Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 434 (Time for some new playing cards!)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku 
Hayate the Combat Butler Chapter 434 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Miki announces to Risa and Izumi that's she's revolutionized playing cards. Risa opens a pack and discovers half of the cards are transparent, which Izumi finds funny since it would mess up a game like poker. Risa suddenly gets how this would revolutionize poker, but since Izumi doesn't get it, Risa and Miki make fun of her.

After a demonstration hand between Risa and Izumi, Miki says that this added level of strategy to the game of poker is what makes it revolutionary. Hina shows up and finds this interesting, so when she agrees to try out the cards in a poker game, Miki decides there should be real stakes. If Hina loses, she has to strip. After being goaded into accepting, Miki decides that Izumi will strip upon any loss of Miki's.

Hina wins the first hand to the irritation of Miki, so Izumi is forced to remove her panties. Hina wins again based on having read Miki's transparent cards and knowing what had been discarded, therefore she didn't fall for Miki's bluff. Izumi is forced to strip again, leading to the third and final hand. Miki draws a full house, but Hina has a royal flush, leading Miki to believe that Hina has to be cheating. To Risa's amazement, Izumi strips completely while Miki challenges Hina again.

Thoughts/Review:

Har! Well, Hata-sensei kept us guessing on when he'd throw down the old gag chapters. Not that there was anything special to this one, but it was OK.

I liked Hata-sensei's admission on the chapter's splash page that this was a blatant marketing ploy for the new playing cards that are being sold with the LE edition of volume 39.

I will say this -- once again, I find myself missing the older character designs for Hayate the Combat Butler. Hina and the others looked much cuter before than they do now.

Beyond that, there's nothing to say. As a gag chapter, it wasn't that funny. It was mildly amusing.

Hayate the Combat Butler is on another break next week as Weekly Shounen Sunday is on another break.  It would be awesome if the manga returned to the plot rather than launch into more gag chapters.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga - Prototype Chapter Review

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

**********SPOILERS!!!**********

Since Hayate the Combat Butler is on a break this week, I thought I'd go back to the origins of this manga series that I enjoy so much.  Prior to the manga fans of Hayate the Combat Butler know and love being done, a thirty two page prototype manga of the same name (Hayate no Gotoku in the Japanese) was produced. I admit, I'm not too versed on its history (anyone who does know, please feel free to enlighten me in the comments), but it appears that this prototype manga was published in magazine form at some point in time. Whether that was prior to the actual manga's publication, or whether it was published as part of a celebration of the manga series as a way of saying, "this is where it all started," I cannot say.

Regardless, I thought I would compare this prototype manga to the start of the canon Hayate the Combat Butler manga and write a review.

The premise of the story is the same, but there are a lot of differences. For starters, Hayate has the debt from his parents as he's standing at the lot where his house used to stand. He's being chased by the yakuza; he can't get a job due to not having a legal residence; he has ¥120 to his name; and he decides to go into crime by kidnapping an ojousama, figuring that even if he fails, prison has a bed and food.  Naturally, he meets Nagi at the park, where he sends the two bozos who are trying to hit on her packing for going after his target.

This is where things really start to change. After Nagi thanks Hayate for saving her, she then asks him how to use the vending machine. I laughed when Hayate showed Nagi a ¥100 coin, to which she said she'd never seen such a thing. So rather than give up his coat to her (she is wearing one here), he buys her a beverage with the last of his money before proceeding to tell her a lot of exposition to establish the plot (his debt, the yakuza, etc.). Nagi finds him to be a good person, even laughing when Hayate confesses he'd planed to kidnap her. Nagi finds this confession of Hayate's as further proof that he's a good person.

This is where things start getting a little odd to me in terms of plot. Obviously, Hata-sensei wants Hayate to be Nagi's butler, but how he gets the characters to that point doesn't ring true.  For starters, if someone said, "I was going to kidnap you" after they'd bought you a beverage with their money and then showed you how to drink said canned beverage, would you want to invite them over, even if you are super rich?  Yet that's exactly what Nagi does here.

How they get to the Sanzenin estate is not show, but they arrive, Hayate is stunned, and Nagi brings him in. Now enter Maria, who is not happy that Nagi just left a party and has been gone for a while. At Nagi's word that Hayate is her benefactor, Maria immediately accepts him and she too wants to show gratitude to Hayate. This too comes off as an unnatural reaction.

Now that Hata-sensei has Hayate in the Sanzenin mansion, it is time to bring in the yakuza element and kidnappings as Maria warns Nagi to be careful after some yakuza were in the area screaming about selling a kid's organs, so they couldn't let him get away. But how to get Hayate in as a butler? Ah, just have Maria listen to Nagi wax poetically about her savior, Hayate.  So Maria offers him the job of butler, since they just happen to have a position open. Naturally, Hayate accepts. *lol* Yeah, it is pretty silly.

Ah, but in the early days of the manga, there was another person who was supposed to play a larger role -- Klaus!  The head butler arrives on cue and wants to know why she'd hire someone they know nothing about. Her reasoning? He was in trouble and Nagi had fallen in love with him. Her amazing insight tells Maria that Nagi's love will be unrequited as Hayate doesn't seem to be interested in younger girls. Hoo!hoo!

As silly as that notion is, I did find the twisted side of Maria to be amusing. She was looking forward to seeing this drama unfold as Nagi would be troubled by the fact that Hayate never fell in love with her.

So Hayate now is a butler in the Sanzenin household. Maria's twisted nature comes to life again as Hayate confesses to not knowing how to be a butler, to which Maria says bluntly that if he can't hack it, he'll be fired. Hayate's response of working until he dies and Maria's "I'm looking forward to it" response cracked me up though. ^_^

Maria sets the stage for the romantic angle of the manga by asking Hayate to support Nagi's heart. We learn of Nagi's many enemies due to her position, which has led to her isolation. Since Hayate understands being isolated, he can relate, and Maria then asks him to protect Nagi. As such, Hayate tells Nagi that he'll always protect her as that's his new mission, so all she has to do is call his name and he will appear.

After blowing off the idea of really being kidnapped, Nagi is kidnapped, causing Maria and Klaus to be in a panic. Hayate grabs a bike, conveniently parked on the sidewalk, where like in the canon manga, he then goes after the kidnappers at an incredible rate of speed. Nagi is not the composed, sarcastic girl of the canon manga since this version of the character has not been through various kidnapping attempts.  But, she does call for Hayate, who appears as he did in the canon.

Hata-sensei goes for the gag as he has Hayate run over (which is pretty similar to the canon), whereupon he falls on the hood of the car. However, Hayate doesn't have that "I'm going to kill anyone that harms Ojousama" air to him. The two kidnappers simply panic because some bloodied guy that should be dead is on their car asking for Nagi's return.

Having saved Nagi's life, Maria and Klaus arrive. Nagi gets mildly annoyed by Hayate getting excited to see Maria again and his excited explanation to her of why he's so strong and durable.

