ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku manga volume 27 review
Hayate the Combat Butler Volume 27

 –> Purchase from Amazon.com
–>  Purchase from Yes Asia! (Japanese tankoubon)

Since I’ve already reviewed this volume based on the Japanese tankoubon, this review will mostly focus on the Viz release as well as additional thoughts regarding the content of Hayate the Combat Butler Volume 27.

***SPOILERS***

Looking Back

Because we are so far behind Japan (volume 49 was recently released in Japan as I write this review), it is somewhat amusing seeing how story elements from volume 27 are finally bearing fruit in the current Japanese chapters. For starters, this is where Yozora was introduced to the manga. So it is interesting being reminded where she comes from as current fans know where she is.

The other major element from this volume is Nagi starting on the road to creating her own doujinshi manga and the start of her competition with Ruka. This is where Nagi began to grow as a character, which became a welcome turn of events.

As usual, it is fun rereading old chapters in volume form. At the same time, I am reminded of how frustratingly slow Hata-sensei is with pushing the plot elements forward for Hayate the Combat Butler. This volume does a better job of not just going off on a tangent and having gag chapters that don’t tie into a storyline, but he makes sure never to get too far away from gag stuff.

If I thought Viz would actually complete the series, maybe the slow progression of the plot wouldn’t bother me quite so much. As it is, Viz is only releasing two volumes a year whereas in Japan, four volumes a year get released. As I write this, volume 28 is out in the U.S. and volume 49 is out in Japan, making a 21 volume gap. That means if Viz doesn’t give up, it will take over 10 years to complete the release!

Viz Stuff

For Viz’s release of Hayate the Combat Butler Volume 27, Japanese honorifics are retained, as usual. This includes terms like ojousama and waka (the male equivalent), which I love.

The standard omake stuff exists in the volume including the cover manga page featuring the goddess Orumuzuto Nadja. Kotetsu gets a profile page. There’s a two page manga extra featuring Isumi and Sakuya. Hata-sensei has his note. There are two 4-koma comic strip manga. Then there’s the “Bad End” page.

Also, Viz has ads for a few other manga titles.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

While I despise the fact that Viz is releasing the Hayate the Combat Butler manga volumes so slowly, I am glad they are bothering to release them at all.

As to Hayate the Combat Butler Volume 27, it is a fun, enjoyable volume that managed to incorporate some plot before the manga shifted to the Nagi and Ruka subplot.