Hayate no Gotoku manga (raw discussion only)

[Xellos-_^]

curious, how does the j-fandom view nagi, hina, athena and ruka.

are they ok with slap stick comedy or do they want more serious drama?

[GDB]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

curious, how does the j-fandom view nagi, hina, athena and ruka.

Hina is far and away more popular than any other character. Last character poll (I think it was the last one, anyway) she got more votes than Athena and Nagi (#2 and #3, respectively) combined.

Don't think a poll's been done since Ruka joined.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

are they ok with slap stick comedy or do they want more serious drama?

Reading what Hata-sensei says, he's always fretting whenever he goes into more serious story arcs simply because it gets away from the gag humor. I think I remember him saying (don't have the manga in front of me at the moment so I can't verify) that he kept putting off the Athena flashback arc simply because is the serious drama/plot elements in it. For other serious turns in the story, he's always begging fans to be patient with him.

Personally, I think he (or his editor) are being paranoid about losing readers over more serious chapters, but with the frequency Hata-sensei brings up the subject, a part of me does wonder if Japanese fans mostly want the frosting elements of the series (the gag humor and "which girl will end up with Hayate" element).

Originally Posted by GDB

Hina is far and away more popular than any other character. Last character poll (I think it was the last one, anyway) she got more votes than Athena and Nagi (#2 and #3, respectively) combined.

Don't think a poll's been done since Ruka joined.

I think Hina has been the runaway favorite in all of the polls, hasn't she? Nagi always seems to come in third.

[madmac]

I think Hina has been the runaway favorite in all of the polls, hasn't she? Nagi always seems to come in third.

Hina has always been crushingly popular, yeah. Nagi consistently polls third, usually just behind the second place character by a thin margin. Early on she polled just behind Maria, in the last official poll we know about Athena surged all the way to second place with Nagi still in third but that was years ago (Chapter 300) so who knows exactly how it all shakes out these days.

To put things in context a little, literally 90% of the merchandise produced for the series is for Hina and Nagi, with the other characters, primarily Hayate and Maria getting a narrow slice. Ruka did get a flurry of merchandise timed to hit with the movie/CTMEOY but I haven't seen anything sustained in that regard.

As far as the broader fandom in Japan is concerned, I think it's fair to say that Hina and Nagi are the face of the series. (And Hayate of course, but he's a male character, so...)

[GlassesLady]

Come to think of it, we usually got those character polls ever 100 chapters, but none for 400. Wonder what's up with that? I don't think HnG is getting significantly less popular. Did their magazine just stop doing things like that?

Incidentally, Hayate was the one in 2nd place in the chapter 200-ish poll, if memory serves.

[madmac]

Come to think of it, we usually got those character polls ever 100 chapters, but none for 400. Wonder what's up with that? I don't think HnG is getting significantly less popular. Did their magazine just stop doing things like that?

Incidentally, Hayate was the one in 2nd place in the chapter 200-ish poll, if memory serves.

You may be thinking of the first poll. It's been so long that they all kind of blend together for me though.

No idea what was up with the chapter 400 Poll. I remember there was rumblings of a poll with Ruka in second place around that time but I never saw any evidence. Maybe it just wasn't popularized much.

That said, the big popularized polls every two years or so aren't really that important, I don't think. From what I understand the weekly surveys that get filled out with every chapter are a much bigger source of feedback, because it's less of a homecoming queen contest and more a way to determine what characters and stories just aren't working out vs what readers want to see more of.

For example the reason we never really see Klaus or Tama anymore isn't because Hata started hating on them but because stories focused on them always did really poorly. Dammit people.

You can see a lot of old characters being quietly offed that way. I also remember Hata pointing out in one of the early volumes that even though she doesn't get the votes, Hamster in a way is almost as popular as Hina because stories she's in always get high marks. (Sounds about right to me, bad Hamster stories are hard to find.)

