| | Alternate title : Hayate the Combat Butler
Studio : SynergySP
Licenced by : Bandai Entertainment
Length : 52 Episodes
Year : 2007
Genre : Comedy - Romance
Synopsis :
After acquiring an astronomic debt with people of questionable reputation, Hayate Ayazaki's irresponsible parents have given the debt to their son as a Christmas present and left him to fend off on his own. Even though Hayate is unbelievably strong and hardworking, this is the last straw for him and decides to become a kidnapper in order to lead an easier life.
Unfortunately, a poor choice of words and circumstances leave his first "victim", the rich and pampered Nagi Sanzenin, convinced that he has actually just confessed his love for her. After a change of heart after meeting the beautiful Maria, Hayate actually saves Nagi from real kidnappers and the only reward he asks for is a job.
Now Hayate is employed full-time by Nagi's family as her butler and protector: Hayate, the combat butler!
Additional Notes: This series ranked #14 in Anime-Source's Best of 2007 poll.
Added : 2007-04-05
Synopsis by : leoxjm
Last update : 2008-07-04
Last update details : Modify info
Score : 9.8
Number of reviews : 5
Link(s) :
Official #1 : Official Hayate no Gotoku! Website (Japanese)
Official #2 : TV Tokyo's Hayate no Gotoku! Website (Japanese)
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : KOTOKO - Hayate no Gotoku!
Opening #2 : KOTOKO - Shichiten Hakki*Shijou Shugi
Ending #1 : MELL - Proof
Ending #2 : Mami Kawada - Get my way!
Ending #3 : Kaori Utatsuki - Chasse
Ending #4 : Ki no Me Kaze - Iku
Release(s) :
2008-04-12 -- Episode(s) 52 by Static-Subs & Eclipse. BT Link
2008-04-12 -- Episode(s) 52 by Static-Subs & Eclipse. BT Link
2008-04-06 -- Episode(s) 51 by Static-Subs & Eclipse. BT Link
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Posted by : kevinchaosvs 
Posted on : 2009-03-30  
Story/Dev: 95%
Hayate no Gotoku can be easily described as just one thing: the ultimate parody fest ever. This series parodied almost everything that can be parodied. And what made it a notch higher than other parody series (eg Lucky Star, Kannagi) is that it referenced not just about anime, but about films themselves such as deliberately showing huge plot holes so that the story can progress by “complying" with the “unwritten rules of films" (Remember the classic jokes about how an amateur can defeat a bunch of professionals because he is the protagonist, and such related irrationalities in films?).
Heck, they even parodied several trademarks of Hollywood films too. That certainly is something new. They also improvised the slapstick humor, making lots of the typical old jokes new. Also, it’s great to see that they were able to maintain the humor despite the fact that it was a whooping 52 episodes long series – okay, to be honest, not all 52 episodes were hilarious but really, as far as I can remember, there were no more than 3 episodes that weren’t as funny.
Characters/Dev: 90%
Generally all of the characters in the cast were engaging and very enjoyable to watch. Not to forget that they are all so hilarious and unique. After Hayate himself, my favorite character has got to be Tama the White Tiger and it’s a pity that he had so little screen time. His “devious" plans always had me cracked up. They also did not take the romance too seriously. There is considerably distinct romance going on in the series but it remained fun and light hearted throughout. One unique thing about this show is the No-4th-wall technique, making it seems as though they are merely actors acting out the series for the audience which kind of reminds me of the movies The Truman Show and Stranger than Fiction though without the satirical elements because, well, Hayate is after all purely a comedy). Also, while the Code Geass fans are swarming about how awesome Norio Wakamoto’s voice is as the Emperor, all I can say is that he’s much, much more fantastic as The Narrator in the series.
Animation/Graphics Design: 100%
The animation quality is excellent and they managed to maintain the quality despite its length. Special compliments to the production team for the episode where they had a full TTGL reference.
Music: 83%
The bgm is excellent too. I particularly like the 2nd OP. The rest of the OP and EDs were more of an all right to me.
Summary:
Hollywood could have taken a leaf out of this when producing parody flicks. Honestly, the episode where the show parodied Hollywood was brilliant, to say the least. Damn, I feel guilty giving it only a 9/10.
Personal Overall Rating: 93%
Posted by : NatureDragon
Posted on : 2009-02-28 
Hayate no Gotoku is one of the animes that do not focus that much on a main storyline as most of the anime is filled with comedy and tons of random stuffs which was hilarious. Thus giving it an actual score for its storyline seems impossible and thus I will not include it in my review =3.
