Hayate the Combat Butler/Tropes A To D

"Hinagiku: Don't say something so perverted with such a gentleman's face!!
 * Aborted Declaration of Love - Except that it never seems to be played as anything final, Kaoru does this while he and Yukiji are visiting Italy during Golden Week. He starts confessing, and then decides that he just can't do it, so he changes the end of the sentance to be about her little sisters' relationship status. Yukiji seems to realize this, but uses her Bottle Fairy personality to play with his mind a little and continue the conversation as it was playing out, asking him what he likes about her sister.
 * Wataru as well, who attempts to confess to Isumi but at the last second says "loved" instead of "love".
 * On the other hand, it would seem that this is merely Wataru beginning to get over his crush on Isumi and is completely true, rather than a mere switch of embarrassment.
 * Absurdly Youthful Mother - Hinagiku and Yukiji's mother looks to be rather young to be the mother of 28-year old Yukiji, a little more probable for 12-years-younger Hinagiku, especially recently, but she's still nearly alarmingly young to be their mother..
 * Mikoto is stated to have had Wataru when she was young (and there's implication that Nagi's mother also gave birth while she was young) and actually left Wataru in the care of his maid Saki because of it. Mikoto still looks young despite having a 13-year-old son.
 * Abusive Parents - Hayate's. They gamble away all of their money, pawn the ring that Hayate entrusts them with for more gambling money, sell him to the Yakuza to pay off their debts, and who knows how much more debt they rack up as the series goes on...
 * Academic Athlete - While the series is full of geniuses and highly competent people, most of them are not on the top of the scale athletically. Hinagiku manages to be both the top ranked student that we've seen (with her grades just a bit above Aika and Chiharu, at a 95 and 93 respectively last we saw) but she is also a powerful fighter and athlete on par with Hayate himself.
 * Starting in around the middle of the manga (about ch. 150-ish) Hayate starts to take his studies more seriously and slowly begins to work himself out of being Book Dumb. By around Ch. 340 or so, he seems to have achieved this trope as well thanks to both sheer hard work and some personal tutoring from Hina.
 * Accent Adaptation - The Animax Asia dub gave the maids (Chiharu Harukaze for season 1 only as season 2 she has an American accent) British accents, Klaus a German accent because of his name, Fumi Hibino an Irish accent, Sonia Shaflnarz because of her being from Sicily (part of Italy), etc.
 * Accidental Pervert - Hayate falls into this sometimes but not nearly as much as is typical for the genre. That said, he has had some pretty ridiculous moments with Nagi,Nishizawa and most of the other girls who have an interest in him. Athena has so-far managed to avoid this (likely due to lack screentime) and Maria has been surprisingly unscathed for a main heroine who still winds up on fanservice duty. Hinagiku probably lasted the longest as far as being seen in states of undress, with a former Running Gag among fans being that Hayate never got to see Hina-fanservice.
 * Luca changed in front of him and even got into a bath that Hayate was in, when she thought Hayate was a girl. This caused her a lot of embarrassment when she finds out the truth.
 * This even happens to Izumi Segawa, who isn't even that major of a character.
 * Here, Hayate pushes open a door while actually saying that there was an extremely high chance that Hinagiku was changing behind it. The scene also seems to imply that this has happened to the two of them fairly often. It almost makes you wonder if he does some of it on purpose...
 * The punchline in Chapter 360 is that Chiharu walks in on Hayate right when  making it look more like Hayate was about to kiss Hinagiku while she was asleep.
 * Actor Allusion - Jun Fukuyama as a masked butler with a suspiciously familiar power... (He doesn't get to talk to the Narrator though) Also looked like Watanuki from XXX Holic, another of Jun's roles.
 * And let's not forget the psychotically Hot Blooded redhead Combat Butler voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama, Guy in Gao Gai Gar (as well as Viral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, probably responsible for his pointy teeth).
 * Come to think of it, all of Hayate's butler opponents from that season were allusions to other anime actors. Until the aforementioned "Butler With The Power To Hypnotize Anyone Once", they were all based on Merchandise Driven kid's interest anime, like the "Duel Butler".
 * For that matter, another rather Hot Blooded butler, very intent on teaching his Butt Monkey master how to be properly manly, is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi (that would be Kamina).
 * Maria, who is voiced by Rie Tanaka, once wore Meer Campbell's distinctive hairclip and part of her costume during one of her solo karaoke sessions in the anime. If you look closely you'll see Maria is standing in the hand of a mecha, just like Meer was in one of her early appearances. Meer is a doppleganger of Lacus Clyne, another character she does voice work for.
 * In episode 28 of the first season of the anime, we see a montage of the school superintendant training. In the scene she is wearing an outift similar to Revy from Black Lagoon, consisting of combat boots, cut off jeans and a tank top. Both are voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi.
 * A Cup Angst - Nagi and Hinagiku are both concerned about their flat-chestedness.
 * Well, Nagi IS 13...
 * Reinstated. Her mother claims to be an 'E-cup'.
 * Hinagiku is also seen with a fairly decent (visible) bust in a lot of panels only to suddenly appear very flat when a joke is being made about her breast-size. Bizarrely, her general bust size seems to be larger as long as she isn't being worried about it...
 * Adaptation Induced Plothole - Season 1 of the anime creates far too many to list without its own page, but some particularly noteworthy examples are the amount of time that has passed since the beginning of the series contradicting season 2 and the manga (a year in season 1, rather than a few months), as well as Nagi's first time on a public train happening twice, in two completely different scenarios.
 * Adorkable - Hayate all the way, Hinagiku even calls him a dork at times in the official translation. Hina sees this side of him the most and has noted it on multiple occasions, and has once or twice asked herself why she fell in love with such an idiot. Despite and/or because of his flustered, awkward moments the girls still love the guy.
 * Kazuki Nishizawa, Ayumu rarely seen little brother, is also like this around Nagi, with whom he fell in love at first sight. His introduction pretty closely mirrors something Hayate would do, where he felt the need to introduce himself and try to be cool only to fall flat on his face. Nagi immediately thought he was a weird guy but also interesting.
 * Adorably Precocious Child - Wataru fits both the acting hard-working and Mouthy Kid aspects of the trope. And cuteness is in the eye of the beholder.
 * Being 16 notwithstanding, Hayate himself fits into this archetype like a glove.
 * There is also Kazuki, Ayumu's brother.
 * Adult Child - How an irresponsible and immature drunk like Yukiji Katsura, Hina's older sister, hasn't been fired from her job as a teacher is beyond any conceivable logic, but luckily for her logic doesn't apply here. Case in point: the superintendent is far crazier.
 * Hayate's parents probably qualify too, since they don't seem to even realize how their horribly selfish actions affect other people, especially Hayate.
 * Either that, or they just don't care.
 * Affably Evil – Hayate’s parents. The "Very Nice People".
 * Affectionate Parody - The series is actually a parody of most "fighting" manga and anime, goofing on the tropes of them and never taking itself too seriously. There may have been some Genre Shift in the manga recently, though.
 * AI Is a Crapshoot - Robots sent to protect/capture Nagi always go on rampages instead. Subverted on one occasion.
 * All Just a Dream - The results of the second popularity poll get worked into the anime as one of Nagi's dreams -- or, at least that's what she keeps telling herself, since she ended up in third place. The narrator assures us that this is not the case.
 * All There in the Manual - The second season shows the results of the second popularity poll, including number 5, a girl seen from the back with curly blond hair. Her name, Athena, is not given because the anime's story hasn't gotten that far yet, so the cast recommends reading the manga.
