Hayate the Combat Butler Ep. 50
ハヤテのごとく！Episode 50

SPOILER Summary: Hayate tries to get Nagi interested in a game competition for girls, but fails to do so until she sees the trophy given as first prize. However, she needs another female to compete with her and she can’t find anyone to do so. Before Nagi and Maria can dress Hayate up as a girl, he escapes to try to find someone. Meanwhile, Nishizawa is interested in the same competition, only she’s interested in the all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu, which she intends to invite Hayate along with. Nishizawa gets lost in thought and accidentally runs into Hayate, who upon learning she’s interested in the competition, immediately enlists her to be Nagi’s partner.

At the competition are many girls, including Aika and Chiharu, the Vice President and Secretary of the Student Council. Nagi and Nishizawa are reluctant allies, but as the competition starts, sometimes Nagi has the answers and sometimes Nishizawa. The losing teams are ejected from the game. One question deals with sake and because all the girls are underaged, no one has an answer. However, a life-line (ala Who Wants to Be a Millionaire) is granted and Maria-san saves the day. Nagi and Nishizawa make it to the finals, as do Aika and Chiharu (who are labeled as supposed to have more screen time after the 3rd season) as well as Hina-chan and Miki-chan.

The final round has the three pairs on three separate inflatable slide that lead to a “pool” filled with giant (inflated?) balls. Hina quickly begins answering questions left and right. Each time she does so, the other two team’s slide gets elevated to a sharper incline to try to force them to fall. Eventually, Aika and Chiharu do just that. Just as it seems over for Nagi and Nishizawa (as Nagi has let go), Nishizawa catches her, understanding that Nagi wants the trophy because the figure on it looks like Hayate. Then, impossibly (due to the way Nishizawa is upside down holding Nagi), the duo answer a series of questions and eventually force Hina and Miki into the ball pool, the final question being the price of a creme puff, which Nagi remembered Nishizawa buying for her way back when.

Nagi and Nishizawa give each other compliments after a fashion before Nagi rushes to get her trophy. Nishizawa has the all-you-can-eat ticket and ponders what to do with it. She’s just thinking she should share it with her family when Hayate arrives to thank her for all she’s done. Nagi comes up and so Nishizawa decides to continue to like Hayate as she does now and invites both of them to eat shabu-shabu with her. They agree, though when they go to eat it, Nagi does complain about things to the irritation of Nishizawa.

Thoughts: This episode started off as one where I thought, “It will be a one-paragraph summary because I’m bored.” However, in the end, I did get a few laughs from this which made it pretty good. I think I laughed the most when Nagi distracted Nishizawa with the small-bubbled packing square, and Nishizawa commenting on how once you start popping the bubbles, you can’t stop. *lol*

References! (Note: the site doesn’t get 100% of the references, but most of the time they do get a very high percentage.)