Anime
The
Hayate the Combat Butler 52-episode
anime aired on
TV Tokyo in Japan between April 1, 2007 and March 30, 2008, produced by animation studio
SynergySP and with music by
Kōtarō Nakagawa. The series is also slated to air on the
CS television network
Animax starting on October 25, 2007, where it will receive its
satellite televisionpremiere, and will be shown uncensored.
[3]As a result of originally being backed by TV Tokyo, the anime has had several elements censored or toned down. Examples include Hayate's mother's gambling addiction being referred to as "Investing (money, in the given case, Hayate's paycheck) in her dream" and Hayate merely being given to "nice men" for work rather than to the Yakuza for his organs (although at one point, mention was made towards harvesting Hayate's organs for money). Characters in the show make reference to the fact that they apparently cannot show the offending material and that the show is "fighting the broadcast code". There is some censorship that is intended as a joke as in any given instance of Hayate bleeding being censored by a sign reading "can't show this". The anime, like the manga, has references to other anime as well as some original references such as
bleeping out words. This method of censoring references has followed onto the English translation of the manga. The DVD contains two audio tracks; one track contains the original audio aired on TV Tokyo and the other track removes the bleeping.
Bandai Entertainment has announced plans to retain this for the dub, using the Japanese audio tracks in such instances.
Throughout the anime, the audience can see some of the characters breaking the
fourth wall. Those that do not break the fourth wall are thinking that the characters are talking to blank space. The narrator is seen talking with Hayate at times, and this makes Hayate realize that there is an audience. Also, some characters may introduce themselves to no one but the audience. Most of the cast have references to their
voice actor's previous roles (Nagi for example has an eyecatch where she wears the outfit of Louise's uniform in
Zero no Tsukaima).
Before and after the commercial break, there is a unique
eyecatch each time. The characters who appear state a phrase which is an on-going game of
shiritori. Starting with episode six, a small segment began playing after the ending credits called the "Butler Network" featuring Hayate, Nagi, and sometimes a guest. It is meant to cover the animation production, broadcast dates, advertise character song albums and DVDs, and follow Hayate's endeavors in fighting against evil as he becomes a great butler.
On June 11, 2009,
Animax Asia started broadcasting the anime on their South East and South Asia channels with English dubbing done by Red Angel Media.
[4]The anime airing on Animax-Asia uses the censored version of the anime and some of the characters in the English dub speak with accents. For example, both Maria and Saki speak with
British accents while Klaus speaks with a German accent. On September 28, 2009,
QTV 11 started the Filipino dub of this anime; it was second in Southeast Asia.
TVB Jade also started the Cantonese dub of this anime.
An
original video animation (OVA) episode was released on March 6, 2009 in DVD and Blu-ray formats. A second anime season of
Hayate the Combat Butlertitled, "Hayate no Gotoku!!" (an additional exclamation mark) aired 25 episodes between April 4 and September 18, 2009, produced by animation studio
J.C.Staff.
[5] Unlike the first season, the second season
retcons the events of the first season by claiming at the onset that a month has pass since Hayate became Nagi's butler. Furthermore, the second season is more faithful to the manga than the first season. On July 21, 2010, Animax Asia began airing the second season, including the OVA, with English dubbing done again by Red Angel Media along with Cantonese and Mandarin dub.
Audio CDs
The opening theme to the anime adaptation, "Hayate no Gotoku!"
(ハヤテのごとく!?) by
Kotoko, was released on May 23, 2007.
[14] The first ending theme, "Proof" by
Mell, was released May 30, 2007.
[15] The second ending theme, "Get my way!", is performed by
Mami Kawada and was released on August 8, 2007.
[16] The second opening theme, "Shichiten Hakki ☆ Shijōshugi!" by Kotoko, was released on October 17, 2007.
[14] The third ending theme, "Chasse", is performed by
Kaori Utatsuki and was released on November 21, 2007. The fourth ending theme, "Ko no me kaze" (木の芽風), is performed by
Iku and was released on March 19, 2008. The opening theme of season two was "Wonder Wind" performed by Elisa. The first ending theme was "Honjitsu, Mankai Watashi Iro!" by Shizuka Itou (with Eri Nakao and Sayuri Yahagi and Masumi Asano). The second opening theme was "Daily-daily Dream" by Kotoko. The second ending theme was "Karakoi: Dakara Shōjo wa Koi o Suru" by Rie Kugimiya and Ryoko Shiraishi.
