[US DVD] Hayate the Combat Butler Part 3

[Chris Beveridge]

Review by Chris Beveridge

Mania Grade: C+

In Summary:
Comedy is hard and it’s very dependent on a lot of factors. Hayate the Combat Butler just hasn’t clicked for me overall and has in fact left me pining for other comedies instead. These episodes are cute and have their moments, but it’s lacking truly likable characters for me or a situation that really works well. The setting, the wealth, the pining for an older boy by Nagi comes across as a concept by committee where they’re hauling out all the clichés and sprinkling it with pop culture references and parodies in order to be relevant or to have a “did they really do that?!” moment. It’s not bad and I can see why it’s having as good of a run as it has, but it’s cementing its position of not being a title for me as it goes on.

[The Great Bear]

I can see where you think that it's getting bloated and lacking in focus to a degree, though that's something that goes back to the source material, as the manga has a very large number of characters.

It is a problem that oftentimes, the better characters get less screentime to make way for some not-so-great moments and lesser (less funny or awesome) characters.

[Chris Beveridge]

Originally Posted by The Great Bear

I can see where you think that it's getting bloated and lacking in focus to a degree, though that's something that goes back to the source material, as the manga has a very large number of characters.

It is a problem that oftentimes, the better characters get less screentime to make way for some not-so-great moments and lesser (less funny or awesome) characters.

Yeah, it's always a risk with a manga/show like that. I'm a huge fan of Urusei Yatsura which has a massive cast and you get these arcs for awhile with a particular character that you may not care for and have to "suffer" through it, so definitely familiar with that.

[The Great Bear]

Originally Posted by Chris Beveridge

…you get these arcs for awhile with a particular character that you may not care for and have to "suffer" through it, so definitely familiar with that.

The positive thing about DVD/BD, of course, is that you can fast forward through them

Still, when you get cast overload, in some ways it's almost better if they'd just make a spin off with the characters people really want to see (and for that, there are real numbers, since the manga did a "character popularity poll," and as everyone knows, Hayate and Nagi did not come in First or Second, and some characters were well down where they belonged).

Interesting to note, of course, who came in first.

think pink