As I look back, it really is quite amazing how much improved Hata-sensei's canon work became over his prototype manga. Rather than just making wild leaps in order to get the characters into places he wanted and to make certain information known, in the canon, Hata-sensei manages to get the flow of things correct, so that things happen in a logical way. We, the audience, are already expected to believe that Hayate is virtually indestructible as well as incredibly strong and fast. Therefore, adding to that by Maria magically knowing Hayate's feelings for Nagi and the like in the prototype was just too much.

Since I'm a big fan of the Hayate the Combat Butler manga, I'm really glad I had an opportunity to see the manga's origins. Although the canon chapters that superseded the prototype are far superior, there's no denying that for me, I found the prototype chapter to be rather fun.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 433 (What!? There's movement in the main plot?)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku 
Hayate the Combat Butler Chapter 433 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Yozora, standing on the rooftop of a nearby apartment tower, observes Yukari-chan House in the dark and makes her report to someone that they can no longer use Ruka as a candidate. With that, she returns to whatever her main job is.

Meanwhile, Ruka reports in to her manager, Atsumari.

August 14 arrives and Nagi announces to the residents of Yukari-chan House that she intends to return to her mansion. Ayumu and Hina want to know what will become of the apartment house while Chiharu and Kayura panic as they have reasons for not wanting to move. Ayumu inquires what will happen with the butler service that is a part of living at Yukari-chan house. Hayate assures her that this won't end as Klaus will move into Yukari-chan House after Hayate returns to the mansion with Nagi. This shocks Ayumu and Hina.

Ah-tan asks if it will be that easy to return to the mansion since Nagi no longer has a King's Jewel. After Hina and Ayumu wonder what these are, they are told that they are precious stones belonging to the Sanzenin family, originating from King Midas. Hayate tells Nagi that he's supposed to know where another stone is, based on what her grandfather told him, but he has no clue. Nagi wonders if he's getting senile, however, she believes that Mikado will help them since he doesn't want to die. After all, there's one person in the world he does not want to gain the Sanzenin inheritance, no matter what.

Yozora puts on a maid uniform to return to her duties to Hisui. Hisui asks if Mikado is planning to bring Nagi back as his successor, which Yozora confirms, provided Nagi acquires a King's Jewel. Yozora states that Mikado doesn't want Hisui to have the treasure, no matter what. Hisui is amused by this as Yozora believes that it is because everyone is afraid of her. As such, Hisui decides they should pay the old man a visit.

Thoughts/Review:

Har! Hata-sensei just loves throwing curve balls left and right. I think all of the Hayate the Combat Butler fans were expecting him to launch into gag chapters (I know I certainly expected it), but he then goes and advances the main plot a bit with interesting tidbits to boot.

Yozora's return was a massive surprise, but a welcome one. As I recall, Yozora was last seen in chapter 370, when they discovered the coffin in the hidden room at Yukari-chan House, after which Isumi put up wards to keep Yozora out.

In a weird way, Yozora turning out to be a maid didn't surprise me. In the world of Hayate the Combat Butler, Hata-sensei has primarily filled it with rich and powerful people, as well as those who support them.  Obviously, Yozora worked for someone, so considering this world with lots of butlers and maids, it kinda makes sense to me that Yozora's primary job would be that of a maid.

That being said, having Yozora be the maid of Hisui did surprise me greatly. She first got mentioned by name in chapter 384 as the person who'd likely get the Sanzenin inheritance if Nagi didn't get it.  Her first actual mention (not by name) is in chapter 136 in volume 13. Since Jenny is Hisui's sister, and Jenny was with Nagi in Africa when they found Tama (along with Isumi, whom I believe is the one who caused Tama to speak and think as a human), I suspect that Hisui was also on that trip, considering that Nagi referred to Hisui as a friend of hers.

What's funny about Hisui showing up is that on one hand, she's a new girl in the mix to replace Ruka (after a fashion, mind you). A new character is what I've seen some fans state an absolute objection to seeing in the manga. Yet technically, while this the first time we've seen her, the fact that Hisui has clearly been in the mix for however many years now means that she's really not a "new" character. Maybe that's why I'm not seeing anyone complain about her showing up.

The question becomes, "Why is Mikado so opposed to Hisui gaining the inheritance?"

Knowing Hata-sensei's penchant for tossing important pieces of information into what appear to be throwaway gag moments, this means going back and reexamining Nagi's flashback of Jenny. Despite being depicted as an adult, Jenny is said to be four. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but Hata-sensei did mention that Jenny had ninjutsu powers, with which she was able to hear the tiny Tama tell her what had happened to his mother (she died). That led to Nagi being irritated that Jenny hadn't used said abilities to defeat the creatures chasing them (that was done by Isumi without Nagi's knowledge).

Let's assume for the moment that Jenny is in fact a ninja, or at least has some training in the ninjutsu arts. If that is true, and it is also true that Jenny is the younger sister of Hisui, then the reason Hisui is feared is that she too has ninjutsu training. Then, taking into account Yozora's abilities, it would appear that she too has ninjutsu training or some other mystical training/enhancement, considering how she's able to battle Hayate, easily defend herself against Isumi's magical attacks, and how she can make one of those ninja-like quick escapes across the rooftops.


As an aside, it really is hard to take any of the ninjitsu discussion seriously, namely because it was a gag moment in chapter 136, complete with youkai, other monsters, carnivorous animals, a unicorn, and even a ravenous panda (which still makes me laugh). Plus, this is a memory from Nagi's childhood, so maybe she is embellishing a little. However, to date, whenever Nagi has had a childhood memory flashback, it is considered as actually having happened as described so...^_^;

Finally, I was surprised that Ruka already received a cameo, but it was needed to show that Ruka had moved out of Yukari-chan House and back to her own apartment. I'm not sure how often Ruka will get future cameos, but I'm pretty sure she will at some point.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 432 (Pondering what might have been.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 432 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Ayumu invites Nagi to join the rest of the girls on the balcony to observe the fireworks, but she politely declines, citing being tired.

On the streets below, Hayate looks at Ruka's note and wonders whether he made the right decision or not in turning her down. Hayate becomes annoyed when he notices all the romantic couples around. Naturally, one really lovey-dovey couple wants him to snap a picture of them, which he does, capturing the two kissing.

Hayate returns home to find no one else there. Checking his phone, he sees the texts from Ayumu, stating where the group is watching the fireworks. Since Hayate missed it, he looks at Ruka's note, feels depressed, and starts to think about what might have been with Ruka again when Nagi shows up, wearing a mask, and calling herself Life Ender-chan. Nagi makes a failed attempt to cheer Hayate up, then she gives him a present -- a sketch of himself, signed by her.

Hayate remarks on this messy doodle, leading to a retort by her. She takes off her mask and says that it is the first thing she's signed, but while it is worthless at the moment, one day it will be very valuable in ten years. Her earnest attitude actually causes Hayate to feel better and he accepts her gift.

Hayate asks how the doujinshi sales went, to which Nagi says assuredly that she naturally sold out. After acknowledging the help she'd received, Hayate praises her for her hard work in such a short time. This causes Nagi to blush, after which she tells Hayate they need to go to the beach.

Thoughts/Review:

And so the doujinshi arc has now concluded. In some ways I'm glad, but in others I'm kinda sad. I'm glad because there are lots of other plot threads that need to be picked back up, so it will be nice to advance those stories. It is sad because I did like Ruka.

