MANGA REVIEW | "Maid to Skate" - Volume One
There are concepts that sound interesting on paper, only for them to go a short distance in the idea department. Imagining a cute maid performing Supermans, ollies, and kickflips already sounds like a tale filled with so much potential. But then, it makes you think of every maid manga and skateboarding story, and it leaves you wondering what kind of true originality it can bring. In the case of Suzushiro’s Maid to Skate, the answer to that conundrum is “enough”.
Originally beginning life as a series of illustrations, Maid to Skate follows a group of maids who spend their days cleaning indoors and skateboarding outdoors. Our main maid is Benihana, who’s not exactly in the running for Housekeeper of the Year. But where her maid skills lack, her skateboarding techniques are abundant. In fact, Benihana is so good that she almost looks like she’s flying when in the air.
The five chapters of Maid to Skate give the readers a good look at what kind of person Benihana is. Its opening chapter sees that she’s kind, fast, and always puts others’ needs ahead of hers. But it also shows Benihana as a person that throws caution to the wind, for better or worse. As a result, she often gets scolded by the other maids, especially Iris and Chizuru.
Where Maid to Skate shines is in how it actually shows newcomers to skateboarding the ropes. The second chapter has Benihana and Iris going to a skate shop, where the maids and the shop owner show what makes for a good board. Not only is it the sturdy board or the right kind of wheels, but even proper sneakers play a factor in the art of skating. (It’s also fun reading the “Iris’s Skateboarding Corner”, which breaks down both tricks and board care tips.)
There are some fun moments on display, both involving and not involving skateboarding. A story where the maids are at the park trying out new moves gives readers a chance to get to know the rest of the gang. But when it comes to its best humor, “Cooking Day” showcases the different levels of dainty and dumb these maids truly are. While there have been other sports and cooking manga that have done these sorts of stories, Maid to Skate manages to pull it off without resulting in eye rolls from its readers.
However, the best chapter is its final one, “Chasing After the Kitten”. One doesn’t have to explain the premise, as the title alone is enough. But here, Suzushiro shows off their knack for drawing some exciting action sequences. Food flying everywhere, mugs of beer landing perfectly onto a platter, and the urge to save a runaway baby carriage, this one chapter has as much adrenaline as four chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen.
With that being said, after going all out in “Chasing After the Kitten”, it’d be hard to follow up to that. Perhaps this is why Suzushiro kept Maid to Skate short, as it feels like they did everything they could with the premise without it getting stale. Sure, they could’ve gone deeper and had things like butlers on roller blades, or maybe Benihana could’ve entered a skateboarding competition to earn money to replace an expensive vase she broke. But again, it’d be tough to do without having to repeat what other series have done in the past. (WRITER'S NOTE (12/29/2025): Apparently, Suzushiro released a second volume just a couple of months ago, much to my surprise!)
Maid to Skate is a good quick read, one filled with impressive visuals and skateboarding tricks. It’s obvious that Suzushiro loves the extreme sport, and every page that presents a board trick is presented with a lot of beauty. Maybe someday, they can bring a larger story to life, as I’d be curious to see what other kinds of tales they could draw. Until then, consider Maid to Skate a strong demonstration of Suzushiro’s skills, especially when it comes to maids and boarding.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
