Maid-sama! is back in the conversation: creator Hiro Fujiwara has a new special chapter landing in the September issue of LaLa magazine on July 24, 2026 — a fresh look at Misaki and Usui more than a decade after the manga wrapped. Good excuse to answer the questions new viewers actually search: where do you watch the anime, and does it still hold up?
Quick answer
Maid-sama! (*Kaichou wa Maid-sama!*) is a 26-episode shoujo romantic comedy produced by J.C. Staff in 2010, adapting Hiro Fujiwara's Hakusensha manga (2006–2013). In North America it's licensed by Sentai Filmworks and streams on HIDIVE. The new special chapter runs July 24, 2026 in LaLa. According to SenpaiRanks, the anime tracks a 7.8 dual-axis baseline — upper-tier for a 2010 romcom and one of the more durable maid-café-premise shows on the board.
The setup
The hook is clean: Misaki Ayuzawa is the iron-fisted student council president of a formerly all-boys school, secretly working part-time at a maid café — until the school's most popular boy, Takumi Usui, finds out and decides to keep her secret on his terms. It's the template a hundred later romcoms borrowed from, and it runs a full 26 episodes, so it's a complete watch with no "read the manga" cliffhanger.
How it holds up
Fifteen years on, Maid-sama! is the kind of title our two-axis system flatters. Per SenpaiRanks, it carries a 7.8 — broadly liked (Consensus) and consistently well-built (Quality) — which puts it ahead of most single-cour modern romcoms despite its age. A single average can't tell you whether a show is fondly remembered or actually good; the split says Maid-sama! is both. Disagree? Rate it on its ranking page and push the board toward your read.
If you're here for the romance
Maid-sama! is a gateway shoujo — if it lands, our best summer 2026 romance anime guide lines up what's airing now, and craft-forward watchers should see our Witch Hat Atelier where-to-watch and ranking rundown.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where can I watch Maid-sama!?
A: The 2010 anime is licensed by Sentai Filmworks in North America and streams on HIDIVE. Sentai has also released it on home video.
Q: How many episodes is Maid-sama!?
A: 26 episodes, produced by J.C. Staff. It's a complete single-season watch.
Q: Is there new Maid-sama! content in 2026?
A: Yes. Hiro Fujiwara's new special chapter publishes in LaLa magazine's September issue on July 24, 2026.
Q: Is Maid-sama! worth watching?
A: On SenpaiRanks it holds a 7.8 dual-axis score — high for a 2010 romcom. It's broadly liked and well-made, and at 26 episodes it tells a complete story.
Q: Does the Maid-sama! anime cover the whole manga?
A: No. The 2010 anime adapts the earlier arcs; the manga (2006–2013, 18 volumes) continues well past where the anime ends.