I know some didn't like this, but I liked Hayate's pondering about whether he should have gone ahead and hooked up with Ruka or not because it is realistic. I can't imagine that people haven't made a major decision in their lives, then after the decision wonder, "Well what might have been if I'd made a different choice?"  Let's look at Hayate's position for a moment.

From Hayate's perspective, at the moment, Hayate's in love with Athena, based on his remarks to Hina during the Golden Week trip to Greece. However, Athena is currently an unknown quantity. At the moment, Athena has lost some of her memories and she's in child form. But, assuming that she returns to her young adult form (which I think it is safe to say will happen), there's no guarantee that she would get into a relationship with Hayate, even if he confessed his feelings to her.  There could be any number of reasons for her declining to be with Hayate romantically.  Therefore, Hayate's love for Athena may be unrequited.

With Ruka, there is no uncertainty about where Hayate stands with her. He knows Ruka loves him deeply.  Ruka is a hot, popular idol.  She's witty and intelligent to boot.  So, if Hayate had decided to be with her, even if she wasn't number one in his heart, he'd at least have a beautiful someone he cared about and who truly cared for him. However, if he did go this route, it wouldn't be fair to Ruka because Athena would always be number one in his heart. I think Hayate was very much aware of this.

As such, when Hayate sees the romantic couples, he gets annoyed because he has no one. Naturally, he begins thinking, "well, maybe I should have just taken Ruka up on her offer, then I could be among these happy couples." That's his mindset when he returns to Yukari-chan House, and thinking he's alone again, starts pondering about what might have been as he thinks about Ruka. It was all very realistic to me, and made for a good way to end the Ruka element of the arc.

(As I said before, I think Ruka will get the occasional cameo or name drop, but I don't think she and Hayate will ever speak again, at least not for the foreseeable future.)

Nagi being at the house didn't surprise me since she'd made her excuse of being tired earlier.  For Nagi, she'd not only won the doujinshi contest and accomplished the near impossible, proving she could do things she set her mind to, but she had allowed for Ruka and Hayate to have time together. For her, there's no doubt that this was pretty difficult considering how the initial drive for her to defeat Ruka was to prevent Hayate from going off with her. However, it is moments like this that make me think that when the manga is ending, Nagi would be able, even though it would pain her to do so, to allow Hayate to go with the girl of his choice if it isn't her.

Nagi has grown, and that growth shows in this chapter. Nagi is still Nagi, so she gets a little agitated at her portrait of Hayate being called a scribble, but then she concedes that in fact it is a worthless scribble, but she plans to make it worth something in ten years. I like seeing that her drive to continue moving forward is still there. 

Speaking of Nagi, I did like the little nod to Sailor Moon that she did. I couldn't get into that manga myself, but I liked the nod just the same.

So yeah, I do like this chapter a lot for the closure it brings to the arc, and the realistic reflections on Hayate's decision to not be with Ruka.

As to what's coming up, I suspect gag chapters, but Hata-sensei can often be full of surprises. I'd love it if he actually pressed forward with things. I think last year around this time, he teased the main plot again, so he might go that route this year as well.

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.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Volume 22

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku manga volume 22 review
Hayate the Combat Butler Volume 22

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Since I've already reviewed this volume based on the Japanese tankoubon, this review will focus on the Viz release, then some last moment thoughts.

Although I'm still irritated with Viz because of them falsely accusing me of copyright infringement, my love of the Hayate the Combat Butler manga trumps that, so I will continue to promote it.

Taking a look at the story in the manga, this second volume of the trip to Greece tying in with the omake chapters from early in the series shows how well Hata-sensei plots out his stories. Considering the years between those omake chapters and volume 22, it is nice that he is able to keep on top of things so well.

Also, this volume shows how Hata-sensei can successfully blend comedy elements while pushing plot threads forward, this time Hina's love interest in Hayate, Hayate's and Athena's reunion, and Ayumu's and Nagi's growing friendship on top of Ayumu's and Hina's deepening friendship. Hata-sensei worries too much about losing audience with major plot pushes or long story arcs, but I think he worries about nothing. I'm not sure how much of this is driven by his editor, but I am reminded of how slowly Hata-sensei ultimately progresses with the main story plot.

Still, there's no denying the pleasure of Hayate the Combat Butler, which is why I will promote even the Viz version, which thankfully goes the extra mile on the Japanese honorifics, which I like considering how very Japanese the story is.

The Viz release has the usual extras of Hata-sensei's note, the 4-koma strips (I wish those were in color, but oh well), the "goddess" page at the front of the manga, the dating sim page, and the advertisements for the next two volumes of Hayate the Combat Butler.

This is where Viz disrespects English-speaking fans. They advertise volume 23 as coming out in November 2013, but that is obviously a massive lie. As of this posting, the volume is scheduled to be released February 11, 2014.

The other thing that sucks for we English-speaking fans is that in Japan, Hata-sensei insisted that volumes 23 and 24 be released together so that folks could get the final two volumes of the Golden Week in Greece. We won't see volume 24 until September 2014, assuming Viz doesn't push it out even further. *_*  Isn't that just lovely, eh?

I realize that not enough folks are buying Hayate the Combat Butler, otherwise Viz would sell these on a proper, four volumes per year schedule rather than the measly two volumes per year we are graced with. It really is a shame because this is a really good manga series, combining whacky comedy, romantic comedy, and interesting stories.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 430 (Time for a "go nuts" festival date.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 430 Review
Hayate the Combat Butler

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Nagi and friends are enjoying the festival when Hina asks Ayumu where the good fireworks watching spot is that she found. She points to a nearby apartment tower, but Hina figures they can't gain entrance just because it is a good viewing spot. That problem is solved as Izumi reveals her dad owns the building and that everything is ready for them. Heading up to the observation point, Ayumu figures she'd call to tell Ruka and Hayate where they are, but Nagi stops her so that they don't get in the way of the time Ruka has.

Down on the street, Hayate and Ruka are chatting. Ruka decides that since she's no longer in debt, she'll treat Hayate to whatever he wants with the ¥20,000 she got from the doujinshi sales. After questioning that amount, Hayate then wonders if Ruka can do this since she's a famous idol. She says she'll wear her doujinshi mask and count on Hayate's protection.

Hayate goes nuts and orders a lot of food for himself, surprising Ruka. Hayate tells her that he can't hold back his excitement and that there's more where that came from. Ruka asks if he'll gain weight, but Hayate assures her that no matter how much he eats, his body fat has never exceeded 5%. He encourages her to let loose as well with all of the traditional Japanese festival things to do and foods to eat. He cites her never getting to do this as child, just as he never got to do as a child. So she agrees and the two have a wonderful festival date of fun, blowing the entire ¥20,000.

Later that night, the two sit on a bench near the water, where Ruka reflects a bit on things to Hayate before placing her hand on his.

Thoughts/Review:

Har! I had jokingly predicted on Twitter that the Student Council Trio would return in this chapter, and they did, though I thought they'd be back with their movie element. Instead, they were there to get the girls into the apartment building's observation area (or possibly a penthouse apartment).