There are twelve character song albums sung by the main characters from the anime adaptation. The first two were released on May 25, 2007 and feature songs sung by
Ryōko Shiraishi as Hayate Ayasaki and
Rie Tanaka as Maria. The last two, released on July 25, 2007, feature songs sung by
Rie Kugimiya as Nagi Sanzen'in and
Shizuka Itō as Hinagiku Katsura.
Miyu Matsuki as Isumi Saginomiya and
Kana Ueda as Sakuya Aizawa was released on September 21, 2007.
[17]Marina Inoue and
Saki Nakajima as Wataru Tachibana and Saki Kijima, as well as
Mikako Takahashi as Ayumu Nishizawa was released on November 21, 2007.
Hitomi Nabatame as Yukiji Katsura and
Sayuri Yahagi,
Eri Nakao,
Masumi Asano as Izumi, Miki, and Risa will be released on January 25, 2008. Two duet character albums starring Hermione Ayasaki and Nagi, and Maria and Hinagiku were released on March 21, 2008.
The original soundtrack was released on June 22, 2007 and a
drama CD based on the anime adaptation was released on August 22, 2007. On September 21, 2007, volume one of a two-CD
radio drama called
Radio the Combat Butler was released.
[18]
Anime
The
Hayate the Combat Butler 52-episode
anime aired on
TV Tokyo in Japan between April 1, 2007 and March 30, 2008, produced by animation studio
SynergySP and with music by
Kōtarō Nakagawa. The series is also slated to air on the
CS television network
Animax starting on October 25, 2007, where it will receive its
satellite televisionpremiere, and will be shown uncensored.
[3]As a result of originally being backed by TV Tokyo, the anime has had several elements censored or toned down. Examples include Hayate's mother's gambling addiction being referred to as "Investing (money, in the given case, Hayate's paycheck) in her dream" and Hayate merely being given to "nice men" for work rather than to the Yakuza for his organs (although at one point, mention was made towards harvesting Hayate's organs for money). Characters in the show make reference to the fact that they apparently cannot show the offending material and that the show is "fighting the broadcast code". There is some censorship that is intended as a joke as in any given instance of Hayate bleeding being censored by a sign reading "can't show this". The anime, like the manga, has references to other anime as well as some original references such as
bleeping out words. This method of censoring references has followed onto the English translation of the manga. The DVD contains two audio tracks; one track contains the original audio aired on TV Tokyo and the other track removes the bleeping.
Bandai Entertainment has announced plans to retain this for the dub, using the Japanese audio tracks in such instances.
Throughout the anime, the audience can see some of the characters breaking the
fourth wall. Those that do not break the fourth wall are thinking that the characters are talking to blank space. The narrator is seen talking with Hayate at times, and this makes Hayate realize that there is an audience. Also, some characters may introduce themselves to no one but the audience. Most of the cast have references to their
voice actor's previous roles (Nagi for example has an eyecatch where she wears the outfit of Louise's uniform in
Zero no Tsukaima).
Before and after the commercial break, there is a unique
eyecatch each time. The characters who appear state a phrase which is an on-going game of
shiritori. Starting with episode six, a small segment began playing after the ending credits called the "Butler Network" featuring Hayate, Nagi, and sometimes a guest. It is meant to cover the animation production, broadcast dates, advertise character song albums and DVDs, and follow Hayate's endeavors in fighting against evil as he becomes a great butler.
On June 11, 2009,
Animax Asia started broadcasting the anime on their South East and South Asia channels with English dubbing done by Red Angel Media.
[4]The anime airing on Animax-Asia uses the censored version of the anime and some of the characters in the English dub speak with accents. For example, both Maria and Saki speak with
British accents while Klaus speaks with a German accent. On September 28, 2009,
QTV 11 started the Filipino dub of this anime; it was second in Southeast Asia.
TVB Jade also started the Cantonese dub of this anime.
An
original video animation (OVA) episode was released on March 6, 2009 in DVD and Blu-ray formats. A second anime season of
Hayate the Combat Butlertitled, "Hayate no Gotoku!!" (an additional exclamation mark) aired 25 episodes between April 4 and September 18, 2009, produced by animation studio
J.C.Staff.
[5] Unlike the first season, the second season
retcons the events of the first season by claiming at the onset that a month has pass since Hayate became Nagi's butler. Furthermore, the second season is more faithful to the manga than the first season. On July 21, 2010, Animax Asia began airing the second season, including the OVA, with English dubbing done again by Red Angel Media along with Cantonese and Mandarin dub.