Series- Fate/Hollow Ataraxia
Manufacturer- WAVE
Scale- 1/10
Release Date- 2010/8/???
Price- 3,800 yen (42.07 USD) / 3,230 yen(35.75 USD)
Stores- http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112137
Copyright TYPE-MOON
Height approx. 160mm
more information Japanese*This product is currently available for pre-order*
The Main Characters: Nagi and Hayate (center), Ayumu, Maria, and Hinagiku (big ones from left to right)
Hayate no Gotoku or Hayate the Combat Butler was one of those animes I watched on a reference from a Shakugan no Shana extra. It’s about the bad luck and debt ridden main character Hayaye Ayasaki, who has worked his whole life to make ends meet from his parents spending habits. One Christmas night after finding out that his parents ran away and sold him to the yakuza for his organs, he runs away and becomes desperate enough to try to kidnap for ransom money. The person he tries to kidnap is Sanzen’in Nagi, who misinterprets it for a love confession. While attempting to make a ransom call to the Sanzen’in house (which fails), Nagi gets kidnaped by a couple of goons, who gets stopped by Hayate. Before collapsing, he asks her to find him a job. Thats when Nagi decides the hire Hayate to be her butler.
This series was definitely one of my favorites as it was another parody/reference anime but with somewhat of a plot. What got me to start watching this was a Shakugan no Shana mini specials episode, where Nagi Sanzen’in was shown on Yuji’s head. From there, it was off to watching two seasons or 77 episodes of Hayate no Gotoku.
The first season (as I realize now follows the manga accurately) was filled with many parodies of other animes, references to real life scenarios made in a comical way, and not too much fanservice. Many of the references made in the show were censored (with the standard bleeping sound) due to broadcasting rights, but you could still get what the characters meant. Another thing I noticed about the show is how fanservice is limited (though the anime knows that and provides some from the lack thereof in a funny way). Most characters are not drawn over the top sexy, making them look almost normal in terms of a high schooler. The characters and their personalities seem to balance out quite well with one another, though the little misunderstandings that do happen make for great comedy. An example of this is how Nagi thinks that Hayate loves her romantically from the start of their meet, though the whole thing is a misunderstanding and mishaps ensue. Maria (Nagi’s maid) knows of the situation between the two but doesn’t know how to let both of them know about each others feelings. The plot of the first season is basically about Hayate’s experiences of learning to be a great butler, meeting new people and facing new obstacles along the way.
Season two has a couple of changes, notably the references to other anime are gone and the animation change between the first and second season. I still liked it like the first season, though the difference of how the characters were drawn bugged me a bit in the beginning but I got used to it eventually. This season was more focused on giving more story and love comedy than parody, but kept its style intact. You can also tell that the creators were also focusing on their fan favorite character, Hinagiku Katsura. She appeared a lot more than the previous season, even having the ending theme song being about her. I’m not complaining, I like her too, though a more balanced show of the characters is good too.
Just today I realeased a piano melodies video of Hayate no Gotoku! Hope you enjoy the video.
Overall the whole series was always funny, providing a little action, love, and comedy wrapped up into a show called Hayate no Gotoku. It’s a great recommendation if you’re looking for a good love comedy manga/anime.
i swear to god people abuse the english language way too much.
I was sitting with my sister talking about the events of the week, and everytime i asked her about a detail that was off she would ramble off with “apparently thats what happened/occured” etc etc.
What happened to “i dont know”? or “im not too sure”? have we conciously forced our minds to act/try smart?
And in a general sense, people just have a phrase or statement they abuse beyond belief. Faux paus? I dont give a shit about fox paws, heck i dont give a shit about french.
I mean why do we have to use all this complicated and overtly abused phrases like “anyway” and like, “like”?
Like seriously.
I mean i can sit here and rub the salt into the wound or become a grammar nazi, both of which i do not want to do, but its just sometimes when you open your mouth just think first about what you are going to say.
As someone apparently said a long while back, “You have two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion”
Remember how I was moaning about the lack of Natsume’s merchandise a year ago? The lovely people in ALTAIR has announced the pre-order of the figure Natsume from Natsume Yuujinchou!
Love Natsume’s expression! It looks exactly like the way he smiles in the anime… brings back that ‘curing’ feeling~ Moreover, his embroidery on his outer layer is painted so beautifully! This is a must get for me *_*!
The figure is scheduled to be released in July 2010. Damage to wallet is probably around 7000 yen ($80). The conventional sites for Japanese goods are not opened for pre-order yet, but they should be accepting pre-order soon.
Images from Amiami.
Happy Girl’s Day!
The third day of the third month is known in Japan as Hina Matsuri, Doll Festival, when the primitive ritual functions of dolls and the importance of the Heian era in Japanese culture are combined with a celebration of feminine qualities and a wish that little girls will develop them. Families with daughters pray for their health and future happiness, and celebrate with special foods, parties, and a display of traditional dolls in the best room of the house.
An older festival celebrated on this day is Momo-no-sekku, a peach blossom festival originating in China. Artificial or hothouse peach blossoms are an essential part of Hina Matsuri decoration – in Japan peach blossoms don’t appear for another month. They symbolise a happy marriage and the feminine traits of gentleness, composure and tranquillity.
In ancient times, dolls were believed to have the ability to contain evil spirits, and the beginning of Spring was a suitable time for a ritual to dispel the sickness and darkness of winter. Paper or straw dolls were sent out in boats to to carry away all the community’s ills and evils. It made a pleasant outing at the beginning of spring. Kyoto’s Shimogamo shrine still hosts an annual festival where dolls are put in boats and sent out to sea to pray for the safety of children.