[GlassesLady]

I though Maria was second in the 100-chapter poll... but I may well have those mixed up. :P

[AstroNerdBoy]

Originally Posted by GlassesLady

I though Maria was second in the 100-chapter poll... but I may well have those mixed up. :P

I think you are right. As I recall it, it was Hina, Maria, then Nagi.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by madmac

No idea what was up with the chapter 400 Poll. I remember there was rumblings of a poll with Ruka in second place around that time but I never saw any evidence. Maybe it just wasn't popularized much.

All the polls are published within the chapters themselves, either as color pages (most recent poll) or noted within the chapter (poll before that) as the characters are shown. No such poll was shown, thus no poll occurred.

Clearly, Hata needs to spin-off a monthly Hina series. Hina, Hamster, and the Baka trio.

[madmac]

Clearly, Hata needs to spin-off a monthly Hina series. Hina, Hamster, and the Baka trio.

I'm a little surprised it never happened, even if he'd end up having to dump most of the work on a different artist.

I remember a while back one of the questions on Hata's blog was a "If you could do any spin-off you wanted, what would it be?" sort of thing, and he responded with:

1. Hina/Yukiji, because it's a story too long to include in HnG.

2. Athena/Machina and Isumi/Sakuya team up as odd-couple investigators in a supernatural adventure/mystery manga.

3. Fumi and Sharna in a 4koma style book aimed at a younger audience, titled "Anyway you want is ok." (I may be misremembering the title, it's been a while.)

[AstroNerdBoy]

Well, maybe when Hayate is over, we'll get these spinoffs. I know I'd want to read them though I doubt they'd be licensed in the U.S., considering how so few apparently by the Hayate the Combat Butler manga.

[MCAL]

And so it ends. Poor Hayate though. Fresh off his missed chance and all those couples just rub it in his face. As has been the norm for a surprising amount of time, the Nagi moments have been quite good.

[madmac]

Heh. "You didn't plan this out very well, did you?" "Shut up!"

That was a great way to wrap up the arc, I'm happy. From Hayate to being sad, to pissed off at all the couples, to the close, it kept a good balance and flowed really well.

Of all things, Nagi's dorky attempts to cheer him up remind me of Hayate's, er, "amazing humor" to cheer her up during Sakuya's birthday party. Must be the fireworks. And of course the mask bit had shades of "Mask the Money" from the start of the series, which I'm sure was intentional. Life-Ender Chan, heh.

Oh, and you all know what beach episode means. Swimsu---err, Heroes of the Sea cameos, yeah! Seriously, that seems like an obvious way to follow up on the (yet unrevealed) tip Hayate got from Kurosu.

[mitsuganae]

Now *that* is the proper way to end the arc!

But I'm sooooooo not looking forward to the harem antics (those spices that are confused for the main ingredient) the beach will inevitably bring. I hope there's actual plot movement amongst all the five-ways (though I also hope that Hinayumubakatres will finally happen).

[zibi88]

personaly I dont like this chapter... becouse the author just throws nagi onto the viewer... a very forcefull atempt to make people like her.... so from all girls it had to be nagi that appears to cheer up.... why not Hina (who was big part in this arc too) or Maria who starts to see her losing her position ;/

Ruka is gone (I did like her a lot as she was very refreshing and very open mined towards her feelings) and the author just throws salt into the open wounds.... ehh why cant nagi say to hayate "see you in 10years" and disappear like Ruka ^^ only to meet in 10years to see what happened with ruka, nagi and hayate on their own paths

[GDB]

I wasn't a big fan of it either.

1) Hayate already regretting it (to this extent, at least) makes him look incredibly foolish for turning her down.

2) How did Nagi know where Hayate would be?

3) Was Hina with the others in Izumi's dad's apartment? If not, where is she? She was with Hayate and the doctor at one point, but seems to have disappeared.

[madmac]

I wasn't a big fan of it either.

1) Hayate already regretting it (to this extent, at least) makes him look incredibly foolish for turning her down.

2) How did Nagi know where Hayate would be?