 * Almost Kiss - Between Hayate and  during the Greece Arc. After the Beach Volleyball game, Hayate went to find her and after she wound up running off from embarrassment. He ran after and saved her from nearly falling of a seaside cliff that was at the edge of the forest they were in...with him landing on top of her naturally. Their faces were really close with some pretty heavy blushing, and right before anything can happen....
 * Amazingly Embarrassing Parents - Hinagiku's mom has a strong tendecy towards this, particularly if Hayate is around. She brings Hayate home with her and her mom tries to get Hayate to wear a frilly dress because she thinks it will look cute on him and Hina won't wear it for her. Not long after she tries to get the poor guy to wear cat ears for a while before Hinagiku drags him away. She also walked into her home to find her mom  immediately followed by telling Hayate to "resist if Hinagiku attacks him" (which in this context can mean a lot of things).
 * Anachronic Order: Generally, the manga follows a chronological order, but in volume four, there's a flash forward during which Hayate travels back in time. This happens during the group's trip to Mykonos, which takes place four months and several volumes later.
 * And Zoidberg - Hinagiku once asked Hayate (just to tease him) who he would prefer to bathe with: Maria, Ayumu, or herself. Hayate is unable to respond. Hinagiku then adds her sister to the choices, to which he instantly says, "I'll pass".
 * Anguished Declaration of Love -
 * And then there's
 * Animal Eared Headband - Izumi got cat ears when she was possessed (by a neko-spirit). Not a headband, but also not naturally hers.
 * Straight example comes from Hayate's Crossdressing Catgirl outfit...
 * Arcadian Interlude - Possibly inverted with the Royal Garden and Athens arcs. These were the two plot-heavy arcs of the series and the Royal Garden was even set in a different space and time flowed differently there, and even when showed up in the normal setting, she hasn't brought such emotions with her, only seeming to function as part of the overall humor of the story.
 * Art Evolution – The character designs actually don’t change that much over the course of the manga. The sole exception maybe being Hayate, who went from Bishonen to full on Dude Looks Like a Lady; going hand-in-hand with his Flanderization (see main entry below). Also Klaus, who had a much bushier mustache in his first appearance.
 * Hinagiku's  mother has changed significantly since first being introduced. In her most recent manga appearance, you wouldn't recognize her if the story didn't explicitly tell you it was her.
 * While the character designs may stay rather similar, the general art style has actually changed over time gradually. Compare the latest chapter with the first one, and you can seem some noticeable difference.
 * Art Shift - usually when referencing/parodying other anime/manga franchises or when showcasing scenes or characters from Nagi's self-made manga.
 * A particularly romantic scene between Hinagiku and Hayate.
 * Tama deserves special mention since he was drawn as a rather realistic-looking tiger. Then he got turned into a Funny Animal (he's even in the page-image no less). This shift was lampshaded as being the result of "comedy vision".
 * Ascended Meme - And the crowd goes wild!
 * Yet again!
 * As Long As It Sounds Foreign - Done to a ridiculous degree in episode 52 where "Italian" ranges from reciting Italian foods to saying anime/manga related references with bad pseudo-Italian accents. Considering the nature of the show, this trope was most certainly done deliberately.
 * Attractive Bent Gender - A long-time Running Gag in the series from as early as the first few chapters when Nagi decided to make Hayate wear her school's girl's uniform on a whim. It only escalated when Maria joined in and the two settled on making him wear a catgirl outfit. They find him almost too Moe to believe and shortly after he is attacked by Klaus and Tama.
 * It comes back during Hinagiku's birthday arc when he is accidentally struck with a crossdressing curse (the curse targeted the unluckiest person in the world). Isumi and Maria found it too attractive to actually do anything about it, and both have since then assumed it is his hobby, with Sakuya commenting how good he looked in it before trying to find out what was under the skirt. This is quickly taken to a new level when Hayate runs into Kotetsu, a fellow butler and  who mistakes him for a girl and confesses his love only to be heartbroken when it is revealed to him that Hayate is a guy.
 * It also really says something about Hayate that the guy got over it (with inadvertent help from Nagi) and has since been Hayate-sexual and aggressively pursuing him despite constant and often violent refusals.
 * Nagi had Maria and Risa crossdress Hayate during their King Game in Greece, they were both more than happy to obliege and he ended up that way the entire boat trip as Nagi simply thought he liked it. Nagi later was thinking of something that excited her to inspire her manga and decided on 'Traps'...she didn't even wait a beat before calling Hayate. She then took him and Chiharu to Cafe Donguri where Ayumu was working to force Hayate into Ayumu's street clothes. All three were stunned at how attractive he was and Ayumu even told him to keep the outfit.
 * Thus far, Nagi likes Trap!Hayate best, Maria and Isumi believe crossdressing is his hobby, Sakuya really wanted him as her maid and asked why he had to be born a guy (to which Nagi and Maria claimed they also preferred Hayate as a maid...with incredibly evil grins), and Ayumu, Chiharu, and the SC Rangers all find him extremely attractive in girl's clothes. Hinagiku is the only member of the Unwanted Harem so far that has seen Hayate crossdressed and still preferred him in guy's clothes (though even she had to admit that he was disturbingly attractive) the only other one being . Sadly for Hina, her mom tried to get Hayate into a frilly dress she wouldn't wear within an hour of meeting the poor guy.
 * Attractiveness Isolation - Hinagiku knows that she gets this, though one character has asked her out and got rejected, and likely Miki won't ask because she knows that Hina isn't lesbian on top of this trope, she settles for being one of her closest friends instead.
 * Also, Hayate seems to be playing this card when he tries to convince others that Hinagiku couldn't like him, while she thinks I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me about him.
 * Hinagiku's sister, Yukiji also seems to have gotten this when she was younger, though only Kaoru seems to still be hanging on to it.
 * Author Avatar: Hayate explicitly tells us that famous mangaka Ashibashi-sensei is NOT modelled after Hata Kenjiro.
 * He's actually rather obviously modeled on Koji Kumeta, the author of Sayanora Zetsubou Sensei and a good friend of Hata.
 * A Wizard Did It - The writers are using this one literally.
 * Bad Bad Acting - Hayate and Hinagiku both cannot act to save their lives...unless it's with each other. Hayate and Wataru's 'duel' is proof enough for him. Hinagiku's performance during the Beach Volleyball Game during the Greece Arc was almost as bad as 'acting frail and girly' seemed to equate to playing badly with horrible acting and saying everything in a completely monotone voice...to the point that Hayate thought she was getting back at him for something. Gilbert actually would have won due to her acting if he hadn't insulted Hina's small chest.
 * Oddly, the two are such bad actors that they both sort of canceled each other out during their Not a Date to the movies...kind of. Due to both of them really wanting to make everything go smoothly and have a good time despite the increasingly ridiculous circumstances each of them tried to put on a brave face and keep going. To the point where Hinagiku was talking in monotone with an eye twitch and Hayate's voice was becoming increasingly frantic. How neither noticed is a mystery, especially considering that both were terrified of the movie theater (Hayate thinking that it looked like something out of Resident Evil even!) and somehow neither caught on to the others' horrific acting.
 * Nagi may also qualify, for example when she tried to convince Shiranui that the sole reason she wants to lie down in Hayate's bed was because she didn't feel well. Shiranui was not convinced.
