Considering how popular maid cafes are in Tokyo's gaming district, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Pikachu Cafe got a maid outfit of its own—temporarily, at least!
That's celebrity Rika Adachi working as a maid and restaurant manager in a special event held at the cafe. According to Inside Games, this is the first part-time job she's ever had! And since it was a one-day-only job, the gig puts new meaning into part-time.
Yes, more than anything, this is simply a photo op. I don't think Adachi spent the entire day taking orders and bringing people Pikachu Burgers.
The reason why Adachi was on hand was that, besides being an increasingly popular celebrity in Japan, she also lends her voice to the new Pokemon movie as the thief Marilyn Flame.
What's interesting is that while this appears to be the first official Pikachu-themed maid outfit, it's not the first official Pikachu maid.
[Photo: t19870709]
Last year, The Pokemon Company rolled out a Pikachu Maid earphone jack—perhaps referencing the Pika-maid that appeared in the Season 11 episode "Tank for the Memories." (Note that other characters, including Ash, also dressed as maids.)
Of course, since 2009's Pokemon Platinum Version, maids are also a Trainer Class.
[Photo: sabasabanyan]
メイド服の足立梨花、「ピカチュウカフェ」でアルバイト！理想のパートナー"ピカチュウ店長"と絶対領域をアピール [Inside]
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.