2B and 9S Appear as a Maid and Butler in Animate Cafe Promo

A new NieR Automata promotional stunt being held at Japanese store Animate comes with a new look for its iconic characters. The new Animate Cafe promo casts YoRHa androids 2B and 9S as a maid and butler serving customers. The Animate Cafe promo kicks off on March 8, 2023, and will run through April 10, 2023.

Animate also previewed the illustration that will be used as the center of the promo.

The Animate Cafe promotion is intended to celebrate the recent release of the NieR Automata v1.1a anime series. The series adapts 2017’s NieR Automata game into animated form. The promo features redesigned anime-style images of 2B and 9S, as a maid and a butler. 2B wears a maid outfit that blends elements of her YoRHa outfit with ones common to maid costumes used in cosplay and anime character designs. The result includes highlights like a long, loose skirt with a high-cut leg, garters and stockings, a frilled headdress and apron, and the trademark YoRHa blindfold. 9S’ butler outfit is a fairly typical butler costume, though it uses short pants and incorporates 9S’ short gloves. To align with the cafe’s menu selection, maid 2B and butler 9S are also shown serving donuts and tea or coffee.

Customers who visit will be able to partake of the sweets available, as well as receive exclusive merchandise. The promotion will serve customers on a per-reservation basis from March 8 through 12, but from the 13th to the promo’s end on April 10, admission will be first-come, first-served. Patrons can reserve a slot at this page.

The NieR Automata Animate Cafe promotion runs from March 8, 2023 to April 10, 2023 in Japan. Currently, only Animate’s Decotto Cafe branch will host the promo. The next episode of the NieR Automata anime, episode 4, will resume airing on February 18, 2023, following a delay in production.