Hayate the Combat Butler: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Hayate the Combat Butler: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Calling I Can't Take My Eyes Off You the third season of Hayate the Combat Butler is more than a little misleading, especially since the first two seasons have yet to arrive on Blu-ray. (Though Sentai Filmworks are poised to right that wrong.) Perhaps a bit of history is in order. Creator Kenjiro Hata's ongoing manga was first published in 2004 and quickly found its audience. In 2008, Studio SynergySP adapted the early volumes of the manga into a 52-episode harem-comedy anime, Hayate's first season, and expanded the series' fanbase farther. Exit Synergy. In 2009, the torch was passed to Studio J.C. Staff, which released a more faithful 25-episode adaptation; a sorta-so, sorta-not sequel that, for better or worse, became Hayate's second season. Cheers resounded...

Exit J.C. Staff. Enter Studio Manglobe.

After a two-year hiatus, Manglobe delivered its spin on Hayate with Heaven Is a Place on Earth, a much-too-short, 60-minute theatrical iteration that left fans cold, clamoring for a return to form and a true third season. Manglobe, undeterred, responded with Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Third season, right? Pop the champagne! Not so fast. Hata immediately made it clear that the upcoming 12-episode entry in the Hayate franchise was not, repeat not Season 3, labeling it an all new Hayate the Combat Butler story based on abandoned ideas that never found their way into the manga. Confused yet? Who wouldn't be? I'm not even sure Hata is able to keep it all straight.

So a sequel, but not a sequel at all. A third season... that isn't a third season. A loosely connected reboot labeled "Season 3" but actually something of an opening chapter. Sigh. Is it any wonder fans are approaching the new Hayate with cynicism, or that newcomers are avoiding a title dubbed "Season 3" for fear that they'll have no idea what's going on? It's a shame too. Can't Take My Eyes Off You is a lot of fun. Not great. Not as funny as the SynergySp and J.C. Staff seasons. But a lot of fun, and worth watching on top of that.

• The First Night: After a phone call, Nagi is intent on going to Area 51, a secret military base that attracts un-worldly things. Maria says it’s too dangerous to go, but Hayate only laughs.
• The Second Night: Nishizawa sings with all her heart and strength, and her voice carries all the way to Tsugumi’s heart. Suddenly faced with being an older sister, all Nagi can do is cry.
• The Third Night: Hayate and Hinagiku meet at the battle ground known as Hakuo Academy. Meanwhile, random items and happenings are all part of a clever plot schemed by Izumi, Risa and Miki.
• The Fourth Night: Ruri, looking for a way to get closer to Nagi, buys some video games for them to play; Ruri asks about for recommendations in anime, manga and games.
• The Fifth Night: Hayate and Yukiji go to lunch, Ruri and Sonia join them, but only one of them has any money. A thief appears to steal money and Nagi mistakes the thief for her sister.
• The Sixth Night: Nagi visits the Violet Mansion to find Ruri alone and she convinces Ruri to admit her true intentions. A storm hits and they struggle to keep safe.
• The Seventh Night: A treasure resides in America and Nagi and Ruri both want it. The problem is: everyone has a reason for wanting to go to America, but no one has any money.
• The Eighth Night: Hayate and the gang rescue Ruri after she is abducted. They all travel to Las Vegas to retrieve the treasure, but it may be bad luck.
• The Ninth Night: Hayate’s luck has gotten worse since he took possession of the Black Camellia, but then it gets stolen and the group must find it.
• The Tenth Night: Hayate gets lost and Nagi is all alone. She begins to realize how important Hayate is to her, so she begins to look for him. Meanwhile, Yukiji gets Hayate to help her.
• The Eleventh Night: Nagi must find Hayate so everyone gathers to help search. When the truth about the Black Camellia is uncovered, everyone’s wishes combine into one.
• The Final Night: Nagi must face danger in order to find Hayate, who is having an adventure of his own. Ruka’s singing ends on a spectacular note.

Hayate the Combat Butler: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Never mind the fact that Sentai has elected to place all 12 episodes on a single disc. Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You keeps a spring in its sprightly step with an excellent 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that's free from any serious issues. There are hints of banding here and there, but nothing that amounts to a distraction. The series' pastel palette is bright and playful, black levels aren't inkwell deep but are satisfying nonetheless, and contrast is consistent. Line art isn't razor sharp, but is in keeping with the animators' intentions and the show's peppy aesthetic. There also isn't anything in the way of significant macroblocking, noise, aliasing or other eyesores that might hinder the fun.

Hayate the Combat Butler: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's not a whole lot to Sentai's Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless track. It's not a problematic mix by any means, but rather a simple, straight-forward one. Voices are clean and clear, sound effects pop nicely, and sillier and/or more aggressive outbursts punch through the soundscape with the sonic equivalent of a laugh and a grin. It's just not all that remarkable, though. It gets the job done, and done well, but little more.

Hayate the Combat Butler: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You includes "Clean Opening and Closing Animations" (HD, 3 minutes) and a collection of Sentai Filmworks trailers and promos.

Hayate the Combat Butler: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You isn't a true third season, but it's good for laughs and impish and lighthearted enough to leave you grinning. Fans of the series will be a bit too eager to shrug it off, and newcomers will see the words "Season 3" and run the other way, but give it a chance and you might be surprised by how much fun you have with it. Sentai's Blu-ray release is a solid one, with a strong video presentation and decidedly decent DTS-HD Master Audio track. It's light on special features, but no matter. Third season or first, whatever Can't Take My Eyes Off You is, it's an amusing little distraction worth sampling.