HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER
I can feel your presence, Space Butler!
Review by: Craig “Jeeves” Norris
Length: 52 episodes
Genre: Comedy, parody, romance
Watched: All, subbed
I know, I know. Normally I’m bringing you reviews about maids, not butlers. And, before you ask, no, I have not recently realized that I swing “that way.” I picked this anime because it was billed as something otakus would relish. Even though my exposure to anime has been more extensive than most, after watching this I found that I have a lot to learn to be considered a true rabid fan.
Plot synopsis: In order to clear themselves of the debts they have amassed, the irresponsible parents of Hayate Ayasaki sell him to “very kind people” (the yakuza) for just over 150 million yen. In an attempt to pay back the debt himself, Hayate decides to kidnap a young girl for ransom. However, the girl misunderstands his intentions and believes that Hayate is confessing his love for her. After the girl gets taken by real kidnappers, Hayate saves her. As a way of showing her gratitude, the girl, Nagi Sanzenin, heiress to the vast Sanzenin family fortune, buys Hayate from the yakuza and hires him as her personal butler. Now Hayate must bear with Nagi’s temper, her disapproving head butler, her pet tiger, her antisocial behavior, and her obsession with anime and manga and serve her diligently to pay off the debt. For the next forty years!
Artwork: The artwork is very dynamic within the show, as several different styles are showcased. Most of these styles are clearly meant to emulate the styles of anime gone by, and enhance the farcical mood that many of the episodes have. As far as the style that the anime calls its own, bright colors and simple character designs are the norm, and the artwork is fairly standard for a television series, especially a comedy.
Music: The music was not really my cup of tea, but the vocals on the opening and ending themes were very good. There are certainly enough of them, with two opening and four closing songs showcased throughout the series. Most of the stuff played during the episodes fails to impress on any great level, but that’s not surprising for a comedy series. For those looking for quality music, one should look to the theme songs and avoid everything in between.
Characters: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: a good comedic anime starts with its characters. The characters presented here are ripe with comedic potential, starting with Hayate, whose life seems to be one misfortune after another. As if having a huge financial debt wasn’t enough, he must constantly put himself in harms way to prove his worth as a butler of the Sanzenin family. However, since all he has ever known is misfortune, Hayate is grateful to merely have steady employment with people he gets along with. His greatest asset is his physical durability, which he gained through years of working diligently to support his parents. Nagi is a pretty antisocial and sharp-tongued girl who would rather watch anime or read manga than play outside or make friends. In other words, she’s exactly the kind of person we would love to have on staff here at M.H. Torringjan’s and Black Seventeen’s Anime Reviews. Despite her rich, shut-in lifestyle, she doesn’t hold her wealth over other people’s heads, and actually has most of the traits of a normal girl her age. Maria is Nagi’s head maid (in fact, her only maid), and has looked after her for many years. She is kind, wise and mature beyond her years (a fresh seventeen year-old, and don’t you forget it!), and is invaluable in smoothing things over when the relationship between Hayate and Nagi gets tumultuous. Klaus is Nagi’s head butler who has watched over her since her infancy. He does not believe Hayate is cut out to be a butler, and constantly tests him and tries to get him fired. Tama is Nagi’s pet white tiger who can talk, but only to Hayate for some reason. He mostly minds his own business, but sometimes tries to rope others into his schemes, however ridiculous they may be. Hayate and Nagi attract various interesting people to the mansion, including: The aspiring comedienne and Nagi’s cousin Sakuya; Isumi, a part-time exorcist with a sense of direction that makes Ryoga look like Ferdinand Magellan; The drunken cut-up teacher Yukiji; Video store owner and Nagi’s unhappy fiancé Wataru; Student council president and acrophobic Hinagiku; Hayate’s former classmate and girlfriend hopeful Nishizawa; and the student council trio of Izumi, Risa, and Miki, who constantly rope Hayate into doing their work for them. There are also a multitude of minor characters, including a deranged school superintendent, an angry butler robot and his absentminded creator, a Gundam-obsessed teacher, and a very special guest appearance by a certain director with a certain tie, a certain red blazer, and a certain afro.
Plot: The main plot of the series follows Hayate as he tries to become the best possible butler that he can for Nagi. Various romantic sub-plots develop, most of them involving Hayate. However, one aspect of the plot that disappointed me a little was the use of anime, manga, television, and cultural references throughout the series. Where Excel Saga, the grand-daddy of all comedy series in my opinion, mercilessly lampooned seemingly everything the anime and manga fan held dear, this series only relegates them to obscure references, probably in an attempt to make the small population of truly obsessed otakus somehow feel that they haven’t wasted a good portion of their lives. Personally, I was able to get 20, maybe 25 percent of the references, but for the most part the extent of my Japanese trivia was left far in the dust.
CHICKS!: A good many of the main girls are underage, so I won’t dwell on them, no matter how filthy stinking rich they are. I will start with my favorite, Maria. She is sweet, attentive, and intelligent, and my god does she look cute in that maid outfit. She doesn’t have knockout curves, but she fills out her wardrobe quite nicely. She’s very sensitive about her age, so be sure to celebrate her seventeenth birthday every year, no matter how many years you’ve known her. And even though that makes her technically underage, I say that Kikuko Inoue is seventeen and she got married years ago, so why not? Saki, Wataru’s maid, is a decent looker as well, with a developed body, glasses, and that winsome clumsiness I love oh so much. She doesn’t seem to have too much interest in a relationship at the moment, but if the right person came along, I imagine she would open up. Hinagiku is a nice mix of beauty and intelligence, and throw in the added bonus that she’s pretty proficient at kendo. Despite being inexperienced in romance, there are only certain types of people who would be able to sweep her off her feet (predictably, Hayate is one of them). So study hard and practice your swordplay, and you just might have a chance. Yukiji should be avoided unless you really, really, REALLY like drinking. And by “like,” I mean if a BAC of less than 1.5 will kill you instantly. Kirika, the school superintendent, is for those who prefer their women a little more mature, a little wild, and a little evil. She’s evidently bisexual (a plus), but is also hypoglycemic, which could cause her to spontaneously collapse (a minus). Between these girls and the more minor characters who show up, there should be someone from the bunch whom any viewer would be drawn to.
Overall: If you enjoy satire, a huge roster of entertaining characters, and more anime and manga references than a day at Animazement, then this series is right up your alley. I’m not sure if 52 episodes were necessary, but at least the pace of humor was consistent enough so that it didn’t lose too much energy toward the end. Aside from all the obscure Japanese cultural and entertainment references, the series also stands on its own with plenty of clever humor and a bit of well done romantic tension. Those who fancy themselves genuine otakus should check this out just for an opportunity to be quizzed. Like me, you might be surprised at how much you don’t know.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Fun and engaging
+ Diverse, well-played characters
+ Dynamic artwork
- Obscure, obscure references. We’re talking Dennis Miller obscure here.
- Missed opportunities for satire
- Maybe a bit too long
Rating: 7.5/10