is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine from October 2004 to April 2017. Shogakukan released 52 volumes in Japan from February 2005 to June 2017. Viz Media publishes an English edition in North America. It follows Hayate Ayasaki, a teenager who becomes a butler for the wealthy Nagi Sanzenin to repay his enormous debt, while dealing with other girls. The series includes numerous references to other anime, manga, video games, and popular culture, while frequently breaking the fourth wall.
A 52-episode anime adaptation of the manga by SynergySP aired between April 2007 and March 2008 on TV Tokyo. A second, 25-episode anime season by J.C.Staff aired between April and September 2009. Bandai Entertainment licensed the first anime series in 2008, but the series went out of print in 2012. An anime film adaption produced by Manglobe was released in August 2011. A third, 12-episode anime television series by Manglobe, based mostly on an original story not seen in the manga aired between October and December 2012. A fourth anime season aired between April and July 2013. Sentai Filmworks has licensed all four seasons of the anime.
Plot
Hayate Ayasaki is an unlucky 16-year-old boy who has worked since childhood to make ends meet due to his parents' irresponsible behavior. On Christmas Eve, he finds out his parents have run away from home while shouldering him with a massive ¥156,804,000 ($1,048,164) debt. The Yakuza (from whom the money was borrowed in the first place) plan to settle the debt by selling his organs and selling him into slavery. While running away from the debt collectors, Hayate meets Nagi Sanzenin, a 13-year-old girl and the sole heir of the wealthy Sanzenin estate, and her maid Maria. At first, Hayate plans to kidnap Nagi and acquire a ransom of over ¥150 million but due to a misunderstanding, Nagi thinks Hayate is confessing his love to her. After he rescues Nagi from actual 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 since her life is always in danger because she is the target of individuals who covet her family's fortune, and sometimes must deal with her extravagant requests, oblivious to Nagi's true feelings for him. Later in the story, Hayate must juggle the feelings of several other girls, Ayumu Nishizawa, his former classmate; and Hinagiku Katsura, the student council president of Hakuō Academy. Hayate had a romantic relationship with a childhood friend, Athena Tennousu, who is chairwoman of the board of Hakuō Academy.
Due to the events of Golden Week, involving Hayate and Athena, Nagi ends up forfeiting her inheritance. With the last of her savings, Nagi and Maria move with Hayate to an old apartment building called "Violet Mansion" owned by her late mother Yukariko, and rents its extra rooms for income: having Chiharu Harukaze, the secretary of Hakuō Academy; Hinagiku, Ayumu, Athena (in child-form), Kayura Tsurugino, an "elite otaku"; and Ruka Suirenji, a pop idol who also develops feelings for Hayate, as its tenants.
After a series of adventures with the tenants, Nagi manages to reclaim her fortune. On an excursion in America, Hayate finally pays off his massive debt, but decides to keep working as Nagi's butler, especially when the battle for the Sanzenin inheritance intensifies. Athena eventually regains full strength and Maria resigns as Nagi's maid. On Christmas Eve, the "misunderstanding" of Hayate and Nagi's relationship is exposed, creating a rift that leads to the final battle. Hayate rescues Nagi from the godly Royal Garden, but she decides to relinquish her status as an heir and concedes the rights to her cousin Hisui Hatsushiba, before firing Hayate to set him free. Two years later, a self-sufficient Nagi reunites with Hayate in the place they met for the first time, where he tells her that despite not being her butler anymore, he still wants to be with her, and that there is "something he needs to tell her", before locking hands and walking together under the starry night sky.
Media Manga
Hayate the Combat Butler is written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata. It began serialization in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine on October 6, 2004, and concluded on April 12, 2017. Shogakukan collected its 570 individual chapters in 52 volumes, released from February 18, 2005, to June 16, 2017. A 27-volume edition started publishing on June 16, 2023.
Viz Media publishes the manga in North America and released the first volume on November 14, 2006. As of February 13, 2024, 43 volumes have been released.
Anime
The Hayate the Combat Butler 52-episode anime aired on TV Tokyo in Japan between April 1, 2007, and March 30, 2008, produced by animation studio SynergySP and with music by Kōtarō Nakagawa. The series also aired on the CS television network Animax starting on October 25, 2007, where it received its satellite television premiere, and was shown uncensored. The series was licensed in North America by Bandai Entertainment in 2008, but in February 2012, the company stopped releasing titles beyond February 7, and in April of the same year, the rights to the series were dropped, making the releases out of print. Sentai Filmworks has since re-licensed the series for a digital and home video re-release.