 * On another occasion, she tries to sneak into the "18+" section of Animate by pretending that she wanted to pick up the Nendoroid Louise...that she dropped on purpose. Chiharu was not convinced. She even said that it was a "Third-rate acting."
 * Bad Luck Charm - Hayate acquires one early in the manga in the form of a pendant given to him by Mikado, not that he needed any help in the bad luck department. Knowing the old man, it was certainly deliberate and seemed to be a test or experiment of some kind. The thing caused a nearly fatal surge in Hayate's remarkably poor luck but ceased to be a problem once Isumi exorcized it.
 * The other similar stones might work the same way seeing as Isumi has purified a few of them as well when they pop up.
 * Bad Santa - The manga series inexplicably starts with Santa berating a very young Hayate for sucking so hard, and for several chapters Hayate keeps thinking of how much Santa hates him as one of the defining properties of his life.
 * Chapter 249. It Got Worse.
 * Barehanded Blade Block - During their 'duel', Hayate stops Wataru's sword with two fingers almost offhandedly and tosses it aside.
 * And then later does the same thing with Athena, although he actually gets hurt this time.
 * He does manage to stop Hinagiku's blade barehanded.
 * Bastard Girlfriend - Athena used to teach Hayate, with kicks to the gut (he complained), that the guy had to be able to support the girl for the rest of her life. This was when they were both around 6 years old. Now, 10 years later, she's probably the closest to sexy girl within the story.
 * Battle Aura - Mostly used for butlers or people who fight on level with them (such as "Sister" Sonia and Yukiji), but even Nagi can summon it when she gets worked up. Hinagiku probably has used it the most for such notable things as intimidating Hayate into studying for his exams instead of worrying about her upcoming birthday and accidentally intimidating Hayate before . A bit later in the same story, Hayate himself gets an aura of sheer confidence that changes the air around him and even impresses Hinagiku due to him being in "Serious Mode" , sadly it deflates not long after when he sticks his foot in his mouth.
 * Hinagiku's Battle Aura combined with her Death Glare is actually rather terrifying and caused Nagi to hide behind Hayate while claiming that Hinagiku was channeling "The Dark Side". Hayate was just a little bit more composed since he actually had to answer Hina.
 * In Chapter 360 Hinagiku brings back her burning Battle Aura when she talks about how Ghosts are like roaches and must be exterminated on sight. Seems like she really didn't like the monsters in the old school building.
 * Battle Butler - Trope Codifier. It's there in the title, after all. This is naturally played around with six days to Sunday and varies a lot between the anime and the manga. In the anime, other butlers actually fight more and a lot of Hayate's random fights (against opponents that include a giant tree...thing) haven't been adapted. In the manga, Hayate is often defeated or fights to a draw either for story convenience or to show off his latest antagonist's power. There's also the issue of the recurring crossdressing (no matter how much he hates it) in the manga and the overall lack of emphasis on fighting in some parts. Nevertheless, he remains a firm example of the trope as he is fiercely loyal to Nagi, unnaturally skilled in just about any domestic skill you could ask for, fast enough to out-speed a bullet train on an ordinary bicycle, and when push comes to shove always comes through for those who need him whether its fighting or simply helping out.
 * When Hayate feels like it, he can be a total Badass as seen . His list of defeated opponents include robots, the yakuza, giant robots, the mafia, humongous robots, ghosts/demons, various thugs, monsters pulled straight out of Greek Myth, and a noble spirit . There is definitely a reason that he's called a Gundam.
 * It should also be noted that while he fights unarmed most of the time, . He also apparently has access to and familiarity with a giant machine gun - even without Sanzen'in resources - that would make every battle in the series a total cakewalk.
 * The manga also tactfully notes Hayate's trouble at times in this regard.
 * Kotetsu Segawa, Kaede Nonohara, Himuro Saeki, and even Klaus all fit pretty well too. However, by this point Kotetsu is the only one the even really appears anymore (Himuro and Nonohara haven't even been seen or mentioned since around Chapter 150 of over 340 now) with most of his appearances being more geared to his progressively worse (read: hilarious) sexual harassment of poor Hayate.
 * Beach Episode - The OVA/Episode 00 of the second season. For the record, the beach is located within Nagi's property. She's just that rich. ** In the manga, quite a bit of the trip to Greece. They even play a game of high-stakes beach volleyball with a psycho and his robot.
 * Beautiful Dreamer - Hayate has a brief one of these in Chapter 360 when . He's watches her sleeping for a moment (with a close up on her face for good measure) and for extra Ship Tease points he even calls her 'princess' when he goes to take her to her bed.
 * Berserk Button - Don't you dare call Nagi's Doujinshi "picture diaries", or she'll let you have it! Similarly, suggest that Maria is older than seventeen one... more... time...
 * And let's see, some of the things Hayate has beaten up for threatening Nagi have been homicidal nanny-bots, the yakuza, a giant mecha, the mafia...
 * And until Nagi was threatened, Hayate was willing to go with the 'Very Nice Men', who wanted to cut him up for his organs, and didn't even try hiding that.
 * Do not suggest that Hinagiku can't do something girly.
 * Or that her chest isn't feminine. Though this one you have to press twice to activate the berserk as long as you're only using words.
 * Calling  short isn't really something to do either, although mentioning her parents is even worse.
 * Better Than a Bare Bulb - Oh so much.
 * Beware the Nice Ones - Actually making Hayate angry is a pretty hard thing to do. But anyone who manages to do so better run. Fast.
 * Maria qualifies as well. You know you're scary when your superior and even your own master are terrified at the very idea of making you angry.
 * Never mind that; the tiger and Narrator (voiced by Norio Wakamoto!) are horrified of her.
 * Regardless, please be careful of those who are nice around here. There are countless examples.
 * Bifauxnen - The first appearance of Shion, an anime-only chracter.
 * Big Damn Heroes - The titular character does this a lot, usually in the form of a Dynamic Entry, or a Diving Save.
 * Big Fancy House - When there are separate rooms for the Playstation, Dreamcast, and Nintendo 64, you know it's a big house.
 * Bishonen - Hayate of course. So pretty, Even the Guys Want Him.
 * Birds of a Feather - Although they used their similar backgrounds to create different character traits, Hinagiku and Hayate have the similar pasts to make themselves candidates for this trope.
 * Recently, Luca has been added to these two, with a similar past, and adds more than a little of Hayate's looks to seal the deal.
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing -
 * Bi the Way - Nishizawa Ayumu, who is refreshingly good natured and frank about loving both her childhood crush and her best friend, who also loves her childhood crush.
 * Other than one instance where she joked about how she got a little turned on when drying Hinagiku, there hasn't been much to imply that she's IN LOVE with her. Then again, since it's Hinagiku, it wouldn't be too surprising.
 * When Hayate is sent away for training and Maria suggests that he might be propositioned by a man, Ayumu gets red-faced.
 * Don't forget Wataru's mother. She was frustated because her childhood love married someone else, and that childhood love was no other than Nagi's mother. Afterwards, Wataru's mother married Wataru's father, who she used to love.
 * This may actually apply to Miki of all people. Despite her more-or-less stated crush on Hinagiku, she is also one of the most proactive of the Student Council Trio girls in their hobby of flirtaciously teasing Hayate. Heck even her focus chapter with him had her constantly trying to imply that he had feelings for her (to the point of apparently "putting words in his mouth" by editing his speech bubbles in one panel). This can, of course, be partially explained as Hayate just being girlish enough for her to not care.
 * Bland Name Product - As a show full of Shout Outs, this isn't unexpected. Examples are 'Pony' televisions and 'Seako' clocks.
