Hayate no Gotoku! Can’t Take My Eyes Off You episode 12 (final)
ハヤテのごとく！ CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Within the kuro-tsubaki, Hayate encounter’s a floating tankuki, who lets him know the final secret of the magical device, namely that should Hayate dress up as a girl and sing on the stage, he could grant a wish to whomever held the device (Nagi) by making the two hands be on the number 8. Outside, Shin-Hayate and Nagi are attacked by Dolly the Dryad in her tree form. Isumi and Sakuya are on their way only to be intercepted by Shidou, to whom Isumi unleashes a major attack. Before Isumi can finish him off, Ruri comes in to assist, telling Shidou to help her mother. She then attacks Isumi, getting the best of Isumi for a moment. However, that just angers Isumi, causing Sakuya to tell Ruri to get away if she wants to live.

Nagi still refuses to give the kuro-tsubaki to Dolly, and Dolly refuses to believe her king and lover are not within the kuro-tsubaki. In her rage, Dolly beats Shidou back as Nagi and Shin-Hayate flee. Elsewhere, the gangsters are about to take Maria and Yukiji, but Maria tricks one by telling them in English that she lost the $3 million ring. Maria takes out the one thug while their leader races to the roof. However, he walks right into Isumi’s massive spell which takes him and Ruri out. Hina saves Ruri from being crushed by a falling pillar and promises to help Nagi if Sakuya and Isumi take the unconscious Ruri to the hospital.

Nagi and Shin-Hayate make it to a helicopter, where they find Yukiji inside with her money. Hina is not happy to see her sister here but Dolly’s attack stops that. Dolly destroys the helicopter, causing Yukiji to abandon the money to save Hina and parachute to safety.  Dolly captures Nagi, but when Shin-Hayate reveals he has the kuro-tsubaki, he says he’ll prove that her love is not within and stabs himself. Inside the kuro-tsubaki, Shin and Hayate meet. Shin leaves the saving of Nagi to Hayate as Shin has kept a woman waiting. Hayate emerges in his body and helps Nagi, causing Dolly to wonder why her lover is not helping her.

With Dolly dying, her tree up on the roof of the hotel begins to crumble. Hayate takes Nagi’s hand and as they fall, reveals he has the kuro-tsubaki, with both of its hands on the 8, meaning Shin is about to make a miracle happen for Nagi’s sake. Giant balloons from Ruka’s concert keep Nagi and Hayate from crashing into the ground, thus they land safely as Shin, within the kuro-tsubaki, finishes his song in an idol’s costume. Yukariko shows up to applaud him, so husband and wife are reunited in the afterlife. Dolly falls and before she dies, Nagi reveals what her love said before he died — that he loved Dolly. Dolly dies and disappears, so Nagi and Hayate go to catch the end of Ruka’s concert. Later, Ruri gives Nagi the ring that Dolly held and Shidou, out of his mask, takes Ruri away. Nagi and Hayate go to Yukariko’s grave, where they leave the ring and the now broken kuro-tsubaki.

Thoughts/Review:

You know, I really liked this episode for quite a few reasons. For starters, we got to see Shin saving his daughter, then sacrificing himself so that he could be in the kuro-tsubaki again to free Hayate. Of course within the device, Shin is shown as his normal self, and I just liked how he turned Nagi over to Hayate. It was almost like when a father hands his daughter off to her future husband.

Then there was Shin’s and Yukariko’s reunion, as Shin had just sacrificed his soul to save Nagi, thus allowing him to finally die. Yeah, it was wrong seeing Shin in that skimpy idol outfit, but I just liked how Yukariko was waiting. She didn’t even tease him for his outfit, but she did reveal that despite it all, she believed in Shin and his love for her, which as we know now, is still true.

I thought it was a nice touch to have Hayate and Nagi visit Yukariko’s grave and leave the ring and kuro-tsubaki there. Having learned what she did about her father, I wouldn’t have minded if Nagi had arranged for her father’s remains to have been brought to Japan and buried alongside Yukariko. Even Mikado wouldn’t object once he learned the truth (or at the very least, would grudgingly allow it).

The reveal that Dolly was in fact a dryad made the story that Ruka had told back in episode 7 make sense.  In all likelihood, the story was about Dolly and her king. Dolly’s own desperation made sense, though the method for keeping her love alive was evil. Still, Dolly did rescue Ruri and raise her like her own daughter, though that doesn’t negate her other, evil aspects.

We never did learn Shidou’s relationship to either Dolly or Ruri. Clearly, he loved Dolly at some level, much as Ruri did. Since he addressed her as “Dolly,” I tend to think that he wasn’t adopted by her like Ruri was. Regardless, it seems he’ll be taking care of Ruri from now on.

I laughed out loud at Isumi not only going unleashed, but catching the stupid, pipe smoking, thug leader in the process. I had felt bad for Isumi when Ruri kicked her to the ground, but then Isumi went all Hulk-like, in a magical sense, and well…*lol*

Speaking of the thugs, the Japanese were keen on doing the English right up to the very end. Well, they were in America, so that makes sense. Still, some of the Engrish and the hilarious dialog, filled with profanities (’cause that’s how we roll in the U.S., y’all) made me laugh.

I’ll reserve further comment for my final thoughts post. Still, I have to say that I thought this episode was a good wrap up to the series.