Hayate the Combat Butler
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| Hayate the Combat Butler | |||
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 Logo for the series |
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| ハヤテのごとく! (Hayate no Gotoku!) |
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| Genre | Parody, Romantic comedy | ||
| Manga | |||
| Author | Kenjiro Hata | ||
| Publisher |  Shogakukan |
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| Demographic | Shōnen | ||
| Magazine | Shōnen Sunday | ||
| Original run | May 2004 | ||
| Volumes | 15 (ongoing)  7 (ongoing) |
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| TV anime | |||
| Director | Keiichiro Kawaguchi | ||
| Studio | SynergySP | ||
| Network | TV Tokyo, Animax |
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| Original run | April 1, 2007 – March 30, 2008 | ||
| Episodes | 52 | ||
| Light novel | |||
| Author | Toshihiko Tsukiji | ||
| Illustrator | Kenjiro Hata | ||
| Publisher | Shogakukan |
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| Demographic | Male | ||
| Published | May 24, 2007 – March 18, 2008 | ||
| Volumes | 2 | ||
| Game: Hayate no Gotoku! Boku ga Romeo de Romeo ga Boku de | |||
| Developer | Konami | ||
| Publisher | Konami | ||
| Rating | CERO All ages | ||
| Platform | Nintendo DS | ||
| Released | August 23, 2007 | ||
| Game: Hayate no Gotoku! Ojō-sama Produce Daisakusen Bokuiro ni Somare! | |||
| Developer | Konami | ||
| Publisher | Konami | ||
| Rating | CERO 12 and up | ||
| Platform | Nintendo DS | ||
| Released | March 14, 2008 | ||
| TV anime | |||
| Studio | SynergySP | ||
| Network | TV Tokyo |
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Hayate the Combat Butler (ハヤテのごとく! Hayate no Gotoku!?) is a Japanese manga series, written by manga author Kenjiro Hata, about a boy who starts a new job as a butler and the events he experiences with his employer. The manga is currently on its fifteenth volume in Japan. The English edition of the series has been licensed by Viz Media for distribution in North America. The style of the manga has a comedic gag with a slight harem feel and constantly breaks the fourth wall. The series includes references to other anime, manga, video games, and popular culture. An anime adaptation of the manga started airing on April 1, 2007, and ended on March 30, 2008 on TV Tokyo. A second anime season of Hayate the Combat Butler was officially confirmed for production by TV Tokyo on the official site on March 31, 2008, and in Shōnen Sunday volume eighteen, released on April 2, 2008.[1][2] Another such announcement immediately followed the ending credits of the final episode of season one.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Hayate Ayasaki is an unlucky teenager who worked since childhood to make ends meet due to his parents' irresponsible behavior. One day he finds out that his parents ran away from home, leaving behind a massive gambling debt on his shoulders. While running away from the debt collectors, he ends up meeting Nagi Sanzen'in, a young girl who is the sole heir of the wealthy Sanzen'in estate, and due to a misunderstanding, Nagi ends up falling in love for Hayate. After he rescues Nagi from some kidnappers, she hires Hayate as her new butler.
Aside from performing his ordinary duties as a butler, Hayate must fight to protect Nagi from harm, a difficult task as her life is always in danger because she is the target of other individuals coveting her family's fortune, and sometimes deal with some extravagant requests from her, oblivious to Nagi's true feelings for him.
[edit] Main characters
- Hayate Ayasaki (綾崎 ハヤテ Ayasaki Hayate?)
- Voiced by: Ryōko Shiraishi
- Hayate, sixteen, has had to work to support his parents' bad habits since the age of eight, always moving from job to job, as he is fired when he is discovered to be underage. Hayate's dad is unemployed and his mother is a compulsive gambler, which leads inevitably to their bankruptcy. They abandoned Hayate after attempting to sell his organs to the Yakuza to ease their financial burdens. Without many choices left to him, Hayate decides to hold someone for ransom. He finds a girl, Nagi Sanzen'in, and tells her that he would "like to take her away". However, Nagi mistakes his words for his confession of love, and Hayate ends up employed as Nagi's new butler.
- Characters in the series continually remark that Hayate looks poor and seedy. He believes that everyone hates him except children, though he doesn't think of children as being anything other than friends. Hayate sees Nagi as a little sister that needs to be looked after. He can also play the violin. Despite his terrible luck, Hayate lives up to the title of "combat butler" as he is proficient in repelling attacks from almost anything, including other butlers. He once demonstrated skill with fire-arms and is essentially invincible.
- Nagi Sanzen'in (三千院 ナギ Sanzen'in Nagi?)
- Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya
- Nagi, thirteen, is the only heir to the Sanzen'in fortune. She is a tomboy and has an otaku-level hobby with manga and anime, and draws her own manga. She is good at finances and likes to learn. She has a pet tiger named Tama. She has a crush on Hayate, and, since meeting Hayate, has acted on the misconception that the feeling was reciprocated. Her only surviving family is her grandfather, whom she doesn't like. She regards Maria as a mother or older sister figure, and warns Hayate not to touch Maria in any indecent way. Nagi is afraid of dark places and has a history of making potentially lethal mistakes when cooking.