 * KFC too; in one episode it was named "NFC" with Klaus standing in front of the door posing as Colonel Sanders.
 * JR Railways is renamed "SR Railways," Tokyo DisneySea becomes "Sealand," and NTT Docomo becomes "DDT Tocomo," and that's only in Volume 16.
 * The last episode spends ~15 minutes failing to obtain a box of 'Packy'.
 * Averted with Nagi's running shoes, which clearly bear the Nike logo. The product name is not mentioned, however.
 * Blank White Eyes - often used in the manga to show exasperation.
 * There's also Hayate's Glowing Eyes of Doom when he gets serious.
 * Bodyguard Crush - Once again, Nagi thinks that Hayate feels this way towards her, and it is actually part of the reason for her (one-sided) crush on him.
 * Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Sakuya is very fond of this. However, the Manga also features a designated pair of Boke and Tsukkomi characters in Fumi and Shanra.
 * Boobs of Steel - Invoked by Gilbert for the Beach Volleyball match. The only problem is that he decided to pick the 'obviously weak' flat chested Hinagiku of all people as his opponent.
 * Book Ends - Used in the movie. It opens with Nagi getting her hands sticky, causing Hayate wet a handkerchief to wipe them off. It ends with Nagi getting her hands sticky, causing Hayate to wet a handkerchief to wipe them off.
 * Born Unlucky - Hayate, of course. Just being the son of his parents is more than enough to qualify for this trope.
 * Hayate has actually been confirmed as being the unluckiest person in the entire world.
 * Brick Joke - In Chapter 46 of the manga Hinagiku "flirts" with Hayate, only to reveal she was "just joking around" on the next page. Approximately 238 chapters later, their roles are reversed. There is also Chapter 83 where Isumi asks Sakuya to help her become a cat person, except Sakuya's "help" results in Isumi being put in humiliating situations. The tables are turned in Chapter 309 when Sakuya asks Isumi to help her understand Nagi's manga, which results in this.
 * Chapter 46 also contains another one, with Isumi controlling a puppet monster Hayate defeated to make him and Hinagiku leave so she could ghost-sweep the place. Upon learning that Hina wants to defeat it to make up for being scared of it the first time around she has it transform to look much stronger. Too bad her frame of reference was Hayate's laughable "duel" with Wataru in volume 3 as she copies Hayate's terrible acting by having the monster explode before Hina even properly swings at it (the whole charade is only barely saved by Hayate trying to convince Hina that it was her 'spirit force' that defeated it).
 * Burning With Anger - Chapter 91 has Hinagiku feel very frustrated over her continued dreaming of Hayate which she can't understand. When she meets Hayate and Nagi, her anger starts to boil over as she sees Hayate acting like his usual self while her 'head is filled with weird thoughts'. Confused, angry, and annoyed at Hayate she unleashes her Battle Aura, except this time it's a damn inferno that terrifies Hayate and Nagi.
 * The Butler Did It - Chapter 308 uses this one.. extremely literally.
 * Calling Your Attacks - Buster Cholerae!
 * Also: "Safety shot: GRAND EXPLOSION, IMMOLATING DARK MURDER!"
 * Call On Me - Full stop. If someone calls Hayate's name, he can freakin' teleport.
 * Tama doesn't even have to call his name. When Shiranui gets in trouble, he just shows up to save both the cats from a truck.
 * Hayate's brother Ikusa does even better. If you call for help at all, he will come, regardless if he can't see you, or thinks you're a ghost. Even if he's never met you ever; he'll travel to the castle at the end of the world and challenge anyone, even to save you.
 * The Cameo - Nabeshin, he of the magnificent afro, directs and appears in one episode. Even he couldn't turn up the crazy much further though.
 * Anime Tenchou appears at one point as well.
 * Conan Edogawa is cameoed all over the place, usually in the form of conspicuously-placed busts, but got an entire manga chapter (#108) devoted to him.
 * almost every japanese anime is cameoed in the show, ranging from Gao Gai Gar to Gurren Lagann.
 * The manga also has a cameo of Aya Shameimaru from Touhou.
 * Owner, Momotaros and Hana from Kamen Rider Den-O all walk by Isumi in a train in episode 16. Their faces are out of sight.
 * Cannot Spit It Out - Practically everyone in the Love Gordian Knot the series develops.
 * The first time Hinagiku manages to speak her feelings, it's just as a train rushes by and he can't hear it. Considering it came from the direction she was looking, she might have planned it that way.
 * It's to the point that in many places on the Internet, Hinagiku confessing her feelings to Hayate has become a Running Gag of sorts for referring to something along the lines of Hell freezing over due to false starts, interruptions, and general hesitation on Hinagiku's part. Some feel that it is like a sign of the apocalypse and will signal the end run of the manga if she ever does manage to tell him.
 * Isumi of all people actually tells Hayate straight up that she likes him way back in volume 3, making her the first girl to do so in the series. In a moment that would make Sosuke Sagara proud, he completely misinterprets it and decides that since kids seem to like him to should become a teacher.
 * Canon Immigrant - It looks like the Serpent Midgardzolom that was the Big Bad in the Anime is the alternate form of
 * Shion Kuresato, the Battle Butler of Hakuo's Chairman, appears next to her in her first physical appearence in the manga at the end of Chapter 336.
 * ~Can't Act Perverted Toward A Love Interest~ - Generally averted for most of the girls at least in the seemingly universal trend of sticking Hayate in girls' clothes. Nagi, Maria, Sakuya, the Student Council Rangers, Isumi, and Ayumu have all made Hayate feel uncomfortable. Nagi and Maria have an especially high ratio of this for being the main heroines.
 * Interestingly enough, Hinagiku and Hayate seem to avert this as well in regards to each other as the manga goes on. It begins shortly after they meet with innuendo-laced conversation which is from either mutual cluelessness or flirting. It only picks up from there with Hayate's only real dirty thought (that he had entirely on his own) being of Hinagiku, . Later it is heavily (read: obviously) implied that Hinagiku   during her Birthday Arc. After the Greece Arc, Hayate is almost makes a joke that would have implied that  . By now Hayate even feels comfortable  ...suffice to say these two have long since crossed the threshold of doing perverted things around each other.
 * It's to the point that in many places on the Internet, Hinagiku confessing her feelings to Hayate has become a Running Gag of sorts for referring to something along the lines of Hell freezing over due to false starts, interruptions, and general hesitation on Hinagiku's part. Some feel that it is like a sign of the apocalypse and will signal the end run of the manga if she ever does manage to tell him.
 * Isumi of all people actually tells Hayate straight up that she likes him way back in volume 3, making her the first girl to do so in the series. In a moment that would make Sosuke Sagara proud, he completely misinterprets it and decides that since kids seem to like him to should become a teacher.
 * Canon Immigrant - It looks like the Serpent Midgardzolom that was the Big Bad in the Anime is the alternate form of
 * Shion Kuresato, the Battle Butler of Hakuo's Chairman, appears next to her in her first physical appearence in the manga at the end of Chapter 336.
 * ~Can't Act Perverted Toward A Love Interest~ - Generally averted for most of the girls at least in the seemingly universal trend of sticking Hayate in girls' clothes. Nagi, Maria, Sakuya, the Student Council Rangers, Isumi, and Ayumu have all made Hayate feel uncomfortable. Nagi and Maria have an especially high ratio of this for being the main heroines.
