Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

One of the best comedy manga currently running. Hayate the Combat Butler is drawn and written by Kenjirou Hata and is serialized in Shounen Sunday. It chronicles the life of Ayasaki Hayate who has is an unfortunate 16-year old that gets fired from his job, abandoned by his parents, sold to the mafia, and run over by a car all in one night. Hayate’s troubles, however, are just the beginning of him embarking on the road to becoming a first-class butler!

Hayate becomes a butler after saving the life of a little girl named Nagi. She happens to be a filthy rich heiress to an even greater fortune and with her come other main characters such as the ever-wise maid Maria; a model Japanese beauty and ojousama, Isumi; Nagi’s pet (and talking) tiger, Tama; and Hinagiku, a introduced later on in the series. They are just a few individuals of a diverse cast that contributes to the overall freshness and insanity of the manga.

The manga is also known best for its characters’ use of popular references to current popular and old-school anime and manga. While reading you’ll come across references from such series as Gundam (all of them), Kenshin, Utena, and even Bleach. Being fans of any of these and the numerous others mentioned in the manga adds to the overall enjoyment of each chapter but won’t necessarily take away from the experience if you’re not familiar with them all either. While the art style isn’t anything breathtaking it is more than appropriate as it allows for many of the exaggerations and jokes in the manga. The author also does a great job balancing “laughing out loud” comedy and other serious tones (there aren’t very many of those) present in the story and ensures that readers won’t be bored on any page.

Although I can’t accurately describe what Hayate the Combat Butler is about story-wise, I can say that it’s a very enjoyable comedy-slice of life-romance-drama (in that order). Yes, I made that up on a whim but that’s what I feel is the best description I can make for this manga currently. I also cannot wait until its anime adaptation arrives (originally reported by Moetron and yes, I’m very excited). So if you’re looking for a new manga to pick up or even if you’re not, do give Hayate the Combat Butler your undivided attention. Or in other words: Go read the damn manga!

My Verdict: 9.5/10

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Volumes: 9 (and ongoing)
Scanlated (to date): Volumes 1-4, Volume 5: chapters 1-4(42-45)
Author: Kenjirou Hata
Status: Licensed by Viz