Anime Hayate no Gotoku (Hayate the Combat Butler)

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][IMG]http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c377/ruka-chan/website%20anime/HayatetheCombatButler.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

What began as an action-harem comedy-fourth wall destroying shonen manga has now become anime. Currently up to ep. 8 in Japan (if you need subs, contact me) this is a show that's garnered significant buzz and the manga is currently being released in English so there's no beter time to talk about it.

I've just finished watching episode 2, but since I like to give early impressions and move at the same speed as the croud, I'll detail it before I watch more.

After a brief introduction, the show takes off with Hayate speaking to Santa Claus as an 8-year old. This is quite possibly the most hilarious conversation ever had. Anyway, because Hayate's family is poor, Santa tells him he can never get presents from him, and that a true person would work to live. From the time that he is 8, hayate is forced to support his family, being him and his parents. His parents both have crazy dreams and they throw any money they get away hoping to find happiness but instead are lazy bastards who act like they don't need to do anything.

At 15, Hayate is currently working for a delivery company and is renowned as the fastest delivery boy ever. He can ride his bike and pass cars on the interstate, plus he has an extremely abnormal dexterity; which helps because he has terrible luck and gets hit by things constantly. One day, though, his employer finds out that he is underage and fires him, giving his last paycheck to his parents.

Unfortuanetaly, when Hayate returns home, he finds that his parents arent there. All that remains is a note stating that his parents received a huge loan and left, leaving the debt with Hayate. And the debt is with the Yakuza! and it's 156,108,000 yen!

Hayate is attacked by yakuza, but jumps out the window and escapes. While in the park, Hayate decides that dilligence is worthless and woes over the fall of Petrach whose dilligence betrayed him. While in the park, he notices a super-adorable loli girl trying to figure out a vending machine ('this thing doesn't take credit cards?!') and is obviously a rich girl. Hayate decides to kidnap her, but is cut short when another two guys come over and start harassing her.

Hayate's sense of justice kicks in and he immediately pummels the two into oblivion, which makes the girl instantly fall for him. he claims herself in his debt. Hayate decides to ask her if he can kidnap her, but when he does, he words it in such a way ('i want to take you away!') that the girl thinks he is pronouncing his love for her. Though embarassed, she seems to be happy about it. He asks her parents number and then runs quickly to find a phone.

Unfortuanetaly, Hayate accidentely starts by saying his name, then immediately hangs up. In the meanwhile, two men come and kidnap the girl back in the park, not to hayate's knowlege. Hayate gets majorly emo, collapsing in the snow and wondering if he should just die (its actually really hilarious,of course) and is being dramatic. Just as he is falling asleep, an older girl stops on a bike and helps him up, offering her scarf for warmth. Hayate is instantly filled with joy that someone so ind exists. Over in the distance he notices the two men carrying the girl into their car.

The girl with the scarf is apparently a friend of the rich girl and notes that she is being kidnapped, and that if their butler hadn't been gone he could have rescued her. The car takes off, but Hayate is filled with determination! He takes the girls bike and speeds off in persuit!

---

and the rest you have to see for yourself ;)

this show if full of anime absurdity and hilarity as well as great, over-the-top action. It isn't quite as energetic as [B]Gurren-Lagann[/B], but it also has next to no focus on drama and is comedy-pumped. The show finds hilarious ways to break the fourth wall constantly and could kind of be considered parody - sort of like [B]Duel Masters [/B] only even cooler. I reccommed it to all you kiddies ;) :p [/COLOR]

[Raiyuu]

I like playing "Spot the Parody" in Hayate. You can usually tell when they're poking fun at something because they bleep out words like "Gundam" but working out which series they're referencing is pretty fun.

Besides which it's quite well done for a just-for-laughs series. I especially like Sakuya and Isumi's hardcore corporate bodyguards and the continuing restatement of the exact figure of Hayate's giant debt...

[2010DigitalBoy]

[QUOTE=Raiyuu]I like playing "Spot the Parody" in Hayate. You can usually tell when they're poking fun at something because they bleep out words like "Gundam" but working out which series they're referencing is pretty fun.

Besides which it's quite well done for a just-for-laughs series. I especially like Sakuya and Isumi's hardcore corporate bodyguards and the continuing restatement of the exact figure of Hayate's giant debt...[/QUOTE]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Ah yes, there are tons of references! From the Gundam quote in ep. 1 to... OMFG he's Solid Snake in ep. 3, and so forth. The whole bleepig thing gets confusing when you don't know what they're referencing >_< it's cool, though, cuz it doesn't affect the plot. I can't get over the 4th wall massacre XD

The bodyguard are absolutely freaking hilarious, especially when they appear from thin air. I think my favorite scene so far was the one where he was trying to protect the cashmire (sp?) and the insane train of events following. I couldn't stop laughing - I had to pause it just so the subs wouldn't pass me. This show is absurdly hilarious (as of ep 8) as well as terribly adorable. Nagi-chan makes my lolicon sense tingle...

EDIT: I forgot to mention, [spoiler]when they dressed Hayate as a girl he was REALLY FREAKING HOT!!!!! [strike] that's one trap I'd gladly fall into.[/strike][/spoiler][/COLOR]

[Meggido]

I've watched the first ep of this and I have to say that I really want to watch more. Problem is that may only happen if my anime club does end up screening it since I'm loving all the other series I'm watching and don't want to stop them for this.

I do have to say however the fact that it breaks the fourth wall dimension suprised me at first but after the second or so time I began to really love it. It seems like it will develop as a great comedy and as I said I hope to watch more.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][I]Rez powers, activate![/I][/CENTER]

Anywho, the 9th episode was pretty cool. It lacked much of the over-the-top goodness of others. There was almost no 4th-wall-breaking or WTF?! moments. We see a little character development, though with the one pink-haired girl I think they forgot what she had been like before >_< She wasn't quite so OMG Tsundere earlier. I think my main problem is that with other episodes they crammed tons of action into 22 minutes but with this one it was just one plot. Plus, there wasn't enough Nagi!!![/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Oh man. I would totally watch Hayate if it were all about [url=http://chibinonothing.blogspot.com/2007/10/hayate-no-gotoku-revolutionary-butlers.html][u]this[/u][/url]...

Now I really want to know how that parody fit in the context of the show.

~Dagger~

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='Dagger']Oh man. I would totally watch Hayate if it were all about [url=http://chibinonothing.blogspot.com/2007/10/hayate-no-gotoku-revolutionary-butlers.html][u]this[/u][/url]...

Now I really want to know how that parody fit in the context of the show.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I haven't gotten there yet, but that's not the first Utena parody from this show. Their student council building at the school is a giant clock tower were two of the characters have a crazy sword duel.[/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

I started watching this and I have to agree that's its downright funny. It just never takes itself seriously. From the horrible parents leaving Hayate high and dry to all the antics that result in him being Nagi's butler. I like how it's going along and out of no where you keep getting interrupted by the narrator and the characters object since the 'episode' isn't over yet. Most if not all of the references go over my head but it doesn't really matter since it's got plenty of stuff on it's own that makes it fun to watch. Like when Hayate wakes up in [spoiler]the mansion and thinks he's died and gone to heaven, so he just helps himself to the facilities there.[/spoiler]