3) Was Hina with the others in Izumi's dad's apartment? If not, where is she? She was with Hayate and the doctor at one point, but seems to have disappeared.

1. He would have regretted it either way. I think he was partially just stunned that turning her down actually had consequences.

2. Pretty sure they both just went back to the house. Either way Nagi would have known that since he didn't show up at the new meeting spot he'd be at the old one. Not that hard to take a look at him and see something was amiss, either, when he was that obviously moping.

She very clearly didn't have a plan, either. It was a spur of the moment thing.

3. Why does it matter? She was at the party last chapter, in the like two or three frames we saw of it Hina wasn't in frame. Doesn't mean anything except that Hata wanted to give Maria and Alice a brief spotlight.

so from all girls it had to be nagi that appears to cheer up.... why not Hina (who was big part in this arc too) or Maria who starts to see her losing her position

Because Nagi is the main character and also the only one previously shown as having a good idea what was about to happen with Hayate and Ruka. It would have been far less justified for either of them to show up with no prior knowledge whatsoever and do nothing to wrap up the arc.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Originally Posted by zibi88

personaly I dont like this chapter... becouse the author just throws nagi onto the viewer... a very forcefull atempt to make people like her....

You guys with your blind hatred of Nagi. *lol*

Seriously, this manga is about Nagi and Hayate, so Nagi is going to be there again, and again, and again, and again, and again, etc.

Originally Posted by GDB

I wasn't a big fan of it either.

1) Hayate already regretting it (to this extent, at least) makes him look incredibly foolish for turning her down.

It's called, "what might have been" thinking. Who hasn't come to a crossroads in their life (or fork in the road), then make a decision on where to go from there (after whatever amount of consideration), but still wonder, "if I'd gone that other route, what would have happened?"

Frankly, I see this as perfectly normal thinking on Hayate's part. Assuming Athena is number one in his heart, as he expressed to Hina, he has no way of knowing if after Athena has her memories and age restored, she'll want to be with him. It is a big risk. He may love Athena and want to be with her, but she might have reasons to not get into a relationship with Hayate.

With that in mind, there's Ruka. Hayate knows Ruka has very strong feelings for him. Ruka's a babe, and Hayate is not opposed to a life with Ruka. Ruka is a sure thing. However, since Hayate passed on the sure thing (a good life marrying Ruka) in favor of an uncertain thing (getting Athena back), it is natural that he'd have second thoughts and wonder if he'd made the right decision.

2) How did Nagi know where Hayate would be?

I don't think she did know. She only tagged along for the fireworks party as a courtesy to her friends who'd helped her win the doujinshi contest. As soon as she could, she ditched the party and went home with the excuse of being tired. I can see her at Yukari-chan House engrossed in thought when she sees an obviously depressed Hayate show up without Ruka. So, she decides she's going to be the one to cheer him up.

3) Was Hina with the others in Izumi's dad's apartment? If not, where is she? She was with Hayate and the doctor at one point, but seems to have disappeared.

She was up there. If you look at the girls on the balcony when Ayumu asks Nagi to come join them, Hina is there between Miki and Ah-tan.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by AstroNerdBoy

It's called, "what might have been" thinking. Who hasn't come to a crossroads in their life (or fork in the road), then make a decision on where to go from there (after whatever amount of consideration), but still wonder, "if I'd gone that other route, what would have happened?"

Usually, it doesn't happen six seconds after the fact. Couple of hours, days, or weeks, sure, but seconds?

I don't think she did know. She only tagged along for the fireworks party as a courtesy to her friends who'd helped her win the doujinshi contest. As soon as she could, she ditched the party and went home with the excuse of being tired. I can see her at Yukari-chan House engrossed in thought when she sees an obviously depressed Hayate show up without Ruka. So, she decides she's going to be the one to cheer him up.

Makes sense.

[ChampDream]

it was nice seeing Nagi cheering Hayate after all that (lol at that couple), I just hope next arc doesn't drag too much like this one.