The Hina Matsuri festival was legally established in 1687. During the Edo era (1603-1867) a rich and sophisticated merchant class evolved with money to spend on leisure and entertainment, and festivals and celebrations became even more important. Over time, Japanese girls began to celebrate the day with gatherings of friends and special food, including colourful hina-arare rice crackers and hishi mochi, diamond-shaped rice cakes.
The historic origins of the festival are still honoured in the display set up in many Japanese homes with daughters. The dolls and their accessories are modelled on the Heian Imperial Court. Dolls representing the Emperor and Empress sit on the top tier of an elaborate red-carpeted stand in 12th-century Court dress. Three court ladies sit on the next tier down, with five male musicians, two ministers of State and three samurai on the three lower tiers. The two bottom tiers hold screens, lanterns, flowers, carriages, furniture and musical instruments. There are even miniature trays of food so that the Court can join the party.
A set of hina can contain 15 or more dolls. If the family doesn’t have an inherited set, or if a house has many elegant rooms and many daughters, parents and grandparents of a newborn girl often buy dolls as a gift for her, but these are not to be played with. They go on display from the end of February until 3 March, and are taken down immediately after the festival by the superstitious. Folk wisdom says that a girl whose dolls are left on display after Hina Matsuri may have a long wait to get married.
The more expensive sets are miniature works of classical art. Even the cheapest pop-culture editions follow the traditional form, though some are only three tiers high and others restrict the display to the Emperor and Empress dolls. These august personages have been played by pop culture icons including Hello Kitty and her boyfriend Daniel, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and the festival is referred to in many anime and manga, as well as in films and TV. Akira Kurosawa’s movie Dreams: Yume stresses the link between Japanese culture and the country’s natural environment. In one sequence, a little boy grieving over the loss of his family’s peach orchard is consoled when a group of hina dolls come to life and dance for him.
Boys can display dolls too, on Boy’s Day on May 5, but theirs are themed around the ancient attributes of masculinity, with horses, weapons, gods and heroes. What, I wonder, would be in a modern-day hina set to reflect 21st-century masculinity and femininity? It’s an interesting design challenge, but no modern decoration is likely to replace the traditional court of Imperial dolls in the near future.
If you want to celebrate Girl’s Day by sending a greeting to a friend, you can find the kanji for Girl’s Day, free to download in a variety of fonts, at The Japanese Connection.
Ah, it’s so nice to have new Gundam animation. Although I’m not a UC (Universal Century) fan, I still enjoyed this a lot!
This series is takes place three years after Char’s Counterattack, and focus on a young youth named Banagher Links. And in classic Gundam fashion, Banagher is thrust into a war he isn’t ready for, and becomes the “accidental” pilot for a ridiculously high-powered mobile suit known as a Gundam. Banagher seems to be pretty much standard fare as far as Gundam-leads, he even seems to be a blossoming Newtype. That kinda leads to the small niggle I have so far with this plot: it seems almost bog-standard affair Gundam story. Watching it seemed like watching MSG, or Zeta , or even SEED all over again. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but I thought Gundam 00 was a fresh of breath air for the Gundam franchise story-wise, and they seem to have taken a step back here. Of course, I do realize that this story is based on a novel which was released BEFORE 00, so I can understand somewhat if it feels like more of the same. Again, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, but I guess I enjoyed Gundam 00 so much it left me wanting something different. And this IS only the first OVA, so who knows how the story will pan out (I didn’t read the novels, in case you haven’t figured that out).
Now let me get to the Mobile Suits, as my big interest in Gundam stems from the mechs. I’m a sucker for mechs, and while I love a good Gundam as much as the next guy, I’m a sucker for the “grunt-suits”. The Zaku II is probably my second favorite mobile-suit ever (right behind the Over-Flag from Gundam 00). So of course, I squealed like a little girl when they did this shot:
Ah, it’s nice to see the Zaku animated again, even if this one is dead. Anyway, my favorite suit is probably the Geara-Zulu, mostly because of the previously mention Zaku-fetish I have. I think the Geara-Zulu is a proper successor to the Zaku design, and I love its German-WWII style helmet head. To me it’s basically a slimmed down, modern version of the Zaku, much better then the Geara-Doga of CCA.
As for the title Gundam itself, I can’t say too much. I like the design, although it does seem like a step-back from Nu-Gundam (which is top five in my favortie suits list). And honestly I like it better in normal mode rather than Destroy mode. Speaking of Destroy mode, seeing Unicorn transform was almost like seeing Exia go Trans-Am. Ah I can’t help all these 00 comparisons, that series is still fresh on my mind (and will continue to be until the movie premiers and I see it)!
As for the combat, it was awesome, as usual for a Gundam. Watching the semi-CG’d suits duke it out was bringing me back to the days of watching Gundam 00 (I know, only less than a year ago!), and reminded me of why I love the Gundam franchise so much: just seeing giant robots blow the snot out of each other is fabulous. I really liked the battle scene inside the colony. I can’t remember a Gundam series that actually shows the real impact fighting inside a colony has (maybe the first episode of SEED). I also loved the fact that most of the grunts didn’t die in one hit. I mean just look at the Geara-Zulu taking on the ReZELs. It took three or four of them to bring him down, and the pilot was still swinging even in the battered state the suit was in. I know it’s impossible to make giant robots fighting each other in space seem realistic, but that doesn’t stop them from trying!
Anyway, I can’t comment much more on this series, because it’s incomplete. I will say though that this first episode was really well done, if not a bit clich though story-wise. But as far as presentation, A+. The animation was awesome, the fight scenes were really well done, and the music was great. It’s safe to say that this series has reignited my Gundam flame! Which is a bad thing, because OVA 2 isn’t slated to come out till the Fall. What a wait!!