 * Interestingly enough, Hinagiku and Hayate seem to avert this as well in regards to each other as the manga goes on. It begins shortly after they meet with innuendo-laced conversation which is from either mutual cluelessness or flirting. It only picks up from there with Hayate's only real dirty thought (that he had entirely on his own) being of Hinagiku, . Later it is heavily (read: obviously) implied that Hinagiku   during her Birthday Arc. After the Greece Arc, Hayate is almost makes a joke that would have implied that  . By now Hayate even feels comfortable  ...suffice to say these two have long since crossed the threshold of doing perverted things around each other.

(this blushing response is pretty much invalidated by her Imagine Spots up to this point...)"

"She's also totally incompetent. If you asked people who knew her when she was alive, they'd all answer in chorus, "She couldn't do anything by herself." She was so clueless that even little Nagi thought her mother couldn't survive on her own.... Still, everyone found her endearing."
 * Cast Herd - Although interaction between the herds is common, there are a few herds. '13s', '16s', outside of school...
 * Even the 'bad guys' segmented themselves into a herd, though there's little interaction between them anymore, and one of them hasn't even appeared in the manga yet.
 * the Oujous (Nagi, Isumi, Sakuya, Miki, Risa, and Izumi).
 * the Butlers (Hayate, Klaus, Kotetsu, Isumi's horde of butlers, Sakuya's two, Nonohara, and Himuro).
 * the Maids (Maria, Saki, Chiharu, and sometimes Hayate).
 * the Grade-Skippers (Nagi, Isumi, and Wataru - who got in only because Sakuya gave up her spot for him).
 * the Student Council (Hinagiku, Miki, Risa, Izumi, Aika, and Chiharu - Hayate is associated due to the inordinate amount of time he spends with them. Seriously, with the amount of time he spends up in the student council room - which is for members only - and the fact that he keeps an extra school uniform and butler suit there as well, he might as well be an honorary member).
 * the Money Trouble Society (Hayate, Yukiji, Sister Sonia, and Himuro - though he has plenty and just loves money, the rest are just bad with it and unlucky).
 * the Relationship Support Group (Yukiji, Saki, Makimura).
 * the.
 * the Harem (Nagi, Maria, Hinagiku, Ayumu, Isumi, Sakuya, Izumi, Risa, Athena, and possibly Chiharu and Luca)
 * Nagi's Manga Circle (Nagi, Ayumu, Chiharu)
 * Luca's Manga Circle (Luca, Hayate, Hinagiku)
 * Cassandra Truth - When a curse sticks Hayate in a maid uniform, Isumi and Sakuya show up to explain to him and Maria that it's because Sakuya accidentally broke a doll containing the curse. Maria hears them out, seems totally understanding and helpful ... and then reveals she doesn't believe it: she thinks Hayate persuaded Sakuya and Isumi to fake the curse story so he'd have an excuse to dress as a maid.
 * It's possible that it's just Maria's seeming fetish for crossdressing the poor guy. It's also kind of funny, considering that the first thing Hayate did when he noticed he was in a maid outfit was to ask Maria "How could you?!" in a ridiculously girly way, and Maria had to explain that she didn't do it... you know, this time. Hell, Maria and Nagi explicitly stated in one chapter (where Sakuya needs to find a maid) that they prefer Hayate as a maid, after Sakuya wondered why Hayate had to be a guy instead of a maid.
 * Catch Phrase - of sorts. "As expected of the Sanzenin family [..]" (Usually "butler" when Hayate does something impressive, but also used for anything excessive owned by the Sanzenin family.)
 * Nagi uses "Seriously, Hayate, seriously!" a lot -- often right after clobbering him.
 * Caught the Heart On His Sleeve - in episode 12, immediately preceeding an Anguished Declaration of Love.
 * Cat Up a Tree - Invoked in the chapter name of Hinagiku's first appearance, though that time she's returning a baby bird to it's nest, she later does rescue cats from trees. Rescue in this case is a matter of opinion though, since she's afraid of heights, so she becomes stuck in the tree as well. But at least she has the ability to summon someone who will help her escape (with the cat), as opposed to the cat being alone stuck up in the tree.
 * Given a couple offhand comments, this might have happened to Hinagiku more times than we've seen though thankfully she's never as helpless as an actual cat in a tree. It also seems to be part of the reason why she wears bike-shorts under her skirt.
 * Celibate Hero - While Hayate falls more on the Chaste Hero side of the line, when he is approached by Ayumu about her crush, or rather, later when approached by the student trio about it, he thinks he's unworthy of her love.
 * Censor Box - In addition of censoring "Naughty" bits, also used for Shout Out.
 * Censor Steam
 * Cerebus Syndrome - Kinda. The show has certainly gotten easier on the fourth wall and Shout Outs to focus on more 'serious' love-comedy/drama as time goes on. Especially noticeable in the anime, whose first season was almost entirely composed of original material that based its humour a lot on actor allusions, shout outs and grinding what was left of the fourth wall into fine powder.
 * Cerebus Rollercoaster - Athena shows up, drama shows up. Athena exits, drama dies a horrible death again. Coincidence? I think not. Mind you, during the arc itself the general buildup seemed to be heading towards a resolution of the series.
 * So Athena's basically a non-villainous Knight of Cerebus then--she's barely even been mentioned since the "serious" arc ended despite being 4th in popularity polls.
 * Well,
 * Although, a throwaway line during the Mykonos arc said that Chiharu would end up going on a long trip in several months, which will probably have something to do with
 * Chain of Deals - Hayate does one in chapter 355 because he invited everyone to yakiniku while having the amount of money he usually has. The barter chain goes as well as anything money-related does for Hayate, but he manages to get what he wanted.
 * Chain of People - Done by Hayate, Kotetsu, Yukiji, and Wataru to save Azumamiya after he fell off a cliff while distracting the giant bear from attacking them. Something of a Pet the Dog moment for Yukiji, as she must've leaped to the rescue almost as quickly as the two butlers.
 * Despite her love for alcohol and leeching personality, Yukiji is actually a decent teacher and really does care for the safety and well-being of her students....
 * Character Development - Since the "plot" tends to be limited to self-contained story arcs, the real sense of continuity comes from the good and consistent development each character seems to get, usually during a Day in The Limelight Chapter (most often with that person and Hayate alone for some reason) or else by being a focus character during a story arc.
 * Nagi was initially a rich girl with no sense of the real world and has since been given lessons in reality by Hayate and Maria, including making very good progress on the value of money and responsibility (now if only she'd go to school...)
 * She started going to school regularly at the start of the story, so as to spend time with Hayate.
 * Maria has had some development, though not a lot since she hasn't had many chapters and no focus arc (probably a good thing since the author has mentioned that her arc will signal the end-run of the manga), nevertheless she has had her moments with Hayate and.
 * Sakuya and Isumi have been developed into a pair, often, with Sakuya being shown to have very good relations with her exceptionally quirky family and Isumi is actually somehow the most sane and capable in her's. With regards to Hayate....
 * Nishizawa and Izumi, Risa, and Miki get some too, with their feelings towards their friends and crushes expanded on,, the fact that Risa is a shrine maiden and that she's apparently already had her First Kiss with an unknown person (who'd have guessed?), Miki's feelings for Hina, and Nishizawa's friendships with many members of the cast (especially Hina and Nagi) as well as efforts all around to help Hinagiku express her feelings for Hayate.
