ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 430 Review
Hayate the Combat Butler

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Nagi and friends are enjoying the festival when Hina asks Ayumu where the good fireworks watching spot is that she found. She points to a nearby apartment tower, but Hina figures they can’t gain entrance just because it is a good viewing spot. That problem is solved as Izumi reveals her dad owns the building and that everything is ready for them. Heading up to the observation point, Ayumu figures she’d call to tell Ruka and Hayate where they are, but Nagi stops her so that they don’t get in the way of the time Ruka has.

Down on the street, Hayate and Ruka are chatting. Ruka decides that since she’s no longer in debt, she’ll treat Hayate to whatever he wants with the ¥20,000 she got from the doujinshi sales. After questioning that amount, Hayate then wonders if Ruka can do this since she’s a famous idol. She says she’ll wear her doujinshi mask and count on Hayate’s protection.

Hayate goes nuts and orders a lot of food for himself, surprising Ruka. Hayate tells her that he can’t hold back his excitement and that there’s more where that came from. Ruka asks if he’ll gain weight, but Hayate assures her that no matter how much he eats, his body fat has never exceeded 5%. He encourages her to let loose as well with all of the traditional Japanese festival things to do and foods to eat. He cites her never getting to do this as child, just as he never got to do as a child. So she agrees and the two have a wonderful festival date of fun, blowing the entire ¥20,000.

Later that night, the two sit on a bench near the water, where Ruka reflects a bit on things to Hayate before placing her hand on his.

Thoughts/Review:

Har! I had jokingly predicted on Twitter that the Student Council Trio would return in this chapter, and they did, though I thought they’d be back with their movie element. Instead, they were there to get the girls into the apartment building’s observation area (or possibly a penthouse apartment).

I really thought we’d see more with Kuruso and Hayate discussing his older brother, but that was completely dropped in typical Hata-sensei fasion.

While I’ve seen countless summer festivals done at shrine locations or school locations, I’m trying to think if I’ve ever seen a summer festival held on city streets. I think this was a first because I noticed the difference in setting immediately.

Since Ruka appears to be making an exit from the series, save for the occasional cameo, I liked that she got a date with Hayate. The date was cute, but Hayate deciding to indulge was funny to me. Plus, I have to think that Nagi knew that this was the last time that Ruka would get to spend any real time with Hayate, so why not allow it?  I liked that about Nagi.

I do note with some amusement that Ruka did in fact sell 100 doujinshi. Hayate didn’t press the issue hard, which I interpret is Hata-sensei’s way of saying, “That’s the end of that subject.”

One never knows just where Hata-sensei will go from chapter to chapter, but he leaves us with the impression that may, just maybe, Ruka will have one final confession or chat about romance with Hayate. Then again, the next chapter might show the fireworks show and Hayate showing up with the other girls, sans Ruka.