I really thought we'd see more with Kuruso and Hayate discussing his older brother, but that was completely dropped in typical Hata-sensei fasion.

While I've seen countless summer festivals done at shrine locations or school locations, I'm trying to think if I've ever seen a summer festival held on city streets. I think this was a first because I noticed the difference in setting immediately.

Since Ruka appears to be making an exit from the series, save for the occasional cameo, I liked that she got a date with Hayate. The date was cute, but Hayate deciding to indulge was funny to me. Plus, I have to think that Nagi knew that this was the last time that Ruka would get to spend any real time with Hayate, so why not allow it?  I liked that about Nagi.

I do note with some amusement that Ruka did in fact sell 100 doujinshi. Hayate didn't press the issue hard, which I interpret is Hata-sensei's way of saying, "That's the end of that subject."

One never knows just where Hata-sensei will go from chapter to chapter, but he leaves us with the impression that may, just maybe, Ruka will have one final confession or chat about romance with Hayate. Then again, the next chapter might show the fireworks show and Hayate showing up with the other girls, sans Ruka.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 429 (Product placement anyone? How about some Georgia Max Coffee?)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 429 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

With the doujinshi event now over, the exhausted Ruka and Nagi sit in folding chairs back to back and discuss the situation. Ruka's remark that she didn't think Nagi would sell 100 copies of her doujinshi causes Nagi to think that Ruka threw the contest, since Ruka only sold 99. Ruka denies this and blames the weird mask she wore, stating that folks would rather buy from a cute girl than someone in a bizarre mask.

Ruka claims victory on manga quality, so Nagi asks if she wants another contest. Ruka agrees, but says they'll have to do it in ten years. Ruka says that during that time, she'll focus on being an idol, since the life of an idol is limited, after which she return to the world of manga. Ruka holds out her hand and says that Nagi will probably be a successful manga-ka in ten years, so she asks Nagi to wait for her to join Nagi. Nagi says that there's no way she's waiting, vowing to be so far ahead of Ruka, Ruka won't be able to see Nagi's back. This causes Ruka to smile.

Chiharu returns from taking out the trash and has canned coffee for everyone. She asks Nagi how it feels to sell out, to which Nagi responds that it is the best feeling ever. Ruka tells Chiharu of their plans to do this again in ten years, so Chiharu promises to help again then.

Outside, Kurosu and Hayate chat about Ruka's parents and the positive outcome for Ruka. Kurosu asks if Hayate will reconcile with his own parents. He says that is impossible since they'd never change nor feel sorry for what they'd done, unlike Ruka's parents. However, Hayate does express a desire to meet his older brother again, whom he has not seen in ten years. When Hayate describes him, Kurosu appears to recognize him.

Thoughts/Review:

This was a nice aftermath chapter, where once again, Hata-sensei didn't worry about trying to ramrod gags into the chapter just for the sake of gags.

I got a little kick out of Ruka teasing Nagi, subtly making Nagi aware that Ruka threw the match. Ruka's excuse for not selling one additional copy being the mask amused me as well since it kept Nagi off balance.

I wonder if Hata-sensei will do some artwork showing Nagi and Ruka ten years from now doing another doujinshi contest. I rather doubt that would make it into the regular manga, but it could be omake work of some kind.

Hata-sensei's dropping Hayate's older brother back into the mix was something I'd not expected. He's been forgotten about for a long time, but obviously, Hata-sensei has his notes for plot threads that need addressing. ^_~

Speaking of which, Kurosu is turning out to be a character brought in just to move plot threads forward. She was responsible for moving Ruka's story to a conclusion, and now it appears she'll be the one to reintroduce Hayate with his brother. I rather doubt Hata-sensei jumps right into that story, but it will have to be done before the Athena story can advance, as I see it.

One final thought -- product placement anyone? *lol* Georgia Max Coffee is something I don't think is sold in the U.S. at all (I know Pacific Mercantile sells some canned coffees, but not Georgia products), but it is big in Japan.  Using real products never bothers me, but the focus on the product combined with it not being a parody version makes me think that this might be a product placement.

In the end, a nice aftermath chapter with the groundwork of the next arc being laid out. I expect Hata-sensei to do gag chapters now, but I could be very wrong about that.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 428 (Unexpected reunion time.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 428 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Hina, Kurosu, and Hayate arrive while inside the venue, Ruka's mother and father show up. Her dad says they want to apologize, explaining that after they dumped their debt on Ruka and fled, they were involved in a major car crash in Hokkaido. They'd been under medical care (Dr. Kurosu), but when they heard about Ruka's health problems on TV, Kurosu went in their stead until they were ready to travel.

Ruka's father speaks of a butler (Hayate) coming to see them and telling his story, and speaking frankly about their situation, but expressing his thoughts that if they are serious about reconciling with their daughter, he feels it will happen. With that, her father apologizes and he and Ruka's mother bow respectfully. Ruka's parents say they are taking back the debt and will pay it off, so Ruka is free to do as she wills.

Hearing this, Ruka hands her father the last copy of her doujinshi manga about MURASAKI Shikibu being reborn in modern times. The story now accurately reflected Ruka's current life, with novel writing replacing being an idol singer. With that, she tells her parents that she'll continue being an idol because after all is said and done, she truly loves her job and keep singing for herself and no one else.

Ruka tells her parents that she isn't yet able to forgive them, but she does thank them for the apology and for giving her music.

Thoughts/Review:

There weren't many, but there were those who called it by stating that the suited person asking to buy the last copy of Ruka's doujinshi was her father as her parents were the ones collected by Kurosu, Hayate, and Hina.

I didn't do a good job of expressing it in the blog (actually, I did a crappy job as I read back through things), but ever since Ruka made her decision to continue being an idol, I felt that it was based in part on her love for the job. I remember feeling the crowds swayed her and she based her decision to stay based on them.  But when taken with how her rehearsal session went and her earlier hard work as an idol, it is clear that Ruka loved her job even if it had been forced on her.

When one does a job they are forced into, but have no passion for, they may do a good job, but they won't go above and beyond the call of duty.  However, if one truly loves their job, even if it is hard work, long hours, and the like, one would willingly and easily go above and beyond the call of duty to be the best the could be at it.  After all, when one truly loves the work they do, it doesn't seem like work.

So, the decision Ruka makes to remain an idol of her own volition makes sense to me.  It works with how we saw Ruka in CTMEOY.  That Ruka was into what she did and it showed. I had a more cynical view of things when I watched the anime, chalking Ruka's appearances purely for CD sales, but it would appear there were aftermath elements from the doujinshi contest at work as well.

I hadn't cared for Ruka's parents at all because of how they abandoned her. Hata-sensei giving them an excuse for being absent from Ruka's life so long is a bit of a stretch. They seemed pretty healthy in this chapter, but the car accident provides a convenient excuse for them not to be around.

Still, when I saw her parents and heard their apology, I couldn't feel the same disgust with them that I had before when they were faceless entities.

I do wonder if Kurosu has a further role to play in the overall story.

I am surprised that Hata-sensei didn't show us the trip Kurosu, Hina, and Hayate took.  I really expected chapter 428 to deal with that. I guess that Hata-sensei is wanting to press forward with things.

