ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 367
Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 367

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Father Radiostar points out to Hayate that the storage room he and Tama have been assigned to live in is too small based on the large bath room on the floor below, and the fact that Father Radiostar cannot pass through the one wall even though he’s a ghost. Ah-tan shows up and informs them that there’s not only a barrier there, but the barrier is masked so that people don’t notice, much like the giant bell Tama wears makes him pretty much unnoticeable. Hayate asks if she can get through the barrier.  She confirms she can, but says she shouldn’t since there are usually nasty booby traps, which makes it a spell above her level.

Meanwhile, Hina is studying in her room, but she can’t get Ayumu’s words that Ruka likes Hayate out of her mind. She tries rationalizing things by contemplating the ways people can like things, like hamburger, but realizes that “like” means exactly what Ayumu implied. Ruka stops by to ask Hina to read her storyboard, so Hina decides to ask Ruka straight out if Ruka likes Hayate. Ruka says she does, so in desperation, Hina asks if it is a differing kind of “love” than really loving hamburgers.

Elsewhere, a girl dressed in black on top of an electric poll speaks to someone on her Bluetooth, mentioning how she was the one to let Ruka’s manager know about Ruka’s manga work by pretending to be a fan. She also knows of the King’s Jewel and the Royal Garden, as well as Hayate’s and Athena’s connection to it and their inability to get back.  She also speaks of finding a new candidate and her belief that things will go well.

Thoughts/Review:

Man, I really have to press forward on the backlogged chapters for this series.  I have read another volume, so I know how Ah-tan gets rescued, but I’ve no clue on how Ah-tan turns back into a little girl, but one who apparently still has her memories and magical powers.  I also need to find out about Yukari-chan House and how they are there.  Stuff to look forward to.

In true Hata-sensei humor style, Ruka’s unexpected dropping to the seiza seated position when Hina wanted to talk to her made me chuckle.

Also, it seems Hata-sensei is much more a fan of a certain kind of super deformed style, as seen by many of the characters, including Ruka, Hina, and Father Radiostar. He’s been doing it for a while, but it seems he does it a lot more now.  Maybe I’m only noticing it more now.

Speaking of Father Radiostar, the barrier wall he found being unnoticeable, as well as Tama’s bell preventing him from being noticed, reminds me of a similar concept in the more recent Doctor Who episodes, where a “perception filter” has been established so that things which are there aren’t noticed.  I doubt Hata-sensei got the idea from Doctor Who, but it would be cool if he had.

I don’t have the slightest clue whom this young woman is who’s apparently keen on using Ruka and knows the Sanzenin family secrets. It would be neat if she were somehow connected to Himegami.

So, an interesting chapter in what so far is an interesting story arc.