#IReadsYou Review: HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER Volume 35

HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER, VOL. 35
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kenjiro Hata
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERS: John Hunt
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0567-2; paperback (February 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Hayate the Combat Butler 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.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint since November 2006.

Hayate the Combat Butler focuses on Hayate Ayasaki.  He begins working to pay off his degenerate parents' gambling debts when he is nine.  Before they disappear, his parents sell their son’s organs to the yakuza to cover their debts.  Hayate is working various part-time jobs to pay off the debts when fate brings Hayate to teenage heiress, Nagi Sanzenin a/k/a “Ojô-sama.”  She is the frequent target of kidnapping plots and of various schemes by people trying to get her money.  Hayate becomes Ojô-sama’s butler, zealously protecting her, while she falls in love with him.

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 35 finds pop idol, Ruka Suirenji, ready to reveal to Hayate that she has a crush on him, but should she?  Ruka asks Ishizawa for advice, but Ishizawa also has a crush on Hayate?  So will Ishizawa help a love rival, and if she does, what form will the help take?

When the housemates discover that Katsura Hinagiku was once an aspiring guitarist and singer, how will they get the dispirited talent to take up her dreams again?  Then, Maria-san decides to take Nagi to a family restaurant … because it is the perfect place for Nagi to work on her manga.  Or is it?  Finally, everyone is worried that Ruka is too stressed, which is manifesting via physical ailments.  But she isn't the only one in need of a break from work.  So is Hayate.  When they find themselves alone, what will they do to relieve the stress?

[This volume includes a bonus manga, four-panel comics, and art.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I have managed to read the Hayate the Combat Butler manga four times this calendar year.  I am always happy to return to this manga and anime parody series.

Hayate the Combat Butler Graphic Novel Volume 35 is the reason I keep coming back, just as Vol. 34 was.  Vol. 35 is one of the series' best entries, making the previous two-volumes a dynamic duo, and the final story page of this volume surprised me.  I noticed the theme of “in love with Hayate.”  After all, creator Kenjiro Hata has made just about every female character in this manga in love with Hayate.  So everything goes along as normal, with each chapter being, more or less, self-contained.  Then, BAM! goes the shocker, and it is something that Hata does so well when he does present it – the Hayate the Combat Butler cliffhanger.  Dear readers, we gotta come back for more.

Also, I must mention John Werry, who provides a sparkling translation that captures the freshness of Vol. 34.  Then, there is letterer John Hunt's spry fonts that capture the romantic fun and games.  So, let's get to the next volume.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for comedy can find laughs in the “Shonen Sunday” manga, Hayate the Combat Butler.

A
9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER Volume 34

HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER, VOL. 34
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kenjiro Hata
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERS: John Hunt
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0566-5; paperback (September 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Hayate the Combat Butler 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.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint since November 2006.

Hayate the Combat Butler focuses on Hayate Ayasaki.  He begins working to pay off his degenerate parents' gambling debts when he is nine.  Before they disappear, his parents sell their son’s organs to the yakuza to cover their debts.  Hayate is working various part-time jobs to pay off the debts when fate brings Hayate to teenage heiress, Nagi Sanzenin a/k/a “Ojô-sama.”  She is the frequent target of kidnapping plots and of various schemes by people trying to get her money.  Hayate becomes Ojô-sama’s butler, zealously protecting her, while she falls in love with him.

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 34 finds Nagi declaring that her dedicated maid, Maria Kyobashi a.k.a. Maria-san, is being a nag.  Nagi is determined to find some dirt on Maria-san – something she can use against her, so she sends Hayate to do her dirty work.  But does Maria have a dark side, and can Hayate find it even if she does?

Next, there is a wave of new residents at the old mansion that Hayate and company have turned into a boarding house.  First, learn the story of pop idol, Ruka Suirenji, who wants to be a manga creator.  However, her management agency practically owns her, and they don't want their pop star drawing manga as a new career.  So to escape them, Ruka moves in with Hayate and friends.  That makes Ayumu Nishizawa, who loves Hayate, jealous, as she sees Ruka as a rival.  Now, Ayumu wants to move into the boarding house, but can this financially-strapped high school girl afford $400 a month rent?

The need for more rooms leads Hayate and company to a possible “mystery room.”  What is this mystery room, and why is it protected by a magical barrier?

[This volume includes a bonus manga, four-panel comics, and art.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I have managed to read the Hayate the Combat Butler manga three times this calendar year.  There are usually several months or even a year-long gap in my readings of the series, but I am always happy to return.

Hayate the Combat Butler Graphic Novel Volume 34 is the reason I keep coming back.  Vol. 34 is one of the series' best entries, and it exemplifies creator Kenjiro Hata's deft touch with magical elements.  The “Mystery Room” story arc takes up eight of this volume's 11 chapters.  It brings elements of magic and mystery to the narrative, which are a break from the sameness of recent volumes.  There are also some allusions to a previous story arc in which regular readers may find delight.

As usual, John Werry provides a sparkling translation which captures the freshness of Vol. 34.  Letterer John Hunt's spry fonts capture the fun of magical powers and supernatural characters that abound in this volume.  So, let's get to the next volume.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for comedy can find laughs in the “Shonen Sunday” manga, Hayate the Combat Butler.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER Volume 33

HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER, VOL. 33
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kenjiro Hata
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERS: John Hunt
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9866-6; paperback (January 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Hayate the Combat Butler is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata.  It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine from October 2004 to April 2017.  VIZ Media is currently publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint.

