What do you think?
機械じかけのマリー [Kikaiji Kake no Marie] #1
Mechanical Marie, Vol. 1
He was a boy. She was a robot. Well…not really. In all actuality, Marie is completely totally 100% human, but because her strange new employer seemingly despises humans, the powers-that-be are paying a handsome sum for her to pretend she’s the latest and greatest android while protecting said eccentric master from the seemingly endless attempts on his life. Which is fine, but, they forgot to mention one tiny seemingly insignificant detail-this dude absolutely dotes on inanimate objects like Marie can’t believe. She’s not sure what will kill her first, the assassins or his affections…?
160 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 20, 2025
FIRST IMPRESSION VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/Vr6n0HQNxoE
What a quirky little story!
Majority of the time, I didn't know if I should cheer Marie on to tell the truth that she wasn't a robot, or continue to cheer how good she was at disguising herself as a robot, so we could keep seeing more smiles from Arthur! LOL!
It made for an interesting reading experience to say the least, and I have no idea how this series is going to unfold since Arthur adamantly makes it known that he HATES liars. It doesn't matter what the reason is, he will automatically fire or get rid of anyone around him who lies.
Obviously, our sweet Marie has been lying, but I feel her reasons for wanting to continue to be a "robot" are so heartfelt and greater than simply needing/wanting just money. I truly hope things will be revealed in a way that doesn't backfire and ruin this cute romance forming, even though it's hilarious how Arthur has even mumbled to himself about needing to find a way to marry a robot. LOL!
And speaking of Arthur, I loved him! I loved all the soft moments he had with Marie and how special it was! I deeply enjoyed seeing the two sides of him and hoping for a happy ending for these two!
Overall, this was a really fun read! If you want something similar to Teppeki Honeymon but without the age gap, and instead want a "robot" and cute smiles from a male lead who is angry majority of the time, this is one I would definitely recommend!
What a quirky little story!
Majority of the time, I didn't know if I should cheer Marie on to tell the truth that she wasn't a robot, or continue to cheer how good she was at disguising herself as a robot, so we could keep seeing more smiles from Arthur! LOL!
It made for an interesting reading experience to say the least, and I have no idea how this series is going to unfold since Arthur adamantly makes it known that he HATES liars. It doesn't matter what the reason is, he will automatically fire or get rid of anyone around him who lies.
Obviously, our sweet Marie has been lying, but I feel her reasons for wanting to continue to be a "robot" are so heartfelt and greater than simply needing/wanting just money. I truly hope things will be revealed in a way that doesn't backfire and ruin this cute romance forming, even though it's hilarious how Arthur has even mumbled to himself about needing to find a way to marry a robot. LOL!
And speaking of Arthur, I loved him! I loved all the soft moments he had with Marie and how special it was! I deeply enjoyed seeing the two sides of him and hoping for a happy ending for these two!
Overall, this was a really fun read! If you want something similar to Teppeki Honeymon but without the age gap, and instead want a "robot" and cute smiles from a male lead who is angry majority of the time, this is one I would definitely recommend!
August 21, 2025
This is very cute. It balances the gag comedy elements by having Arthur's disdain for humans be more than a running joke; he has very real reasons for his distrust. But at heart, he is sweet and seeing how safe he feels with Marie is lovely. I'm not sure how long the story can maintain its hidden identity premise, but whether it's revealed soon or further in the story, I'm definitely enjoying my time with this quirky little series.
September 3, 2025
I received this book from Yen Press in exchange of an honest review.
I spotted this one on social media a few times and loved the sound of it, so when I spotted it on Edelweiss? I had to request it! Thank you to Yen Press for approving my request! This one was just as fun as I had hoped!
