ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 373

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Miki, Risa, and Izumi are procrastinating in their supplemental studies as Risa complains about how Hayate only gave her a bookmark for her birthday, unlike the efforts he put into Hina’s and Izumi’s birthday. Risa demands to know why she’s being treated differently than Izumi, so Miki speculates that it is a difference in popularity. Risa decides to call Hina about becoming more popular, but Hina’s more interested in Risa actually studying. Risa calls Nagi, who cites manga where girls become cute when they blush and thus popular.

Hayate arrives as the discussion in on getting people to blush, leading to Izumi revealing an embarrassing moment from middle school when she came in pajamas. Upon reflecting of her shameful life, Miki recalls how many panty shots Izumi has had, so Risa decides to prove the cute, blushing, popular girl theory by telling Hayate to life up Izumi’s skirt. Hayate isn’t down for this, but to Risa’s and Miki’s shock, the blushing, embarrassed Izumi offers to lift up her own skirt. Defeated, Risa and Miki are forced to return to studying when Yukiji arrives as a blushing Hayate returns home to Nagi.

Thoughts/Review:

Not a whole lot to chat about here.  Again, I’d like to say that the terrible, current character designs really takes a lot of the fun out of the student body trio stories. Risa used to have that smug, knowing, mischievous look which is completely gone. Miki on occasion does still flash her knowing, determined look, but it doesn’t have the weight it once did.  And, Izumi’s look isn’t as cute nor attractive as once it was. It is hard for me to see how Hata-sensei looks at his designs now vs. how they were and says, “Yeah, this is much better.” However, he’s not the first comic artist to take their art to places it shouldn’t go.

As to the story itself, it wasn’t funny to me, nor amusing. At some level, it was entertaining, but nothing special.  Well, considering that this was a chapter before a break week, I suppose Hata-sensei just wanted to do something quick and not worry too much about anything else, such as carrying over any plot lines.

Well, not all chapters are top-tier material, but there are more good than bad in this series, so what the hey. ^_^