An original video animation (OVA) episode was released on March 6, 2009, in DVD and Blu-ray formats. A second anime season of Hayate the Combat Butler, titled Hayate the Combat Butler!! (an additional exclamation mark) aired 25 episodes between April 4 and September 18, 2009, produced by animation studio J.C.Staff. Unlike the first season, the second season retcons the events of the first season by claiming at the onset that a month has passed since Hayate became Nagi's butler. Furthermore, the second season is more faithful to the manga than the first season. On July 21, 2010, Animax Asia began airing the second season, including the OVA, with English dubbing done again by Red Angel Media along with Cantonese and Mandarin dub. The second season has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks.
An anime film adaptation, produced by Manglobe and directed by Hideto Komori titled Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven Is a Place on Earth, was released in Japanese theaters on August 27, 2011. The film was licensed for streaming and home video release by Sentai Filmworks in August 2015. A third anime television series, titled Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You and produced by Manglobe, aired 12 episodes between October 4 and December 20, 2012. Instead of being a sequel to the 2009 anime series, Can't Take My Eyes Off You features a new story written in part by the original creator Kenjiro Hata and is mostly based on his original ideas that never made it to the manga. Despite that, the third season takes place chronologically nine months after the beginning of the first, and six months after the second, eventually becoming part of the main series canon. The third season has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 28, 2015. A fourth anime television series, titled Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties, aired between April 8 and July 1, 2013, and is basically composed of short stories, each one focused on one of the main characters from the manga. The fourth season has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks. A three-part OVA series produced by Manglobe was released as part of the series' tenth anniversary between June 18, 2014, and December 16, 2014.
Light novels 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. 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 was released on March 18, 2008. The title is the combination of The Familiar of Zero and the phrase which is similar to Lucky Stars first opening theme, . The cover of this novel features Nagi wearing Louise's costume. Insert images are drawn by Kenjiro Hata and Eiji Usatsuka, the illustrator of The Familiar of Zero light novels.
Video games A video game by Konami for the Nintendo DS (NDS) titled was released in Japan on August 23, 2007, with an A rating by CERO. A limited edition of the game was released on the same day which included a Hakuō Academy student notebook and a drama CD. The gameplay has the player assuming the role of Hayate Ayasaki and follows a branching plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction.
A second NDS video game was released in two versions on March 14, 2008, titled with a B rating by CERO, but the versions 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. The gameplay has the player again assuming the role of Hayate Ayasaki and focuses on Nagi as the main character who the player trains; she may also learn some attacks or tricks to make an appeal at contests. Players are able to control where characters go and talk to gather information in continuing the story. Players may easily trade data with other players using wireless connections (however, the game is not Wi-Fi compatible). Similar to the 2007 game, there are many Konami parodies included. For both the 2007 and 2008 games, there are a couple of hidden stories or voices that can be made available by passwords. A third video game titled was released on March 26, 2009, for the PlayStation Portable with a B rating by CERO.
Live-action TV series
The Taiwanese network GTV aired a live-action television adaptation of Hayate the Combat Butler between June and September 2011.
Music and audio CDs
The first anime series has two opening themes and four ending themes. The first opening theme is by Kotoko released on May 23, 2007, and the second opening theme is "Shichiten Hakki Shijōshugi!" by Kotoko released on October 17, 2007. The ending themes are: "Proof" by Mell released on May 30, 2007, "Get my way!" by Mami Kawada released on August 8, 2007, "Chasse" by Kaori Utatsuki released on November 21, 2007, and by Iku released on March 19, 2008. The second anime series has two opening themes and two ending themes. The first opening theme is "Wonder Wind" by Elisa and the second opening theme is "Daily-daily Dream" by Kotoko. The first ending theme is "Honjitsu, Mankai Watashi Iro!" by Shizuka Itō (with Eri Nakao, Sayuri Yahagi and Masumi Asano) and the second ending theme is "Karakoi: Dakara Shōjo wa Koi o Suru" by Rie Kugimiya and Ryoko Shiraishi. The opening theme of the third anime series is "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Eyelis, and the ending theme is by Haruka Yamazaki. The opening theme for the fourth anime series is by Shizuka Itō, and there are 12 ending themes by each of the various characters' voice actors.