Hayate the Combat Butler “2nd Season” Ep. 20
ハヤテのごとく！！Episode 20
Hayate no Gotoku!! – 20

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Father Radiostar tells Hayate that the reason he hasn’t left for the afterlife is that he still has unfinished business (regrets) on Earth that need to be resolved. That regret centers around the fact that he was never able to flirt with a “maid-san,” something Hayate doesn’t think it becoming of a man of God.

After hearing more, Hayate decides that Maria needs to be protected from this perverted priest and so consults Isumi, who specializes in sending ghosts and youkai packing. Isumi agrees to help ans says that the best way to accomplish the Father’s request is to let him occupy someone’s body. Hayate realizes they mean him, but considering what Father Radiostar might do to Maria, Hayate reject this idea.

After Father Radiostar throws a bit of a tantrum, Isumi agrees to wear a maid costume but it isn’t enough as he feels Isumi doesn’t have the spirit of a maid. Hayate consults with Nagi who immediately calls Wataru over. After Isumi is safely hidden where she can overhear, Nagi has Wataru define the spirit of a maid-san character. After he is done, Isumi comes out to Wataru’s shock and horror. Now Isumi believes Wataru to be a maid maniac and he flees. However, armed with this information, Isumi and Hayate head to a field where Father Radiostar awaits. Unfortunately for Isumi, as she tries to show of the spirit of a maid by twirling, she falls on her face, revealing the “clumsy maid” aspect.

Now that Wataru has the idea of a maid in his head, he tries to get Saki to twirl for him but she refuses, sensing his perverted notion. Meanwhile, Hayate and Isumi head to Sakuya’s house where she agrees to help them. As it happens, she has hired a new part-time maid who worked at her maid cafe. This maid, Haru, is summoned and she perfectly reflects the concept of the ideal maid-san. Suitably impressed, Hayate and Isumi along with Sakuya and Haru head to Nagi’s mansion and are greeted by Maria, who seems to know what is going on but cannot get noticed for being a maid.

As the group walks down the hall, Hayate notes that Haru addresses him as “Ayasaki-kun” even though they weren’t formally introduced. She also seems to know him. Father Radiostar tells Hayate that Haru is really up there on the maid scale, having spent a lot of time watching video footage of Isumi’s fall in the maid costume. To solve Isumi’s tripping problem, Haru recommends a shorter maid skirt. She also instructs Isumi in the art of the fake smile that will fool 80% of the people. Hayate, Father Radiostar and Sakuya watch this training with Sakuya finding it all very funny.

With Father Radiostar satisfied with what he’s seen, everyone heads outside to send him off. However, when he says that his request was simply an April Fool’s joke and that there’s no way he’d leave after having only one regret completed, Isumi snaps and grabs an ofuda to send him on his way to the afterlife anyway. Father Radiostar flees and ends up getting Hayate caught up in the chase. Attempting to flee the power of a thrown ofuda slip, Hayate breaks a mansion window and as punishment is forced by Maria to clean up the mess while wearing a maid costume. Meanwhile, Haru leaves and changes into her school uniform where we see this is actually Haruko, the Student Council secretary. She’s keeping her life as a maid quite and as she walks home, she’s met by Hina, who walks home with her.

Thoughts/Review:

Oh, my sides are hurting! *lol* This was a very funny episode and very possibly the best use of the Father Radiostar character yet. ^_^ He really drove things well with his “maid-san” desire. Having Isumi be the girl to take the roll of “maid-san” worked quite well as well.

The physical comedy aspects as well as the comedy centering around the maid fetish all worked quite well right down to Wataru suddenly deciding Saki should give a twirl for him. I’m going to guess the writers kept pretty close to the manga but no matter what, kudo’s to the writers on this episode.

I think this is the second time we’ve seen Isumi out of the traditional Japanese clothing. Heh!heh! She sure is a cutie, eh? ^_^

Speaking of Isumi, I couldn’t help but think that the music playing toward the end of the episode when Isumi gave chase to Father Radiostar should have been the song “Yakety Sax,” which most of us westerners would recognize as the chase theme music from The Benny Hill Show. That would have made the moment even funnier for me, but the Japanese may not be aware of that song or there could have been a cost issue with obtaining the rights to use said song. Still, normal music used in this episode worked but “Yakety Sax” would have ruled. ^_^

I was surprised to see that Haru is in fact Haruko. They made her so beautiful as the maid-san, obviously for purposes of having her fulfill the role of Isumi’s teacher of being the perfect maid-type. What’s amusing is how Haruko is a maid after school but during school, it is almost like she’s in disguise with her glasses and all. *lol*

So a really funny and fun episode that I ended up watching a 2nd time rather than write this review. ^_^;