Well, it will be interesting to see where we go from here.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 427 (And the winner is....)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 427 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Nagi wonders how Ruka did in selling her doujinshi manga and is told by Chiharu that Ruka apparently sold her last copy ten minutes ago. Nagi thinks that she's lost and as she lets that sink in, Chiharu is going to speak with Ruka about it. Nagi stops her, gets in control of her emotions for the moment, then congratulates Ruka for winning. Further, she thanks Ruka for causing her to learn how to do things on her own, work hard, and more. She says that she fought with everything and has no regrets, even though she lost to Ruka.

After asking Ruka to take care of Hayate, Ruka reminds Nagi that the contest rules said nothing about being the first to sell out, only that the person who sold the most would win.  Nagi thinks this means they tied, but Ruka reveals she had a final copy of her manga, which was unsold. As such, Ruka tells Nagi that she has won..  Nagi's legs give out as Ruka congratulates her, saying that though she lost, she too has no regrets.

As Chiharu and Ayumu congratulate the shocked Nagi, Kayura asks Ruka why she thought she lost. Ruka says that Nagi's passion was the difference. Kayura seems to understand as someone approaches and asks to buy that final copy from Ruka.

Thoughts/Review:

I don't remember who did it, but someone called the outcome of this contest, stating that they felt that Ruka would only sell 99 copies and would purposefully withhold one. That seems to be exactly what happened here.

When this contest first began, I thought that Ruka would probably win, but would come to a decision as a result of the contest that would cause her to give up on forcing Hayate to marry her, but would allow her to be in the "I haven't given up on you yet" category. What I hadn't considered at the time was Hata-sensei's plans for Nagi, and I probably should have. However, Hata-sensei is so blasted subtle and slow on pushing plots forward that important foreshadowing moments actually get lost, at least for me.

Currently, I'm rereading the manga that Viz is releasing at a painfully slow rate.  I'm up to the point where Nagi decides to take a part-time job in order to earn money to buy Hayate a watch with for his birthday in November. As I look back now, that was the point where Hata-sensei put Nagi on her path that lead her to the place she is with this chapter. Back then, it was the fact that she wanted to do something on her own without the backing of the Sanzenin fortune or name. While I think she will still buy Hayate a nice watch with money she's earned on her own, with the doujinshi manga she created, she has achieved the goal she set out to do when she first took a part-time job that she didn't need.

Frankly, I love it. I am so glad to see Nagi have such great character growth so that she can stand on her own two feet.  I'm guessing this will sorely be needed as the main plot moves forward and Hayate presumably ends up with Athena again. Nagi has shown that she can let Hayate go if needed.

As to why Ruka would hold a copy of her manga, I think this ties in with my earlier theory on Ruka winning but giving up on Hayate. If Ruka had come to her own decision about giving up on forcing Hayate to marry her, then in order to save face, she goes through with the contest but purposefully takes a dive to allow her opponent to win. For Ruka, this is a graceful way of bowing out, and I like it personally, presuming she's really come to her decision after thinking things through carefully.

That being said, since it appears that Hayate is buying the last copy of the doujinshi, that would put things back at a tie and allow the status quo to stay in effect, but still allow Nagi to get the win since the sale is after the event closed.

 OK Hata-sensei, what do you have for us next? I hope that we get to see what happened with Hayate, Hina, and Kurosu.  I also hope that Hata-sensei keeps writing as well as he has of late, not worrying about ramming in comedy just for the sake of comedy, but keeping any comedy elements in check so that they don't derail the story being told.

I can't wait to read the next chapter!

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 426 (A good doujinshi manga that is poorly made and hard to read.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 426 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Chiharu is worried about how Ruka will make it to the doujinshi event since wearing a mascot outfit as a disguise is impractical. Kayura recalls how Isumi had a bell that would make Ruka's identity hidden, but she also has a mask to hide Ruka's face. As such, Nagi, Chiharu, and Kayura wait for Ruka, who shows up, reminding Nagi that whomever sells the most manga (out of 100 copies) wins the contest.

Ayumu joins the trio inside, asking where Hayate and Hina are. Chiharu says they are being held up due to traffic for the upcoming fireworks events going on that night. Nagi ponders things a bit as the event starts. Chiharu asks Kayura whom she thinks will win, but she doesn't know. Ruka, sitting at the booth behind Nagi, gets a sale first, causing Nagi to panic a bit. Nagi's first customer arrives in the form of Maizumi-sensei, who says it is a horribly made manga, but a good one as well. So he buys a copy. His assistant wants one, so he makes her buy her own copy, giving Nagi her second sale.

As the day progressed and Nagi made sales, she stopped thinking about the contest and simply enjoyed the thrill of selling her product, happy that people were reading it. She realized that this was what she'd been looking for the whole time.

Her last copy sold, Nagi has a tear in her eye at having made it, thanking Chiharu in the process. Chiharu quietly wonders how Ruka did in sales.

Thoughts/Review:

I really thought that we might see things shift back to Hayate and Hina before pressing forward with the actual doujinshi contest, but Hata-sensei is as unpredictable as ever, deciding to press forward with the actual contest. I'm glad he did.

Again, we get some nice moments with Nagi. I'm really glad that Hata-sensei doesn't allow the others to take over the focus, as could so easily happen. This is Nagi's journey and while Ruka has her own journey, that can come later. I just love seeing Nagi accomplish something without the backing of the Sanzenin name or fortune, and Nagi feels the same way.

Nagi's manga is described as "poorly made and hard to read" which screams of something terrible. Yet everyone says it is a good manga.  Something that's poorly made and hard to read is not something I want to read. I suppose it is like the American comic strip Dilbert when it first came out, which was ugly to look at, but if you could get passed that, it was quite good.

Reading this chapter, I can't help but now think that Nagi actually does win the contest. She may have stumbled a lot along the way, but she got there in the end and did what she set out to do -- make a manga and sell that manga based on the content of that manga, not on some gimmick.

Of course, Hata-sensei could go the route of having them tie, which would still result in Hayate not having to marry Ruka and staying in Nagi's service. Nagi still retains her character growth, but the friendship-rivalry would remain the same between Ruka and Nagi, and neither of them "lose".

Having Ruka lose might be linked into whatever Hina, Hayate, and Kurosu are doing, allowing her to move forward as well. We'll see.

So, another good chapter here. I kinda hope we flip back to see what's going on with Hayate and Hina now.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 425 (Nagi's manga confirmed.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 425 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:


To Chiharu's surprise, Nagi reproduces her manuscript and it is much improved. However, Nagi still has to do backgrounds and finishing touches. Nagi is not deterred by this, which causes Chiharu to be impressed.

Ayumu shows up with a way to help Nagi complete her work more efficiently. Chiharu and Nagi are skeptical, but Ayumu sets up a computer system, complete with a monitor/drawing pad. Chiharu wonders whom Ayumu scored this equipment from. She tries to be mysterious, but both Nagi and Chiharu figure this stuff came from Ashibashi-sensei. Not only that, but Ayumu managed to draft a seemingly reluctant Azumamiya to help remotely. Chiharu says it will help, but she's not sure how to use the equipment. Kayura shows up, saying Ruka no longer needed her assistance and sent her to help Nagi. As such, Kayura says she'll train Chiharu on using the computer equipment.