Comedy level: maximum
Each episode never fails in making me laugh my hearts out. The high amount of parody from other anime makes it even more entertaining. Hayate's amazing abilities, Nagi's introvert (prefer to stay at home and play all her video games or drawing her own manga) and tsundere personality, Maria's kindness and liking to dress Hayate up, Izumi's klutzness and extreme lack in the sense of direction, Sakuya's puns and jokes, and adding all the other characters' funny personalities truely makes the anime completely amusing. The narrator expressions used were also top notched and makes the situalations in the anime even more entertaining. Some of the episodes were also completely nonsensical while some contains a little of love relations/romance, battles (combat butlers' battles), fantasy worlds, traveling back in time, school life and much more, making each episode rather diverse and full of variety.
Character development: 10/10
Despite all the comedy, I am very surprised that each character is extremely unqiue and easy to understand. Everything seems to work out just fine and you will get to understand each characters special 'abilities' which is what makes the anime going.
Songs/Music: 10/10
The opening themes were great and the ending themes were also as good. The songs that I liked the most are "Hayate no Gotoku!" by KOTOKO and "Chasse" by Kaori Utatsuki. The background music used were also very entertaining and appropriate.
Graphics/Animations: 10/10
With the high amount of randomness, the graphics presentation of this anime is great and they pay lots of attention to make lots of parody really funny. Characters design were well drawn and the background animations/scenaries were also nicely drawn.
Overall:10/10
This anime is a must watch for comedy fans. The randomness, the high amounts of parody, Kugimiya Rie as Nagi's voice actress, and lots of unqiue characters is what makes this anime one of my all time favourites.
Posted by : leoxjm
Posted on : 2008-06-22
Hayate no Gotoku! is my personal best anime for 2007. It is a crazy, nonsensical comedy about butlers that is directed at the otaku crowd. It parodies and references just about everything in anime and... well, is there something it doesn't parody?
The best part about Hayate no Gotoku! is the fact that it is a tasteful parody. It may be cute, absurd, and funny, but it remains always elegant. it contains minimal crass jokes (the few instances they are used are so far-in-between they are actually funny). The parody aspect itself is awesome, nothing is left untouched, but is used to enhance the feel that the show has, not shamelessly promote a certain product or company (like the "referencing" and "parodying" that Lucky Star makes). It is inclusive, yet it keeps its distance. it is a balance that's hard to achieve, but that Hayate no Gotoku! manages masterfully. This series' production values as as high as they can get.
The story is nothing to rave about. The series is largely episodic (most "arcs" don't last more than a couple of episodes), showing the misadventures of the extremely unlucky and debt-ridden Hayate, a really nice guy that's impossible to not empathize with. The same, surprisingly, applies to the insanely rich otaku/hikkikomori Nagi, a parodical extrapolation of the show's target audience. Along with Hayate, Maria, Isumi, and the whole crowd, they form one of the cutest, but also most varied and well-used casts I have ever seen. The characters are multifaceted, they all have many sides. Sometimes you can predict what they'll do... but sometimes they give you an awesome surprise.
One of the series' greatest elements is the "use" of the "voice of Heaven" (the narration) almost as an active character, who doesn't always talks to the audience, but also to and with the characters. Couple that with constant breaches of the "fourth wall", and convention goes out the window. There's always something new in Hayate no Gotoku!
The animation and music are great. The background music repertoire is, admittedly, rather limited. Sometimes it can go from "familiar" to "repetitive", but that's not something that deters the show's enjoyment. The design choices are excellent, because the show looks the part of a cute/fun comedy and the script goes on to reinforce that. More often than not it is quite fluid, and it integrates whatever visual cues it takes from other shows with a clear sense of humor. To further reinforce these aesthetic qualities comes a solid vocal cast, including a superb performance by Norio Wakamoto as the aforementioned narrator. The voices fit characters, situations, moods, etc. Aesthetically, Hayate no Gotoku! is quite outstanding.
It is sort of unfortunate, however, that Hayate no Gotoku! sort of overdoes it parody aspect. As a side effect, it may become horrendously inaccessible to a non-otaku viewer. Even "softcore" otakus may be left scratching their heads at some of the things that the show pokes fun at. At least, that was my particular case. While the story and character development are by no means inadequate, a viewer that's unfamiliar with the Japanese manga/anime culture will certainly miss a lot of what makes this show good. I wouldn't be surprised if such alienated audience gave Hayate no Gotoku! a mediocre or even a poor rating. And who could blame them?
But I do happen to fall more or less within the show's target audience. And even though some of the jokes and references DID leave me scratching my head, Hayate no Gotoku! is o well done, on the whole, that I think it deserves a 10 for score. it's not a perfect 10, like other shows I've seen have, but it doesn't deserve a 9 from me. This is definitely, the best, funniest and most outstanding of 2007's productions. If you're into anime, this is definitely the show to watch. Hours and hours of fun are guaranteed!