- Maria (マリア?)
- Voiced by: Rie Tanaka
- Maria, seventeen, is Nagi's maid and surrogate older sister/mother. She plays the voice of reason in the series, and is the only one who understands the problem between Hayate and Nagi. She appears to be the one running everything in Nagi's manor, since everyone including the head butler and the SP either obeys or fears her (or both in some cases). She is good at general housework and likes games of all kinds, though she is deathly afraid of cockroaches, which she refers to as "the dark life-form that exists in the kitchen and other places".
- She has no last name because she was an orphan who was found next to the statue of St. Mary at a church, which she is named after. The day she was found, December 24, is celebrated as her birthday. She has seen Hayate naked several times, and she sees the effect he has on other girls, many of whom are attracted to him for his kind nature. Maria is also legendary throughout the school for having graduated from high school at the age of thirteen, in just three years, while maintaining the position of Student Council President throughout. She has also won numerous amount of awards while holding the best grades in history of the school.
[edit] Media
[edit] Manga
The Hayate the Combat Butler manga was first serialized in the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Shōnen Sunday in May 2004. The manga is written and illustrated by Japanese manga author Kenjiro Hata. Viz Media announced they acquired the rights to publish the manga in North America and released the first volume on November 14, 2006.[3] English translation is done by Yuki Yoshioka and Cindy H. Yamauchi; English adaptation is done by Mark Giambruno. The latest volume was released on April 22, 2008.
[edit] Anime
The Hayate the Combat Butler anime first aired on TV Tokyo in Japan on April 1, 2007, produced by animation studio SynergySP and with music by Kōtarō Nakagawa. The series is also slated to air on the CS television network Animax starting on October 25, 2007, where it will receive its satellite television premiere, and will be shown uncensored.[4]
As a result of originally being backed by TV Tokyo, the anime has had several elements censored or toned down. Examples include Hayate's mother's gambling addiction being referred to as "Investing (money, in the given case, Hayate's paycheck) in her dream" and Hayate merely being given to "nice men" for work rather than to the Yakuza for his organs (although at one point, mention was made towards harvesting Hayate's organs for money). Characters in the show make reference to the fact that they apparently cannot show the offending material and that the show is "fighting the broadcast code". There is some censorship that is intended as a joke as in any given instance of Hayate bleeding being censored by a sign reading "can't show this". The anime, like the manga, has references to other anime as well as some original references such as bleeping out words. This method of censoring references has followed onto the English translation of the manga. The DVD contains two audio tracks; one track contains the original audio aired on TV Tokyo and the other track removes the bleeping. The DVDs are also uncensored.
Throughout the anime, the audience can see some of the characters breaking the fourth wall. Those that do not break the fourth wall are thinking that the characters are talking to blank space. The narrator is seen talking with Hayate at times, and this makes Hayate realize that there is an audience. Also, some characters may introduce themselves to no one but the audience. Most of the cast have references to their voice actor's previous roles (Nagi for example has an eyecatch where she wears the outfit of Louise's uniform in Zero no Tsukaima).
Before and after the commercial break, there is a unique eyecatch each time. The characters who appear state a phrase which is an on-going game of shiritori. Starting with episode six, a small segment began playing after the ending credits called the "Butler Network" featuring Hayate, Nagi, and sometimes a guest. It is meant to cover the animation production, broadcast dates, advertise character song albums and DVDs, and follow Hayate's endeavors in fighting against evil as he becomes a great butler.
A second anime season of Hayate the Combat Butler has been confirmed for production by TV Tokyo on March 31, 2008.[1]
[edit] Light novel
A light novel based on the series, written by Toshihiko Tsukiji and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata, was released on May 24, 2007, published by Shogakukan under their GAGAGA Bunko label.[5] The novel includes a doppelgänger and barrier that Maria encounters, Isumi Saginomiya's magic that happens in front of Nagi's eyes, and the corruption of the building of the Film Analysing Club (You Tobe) that Izumi Segawa, Miki Hanabishi, and Risa Asakaze were members of.
