Hayate The Combat Butler Chapter 528: Pranks and Useless Things are What Make Life Difficult - Review and Synopsis

I really don't like Housen.

Synopsis: Pranks and Useless Things are What A Hard Life Is Made Of
 
Hayate is in a panic and wants to go rescue Klaus immediately. Nagi decides to leave Klaus alone and concentrate on finding the key before Hisui does. Hina explains that it will be difficult to release him if what they want is info on the key.

Miki and Risa panic that the old geezer will definitely tell Hisui and Housen about the key.

Make way for the heroine!

Nagi believes that they should concentrate on finding some negotiation material first and leave the rescue to another person (her phone shows that it's Sakuya she's getting into contact with... because we all know that Sakuya is secretly a ninja.) Nagi says that they only have a few hours and they should find the key within the clock tower before Klaus starts talking.

Nagi also thinks that there should be more than one hint.

Hina and Yukiji suggest that they should start at the library so off they go.


Mean Hisui gets tired of interrogating Klaus for info about the Loto Key and leaves Housen to torture Klaus while she sleeps. Housen proceeds... by tickling his foot with a feather.

Meanwhile, Izumi finds herself in all sorts of trouble -- and becoming the object of fanservice while Hayate and company are investigating the bluprints of the Clock Tower in the library.

When she shows that (cutieful) face, you know she means business.

While brainstorming for a hint together with everyone and looking at the map of the 1st and 2nd floors, Nagi discovers that they spell out "Kagi" in Katakana or KEY.


Review: Well, the only thing I really noticed is how delightfully insigtful Nagi has become. In fact, ever since her failings in the mangaka arc, she has become one of the most reliable characters in the manga as far as mental tasks, insight, intuition and a (whole lot) little bit of luck is concerned. She has really entrenched her status as the main heroine -- moreso than the main male character at the moment, actually.

Are you impressed yet, Hayate? You should be.

Anyway, she was great and I love how she's drawn here. Oh, and in related news, Volume 48 of the manga comes with those Heat Transfer something cards that reveal something sorta naughty at the right temperatures... I'm getting one because Nagi is in one of those cards together with Chiharu and Sakuya.

Kinda surprising that Nagi would call on Sakuya for help. I mean, it's not like Sakuya has ever been the physical type although I would definitely say she's very reliable.

Aside from that, we have some Izumi fanservice... if you like that sort of stuff. Anyway, not much to talk about this chapter, so let's look forward to the next one.

Fanart Corner: No new fanart this week, so have some pics of Doll Nagi instead. These are two different dolls, by the way. The one in casual clothes is the limited edition that looks sideways and the one in the yukata is a normal edition... I love them both~

Oh... and check out my new bag.

Hayate The Combat Butler Chapter 527: The Clutz Way of Thinking Or Something Similar -- Review and Synopis

A cute idiot... still an idiot.... also still cute.

Synopsis: So the search for the... err... Loto Key? begins.

We start with Izumi already lost.

We go to a little flashback just before everyone went into the Clock Tower. Hina remarks that it looks like a dungeon.
Nagi says that it looks like (the hard level?) tower

Anywayz, Nagi says that you could easily get lost in here so Hayate warns everyone to be careful (lol foreshadowing)

At this point, we check back in with Izumi who just conveniently got herself lost by straying off by herself.

Anywayz, she tries various ditzy things like crying out for help.

She then decides to look for the exit... and conveniently runs past an exit sign.

Back to Hayate's party, Hina remarks that it would be a lot of work looking for the key inside this place. Miki and Risa agree. Nagi remarks that this is a game so perhaps it's still too early...

Yukiji says that you'd usually move in after you get a hint from a villager.

They then all decide to regroup and think of strategy... in a family restaurant or go for ramen.

By the way, they left Izumi behind who is wondering if everyone is ok right now while getting cold and hungry (you so cold, minna-san)

Anywayz, she cheers up thinking that someone will come to rescue her eventually.

She tries to reassure herself that while it's dark, this is still the school... what can happen?

Suddenly, she spots a skull next to her... and proceeds to panic while screaming her fool head off.

Outside, Miki and Risa talk about how the old schoolhouse is a psychic spot and full of old ghost stories.

Back to Izumi, she's just abou recovered her wits and she decides not to give up. She takes stock of her current inventory.

She's got candies, cookies, lip gloss and wait... a smart phone!

She thinks she's saved... and then proceeds to use a flashlight app and promptly runs out of batteries. She then blames the phone for being useless.

She then starts getting all depressed and calling herself a piece of junk and thinks that she might die in this place.

She then remembers some quotation from some dead person about not giving up and proceeds to cheer herself up and proceeds to look for the exit once more.

Hayate asks Nagi if Yukariko was really a ditz. Nagi affirms this.

Nagi has grown a little bit taller, methinks (something I've noticed for a while now). She is almost 14 now, so it makes sense. Also, these two are totally in sync here.