Meet Marie, she is a girl who can kick your ass faster than you can breathe and who has an expression that is 99% of the time just dead inside/dead fish look. So when she is asked to pretend to be a robot maid to help out a guy? She says yes! She has nothing to lose, so she is ready. I really loved Marie and I loved how she pretended to be a robot. From staying expressionless, to trying to not to sneeze, to showing how she reloads her energy (this panel will stick for me for a long time, haha), to kicking ass when needed. Marie was so much fun. I also liked that she started thinking about the consequences, should she really keep up the charade? Should she come clean? She really likes her master (sometimes a bit more than that) and she really cares about him. But she also doesn’t want to incur his wrath (and after what the guy has been through he has quite a bit of wrath). I wonder if in the next volume she comes out clean. It was a very close one in this one. I seriously thought that at the end of the volume Arthur KNEW.
Arthur, our rich guy, and the heir to a big business. He hasn’t had the easiest of lives. He is the illegitimate child so people aren’t agreeing with how far he has worked his way up. Throughout his life people have tried to poison him, assassinate him, murder him in more ways than you can count, and he cannot trust ANYONE. I felt for Arthur and so I could also forgive that he was at times very angry/dangerous. I mean, wouldn’t you if your whole life was build on hiding, worrying about if today is the day to die, having to be alert all the time. I loved how he was with Marie, how he opened up to her, showed kindness and love, see him finally be able to trust someone for real. I love how he thinks Marie is a robot and is constantly wondering how she works. What her protocols are. Or how she recharges.
As for the shipping? I am 100% no 150% doing that! I cannot wait for more developments between these two, they are just so cute together. Though OK, we will probably hope first that Arthur is so deep in the romance with Marie that he doesn’t mind she isn’t a robot. Or that in the end he doesn’t mind it because he can see she isn’t doing it to hurt him.
Again, at one point I thought this manga would be over with how things went in the last two chapters, I knew there would be more, but given everything I was thinking that the next would be about something else. But no! Arthur is either just ignoring it or he is really a numbskull. Either way, I am happy for more Robot Marie.
The art was just oodles of fun, Marie was drawn fabulous with her dead-inside look (seriously, I can understand why she was chosen, for most of the book she has the same expression) and Arthur looked fabulously. Oh, and the battle scenes? Fantastic!
All in all, I need more of this series! I need to know what is next! I would recommend it!
Review also posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I spotted this one on social media a few times and loved the sound of it, so when I spotted it on Edelweiss? I had to request it! Thank you to Yen Press for approving my request! This one was just as fun as I had hoped!
Meet Marie, she is a girl who can kick your ass faster than you can breathe and who has an expression that is 99% of the time just dead inside/dead fish look. So when she is asked to pretend to be a robot maid to help out a guy? She says yes! She has nothing to lose, so she is ready. I really loved Marie and I loved how she pretended to be a robot. From staying expressionless, to trying to not to sneeze, to showing how she reloads her energy (this panel will stick for me for a long time, haha), to kicking ass when needed. Marie was so much fun. I also liked that she started thinking about the consequences, should she really keep up the charade? Should she come clean? She really likes her master (sometimes a bit more than that) and she really cares about him. But she also doesn’t want to incur his wrath (and after what the guy has been through he has quite a bit of wrath). I wonder if in the next volume she comes out clean. It was a very close one in this one. I seriously thought that at the end of the volume Arthur KNEW.
Arthur, our rich guy, and the heir to a big business. He hasn’t had the easiest of lives. He is the illegitimate child so people aren’t agreeing with how far he has worked his way up. Throughout his life people have tried to poison him, assassinate him, murder him in more ways than you can count, and he cannot trust ANYONE. I felt for Arthur and so I could also forgive that he was at times very angry/dangerous. I mean, wouldn’t you if your whole life was build on hiding, worrying about if today is the day to die, having to be alert all the time. I loved how he was with Marie, how he opened up to her, showed kindness and love, see him finally be able to trust someone for real. I love how he thinks Marie is a robot and is constantly wondering how she works. What her protocols are. Or how she recharges.
As for the shipping? I am 100% no 150% doing that! I cannot wait for more developments between these two, they are just so cute together. Though OK, we will probably hope first that Arthur is so deep in the romance with Marie that he doesn’t mind she isn’t a robot. Or that in the end he doesn’t mind it because he can see she isn’t doing it to hurt him.