 * Hinagiku herself has had a good amount due partly to popularity. Aside from arcs showing her feelings for Hayate and finally admitting it to herself (since she was never fooling anyone but herself...and Hayate of course), more recent development has focused on her growing femininity. The brash and boyish attitude from her early chapters has since given way to more flustering and nervousness as she actually becomes as feminine as she claimed to be before. Interesting to note, as a tsundere she has become much more dere as a default with her tsun side actually transferring from her temper (where everyone saw her tsun side) to her new found feminine traits (where only Hayate sees her tsun side unless other people fluster and tease her enough).
 * Characterization Marches On – Hayate was a Chivalrous Pervert (!!) in the very first chapters of the manga. He quickly got downgraded to more of a Covert Pervert, which got downplayed even further. He might still be the latter, but Your Mileage May Vary.
 * Charles Atlas Superpower - Hayate. Having to constantly work a variety of jobs to support his worthless parents has given him a wide range of abilities. And later, every other butler, too.
 * Manga has just averted this. It's explained he was
 * The version This Troper read specifically mentioned  Also note that the same translation also included the bit about   still so they may not be mutually exclusive.
 * The Charmer - Hayate, with the small caveat of him not actually realizing he's won the hearts of so many girls. A chapter of the manga even shows it blatantly.
 * Chaste Hero - Hayate. Toes the line with Celibate Hero at times considering how unworthy he views himself.
 * He expressly states that he falls into this trope hard.
 * It's because he's poor. Athena literally beat it into his head that he wasn't worthy of having a girlfriend unless he could support her financially.
 * Chekhov's Gun - The pendant that Nagi's grandfather Mikado gave to Hayate. It "Opens the Way". We see Mikado holding it while staring at a picture of Nagi's mother....
 * It's been revealed that Wataru has one now, which his mother gave to him, telling him to "never reveal to the Sanzenins." Sakuya gave hers to Kasumi Aika, whose family is related to/a retainer of the Aizawa clan.
 * Mikado gave Aika's to her, Sakuya is never mentioned to have one of her own.
 * Also, recently in the manga, a nutcracker.
 * Chekhov's Gunman - Himegami is mentioned in earlier episodes but doesn't really appear on screen until episode 38.
 * And still hasn't appeared in the manga.
 * The fact that Hayate had a Big Brother Mentor is something that hasn't been mentioned at all until recently.
 * Hayate having a big brother is mentioned slightly in the first manga at the end with character profiles.
 * Plus, Hayate was referred to as "the second son of the Ayasaki family" way back in chapter 129.
 * He's just shown up in the plot again and is very important.
 * Also?
 * Chekhov's Skill - The fact that Tama has a Class 2 Builder's License as a Boiler Technician sure came in handy when he blew up the mansion's boiler a few issues later! ♥
 * Or would have been if it wasn't so hard to push the right buttons with those big paws.
 * Oddly ignored when the boiler of the apartment goes out and Hayate fixes it (seemingly on his lonesome) in the next chapter.
 * The Chessmaster - Mikado Sanzenin has proved himself one in chapter 249. In past chapters he essentially plays with Nagi, making her a target for people after the inheritance, which is reason enough. In this one, he forces Hayate, her butler, into deciding her lifestyle, forcing him to choose between protecting a stone which has become the symbol of the Sanzenin inheritance, or breaking it to save his former girlfriend's life. And to make it even worse, he admits to manipulating the boy's life ever since he can remember by posing as innocuous figures. The only thing that keeps him from being a monster is the fact that he genuinely loved his daughter, favors his granddaughter's maid, and taught said granddaughter how to invest.
 * He also engineered a plot to steal 'the power of the gods' before the story started. Possibly his first Xanatos Gambit, since it failed and got the three who worked together on it cursed.
 * Cherry Blossoms - Parodied
 * Also held straight when Hinagiku and Ayumu are walking home from work. It's not entirely clear which meaning it's supposed to carry, since
 * And don't forget the, which literally translates into "white cherry blossom".
 * The Chew Toy - Hayate himself.
 * Chick Magnet - Hayate's overall niceness, prettiness, and badassery have won him several female (among others) admirers. In recent chapters, Wataru also seems to be obliviously garnering a few girls himself, usually girls older than him (an inversion of Likes Older Women perhaps?).
 * Chapter 273 showed Hayate in a normal school day. Every girl he talked to became head over heels for him.
 * Childhood Friends - Sakuya, Nagi, Isumi and Wataru. These four, their supporting characters and the relationships between them account for a huge amount of the story.
 * Church Militant - "Fake" or not, Sonia is heavily armed and capable of sending a industrial beam "cross" through a car.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl - Nagi; she repeatedly claims that Hayate is her's mind, body, and soul when other girls (or guys even) show interest in him. But God help Hayate if he even so much as hints at liking someone else such as . A good part of this behavior seems to stem more from   but she's been letting up and has become pretty good friends with some of her rivals.
 * Hinagiku almost always averts this by self-deprecating when she feels that Hayate might be interested in another girl. However, while she has yet to actually be clingy, she has shown a touch a jealousy on occasion such as . Yet there are other times when she doesn't seem bothered in the slightest such as.
 * Athena may have played this one straight, although confusing timelines make it hard to be sure, it could be implied that the reason she taught Hayate what she did and how could have been because of her seeing his interaction with Izumi.
 * Clock Tower - Hakuou Academy has one, it contains the Student Council rooms and seems to be located on the center of the campus. Hinagiku, as the Student Council President is naturally associated with the tower despite her intense fear of heights (she curses whoever made the tower several times in her introductory chapter alone). From several scenes that take place there we know that the tower has an excellent view of the city as well as the whole campus. As an interesting note, the tower may be more that it appears to be as Isumi mentioned that it seemed to be a nexus for spiritual activity,.
 * Clothing Damage - One girl's clothing gets shredded by a slime attack while trapped in an RPG.
 * Sakuya is forced into a NASA costume that shreds itself when Saki (who has no clue how to gamble) loses a bet.
 * You don't win roulette often indeed.
 * Convection Schmonvection is subverted in order to facilitate this at one point.
 * Cloudcuckoolander - Isumi. Oddly, she's the only one who can understand Nagi's nigh-incomprehensible mangas.
 * Chapter 109 from the manga shows that it's apparently genetic since her mother and grandmother seem just as... peculiar.
 * In fact, they are even more so than Isumi. So much that she is the Only Sane Man of her family.
 * Isumi's great-grandmother seems reasonably sane, aside from the bloodsucking to keep herself alive/young.
 * Fumi Himeno is not quite as bad, but she's definitely a bit of an oddball even by the standards of the series. Her tendency to tell blatantly obvious lies for no reason, habit of reacting with stunned amazement to everything, that time she was asked to draw a basic traffic sign and responded by sketching a corpse that had drawn said sign in its own blood...
 * Word of God describes Sanzenin Yukariko ("Call me Yukkyun") as:
 * Fumi Himeno is not quite as bad, but she's definitely a bit of an oddball even by the standards of the series. Her tendency to tell blatantly obvious lies for no reason, habit of reacting with stunned amazement to everything, that time she was asked to draw a basic traffic sign and responded by sketching a corpse that had drawn said sign in its own blood...
 * Word of God describes Sanzenin Yukariko ("Call me Yukkyun") as:


 * It seems that any non-villainous family members are this. Isumi's family is the best example, but Sakuya's family doesn't seem entirely functional in the head, Mrs. Katsura is definitely challenged and Yukiji is just on the cusp of competent.
 * Comically Invincible Hero - Hayate. The battles that don't challenge him aren't even on panel. You see them attacking, then in the next panel Hayate is walking away and the attacker is on the ground with a Cranial Eruption. The ones who 'do' challenge him are (at worst) minor characters, usually the ones on his side.
