Print Review: Hayate The Combat Butler volumes 1-3

Hayate The Combat Butler volumes 1-3Written by WarpshadowRating good/ very good

I once attended a workshop that identified comedy as driving the protagonist up a tree and then throwing rocks at him. That definition works splendidly for Hayate the Combat Butler.

Hayate Ayasaki is a poor boy who has lazy, gambling parents. They have a debt so large that Hayate’s parents have decided to sell him of the Yakuza. In order for Hayate to keep his life and organs he decides to turn to kidnapping to pay off the debt. Hayate proves to be not the greatest of criminals and ends up having to save his would be victim from another pair of kidnappers. The affair doesn’t urn out entirely negative as Hayate ends up being employed by Nagi (the girl he was trying kidnap) as a butler. Yet for a boy unlucky as Hayate life is not just about to become suddenly kind.

Hayate The Combat Butler is a boys (as the comic itself will remind the reader) manga that falls within the genre of comedy with some slight romantic overtones. The story follows whatever misfortune the author and think of to befall the main character but does manage to build a decent stable of characters as it does so. The manga is loaded with anime in jokes although they are not so prevalent as to make the manga off limits to anyone not familiar with so and so series. Overall I consider this manga to be a decent comedy piece and should be on the queue of anybody looking for a few good laughs.