Again, at one point I thought this manga would be over with how things went in the last two chapters, I knew there would be more, but given everything I was thinking that the next would be about something else. But no! Arthur is either just ignoring it or he is really a numbskull. Either way, I am happy for more Robot Marie.
The art was just oodles of fun, Marie was drawn fabulous with her dead-inside look (seriously, I can understand why she was chosen, for most of the book she has the same expression) and Arthur looked fabulously. Oh, and the battle scenes? Fantastic!
All in all, I need more of this series! I need to know what is next! I would recommend it!
Review also posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
February 4, 2024
A pretty fluffy story with FL pretending to be a "stone face robot maid" for her master ML. It's just darn cute guys, that's really it!
August 26, 2025
This was good. Arthur is an heir to a large fortune, which upsets his other siblings, so they constantly try to kill him. Even his girlfriend is someone working for them. So he doesn’t trust humans at all, and he can’t stand people who lie.
His butler has a solution: a mechanical maid. Unfortunately, one isn’t immediately available, so he hires a martial arts prodigy who has an expressionless face. Nothing fazes her. To their surprise, Arthur immediately buys the ruse and decides to call his new maid Marie.
Marie has her hands full in protecting Arthur from killers and kidnappers, all the while guarding her secret. For his part, Arthur is growing very fond of her, so much so he’s contemplating marrying her. And Marie might not be as immune to emotions as she would hope. Will that lead to her secret being revealed? I’ll have to read on to find out.
I liked this story. Arthur was a spoiled brat with anger issues, but he was always nice to Marie. She was almost superhuman in her abilities. Both are lonely and need each other. Art was good.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
His butler has a solution: a mechanical maid. Unfortunately, one isn’t immediately available, so he hires a martial arts prodigy who has an expressionless face. Nothing fazes her. To their surprise, Arthur immediately buys the ruse and decides to call his new maid Marie.
Marie has her hands full in protecting Arthur from killers and kidnappers, all the while guarding her secret. For his part, Arthur is growing very fond of her, so much so he’s contemplating marrying her. And Marie might not be as immune to emotions as she would hope. Will that lead to her secret being revealed? I’ll have to read on to find out.
I liked this story. Arthur was a spoiled brat with anger issues, but he was always nice to Marie. She was almost superhuman in her abilities. Both are lonely and need each other. Art was good.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2026
This is a cute story about a young girl who used to be a martial arts competitor, but has fallen on hard times and is now a construction worker. An attendant of a wealthy scion approaches her with an offer she isn't inclined to refuse: to be Arthur's bodyguard and maid. The only condition is that she pretend to be a robot, because Arthur hates people. He also hates liars, so newly named "Marie" will have to watch her step.
This is a cute switch-up of the robot girlfriend/boyfriend trope. Marie and Arthur each have their strengths, and the tension that naturally comes of one character deceiving another is amusing, especially as Marie's robot-like demeanor starts crumbling in the face of Arthur's unabashed admiration.
Mechanical Marie is another manga serial that started as a one-shot, and is also Akimoto's first ongoing story. I've certainly seen worse from serial debuts. As an anti-fan of shoujo comedy, this title will have to go above and beyond an "episode of the month" structure, and have some more going on thematically, to keep my interest. It isn't all double-takes and yelling, to my great relief.
This is a cute switch-up of the robot girlfriend/boyfriend trope. Marie and Arthur each have their strengths, and the tension that naturally comes of one character deceiving another is amusing, especially as Marie's robot-like demeanor starts crumbling in the face of Arthur's unabashed admiration.
Mechanical Marie is another manga serial that started as a one-shot, and is also Akimoto's first ongoing story. I've certainly seen worse from serial debuts. As an anti-fan of shoujo comedy, this title will have to go above and beyond an "episode of the month" structure, and have some more going on thematically, to keep my interest. It isn't all double-takes and yelling, to my great relief.
August 5, 2026
There’s something very charming about a good ol’ fashioned shoujo—just a central couple and a ridiculous pretense that brings them together. Shenanigans abound.