 * Comic Book Time - On the one-year anniversary of the manga's debut, a chapter opened "It's been one year since that fateful encounter... Well, it feels that way, but really, it's only been a month!" Later on, multiple references to it being summer are made, to which Hayate repeatedly replies, "It's only March!"
 * Even earlier, references to it being unusually warm for January are made, and Hayate wonders if the cherry blossoms are going to bloom, signifying that it was spring in the real world.
 * Moreover, they have been together on different school vacations. And they have celebrated parties like Christmas more than once.

"Sakuya: How did this happen anyway?
 * Cool Big Sis - Though only one year older than the rest of the main cast, Maria seems to be the holder of this title.
 * While Yukiji is better known as an irresponsible, Bottle Fairy and older than most, she has shown to have this side to her, mostly to her younger sister.
 * Also, Chiharu seems to be getting set up for playing this role for Nagi. Taking over for Maria while the latter moves more into the 'mother' role for Nagi.
 * During Hayate and Maria's Not a Date..., Maria steadfastly tried to assert herself as this role with regard to Hayate. In the end both had a good time so romance may still be in the picture despite Maria's current resistance to it. (Hinagiku said the same thing too after all...)
 * Cool Sword - For reasons not yet explained, Hinagiku can partially power a bokken called "Wooden Masamune." And there's also.
 * Part of it, if certain gag strips from the manga are anything to go by, is that Masumune's fond of Hina. Yep, even swords fall for the Student Council President.
 * Competence Zone - This seems to be in effect for everyone within three years of 16. The others are side characters just tossed in for humor (which of course is the point of the story).
 * Nagi's grandfather Mikado is old enough to be part of the circle-around mentality, except he's the one recurring character we can be sure is a villan. Isumi's great-grandmother also circles around, but is on the protagonist's side after her entrance (when she plays at being within the competency zone).
 * Athena plays with this one, supposedly being the same age as the male lead for her first two appearances, while Older Than They Look questions are tossed about. . So it's unknown if she's competent, circles around, or stands firmly outside.
 * Cosmic Plaything - Hayate of course! Hell, Hinagiku can probably qualify too in the manga (and most likely any future anime seasons). Hayate was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ayasaki, that's just getting screwed by chance right there. He then goes on to be ridiculously unlucky to the point where that was basically his defining traits other than compensating by being a Parody Sue otherwise. His trademark is specifically anything involving words ever, if there is a wrong way to say it Hayate will prove that there is an even worse way to say it, that's his thing. This seems to stem from  Since then he is basically compulsively, stupidly honest to the point that seems to override his self preservation instinct.
 * Hinagiku can also qualify with a pretty similar Backstory (though still much better than Hayate's) but mostly a while after her introduction where events involving her just seem to always work out in whatever is most terrifying/embarrassing for her at the moment. Just see the  or countless other times where circumstance just doesn't favor her. Again she has also compensated for this by being an incredibly awesome and capable Parody Sue.
 * The combination of the two may actually be the reason (through some weird logic, though not as weird as some used in this series) that Hayate and Hinagiku seem to have some kind of magical property to end up alone together at night and/or in dark romantic places. It seriously boggles the mind at the sheer number of times this seems to happen to them (which can, of course, just be attributed to an incredibly Teasing Creator, but that takes all the fun out of it).
 * Covert Pervert - Maria is a little too willing to help Nagi crossdress Hayate. And, as noted by Sakuya Aizawa, Nagi is also rather dirty-minded herself.
 * Not to mention the ghost priest, who believes that a lifetime of serving God has entitled him to having a little fun as an invisible (to most people) ghost. He has a bit of a maid fixation, and has mentioned watching Maria change more than once.
 * In episode 25, Nagi sold Hayate to Isumi because he said he had fun with Sakuya and Isumi. Unfortunately, she thought it meant he was "having fun."

Nagi: Well, Hayate was cheating on me with Isumi...

Sakuya: Huh?!

Nagi: Not only with Isumi! Hayate said he has fun with you, too!

Sakuya: Yeah, we have lots of fun. From smacking each other after each gag. (Playing Mushiking in the manga.)

Nagi: ...

Sakuya: Ah-ha, what's this, Nagi-chan? You're only thirteen and you took fun as "fun"?"

"Nagi: Shoot, did I play him around too much that I broke him?"
 * Nagi considers Hayate a bit of a pervert when he carries her (naked) out of the hot springs when she faints, not realizing he doesn't see her that way.
 * If you want to get technical just about all of Hayate's Love Interests (especially so in the manga) can qualify; Nagi and Maria are a given at this point with the cross dressing and the R-18 things Nagi rents, Hinagiku has quite the imagination herself and Ayumu has had her share of fantasies (once wishing it was more "exciting" after a rather tame one), Miki and Risa are again completely obvious, Sakuya and Isumi didn't mind the maid dress at all (and Sakuya was quite curious what was under it), and even . That's not even getting in to all the other characters that think dirty thoughts about Hayate like Kotetsu and Hina's mom; dude seriously can't catch a break.
 * Coy Girlish Flirt Pose - A couple of girls, such as Ayumu, do this occasionally in the manga but special mention goes to Hinagiku who not only does this in her introduction but also does it rather frequently even continuing after her birthday arc (where she is no longer unaware of her feelings for Hayate when she does it).
 * Cross Dresser – Hayate, thanks to Nagi, Maria, and Kotetsu. He’s not very happy about this. Hilarity Ensues when one character actually thinks he’s a girl and Hayate refuses to take off the girl’s clothes he's wearing because he doesn't want to Drop A Bridget On Her; she's actually changed in front of him, as well as a number of other embarrassing things. Everybody else is unaware of the circumstances and thinks he’s finally had it and snapped.

"Nagi: HOW IS THAT HAPPY?!!"
 * Crossover Ship - With the Hayate the Combat Butler movie and the Mahou Sensei Negima movie being released together it was a given that there would be a little art of the characters together. It could have been Hayate and Negi in a buddy-type pose or anything else like that, but with both shows being incredibly Ship Tease happy, the Hayate movie prologue "chapter" instead contains a picture of Hayate and Asuna sharing an ice cream float . It's actually rather cute.
 * Cross Popping Veins - This includes birds, robots, and plants.
 * Crouching Moron Hidden Badass - Isumi again. Can't figure out how to open her own cell phone to save her life (almost literally), but give her a demon to banish (or an animal to tame) and...
 * Also, Yukiji. Sure, she's overall a fairly irresponsible, greedy, drunken layabout, but she did raise her little sister and she's at least semi-competent as a teacher. More importantly, though, she's probably more invincible than anyone but Hayate (including having been the testing dummy for Hayate's Finishing Move, more than once), and is a surprisingly competent swordsman.
 * Fumi has shown remarkable mental talent with being able to do complicated math in her head, and make suprising conclusions to keep from being made a suspect when she intends to take a briefcase of money to the police, but nearly rivals Isumi in Cloudcuckoolander ability.
 * Cry Cute - The whole darned female cast (especially Nagi) and even Hayate really just makes you wanna hug them when they cry.
 * Cry Into Chest - Of all people, . The crying itself isn't played up too much but the venting is there full force...naturally she's absolutely mortified once it's over.
 * Cultural Cross Reference - fairly frequent. There are Shout Outs to Knight Rider, Star Wars and Titanic, among others.
