I have a question about the movie, since I didn't see it. Was it really so bad that the series needed an overhaul to this extent? A/N: Part of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses' Fall Evaluation   I haven't read the manga, so it's possible that I could be completely wrong and this is the real Hayate, but I was under the impression that Hayate was about zaniness and lightning-fast references. The characters are all incredibly likable, don't get me wrong (although your tolerance for Nagi will depend on how much you feel about her stereotype and Rie Kugimiya), but I don't think doing something plot and character oriented was the best move for this series, since I'm already conditioned to not take it seriously. However, it feels like this new rendition wants to have it both ways (the comedy and the drama) and it falls flat on each.   The show still tries to be funny, but it's in a completely different way than in past seasons. What happened to parodying popular anime and Norio Wakamoto narrating? Instead, this episode uses jokes and sight gags that you can see coming from a mile away, and are therefore not funny. Oh look, Nagi bought a spicy drink...that is spicy! And then earlier there's a shot where it's a close up on a painting making a funny face and it's funny because that's how Nagi is reacting and then they zoom out to show you how similar it is and is Manglobe even trying anymore?! In between the not-funny moments is some drama that's probably going to take up the season involving Area 51 and Nagi's dad and somehow her sister (who's never showed up before), but like I said above, previous seasons have conditioned me to watch for the laughs, not for the paper-thin plot. And the plot in this episode doesn't really deviate from what we've already seen tons of times before; Nagi gets kidnapped, Hayate saves her. The end.   The animation is largely hit and miss, especially towards the beginning of the episode. Hands get mushy, Hayate pulls some derp faces, and there's a shot of Nagi looking wall-eyed that's held for a few seconds. Maria has also been visually aged up, but that didn't bother me as much. There are also these weird bits with this idol character holding apples and talking about knights and princesses, and it feels like it was beamed in from a completely different show. And, to be fair, if this was a completely different show I wouldn't be as critical of it. If this was done under a different name with different looking characters, I'd say, "Hey, this setup is kinda like Hayate, but without the comedy bent," and I'd give it a shot. But since this is supposed to be Hayate (even with a script written by the original mangaka!), this first episode doesn't inspire confidence. I'm not a huge fan of the series, but this isn't the Hayate I remember. Maybe instead of trying to give the fans what they think they want, Manglobe should just let it go. Images from Crunchyroll.com.
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