Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 431 (A popular character says farewell.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 431 Review
Hayate the Combat Butler

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

With Ruka placing her hand on Hayate's, she has a request for him -- buy her some ice cream, and some of the good, expensive stuff.  When Hayate buys Häagen-Dazs, as she requests, which she really enjoys. Hayate is puzzled by her attitude, so she asks if he's seen the Audrey Hepburn movie, which he hasn't. She confesses that eating ice cream was on her bucket list, and thanks to Hayate, she got to do that with him.

Hayate thinks that she jumped the gun on making a bucket list, citing she has 41 years left, causing Ruka to demand to know if she'll die at 57. Hayate tries to look at Ruka's bucket list, causing her to freak out, saying she'd rather he looked at her breasts than see the lists. When he declines that offer, Ruka doesn't believe it, especially when Hayate shakily denies having a desire to see them. She turns it up a notch by giving the earnest but embarrassed offer again, freaking out Hayate. When he realizes she's teasing him, he gets upset.

In all seriousness, Ruka looks at her "get a boyfriend" item on her bucket list and presses her head against Hayate, telling him she could throw everything away for him. Just as she starts to cave into her feelings to truly give everything up for Hayate, the fireworks start, causing the moment to pass. Ruka accepts this, then as she writes a note while having Hayate keep his eyes on the fireworks, she tells him that he must really be unlucky since he could have married an idol like her had she beat Nagi. Ruka slips the note into his pocket, then after watching the fireworks with him for a moment, she quietly slips away.

Hayate knows she's gone, so he reads the note. One side simply says goodbye while the other teases him, expressing her hope that he regrets not marrying her forever. Hayate tells himself he already regrets it.

Thoughts/Review:

And so the first of the Hayate the Combat Butler characters leaves the series. When characters start leaving, the series is starting to wind down, which in Hata-sensei's case, will take another decade probably. *lol*

This was a very touching chapter. Ruka got to scratch an item off her bucket list from chapter 379, which was eating ice cream. No doubt, Hata-sensei had this in mind when he had Ruka make the list, considering how he is on making a point of certain things, then providing a payoff much, much later.

Do I think this is the last we've seen of Ruka?

I think she'll show up in either flashbacks, as a namedrop, or possibly in a cameo whereby she checks in with Nagi, Chiharu, or one of the other new friends she's made. After all, she was asked to go on the trip with the group in the Heaven is a Place on Earth anime (which is considered canon), and she played a small but important role in Can't Take My Eyes Off You (also canon).  That proves she and the girls stay in touch. I don't expect her to talk with Hayate though.

Regarding Ruka's departure, I liked that for a moment, she faltered because of her bucket list. For a moment, she was truly ready to give everything up to be with Hayate, which was a more realistic thing now that her parents took the debt back upon themselves.  However, in the end, she knew that Hayate was resolved (even if he was tempted), and she accepted that and moved on. Even now, her manner of exit still brings a tear to my eye.

As for Hayate, there's no doubt in my mind that he loved Ruka at some level. After all, Ruka is a hot, beautiful idol, and they would be a good couple, as witnessed by how well they work together. So yeah, Hayate loved Ruka, but I think that in Hayate's heart, Athena is still number one. Nagi would come in second, thanks to Hayate's commitment to her. I think that Hina, Ayumu, and Ruka come in third.

I don't know if we get more aftermath or not, but I'd like another chapter with Hayate returning to the other girls as the fireworks end. I'm sure the gag chapters are soon to come, if for no other reason than to get us through the winter holiday season.

So a bitter-sweet, good chapter in which Ruka leaves the series as a supporting character.