The star of the series is a young man named Hayate Ayasaki.  He begins working to pay off his degenerate parents' gambling debts when he is nine.  Before they disappear, his parents sell their son’s organs to the yakuza to cover their debts.  Hayate is working various part-time jobs to pay off the debts when fate brings him to teenage heiress, Nagi Sanzenin a/k/a “Ojô-sama.”  She is the frequent target of kidnapping plots and of various schemes by people trying to get her money.  Hayate becomes Ojô-sama’s butler, zealously protecting her, while she falls in love with him.

As Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 33 opens, Hayate gives a tour of the surrounding area to their newest resident, Kayura Tsurugino, the homeless girl who was living in a tent in the park.  How will she adjust to her first day in a new school?  Can she adjust?  Then, its the seventeenth birthday of Izumi Segawa, the girl who really (and secretly) loves Hayate.  When he makes her a large birthday cake for her birthday, he also suggests that they share it with their housemates.  But Izumi does not want to share her cake or Hayate.

Then, after a six-week break (as the Hayate the Combat manga took a six-week break from publication), it is time to head back to school... and to a big test!  But the four girls sharing the house with him all have a cold.  Can Hayate take care of them without getting sick himself... so that he can stay healthy to take a test that he cannot fail?!

[This volume includes bonus manga and four-panel comics, a preview of Vol. 34, and more.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I read the Hayate the Combat Butler manga a few times a year.  Now, I have finally moved into the first volume released in 2019.

Hayate the Combat Butler Graphic Novel Volume 33 is more of the same-old, same-old, and that's a good thing.  Its 11 chapters break the fourth wall, and creator Kenjiro Hata gives us more antics from Hayate and company.  Hayate the Combat Butler is like the cozy anime-manga parody equivalent of a cozy mystery.  It gives readers what they expect, and because they are wedded to a “cozy” genre, it gives them what they need.

As usual, John Werry's translation sparkles and allows for reader contentment.  Letterer John Hunt's spry fonts maintain the amiable mood.  They are both good on “Episode 9,” which finds Hayate attempting to teach one of his female charges to ride a bike.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for otaku comedy can find laughs in the “Shonen Sunday” manga, Hayate the Combat Butler.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.



--------------------------

Hayate the Combat Butler: Nagi Wants to Be a Mangaka

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 27

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Hayate the Combat Butler: B-DMP!

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 26

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Hayate the Combat Butler: Murasaki Mansion

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 25

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.

Hayate the Combat Butler: Proof

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 24

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter.

Manga Review: HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER Volume 23

HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER, VOL. 23
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Kenjiro Hata – @hatakenjiro
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERING: John Hunt
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3906-5; paperback; (February 2014) Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Hayate the Combat Butler is a Japanese shonen manga (comics for teen boys), written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata.  The series debuted in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Sunday (October 2004), where it is still being published as of this writing.  Hayate the Combat Butler has yielded an anime film and several anime series, with the most recent airing in 2013.

Hayate the Combat Butler is about a boy who starts a new job as a butler and the events he experiences with his employer.  Hayate Ayasaki’s degenerate parents sold their son’s organs to the yakuza to cover their gambling debts, just before they disappeared.  Hayate worked various part-time jobs to pay off those debts.

Then, fate brings Hayate to teenaged heiress, Nagi Sanzenin a/k/a “Ojô-sama.”  She is the frequent target of kidnapping plots and various schemes by people trying to get her money.  Hayate becomes Ojô-sama’s butler, zealously protecting her, while she falls in love with him.

As Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 23 opens, Hayate and Nagi and their friends:  Hinagiku, Isumi, Ayumu, Segawa, and Nishizawa continue their Golden Week vacation in the Greek Isles.  For Hayate, the vacation gives him an opportunity to reunite with Athena Tennos a/k/a “Ah-Tan,” a childhood friend.  He reveals his love for Ah-Tan to Hinagiku, who is actually in love him.

Hayate finally gets a chance to reunite with Athena at her estate, but standing in the way is her combat butler, Makina, and he can kick ass.  Hayate finally enters Athena’s mansion, but there is more fighting to do.  Hayate will have to make some tough choices regarding women and a giant skeleton hand.

It took a while, but over the last year, I have become a fan of the Hayate the Combat Butler manga.  Created by Kenjiro Hata, Hayate the Combat Butler spoofs, mocks, and also gently makes fun of the conventions of anime and manga.  Everything in the otaku wheelhouse is up for some “joshing.”

I consider this latest graphic novel, Hayate the Combat Butler Volume 23, to be a reward for all my reading efforts.  Strictly in the context of the story, Hata summarizes Hayate’s relationships with Nagi Sanzenin and Athena Tennos and how these relationships work.  There are responsibilities and consequences and ties-that-bind to the past.  This series that doesn’t take itself seriously is seriously good.  Readers looking for comedy that pokes fun at the elements of manga and anime can find laughs in the Shonen Sunday manga, Hayate the Combat Butler.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Hayate the Combat Butler: I'd Remember Even After 1,000 Years

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 22

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics - or buy those comics).

Hayate the Combat Butler: The Stone of Bonding

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 21

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

The Origin of Hayate the Combat Butler

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 17

I posted a review in the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

Hayate vs. Winnie-the-Pooh

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 14

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which now has an iPhone app).