A second light novel entitled Nagi is the Familiar!? Let it ★ World Conquest (ナギが使い魔！？やっとけ★世界征服 Nagi ga Tsukaima!? Yattoke Sekai Seifuku?) was released on March 18, 2008. The title is the combination of Zero no Tsukaima and the phrase which is similar to Lucky Star's first opening theme, "Take It! Sailor Uniform" (もってけ！セーラーふく Motteke! Sērāfuku?). The cover of this novel features Nagi wearing Louise's costume.[6] Insert images are drawn by Kenjiro Hata and Eiji Usatsuka, the illustrator of Zero no Tsukaima light novels. [7]
[edit] Video games
A video game by Konami for the Nintendo DS entitled Hayate no Gotoku! Boku ga Romeo de Romeo ga Boku de (ハヤテのごとく!ボクがロミオでロミオがボクで Hayate the Combat Butler! I am Romeo and Romeo is Me?) was released in Japan on August 23, 2007. A limited edition of the game was released on the same day which included a Hakuō Academy student notebook and a drama CD.[8]
A second game was released in two versions on March 14, 2008. They are both entitled Hayate no Gotoku! Ojō-sama Produce Daisakusen Bokuiro ni Somare! (ハヤテのごとく！お嬢さまプロデュース大作戦 ボク色にそまれっ！?), however, they differ between their story settings. One game is set at the Sanzen'in's mansion, and the other one is set at Nagi's school. Unlike the first game, the main character is Nagi. Players will train Nagi; she may also learn some attacks or tricks to make an appeal at contests. Players may easily trade data with other players using wireless connections (however, the game is not Wi-Fi compatible). Similar to the first game, there are many Konami parodies included. While the first game is a one-way path with non-controllable actions made by players, in this game, players are able to control where characters go and talk to gather information in continuing the story. [9][10] While the first game was rated A (all ages) by CERO, this second game is rated B (ages 12 and up). For both the first and second game, there are a couple of hidden stories or voices that can be unlocked by passwords. After completing the second game, unlock voices in Omake Mode with the code: "↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← →".
[edit] Audio CDs
The opening theme to the anime adaptation, "Hayate no Gotoku!" (ハヤテのごとく！?) by Kotoko, was released on May 23, 2007.[11] The first ending theme, "Proof" by Mell, was released May 30, 2007.[12] The second ending theme, "Get my way!", is performed by Mami Kawada and was released on August 8, 2007.[13] The second opening theme, "Shichiten Hakki ☆ Shijōshugi!" by Kotoko, was released on October 17, 2007.[11] The third ending theme, "Chasse", is performed by Kaori Utatsuki and was released on November 21, 2007. The fourth ending theme, "Ko no me kaze" (木の芽風), is performed by Iku and was released on March 19, 2008.
There are twelve character song albums sung by the main characters from the anime adaptation. The first two were released on May 25, 2007 and feature songs sung by Ryōko Shiraishi as Hayate Ayasaki and Rie Tanaka as Maria. The last two, released on July 25, 2007, feature songs sung by Rie Kugimiya as Nagi Sanzen'in and Shizuka Itō as Hinagiku Katsura. Miyu Matsuki as Isumi Saginomiya and Kana Ueda as Sakuya Aizawa was released on September 21, 2007.[14] Marina Inoue and Saki Nakajima as Wataru Tachibana and Saki Kijima, as well as Mikako Takahashi as Ayumu Nishizawa was released on November 21, 2007. Hitomi Nabatame as Yukiji Katsura and Sayuri Yahagi, Eri Nakao, Masumi Asano as Izumi, Miki, and Risa will be released on January 25, 2008. Two duet character albums staring Hermione Ayasaki and Nagi, and Maria and Hinagiku were released on March 21, 2008.
The original soundtrack was released on June 22, 2007 and a drama CD based on the anime adaptation was released on August 22, 2007. On September 21, 2007, volume one of a two-CD radio drama called Radio the Combat Butler was released.[15]
[edit] Additional merchandise
Additional notable merchandises include many school related goods which were released near the start of the anime series in March and April 2007. Many other goods such as clocks, mugs, and posters were released a few months after. In 2008, a 1/8 scale (approx. 21 cm or 8.25") figurine series (entitled, "Hayate no Gotoku! Collection Figures") created by Jun Planning will be released. Maria was released in March, with Hinagiku set to release on June 25. Nagi will be released later on.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Hayate the Combat Butler! Anime's Second Season Confirmed. Shogakukan, TV Tokyo (March 31, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ Page from Shōnen Sunday announcing a second anime season (Japanese). Shōnen Sunday. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ Viz Media Acquires Lots of Manga. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
- ^ Hayate the Combat Butler to air on Animax (Japanese). Animax. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.
- ^ Shogakukan : GaGaGa Bunko : Lineup (Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
- ^ Shogakukan: GaGaGa Bunko: Lineup (Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
- ^ Nagi ga Tsukaima!? Yattoke Sekai Seifuku product page (Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
- ^ "Konami, DS Hayate no Gotoku Boku ga Romeo de Romeo ga Boku de" (Japanese). Game Watch. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
- ^ Second Nintendo DS game, mansion setting (Japanese). Animate. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ Second Nintendo DS game, school setting (Japanese). Animate. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ a b Kotoko's discography (Japanese). Geneon. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
- ^ Mell's discography (Japanese). Geneon. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
- ^ Mami Kawada's web site (news) (Japanese). Geneon. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
- ^ Character Songs (Japanese). Shogakukan and TV Tokyo. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
- ^ Radio CD (Japanese). Shogakukan and TV Tokyo. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ Hayate the Combat Butler goods (Japanese). Jun Planning. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
[edit] External links
- Manga official website (Japanese)
- Anime official website (Japanese)
- TV Tokyo's website for the anime (Japanese)
- Animax's website for the anime (Japanese)
- First game's official website (Japanese)
- Second game's official website (Japanese)
- Hayate the Combat Butler (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
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