 * Curtains Match the Window - Blue-eyed, blue-haired Hayate.
 * Cute and Psycho - Maria, Sonia, and.
 * began with occasional Cute and Psycho tendencies but seems to be developing them more often and more violently as the series goes on, the most extreme being in chapter 303 where.
 * Cuteness Equals Forgiveness - Several times during her presidency, Maria does things like smashing a tape/video recorder and burning a 'love letter'.
 * Given that Hinagiku might have cases of this as well, it almost seems that this trope follows the school presidents in the story.
 * Luca isn't above abusing her Idol Singer status along with her cuteness to get things
 * Cut Lex Luthor a Check - Sort of inverted, in that the inventor of Eight and the other robots would probably make billions if she'd just hire herself out to weapons developers (or even just construction/demolitions firms), but she insists on trying to use her killer robots as things like nurses.
 * She does make security robots as well, and she doesn't have any (shown) funding issues in the manga. She'd still be better off focusing on the security robots rather than the nursing versions though.
 * Deadpan Snarker - Due to the general Medium Awareness/Genre Savvyness of the cast and the fact that the series is Better Than a Bare Bulb, pretty much everyone has had their chance to Deadpan Snark at least once. Can delve into full on World of Snark territory, especially if more than one of the Cast Herds get grouped together.
 * Death Glare - ...once again, nearly everyone gets their shot sooner or later; Hayate and Maria stand out due to Hayate's Incorruptible Pure Pureness, with Maria knowingly being the sanest character in the series.
 * Hinagiku’s death glare is something to behold. The Hellish Pupils really add to the sense of impending doom. She’s almost crossed into Face of a Thug a few times.
 * Defeat By Modesty In her ploy to get the inheritance stone of the Sanzenin, Sonia begins to strip. When Hayate reveals that that ploy won't work on him, she threatens to call for his female companion and claim that he had tried to rape her. She does get the stone with that, but he returns later to get it back, with Nishizawa in tow, so that she can't try that tactic again.
 * Demon Head - During Hinagiku's birthday arc, Hina found herself frustrated as she kept dreaming of Hayate and didn't understand why. When she meets Hayate and Nagi and learns that he's in danger of failing the end of year exams a few wires seems to get crossed as she thinks about her confusing feelings and Hayate as the cause. This results in her projecting an extremely powerful Battle Aura and Death Glare combo that terrifies the two before she uses this to inform Hayate that should he fail the exams because he was busy trying to get her a birthday present then she would never forgive him. Nagi actually cowers behind Hayate when she does so and Hayate himself is almost scared speechless.
 * Demoted to Extra - At the beginning of the manga, Klaus had a bigger role and was generally more visible. Then he just kinda dropped off the face of the planet. His latest token appearances served purely to both remind people that he still exists and, given the nature of the manga, almost mockingly hang a lampshade on being Demoted to Extra.
 * And now Maria seems to be taking up the reigns of this while being pushed in the direction of being Nagi's mother instead of sister.
 * Derailed Fairy Tale - Hayate tells one of these to Nagi when she is in bed feeling sick for one of the anniversary chapters. Specifically he tells "Alice in Wonderland" and, this series being what it is, warns her before he starts that it has been a long time since the author read "Alice in Wonderland". It stars Hinagiku as Alice, meeting the Student Council Trio dressed in bunny-girl outfits and pitying them for getting stuck with cheesecake duty. Glossing over a description of a road that moves to take you back to the start as a metaphor for success in society, Hinagiku easily runs down it before they even finish. Then it wrapped up rather quickly while explaining that Hina thrashed the card army and established the United States of Japan. And everyone lived Happily Ever After.
 * Derailed Fairy Tale - Hayate tells one of these to Nagi when she is in bed feeling sick for one of the anniversary chapters. Specifically he tells "Alice in Wonderland" and, this series being what it is, warns her before he starts that it has been a long time since the author read "Alice in Wonderland". It stars Hinagiku as Alice, meeting the Student Council Trio dressed in bunny-girl outfits and pitying them for getting stuck with cheesecake duty. Glossing over a description of a road that moves to take you back to the start as a metaphor for success in society, Hinagiku easily runs down it before they even finish. Then it wrapped up rather quickly while explaining that Hina thrashed the card army and established the United States of Japan. And everyone lived Happily Ever After.


 * Disease Bleach - Isumi's hair is turned white when she uses too much of her power during the Athens arc.
 * Interestingly, when she lost her powers in an earlier arc, no comment is made on her hair changing color in any way.
 * Dissonant Serenity - Maria and Hayate are absolute masters of this as they can have that same smile not matter how annoyed they are with something, Hinagiku comes close as she has the smile but also has a Cross Popping Veins since it's obvious she's furious.
 * Hayate himself is rather frightening when you realize that he's actually the most cynical member of the cast (bar maybe Yukiji) and can at times be downright cold with that very same smile and pleasant-looking face. . It seems that his most awesome moments come when he either summons his Glowing Eyes of Doom or invoking this and being a surprisingly cold Badass.
 * Diving Save - Hayate does this in conjunction with Big Damn Heroes several times.
 * Dojikko - The adorably prudish maid Saki.
 * Dragged Into Drag - Hayate gets the page picture for this one.
 * This ends up crossing with I Think You Broke Him when Nagi suggests he change out of Ayumu's clothes, and he refuses. In actuality, he just doesn't want to reveal to Luca that he's actually a guy.
 * And, as of chapter 319, Hayate has finally resigned himself to the fact that this will be a recurring thing until  and has begun to actively plan ahead. Not well mind you,  . Still, he might feel like he has no choice but he's really toeing the line for being Dragged Into Drag.
 * Door Stop Baby - Maria was found at the door of a Catholic church as a baby, hence her name.
 * Dropped a Bridget On Him - One butler falls in love with Hayate, who, at the moment is under a crossdressing curse (...). Although initially devastated when Hayate's cover is blown, he quickly comes around and tries to convince Hayate to travel with him to the Netherlands, where same-sex marriages are legal. (Cue Nagi's Megaton Kick.)
 * Luca, a pop star who first saw him after he was forced into a maid uniform (and had acted pretty freely around him, changing in front of him) gets this bad. Due to her busy schedule and debt she was under quite a bit of stress at the time when She ends up fainting, and is quite embarrassed about it for sometime afterwards, even messing up a performance.
 * Dynamic Entry - The titular character and a few minor characters pull several of these through the manga. In one memorable instance, Hayate and Isumi's great grandmother do one together.
 * Yukiji in Chapter 151 does this by swooping in and kicking a bear in the face.
 * Hayate pulls a spectacular one in chapter 45 while he and Hinagiku were at the old, haunted building at school. Hina went to look for Hayate (who had fallen through the floor by this point after a typical bout of his bad luck) when she encounters a bunch of ghosts and monsters roaming the halls. Naturally she bolts but one catches up and she trips. Thinking of Hayate telling her that he would come save her if she ever called for him, she shouts his name out. Instantly we see a dress shoe on the side of the monster's head, followed by a shot of Hayate's kick literally blowing the monster to pieces with sheer force. It also helps that he looks incredibly cool as he lands from the kick before asking Hinagiku if she is all right.
 * Dysfunction Junction - Sweet and zany as they may be, much of the leading cast (in particular Hinagiku, Nagi and Hayate) hail from broken, dysfunctional and/or unhappy families. Sakuya, the most mentally unstable girl of the principal cast, ironically hails from a warm and happy family, the sight of which brings Nagi much discomfort and jealousy.