Hayate the Combat Butler Ep. 27

SPOILER Summary: Superintendent Kuzuha decides that she must have a contest to test the butlers at Hakuou Academy. As such, the first ever Butler Battle Tournament is started. Hina learns of this and races to the clock tower of the school (with Hayate close behind) to demand an explanation. Kuzuha explains that butlers need strength, but Hina presents Hayate as a case for being a good student. Kuzuha challenges him but before she can defeat him, she “runs out of gas,” bringing her (female) butler Shion to the scene. Shion and Kuzuha share a moment with the promise of sweets to come. Shion is not happy with Hayate and without doing much of anything, traps him within her aura and defeats him by blowing in his ear. She then leaves with her master, leaving a blushing Hina and a flustered Hayate.

At home, Hayate inquires of Nagi about Shion and Kuzuha. Nagi tells what she knows and suggests he avoid them. She then tells Hayate to get into the tournament because she wants to see him win. She doesn’t care about the prize (100 class credits to the master), she just wants to see Hayate win. So Hayate decides for Nagi’s sake, he will enter.

At the student council meeting room, a tape is played for Hina (the president) with Kuzuha warning Hina to stay out of this as she’s only a commoner with no butler. She ponders what to do when Miki-chan announces she has a plan.

The tournament starts and Izumi-chan’s attempt to get a butler failed, so she loses round one. In the next battle, Risa-chan has hired a butler, a “nice person” (aka: yakuza) that had been after Hayate for the large debt. Her butler extorts his win and Hayate finally learns his name — Kashiwagi. In the next battle, the Azumamiya butler Nonohara emerges to battle the new butler for the Hanabishi family (Miki-chan) — Hina. Hina and Nonohara battle and Nonohara uses his ultimate move, Safety Shutter. However, Hina is able to not only overcome the attack, but when he attempts to use it a second time, she and her after-images get the best of him, defeating him.

In the final match, Hayate is up and his opponent is a mysterious butler and a tiger. Neither Hayate nor Nagi can quite figure out who these masked people are.

Thoughts: I know the show is about a “combat butler,” but this Butler Battle Tournament took me by surprise. Wacky and stupid at the same time, but I enjoyed it. I guess Shion is a woman, so now we have a yuri element added to the mix. And I guess Hina will be yuri since the reactions between Kuzuha, Shion, and her suggested attraction. Whatever. Tama and Klaus were funny at the end, as was Hayate and Nagi’s apparent ignorance as to their identity.

Anyway, I couldn’t help but think of Yu Yu Hakusho, Negima! (manga), and certain school battle titles as this episode progressed. I’m not sure how far this can go, but it should be interesting.

New OP and ED theme songs and animation. Looks like there will be a parody of Kuruma from Yu Yu Hakusho next week. Detective Conan again shows up in the series at the end of the episode. Because I’m not taking the time to research references any more, that was all I instantly noticed.