Hayate wonders how such a clutzy person could have hidden the key so cleverly in the tower and thinks if she had an accomplice.

Nagi says that's bit far-fetched. (or maybe she said the complete opposite... ah, the wonders of Nihon-go!)

Nagi asks Hatsuho if Yukariko might have had a clever companion help her out. She replies with something incomprehensible about "Mikoniya." Anywayz, Isumi chimes in and says there is one clever person... and that is Klaus.

Nagi and Hayate are like... lolwhut? Klaus? Clever? LAWLZ!

Nagi decides to give it a shot anyway and calls in klaus... who is a bit busy right now being held hostage by Housen and Hisui. Hisui picks up the phone and Nagi is surprised.

Hisui says: Yo thar, care for some tea right now?

Review: Well... I guess there's some development going on here. Not the kind that I want to see, but I'll take it. Anyway, looks like Hisui and Housen are more dangerous than anyone could have predicted. They even took Klaus (who may be used for comedy relief but isn't a pushover) hostage.

Yup... Hisui is evil, arlighty. Also, I want to wipe that smug smile off of Housen's face.

It seems they're always one step ahead of Hayate and company. I'm sure Nagi could kick her ass in a battle of wits though. That'd leave Hayate to deal with Housen... good luck with that. Oh, speaking of Nagi. Ya remember that cover with Nagi using a rapier? I think that might have been a flashback and she could have been the one who gave Hisui that scar. Maybe some kind of sparring match. Alright, we know that Nagi is not good at physical tasks, but fencing is a type of swordfighting that relies more on skill and finesse than physical strength (unlike traditional Japanese kendo >:) zing! zing!). Also, she could probably use her amazing luck to be quite formidable at it.

Anyway, this chapter is 80% about Izumi being her usual clutzy self... the kind that we can't really hate because she's also trying her best despite being a clutz and is really a very cute, good-natured clutz.

Ok... so what else? Yeah, the way the group just went into the tower without a plan and then decided to just leave to form a plan seemed kinda forced. Also, really? No one ever thought of Izumi? I mean, c'mon... she's one of your best friends, guys? Why? Why? Sure, it's for comedy, but really? You so cold!

Anyway, not much to talk about, so I just rambled on. Time for the fanart.

Fanart Corner: LOL! Well? Is she big enough for you now, Hayate? You know, I'd kiss her quickly if she held me close enough to her face like that. By the way, the only difference between these two is the use of the black outlines. Which one do you think looks better? I'm gonna have this printed out on my new shirt... or maybe my new bag with the label "Hayate x Nagi!"

Hayate The Combat Butler Chapter 526: Everyone's Najimi Tower Adventure Begins -- Review and Synopsis

By the way, it's been forever since Hayate himself was on the cover

Synopsis: Hayate and Nagi meet up with Isumi's mom who tells them that Yukariko might have hidden it at the Najimi Tower (tower of intimacy?)

Isumi arrives to gag things up a bit but basically, she says the same thing and points out to Hakuo's student council tower.

Hayate and Nagi go there... but not without Isumi and her mother tagging along when asked, Hatsuho responds with her: "if I had to give a reason, it would be because..."

Hayate marvels at how huge the clocktower is and Nagi says it's about 300 meters. Hayate says that it would be hard to find a tiny key in there but Hatsuho has THE ANSWER with her crystal ball!

An arrow appears in the crystal ball that points upwards... which is absolutely no help.

Isumi sees that Hayate and Nagi don't get it so she suggests using her Iphone to try and find it

Some pink-haired girl arrives and wants to get involved. Hayate explains the situation to her and she offers to help because everyone inside is tired of studying and because her fans are suffering withdrawal syndrome.

Anywayz, inside, they find the SC trio clowning around as usual.


Yukiji arrrives and tells them something about a secret room that holds a celestial sphere in the tower, which makes Hayate remember something about his time with Athena where there was a celestial mirror inside the royal garden (because her fans are already dead from withdrawal syndrome)

Anyway, they all decide to spend the night searching for the key.

Meanwhile Housen is monitoring their movements from a tree... I made that rhyme on purpose.

Isumi and her mom are being totally useless again. Isumi wants to use her iPhone fortune-telling skills to look for the key. 

Nagi looks very attractive (not just in a cute way) with the new art style

Review: Well, not much is happening right now. If you enjoyed the goofball antics of Isumi and her mother, I guess that's all well and good.

Anyway, the two things that stand out here are the mention of the Celestial Sphere inside of the Hakuo clock tower and its possible connections with the Royal Garden and Athena and of course, there's Housen watching over everything from some tree.

No follow-up to Nagi's inadvertent confession just yet, but...