Chiharu says they need another computer. As Ayumu ponders where they can get another machine,  a package arrives with a new computer from the Sadistic Princess of Ise. Nagi feels grateful for all the help and vows to finish this even if it kills her.

Despite all of the odds, Nagi finishes on time and has a stack of her printed manga. Touching the stack, tears start to form in Nagi's eyes. With that, it is time for Nagi to face Ruka.

Thoughts/Review:

This chapter can be summed up in a single word -- awesome.

I loved this chapter because Nagi has done the one thing that so many of us may not get to. She not only refocuses on her goal, but she doesn't allow the "what if" thinking to take over and weigh her down with pointless worrying. As such, she's doing her best, whether it is good enough to defeat Ruka or not, or even if Hayate doesn't come back. Nagi is in the "now", which is where she should be.

This is her first time working so hard for something, trumping her work at the cafe.That's why the moment when she touches the stack of her printed work and briefly gets emotional works so well. She earned that moment.

I had no problems with Nagi getting help from Ayumu. In fact, I liked that Ayumu used her connection to Ashibashi-sensei to get Nagi the equipment to help her finish on time. I chuckled at how she even roped in Azumamiya to help. (Man, he's no longer the character he used to be when he had a butler.) It was another nice moment.

I'm guessing that Ah-tan (Alice) is the one who bought the new computer. If so, I've got no problem there either.

The only problem I had was Kayura showing up to help because Ruka sent her to help Nagi. Sorry, but in a competition like this, you don't help your opponent. That was the only weak point of the whole chapter.

That aside, it was just so nice to see that Hata-sensei didn't skip this important last push on Nagi's part to complete things on time. I had thought that this chapter would actually start the doujinshi event, or possibly it would go back to Hayate, Hina, and Kurosu. I'm glad that didn't happen.

Finally, there's Nagi's final product. The cover of her manga isn't very clear, but there's enough shown to confirm once and for all that the doujinshi manga seen in the CTMEOY anime series is the same as the one here.  Awesome. ^_^

So, aside from one minor issue, this was a really good chapter. Can't wait to see how things go fro here.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 424 (Insert "Rocky" theme music here.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 424 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

As Chiharu, Maria, and Ah-tan (Alice) observe, Nagi decides she's going to give up now that she's accidentally destroyed part of her manga. Her reason is that realistically, with three days, there's not enough time to do a quality product that would actually sell. Maria moves in to do her usual comforting of Nagi, but Chiharu stops her. Nagi goes on to cite how much better Ruka is than she, and since this is only a doujinshi, there's no reason for her to push herself any more.

Chiharu cites a racing series where the protagonist doesn't give up despite overwhelming odds, which catches Nagi's attention. She then cites a boxing series with a similar situation. Chiharu points out that Nagi's belief that she would win was based on her being the protagonist, and as such, she must act like a protagonist and do whatever it takes to overcome adversity to triumph. Further, Chiharu strongly reminds Nagi that only Nagi got herself into this situation, so Chiharu demands to know what Nagi can make of herself in this situation if she's the protagonist.

Nagi considers Chiharu's words, wondering why she got into this in the first place. She thinks of how she was born into the wealthy Sanzenin family and had been bored for a long time. Thus, her real reason for getting into this doujinshi competition wasn't to defeat Ruka or keep Hayate, but for herself so she would accomplish something and not simply be born into it.

With that, Nagi finds her resolve and tells Chiharu that she doesn't need the ruined manuscript, even if some of the pages are fine. She's going to do it all from scratch, something Chiharu thinks she won't have time to accomplish. Nagi says she's going to become a genius manga-ka who sells a trillion copies, and as such, she'll overcome this problem on her own.

Maria is surprised by this but jumps into help. Maria is saddened that she never comforted Nagi, which Ah-tan notices, mentioning that Maria's role as mother is no longer required.

Thoughts/Review:

I had figured that Nagi would start over, and that's what she did here. Of course, I didn't think it would go quite in the fashion that it did, but this is fine.

While Chiharu's usage of sports manga/anime metaphors did create the spark within Nagi, I liked how they weren't what actually the element that caused Nagi's "engine" to fire up. Nagi went beyond her fears of losing Hayate to Ruka and back to the root of everything just prior to when she met Hayate in that park at the vending machines. I never put a lot of thought into it back then as I considered the manga to be just a gag-comedy title, but I do remember wondering why a girl who was always the target of kidnappings would venture away from a party alone just because she was sick of the smell of tobacco.

Now, it all becomes clear. Nagi has always complained about being bored at various points in the series, so now it makes sense to me why Nagi would do this. Risking her life for a bit back on that snowy, Christmas Eve alleviates the boredom, if only for a time.

Throughout it all though, the only thing that Nagi has consistently done, even if poorly, is continue a dream to be a manga-ka. After Isumi kept her from giving up as a young child, Nagi has tried, even if she got stuck on that hideous Brittany concept. She's been overconfident at times due to her privileged state, but now that push is coming to shove, she's returned to the beginning, centered herself, lost the distractions, and she'll have a finished manga. Doing things for one's self is the key to any success, thus we have a way for Nagi to succeed and defeat Ruka, something I wasn't sure would happen.

Another interesting element from this chapter is Maria. We've long known that Maria is Nagi's surrogate mother. How many times did she tell Hayate not to spoil Nagi so much?  Here, she was going to do her own form of spoiling Nagi by comforting her after her inevitable failure, but this time, Nagi pulled herself up with her own two hands. Maria is in an unfamiliar spot and I do feel for her.

That being said, I think Ah-tan is wrong in her assessment that Maria's role as mother is no longer needed. Whether in success or failure, Maria should be there for Nagi and I've no doubt that Nagi will seek her out in either instance.

In the end, another good drama chapter with Nagi making a comeback like Rocky.

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 423 (Time for drama.)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 423 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Ah-tan is surprised to find Maria cooking sausages for Nagi when it is night. Ah-tan wonders if Nagi is really working hard. Maria says she is, citing the fact that her endeavors this time have gone on far longer than normal. However, Maria also cites how Nagi usually messes up and that Maria will be there for her as usual.

Meanwhile, Chiharu tells Nagi that at her current production rate of 2.5 pages a day, she won't make it. Nagi knows this all too well, especially since she not only has to finish drawing her manga, but have the covers done, editing done, and the publishing. Even though she's getting sick, she knows she cannot stop as stopping would mean losing Hayate to Ruka. Nagi thinks this should be motivation enough to make her work faster, but it isn't going like that. She feels the ache in her heart and considers Kurosu's words about conclusions being reached before someone realizes it.

Nagi thinks of how Hayate has told her that he's protect her in the past, present, or future, but she also considers Ruka's feelings too. Nagi feels there's no reason for Hayate to root for her to win, which is probably why he hasn't even called to check in on her. The days go on and Nagi continues to work and worry. She feels her manga work is crude and that she hasn't changed at all. This leads her to depressed thoughts that she can't defeat Ruka and that none of this really matters since even if she tries, it wouldn't make anyone happy. She feels she will now lose Hayate.