Posted by : SleepyLafiel
Posted on : 2008-06-07
Family Guy - All the Offensive Jokes = Failure? Coming from a huge fan of raunchy, offensive humor, how can something with wholesome family comedy and inoffensive characters entertain me? Well, I'm glad it did, both because it proves that I'm not completely desensitized by a lifetime of watching such shows as Married With Children, Dave Chappelle, and Family Guy, it proves that comedy doesn't have to step on anyone's toes to be jocular. Hayate no Gotoku! is a rousing success, and a side-splittingly funny comedy that no true comedy anime fan can miss.
Almost every anime has elements of comedy; be it when a serious character makes a off-colored joke during a tense situation, or slapstick that involves the stomping of genitals continually, it's one of the staples of this medium. More often than not though, the laughs are cheap and easy; like a loose woman on the side of Broadway and Main, it gives it up too easily, making the entire medium seem like a 5$ hooker and causing the general population of the world to think of anime as "kid's stuff" on par with videogames. Recent additions to this genre have not defeated this stereotype; the epitome of cheap laughs, Seto no Hanayome, was considered a top anime in 2007. Come on, there's no excuse for bad taste.
With all that's said, 2007 turned out to be a pretty decent year for anime, at least from my viewpoint. Considering that I've lambasted the year so much up until now for it's stunning failures, this is a somewhat dramatic turnaround. Still, three outstanding and unparalleled productions in each significant genre (drama/romance, action/scifi/adventure, and comedy) were broadcasted, and given that it's rare for even one brilliant show to be made during any given year, 2007 can be qualified a success even with its terrible selection of harem and kiddy shows, not to mention the death of Geneon USA. Hayate no Gotoku!, the comedy selection, showed me that there is life after Seto no Hanayome, a show that did to the comedy genre of anime the same crime Vanilla Ice did to the white rapping community. Thankfully, we did not have to wait half a decade for the respectability savior of this particular genre to arrive; in fact, these two shows literally ran parallel to each other. So it's even more of a shame that this didn't even place top 10 in the popularity vote; how many people missed it just like me? Judging by the fact that this is the second review (as of this writing)... a lot.
Hayate no Gotoku! is, with all due respect to GTO, by far the funniest anime I have ever seen, but perhaps that's the residual "seen the worst" effect from watching Seto no Hnayome. Everything I complained about that was lacking in Seto no Hanayome was corrected in Hayate no Gotoku!: The straight man, well written jokes, great and likable characters as opposed to absolutely malicious ones, cliched but never boring plot settings (as pointed out by one of the characters in an amazingly effective tongue-in-cheek moment), and a wonderfully warm story. These are the keys to any situational comedy; jokes that fit the situations with likable characters! The ludicrous amount of inside jokes and references also gets me; the fact that I only recognized 50% or less of the references reminded me of a time when I first watched Family Guy and thought it far too esoteric for the general population, but still fun enough to engross me. It's certainly not going to be funny (just like Family Guy isn't for non-Americans) for those that aren't well-acquainted with anime/otaku culture, but when you do recognize something, even if it's months and years after... well, "getting it" is a feeling best experienced for yourself.
It's just boggling; a story about a butler and his master. How many times has this been done? Mahoromatic, Hanayukyo Maid Team, even Shakugan no Shana are just a few examples of this overpopulated setting. But again with emphasis, like the main female character says, just because it's been done before doesn't mean it has to be boring. And it never is. The characters drive the plot so incredibly well that it's ridiculous, and the entire feel of the series is one reminiscent of a topnotch sitcom; you don't have to watch it in order to enjoy it, although some characters might seem unfamiliar if you skipped around too much. But other than a few handful of episodes, plot development is handled rather lightly, and facilitates a lax viewing pattern. It also follows a logical progression throughout its 52 episode run and concludes on a high note; nothing ever seems too much out of place, and the mini-arcs are all well done and concluded happily. Of course, some out of the 52 episodes are arguably weaker in terms of laughs, but those are rare; the overall quality is unmatched.
The characters are simply incredible. Tremendously likable starting from the main character all the way to the Voice of Heaven narrator (whose deadpan abrasiveness is an absolute riot), they make a rather threadbare storyline entertaining. When a character that's been absent for a while shows up, there's only a feeling of elation at their appearance; I can't recall this happening too much in any anime, and considering that most characters in comedy shows are played simply for laughs and then cast away, having that feeling occur is incredible. It probably has something to do with the general good-naturedness of all of the characters. For example, in most anime, when a character makes bad tasting food, a stereotypical reaction is played for laughs at the expense of the cook; here, the main character hides the lethal food, cooks up a batch of his own, serves it so everyone would congratulate the poor cook on a job well done, and then when the switch is discovered... well, watch it for yourself and gaze at the glory of kind hearted characters. Another big plus is that the characters are generally unique. A guy/girl that plays an imaginary organ to mesmerize her target, losing her powers when her platform shoes are kicked off and changes into a chibi? Yeah, unique and hilarious.