Speculation Corner: I think the reason that "the bomb" and Hayate's reflections on Nagi's feelings are being forestalled is because these two will be very pivotal to this final arc's plot. I'd even go as far as to say that "the bomb" itself will be the climax or at least near the climax of this arc.

I'm sure we can expect Nagi to be awesome again sometime in this arc, but what I'm really hoping for is that we get to see Hayate himself doing something that would actually make me like him better... his development has just been so lopsided in contrast to Nagi and they are co-main characters here after all.

Fanart Corner: Got quite a few this week to make up for the rather sparse review. Enjoy!

From Doubutsu Uranai from Project Mirai DX

 

Is she BIG enough for you now, Hayate-kun?

I've turned this one into a bag design.

Here's the bag on which I had that one smiling face fanart printed on.

Hayate The Combat Butler Chapter 525: Playing Mario Kart with everyone is fun -- Synopsis and Review

Synopsis: Hayate tells Maria and Nagi about the inheritance and how there's a box that needs a key that contains the Mikado's will and that whoever writes his/her name on that will can take over the inheritance.

Flashback to Mikado: The key? Go look for it. I may have placed it all over the world.

Maria: Could it be that he just lost the key?

Nagi and Hayate: No no, It's a legendary key item isn't it? To think that it would be lost is just...

Mikado: It's not lost!

Hayate: Oji-sama?

Maria: It's been a while, gramps

Nagi: Wtf are you doing here, geezer?

Mikado: It's a custom for the Sanzenins for the previous generation to hide the key to this box and for the next generation to find it!

Hayate: Then the key is in this box?

Mikado: Yearh, but the other day, I discovered that this box has a strange secret.

Hayate: Secret?

Mikado: It's this!

Letter inside box: I took the key! Yukarin.

Maria: Could it be a kid's game?

Mikado: yesh

Maria: Why didn't you keep such an important item safe?

Nagi: -_- Oh... so it's really lost (doesn't care one bit)

Mikado: It's not lost, it just hasn't been found.

Nagi: It's the same thing!

Mikado: WHAAAT!?

The two start clawing each other.

I'd love to pinch Nagi too~

Hayate: No, no... don't fight over such a small thing.

Mikado: What, you call this a small thing?

Mikado and Maria talk about the security measures around the will itself if someone were to try and take it by force without the key.

Mikado says that anyone who tries that would be submerged in water and die.

Nagi: Then why'd you lose it in the first place?

Mikado: It's not lost! It just hasn't been found!

Nagi: This is the second time we've had this conversation.

Nagi: Screw this, I'm drawing some serious manga.

Maria: Then I'll go cook dinner

Mikado: Wait! Seriously, wait!

Hayate: Don't you have any clue where it is?

Mikado: I think I understand why Yukariko purposely hid it.

Nagi: You're just making this up, aren't you?

Maria: it could have been stolen while they were playing, right?

Hayate: Maybe there's a hint in the kind of children's game they were playing?

Hayate: Right... the ones who played the game with her. (err... not sure that's what he said)

Nagi: meh, it can't be helped... then let's find the ones who played this game with her.

Hayate has a flashback that re-introduces Yukariko and he refers to her as the royal power's true successor (who effin cares, Ayasaki!?)

He also thinks about the words she left him and how she asked him to protect Nagi in her stead .

Hayate: This is my answer...

Hayate: Right, let's do it.

Nagi: I think these two knew my mother very well. (photos of Hatsuho and Mikoto)

Hayate: Wataru's mother and Isumi's mother, right?

Nagi: Yup.

Nagi: Anyway, let's go talk to Isumi's mother.

Review: Oh whatever... another setup chapter. At least we can see from this chapter that Nagi and Mikado don't really hate each other that much. They don't get along, but if they can play around like that -- then they're probably not out for each other's throats.

Dat sweet workstation

Anyway, I still think Hayate's making the wrong decision in prioritizing Nagi's inheritance over her feelings here, but whatever. The way he says, "this is my answer" seems to imply that he's resigned himself to protecting Nagi's future -- which he equates to winning her inheritance... he's making a terrible mistake, IMO.

Yes, if we were to take real world standards into account, Nagi does need her inheritance to survive blah blah blah and all that, but that's not what is most important to her and don't you dare even try to deny or downplay this or I'll have your throat!

Ahem... anyway, not much new here. Looks like we're gonna get deeper into this whole Sanzenin inheritance business next time... which could be a good thing or a not so good thing but whatever, I'm so not into it.

Anywayz, sorry for the lazy review. Lemme know what YOU think in the comments.






Fanart Corner: Alrighty! Got a new one for you. I like how this one turned out. It's so simple yet it looks great -- even if I do say so myself. I have another sketch actually, but I think I'll just show you that when it's finally done. I've still got a backlog of fanart to finish coloring too.

The pose and title of this fanart was inspired by Neptune's song in Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection btw. Also Nagi has a lovely back... Nagi has a lovely everything~!