Eventually, she snaps, slamming the desk and shouting that she may as well not finish it. That causes her bottle of ink to fall off the desk she was working at and onto the finished pages on the ground. Maria and Ah-tan rush in to find out what happened and Chiharu asks to get something to wipe off the pages. Chiharu is surprised that Nagi hasn't moved to try to save her work. Nagi says she's had enough of that manuscript.

Thoughts/Review:

It is always nice when Hata-sensei doesn't worry about putting jokes into a chapter and just pushes forward with the story. That's what we got here.

While one could certainly say that Nagi's inner dialog could be cliched angst, to me, it felt very real and not overdone. Nagi is reaching down within herself and facing things seriously. She's working quite hard. However, she also sees that her own work still isn't good enough.  She's being quite hard on herself, especially since I think the pages we've seen of her manga are vastly improved over that Brittany crap. But compared to Ruka's previous work, Nagi is right -- it isn't good enough.

Regarding Hayate, he has repeatedly made the promise to protect Nagi in the past, present, or future. So far, he's done that, including his unexplained trip back into the past to save Nagi's life when she was a child. It is true that Nagi has worried about losing Hayate before, but in those cases, it was due to her own selfish actions.  Here, Nagi's worries are based not because she's done something selfish, but that she's not good enough. Hayate not calling her (and I'm going to venture a guess that whatever he, Hina, and Kurosu are doing is preventing this) only adds to Nagi's fears of losing him.

The element that stood out to me is that she doesn't harbor resentment at Ruka should Ruka win Hayate. She knows Ruka loves Hayate and Nagi understands what it would mean to Ruka to marry Hayate. Nagi doesn't want to lose Hayate, but if she lost him, maybe losing him to Ruka wouldn't be so terrible since Ruka and Hayate have parental abandonment and massive debt in common.

The obvious conclusion that comes from Nagi spilling ink on her manuscript is that she's going to just quit and have done. Discounting the fact that from CTMEOY, we know that Nagi created a good doujinshi manga and that she ends up back in the mansion, I still don't think quitting will happen. I say this because of a similar story in School Rumble, where Harima accidentally spilled ink on another manga-ka's work he was tasked with finishing, so he ended up doing his own manga. Also in School Rumble, Harima had a similar deadline with love on the line, and he barely made it. So I figure Hata-sensei will follow that same route and have Nagi start over with a new, better manuscript that she just barely finishes in time.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how things go. ^_^

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 422 (The Lies of an Idol)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 422 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

In Hokkaido, Kayura's mother lets Kayura's father know that their daughter has returned to Tokyo. Kayura's father isn't so happy that Kayura's room is a mess.

At Yukari-chan House, Kayura tells Ruka the story of a new idol who held a concert event at a supermarket for their re-opening ceremony. The concert was terrible as the stage was cheaply made, the music was from a cassette player, and the only ones there were a few old people. Kayura felt the idol was sad and shabby, but the idol gave it her all, which affected Kayura. After the concert, the idol shook everyone's hand and gave them a signed poster. When it was Kayura's turn, she noticed the idol's faint smile mixed with bitterness. Thus, Kayura realized the idol wasn't happy with her situation and had been lying and wasn't good at it.

Thus, Kayura tells Ruka to not draw lies since she's bad at lying, Ruka having been the idol in Kayura's story. Ruka demands to know what Kayura means. Kayura says it something Kayura can't let go of and hands Ruka back the storyboard.

The next morning, Kayura tells Chiharu that she and Ruka will be heading to Rainbow Village to finish Ruka's manuscript since having two rivals under the same roof isn't a good thing. She tells Chiharu to tell Nagi "good luck."

Maria checks in on the ailing Ayumu, who has a fever. Ayumu wonders if she's going to die, but Maria assures her she won't die, but she needs to be checked out, so Maria arranges to have her taken to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Chiharu comes in to help Nagi, finding her in the early stages of getting sick. Nagi is concerned over her lack of progress since she could lose Hayate. Nagi asks how Ruka is doing, to which Chiharu answers that Ruka has had a breakthrough and is making progress. With that, Nagi returns to working on her manga.

Elsewhere, Hina, Hayate, and Kurosu arrive in Hokkaido.

Thoughts/Review:

I'm glad that Hata-sensei isn't worrying a great deal about forcing gags into the chapters of late.  Sure, there was something humorous about Ayumu being ill (even though being sick is never funny) and something humorous about Hayate coming out of a Lamborghini trunk. But this doesn't feel like, "MUST TELL GAG JOKES" that sometimes Hata-sensei comes off as doing.

I need to go back and read Kayura's first displayed meeting with Ruka to see if Kayura shows any signs of having met Ruka before or even being her fan. I don't have a problem if Kayura's story in this chapter is a retcon, but I'm just curious to know, especially since Kayura hung up in her room the signed poster of Ruka from that early concert

The lie Kayura speaks of is Ruka's whole life to date as well as her love. The idol lifestyle was forced on Ruka, so she did what she could to be good at it, though clearly, in those early days, she had a hard time being completely successful at hiding the bitterness she felt about having this lifestyle forced on her. That has never ended, thanks to Ruka's decision to not quit being an idol in order to do the responsible thing and pay off the debt she owes, thanks to her worthless parents.

The other element in Ruka's manga is the love aspect, where her heroine finds happiness in love. While Ruka may be in love with Hayate, she hasn't found happiness yet.  For starters, Hayate doesn't love her in a romantic way. He cares about her, just as he cares about a lot of girls.  But that's a long way from romantic love.  Even if he did love her, they'd have a tough life together, both of them being so saddled with debt.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see what changes Ruka makes to her manga.

Also interesting is that Kurosu took Hina and Hayate to Hokkaido, Kayura's home town. I didn't remember Ruka being from there, but it would explain her being at a concert years earlier for a supermarket there. I'm really curious as to what might still be here that could make Ruka happy.

As an aside, Hina makes an interesting choice to go up to Hokkaido with Hayate and Kurosu. I say this because I wonder if Hata-sensei will try to use this as an opportunity to explore Hina's backstory a little more. I'm currently (and VERY slowly) rereading the Viz manga releases of Hayate the Combat Butler.  One of the remarks Hata-sensei said back when Hina and Yukiji were introduced was his desire to tell their whole debt story, since he'd already done the groundwork to tell said story (which I believe was for an earlier manga concept). I know we've seen bits and pieces of that story, including a glimpse of how Yukiji did whatever it took to pay off the debt, but I'd like to see it actually drawn out in more detail, even if it takes several chapters to do so.

So, some interesting things happening in this chapter. I really hope Hata-sensei continues to press forward with actual story and doesn't go, "Oh no! Must do one shot gag chapters to waste time!"

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 421 (Comic Master K!)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 421

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Nagi and Ruka again exchange words on how they'll win, Ruka getting the final word in, but in reality, Ruka was in as much trouble as Nagi as she too had not done her manuscript.  However, worrying over the limited time remaining to her as well as Nagi's words on having come up with a good storyboard causes Ruka to waste a lot of time. She wants to consult with Hina or Hayate on her storyboard, which she thinks is good but missing something, but those two have taken off.