Somehow, this story is just very refreshing.
The premise isn’t so overly convoluted that it distracts from everything else but the ruse is still compelling enough to keep the story moving and to create moments for our main characters to bond and banter.
Plus, the art is nostalgic and wholesome. It feels very early 2000’s shoujo.
Anyway.
I had fun reading this and will be continuing the series~
Somehow, this story is just very refreshing.
The premise isn’t so overly convoluted that it distracts from everything else but the ruse is still compelling enough to keep the story moving and to create moments for our main characters to bond and banter.
Plus, the art is nostalgic and wholesome. It feels very early 2000’s shoujo.
Anyway.
I had fun reading this and will be continuing the series~
August 27, 2025
This was downright hilarious. I loved the set up (although it's going to backfire something crazy), the characters, and the weirdness of having a character constantly put at risk.
I'm looking forward to the next volume and seeing how things play out.
Thanks so much to Yen Press and Edelweiss for the DRC.
I'm looking forward to the next volume and seeing how things play out.
Thanks so much to Yen Press and Edelweiss for the DRC.
November 21, 2025
This was so hilarious! I love the commitment to the gag humor, everything is so exaggerated and over the top, but there's still room for some sentimentality and romance. I'm also a massive sucker for stories where characters have to pretend to be something or someone that they're not, it's always interesting and a little bit tense. I hope the other volumes can keep up the fun!
February 18, 2026
I actually think this is really sad. A boy is so starved for trust in his relationships he falls for and believes a robot is a good romantic partner and friend. The robot is actually human.
It’s a little hard to believe but it was zany and fun for the most part. Like I said, I just think it’s really sad. Human connection is important.
It’s a little hard to believe but it was zany and fun for the most part. Like I said, I just think it’s really sad. Human connection is important.
October 6, 2025
全６巻感想：ザ花とゆめ、という感じの、安心して読めるラブコメ。
深みは無いので余韻があったり、考えさせられたりしないし、胸糞悪くなるレベルの悪役もいない。
登場人物全員、最終的には「いい人」として大団円に参加する感じの漫画だった。
あ、昨日(2025/10/5)からアニメが始まったのか！
だから全話無料公開だったのかな。
気が向いたらアニメも観てみよう。安心してバックグラウンドで流していられそう。
深みは無いので余韻があったり、考えさせられたりしないし、胸糞悪くなるレベルの悪役もいない。
登場人物全員、最終的には「いい人」として大団円に参加する感じの漫画だった。
あ、昨日(2025/10/5)からアニメが始まったのか！
だから全話無料公開だったのかな。
気が向いたらアニメも観てみよう。安心してバックグラウンドで流していられそう。
November 13, 2025
Is he that desperate for connection, while being that paranoid? I don't know about any of you, but if I was that paranoid I would not have believed a robot could be so human-like. I would have taken a knife and nicked the skin, or something...
September 3, 2024
Giống phim i'm not a robot của hàn, clm siêu cute
September 6, 2025
actually this was super cute !
September 30, 2025
Utterly bizarre, and I can't help but be a little concerned by Arthur's love for the person he thinks is a robot maid, but I'm curious where it's going.
October 6, 2025
silly and cute!
October 12, 2025
Jacks and Evangeline in the multiverse
December 4, 2025
LOVE THIS MANGA☺️ Please publish rest of volume in english🥺🙏
January 10, 2026
time to watch the anime now I can't stop laughing
June 8, 2026
So good, so funny the triple A battery thing gets me every time! I’m so glad I picked this up from my library I hope more come out soon
July 1, 2026
Hilarious. Need to suspend disbelief for this, but if you can it's great.
July 3, 2026
Cute start.
August 15, 2026
Más absorbente de lo que me imaginaba. Era tan largo, que parecían varios tomos!
September 1, 2026
8/26 A fun romance with several unique twists that I really enjoyed. Altho there's really not much that can be expanded upon, I'm still looking forward to a little more with these quirky characters.
April 2, 2025
So süße als auch amüsante Geschichte. ^_^
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews