Emma - episode 1

"The Gift"

Victorian Romance Emma is the new big anime. So big, even Momotato is watching it. Heck, it's so big even I'm watching it, and I stick to DVDs.

Emma is refreshing, because less than two minutes into it you realise that it is maid anime without fetishising of any variety. Emma is a maid who works for the venerable old Kelly, a former governess. On the day that the series begins, Kelly is visited by William, a former pupil of hers.
William finds himself quite taken by Emma, and Emma rediscovers her shyness. When William accidentally leaves his gloves behind, Emma must find him! Inevitably, they meet again and go for a walk in the park, and William decides that he simply must buy Emma a present. Emma, quite naturally is flustered.
That's this episode. A quick reading would be "Well-to-do young man meets a maid, becomes enamoured, blushing ensues".

This is definitely slow, but there is a nice feeling about it all. Kelly is a nice old woman, despite her appearance of harshness and standing on manners. Emma is shy - perhaps painfully so - and William has just the right attitude. There is something about him that could have been pulled off very wrong: he is earnest, yet forthright enough to let everything proceed. Hopefully obvious feelings will not have to be hidden behind facades, as in so many of these "romance things".
Also refreshing: William does not have a harem of maids to choose from, nor is he without a personality. Judging by the preview, there will be a "rival" for his affection, but this series is very likely to stop at one.

Victorian England is a nice place. Quite why things need to be set there is an unanswerable question, but it definitely lends this series a sense of character, as well as being a good excuse to show men getting about with mutton chops! The music is songless, yet powerful and evocative.

Based on this first episode, Emma will be sweet.