Kayura emerges, calling herself Comic Master K while cosplaying the Comic Master J character. Ruka doesn't get the reference, but Kayura says she's there to help a fellow, troubled housemate. When asked if she can draw, Kayura reminds Ruka that her parents were assistants of a certain manga-ka and she produces a manuscript that she did at age 12, which is far superior to what either Ruka or Nagi did.

Kayura says that her parents wanted her to live out their dream of being a manga-ka by becoming one herself. Ruka immediately relates to this, since she became an idol due to her own parent's dream being forced on her. Ruka asks if Kayura is trying to become a manga-ka. Kayura says she might become one or she might not, but for now, she'd rather read manga. This surprises Ruka, so Kayura says life should be lived by doing what makes one happy. She points out that both Ruka and Nagi have a similar problem in that they have difficulty discovering what makes them happy.

Ruka gives Kayura her manuscript, which Kayura starts to read. Kayura likes the story, but as she reads more, she starts showing signs of concern. After finishing, Ruka asks what she thought. With that, Kayura starts to tell a story of an idol that once visited a local supermarket.

Thoughts/Review:

One of the things that I liked about this chapter is the subtle glimpse given into the notion of the other person being better or doing better than you might be doing.  Ruka has long been established as a superior manga-ka to Nagi. Nagi has always gotten bogged down in her hideous Brittany magic girl concept, with its bizarre stories and poor art. Ruka has had some doujinshi success with a good story and good art. As such, the manga has shown Nagi to have concern over Ruka trumping her in a contest.

With this chapter, we get to see that Ruka, while having superior skills, is in the same place Nagi is when it comes to actually producing a finished doujinshi manga.  Even though Nagi is in a panic over getting done on time, Ruka panics for the same reason, aided by Nagi's words that she has a good storyboard, meaning Nagi achieved her goal.  So now, Ruka imagines Nagi is in a better position than she actually is.

It made me think of how we are in real life. Often, we look at others and assume that they are superior to us, or ahead of us in one fashion or the other and that they don't have the issues that we have. Yet in reality, those other people have similar issues that we have and may in fact be in the same position as us, even if they seem to be ahead of us.  As such, though it is easier said than done, we should focus on ourselves and not worry about others.

So, Nagi gets Chiharu as an assistant and apparently, Ruka is getting Kayura.  It is interesting that Ruka is telling a story of Murasaki Shikibu (Shikibu being her official title as an official responsible for court ceremonies) being reborn in the modern era 1000 years after her death. Clearly, Ruka is modeling her version of Murasaki on herself, where thanks to branching out into doujinshi and meeting Chiharu, Ruka unlocked new avenues in her life -- new friends, new fun, and falling in love for the first time. It will be interesting to see what Kayura says about this because Ruka clearly sees true love as happiness, but I think Kayura is going to bring up something else.

Kayura's purpose in the manga really has been fuzzy to date, other than to be another prod for Nagi. With this chapter, Kayura's purpose is coming into greater focus. Unlike Ruka, who finds herself an idol because of her parent's dream, Kayura has refused to allow herself to be dictated to by her parent's manga-ka dream. As such, I can see this being how Ruka ends up finding her happiness because deep down, I do think Ruka likes being an idol.

As to Kayura cosplaying Comic Master J, I would not have known about the reference had it not been for Genshiken Nidaime and the manga chapter were Sue is talked into cosplaying with the others while helping with Ogiue's manga since the costume left for her was for Comic Master J. I took a gander at a chapter of Comic Master J and it didn't do anything for me. I can understand why a manga-ka would get into it though since Comic Master J comes in to save a manga-ka's bacon when they are behind or having troubles with their manga.

In the end, an interesting chapter. I'm looking forward to finding out what Kayura has for Ruka. 

Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 420 (Lamborghinis Have the Trunk in the Front!)

ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 420

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Hayate has clearance to leave Nagi's service for a time, so he informs Kurosu that he's ready. Since Hina has decided to go along as well, Hayate is forced to ride in the trunk in the front of the Lamborghini since it only has two seats.

Nagi is feeling a little down, wondering if she should have asked about Hayate's reason for wanting to make Ruka happy, but she figures that would have resulted in the worst possible outcome. So, Nagi decides to work on her manga since she has to win to get Hayate back.  While she had a 30 page storyboard, she had no manuscript pages completed and nine days until the competition. Worry starts to set in as she knows she has to get this done as storm clouds gather in the sky.

Meanwhile, Ruka is in a meeting with Atsumari to go over the Las Vegas itinerary, but when she notices Ruka is not paying attention, she questions whether Ruka will continue as an idol or not. Ruka asks for permission to take care of something, then heads to Yukari-chan House to see Nagi.

While the storm rages outside, Chiharu sits with Nagi and is impressed with Nagi's determination to see this through despite being sore from walking and being very behind. As such, Chiharu volunteers to help with the finishing touches on the manga. The power goes out, causing Nagi to instinctively call for Hayate. But she sadly remembers he's not there, so Chiharu goes to check the circuit breaker.

Nagi goes out and stands on the engawa (porch) when Ruka shows up with her umbrella.  Ruka explains that she needs Hayate because they have the same pain of having been abandoned by parents and burdened with massive debt. She vows to take Hayate if she wins the competition. Nagi says she won't allow it, even if he loves Ruka, because Hayate is her butler. Ruka counters by saying she'll end his life as a butler by winning the competition.

Thoughts/Review:

"Lamborghinis have the trunk in the front!"  *LOL* The double feature gag, with the first one being the setup and the second one knocking it out of the park. My hat is off to you, Hata-sensei. I'm still laughing at that one.

Beyond that gag, there were no jokes, but to be honest, I'm very fine with that. The plot needs to be pushed forward, and the one gag here could be afforded since Hata-sensei needs to move Kurosu, Hayate, and Hina out of the way for now.

Which reminds me, where are the other housemates and the idiot trio? Not that this is important, mind you, but knowing Hata-sensei, he'll pause things to bring them back into the mix.

I think I've hinted at this before, but I'm going to make an early call and make some predictions. First, I think that Nagi will actually create a good manga, as seen in CTMEOY. Second, I think that she'll lose to Ruka in the competition. However, I think that thirdly, whatever Hayate's mission is right now, it will mean Ruka giving up on Hayate.

Since there's nothing more to say about Hayate's mission until we see more, I'm moving to Nagi. I like that Chiharu is helping her on the finished product since Nagi will need it. Maybe Kayura will be able to play an assistant role as well to speed production along.

I also like how Nagi is maturing as a character. She didn't do her normal ranting and raving when she saw Hayate and Ruka together in an obvious romantic setting. She gave Hayate permission to go with Kurosu to help Ruka become happy.  She's saddened at the thought of possibly losing Hayate, but determined to not let that happen.  So, she is "doing the needful," as they say in India.

As for Ruka, she's already decided to continue as an idol, so I suppose Hayate is the icing on the cake from her perspective. Of course, since she's an idol, she no doubt has a no dating policy in her contract, so I don't know how that would work for her.  I keep thinking of White Album. *lol*

Regardless, I'm looking forward to this particular plot thread being wound down, though knowing Hata-sensei, that won't happen this year. *lol*