yes, there’s a villainess as well, and she’s trying to change her fate, along with her “not my boyfriend” who in this world is the crown prince and “not my fiancee”. They’re in a standard otome game light novel, but unfortunately for them Melody is not a standard heroine, and they spend most of the book panicking that the plot has gone off the rails. There’s also a narrator who is quite happy to point out that Melody’s maid-obsessed head is mostly full of air, and they seem borrowed from Tearmoon Empire. Oh yes, and all the girls in this series seem to be bi, despite the chance of yuri being zero. They’re just all really attracted to pretty girls. I can roll with that.

If you’re not yet tired of these sorts of books, this is a winner. It’s funny, knows its genre, and loves maids. Also, it has a cute puppy! OK, sort of a puppy. You’ll see what I mean when you get to it.