The production values are also top-notch, with sharp colors, great animation, and an almost criminal attention to detail. Having little things like the unique eyecatches in each episode and the self-aware Butler Network shorts further quantifies the quality of this series. The variations in style, especially during episode 39 (a Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann reference; is that even fair to this reviewer?), demonstrates the fearlessness of the production company, that they're willing to pay homage to everything, even shows that were still running. The voices of the two leads are pitch perfect and conveys the characters flawlessly, although Rie Kugimiya's voice is starting to be a little typecasted. The music is also decent and effective, although incidental in most cases. For it to be this well done for 52 episodes is almost unbelievable, and considering that this is SynergySP's first solo production... well, we will just have to include them in the list of Bones and Production I.G. soon in terms of quality. The only weakness I would say exists is the censoring, but that's only in the illegal download/broadcast version. They are absent in the DVDs, so to take anything off because of it... isn't right.
Comedy should be subtle, built up, and climax; Hayate no Gotoku! masters that. It never goes for the cheap laughs; rather, it sets everything up and in the span of a few episodes or less, delivers an effective punchline (i.e., a talking tiger that tries to trick the head butler into retirement with subliminal sleeping messages in order for them to take a trip to Brazil so that he could meet a female tiger he saw on an ad, only to have the main character tell him at the end, after himself dressing up as the "Lake Goddess" to convince the old man not to retire, that there are no tigers in South America; certainly a far cry from the cheap laughs of a Terminator clone shooting up a school for twenty minutes in a fashion that is incredibly offensive to Americans), and moves on, rarely using the same joke for any other situations.
The breaking of the fourth wall and the self-awareness shown by the cast is the linchpin of the comedy here; without the constant jabs between Hayate and the narrator, the series probably wouldn't have been worth the 18 hours of investment. But because it is so self aware, because it is so sharply tongue in cheek, this series works, and works on a level that's unrivaled. It never takes itself too seriously and plays everything for laughs; it even lampoons/cameos Nabeshin, the creator of Excel Saga (the epitome of random-comedy anime), claiming that his works are simply too random and would ruin Hayate no Gotoku! if left unchecked in the series (and I would absolutely agree). Criminally refreshing.
Hayate no Gotoku! is a series that I gush over, and considering the length, it amazes even I. Often, I cry and moan about originality, high expectations, and all that good stuff to a degree where even I'm disgusted, so to have those expectations not only met, but shattered, leaves me with a feeling that anime is very much alive. My goodness, this series re-established hope in me. Definitely not what I expected when I first started, and definitely deserving of much more awareness from the anime community.
Plot: A-
Characters: S
Production Values: A
Enjoyment: A+
Overall: A+
Posted by : Molenir
Posted on : 2008-04-15
I can hardly believe that no one else has written a review of Hayate yet. Ah well, lucky me, I get to be the first. Hayate no Gotoku, is an anime, based off the manga, Hayate the Combat Butler. Its hard to describe Hayate in a paragraph without going on and on and on. Essentially, Hayate through an amusing set of circumstances, becomes the personal butler of Nagi, a spoiled little rich girl. He is extremely grateful for her taking him in, and for paying his debts, while she is in love with him, and believes he feels the same way about her. He swears to protect her, and defend her from everyone who would harm her. Surrounding them are all of Nagi's friends, and Hayates many admirers.
Hayate is not really a serious show. Its basically nothing but a series of running gags, parodies of other shows, and light romance between everyone. Having said this though, its extremely good at what it does. Each episode is fun to watch, with a good blend of humor and seriousness. Hayate is the hero, Nagi and Maria are his counterparts, with the many friends all playing a role and getting parts.
The artwork is surprisingly consistant. Especially considering the length of the show. The music both OP and ED were outstanding. Occasionally changing as the series progressed. Both of the songs they used for the OP however were terrific. Regarding the story, while the romance never really proceeds very far, it doesn't need to. Instead its ever present, and good for story and humor, and to push some of the characters in different directions then might be expected.
I can't recommend to someone to just sit down and watch this show from start to finish. For one thing its 52 episodes long, thats a lot of time to devote to a series. However its worth watching every single one of those episodes. I highly recommend this series. I myself have watched most of the episodes more then once, several of them many times. If you are looking for a serious show, this is not for you. But if you are looking for some light comedy, and a fun show, then watch this. You won't be disappointed.
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