Nothing like a nice quiet train ride. Yes, that is what Hayate must have been thinking. Thinking being the operative word here.
What They Say
Episode 15: The Steamy Tension of the Shimoda Hot Springs Trip
A meteorite fell on Izu peninsula which has affected the surrounding Shimoda onsen mysteriously. This is what is happening…1. Women's chests are getting bigger 2. People are getting smarter and their math and science skills are improving 3. Lost powers are mysteriously returning. Thus, we don't know the origin of these occurrences at the Shimoda onsen in Shizuoka prefecture…Something happens to Nagi, who doesn't normally take trains when she travels!?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Yes, it's the onsen (hot springs) episode. Except don't expect to see any fanservice or skin in this episode. We have to get there first.
Instead of flying there in a private helicopter or anything like that, Nagi and Maria decide to take the regular express train. Hayate is puzzled by this, but then finds out it's worse than that for him: the regular retinue of security guards are not coming either. Hayate will be solely responsible for shepherding a young girl who has absolutely no real world experience, and her extremely sheltered personal maid who as well has no idea how the outside world works. Getting them on the train was easy enough, but, of course, it cannot be an uneventful trip, as Nagi manages to get off the train at the wrong place (appropriately named Nai, a joke that will work if you understand a little Japanese). Of course things go from bad to worse for Nagi as she quickly gets lost and disoriented in short order.
Hayate, desperate with fear for Nagi's survival, intends to jump off the train to chase after Nagi. Maria asks why not just stop the train? When Hayate replies that it costs tens of millions of yen to do that (millions of dollars), Maria responds by noting how cheap it is. At which point Hayate realizes he cannot leave Maria alone either. Fortunately for our butler in debt, Hinagiku happens to show up right at that moment, so Hayate leaves Maria in her hands and takes off.
As for Nagi, after wandering into what has to be the most random and strange ramen shop in all of Japan, finds relative salvation in the form of Ayumu Nishizawa, who has been trying to make the trip to Izu all by herself by bike. This is fortunate for Nagi, since Nishizawa is nice enough to let Nagi ride on the back of her bike, and even allows Nagi to borrow her cell phone to call for assistance. Things look to be improving, until a car full of men wearing balaclavas and carrying assault weapons comes rolling up alongside this mismatched pair. The men cheerfully introduce themselves as hitman, and politely ask if one of the two girls might happen to Nagi Sanzenin. At which point Ayumu, the brains of this operation, decides to hightail it, though her cell phone gets dropped along the way.
Looks like some people are in need of a rescue.
In Summary:
With the Hot Springs Arc, we have an interesting mixture of elements at work. On the one hand, the relationship subplots that have been delved into throughout this season are furthered to an extent, with appearances by all of the major players in the "harem" of Hayate: Nagi, Hinagiku and Nishizawa. On the other hand, there is a high quotient of slapstick humor, as well as situational humor based upon the personalities of the characters. This arc so far presents a nice even balance, with the scales tilting a little more heavily on the side of humor. While the otaku reference humor is less apparent, those who have enjoyed the comedy side of Hayate the Combat Butler will likely enjoy this and the next episode to come.
Features
Japanese 2.0 Language, English Subtitles
Review Equipment
Apple Mac Mini with 1GB RAM, Mac OS 10.5 Leopard