"Tonikaku Kawaii," serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday and scheduled for an anime adaptation in October 2020, is a sequel by the author of Hayate the Combat Butler, and as such, it's packed with characters from the previous series, including look-alikes and characters with intriguing names. As part of these Tonikaku Kawaii trivia, we'd like to introduce some of the look-alikes and scenes connected to the previous series!
Part 1: Characters You've Seen Before
This is the scene where Nasa and Tsukasa quickly get married and submit their marriage registration. There's a middle-aged man with a beard who's quite striking for a mob character. He's an employee at the ward office's night reception, accepting marriage registrations, but he somehow looks like he could be a butler for a wealthy young lady.
Klaus from Hayate the Combat Butler
He's the head butler of the Sanzenin family, who appeared in the author's previous work, Hayate the Combat Butler. His real name, Kurausu Seishiro, is a man with a distinctive beard. At first, he was a reliable, cool, middle-aged man, but gradually his appearances faded away, and he became so obscure in the main story that he was even used as a joke. Perhaps he lost his job along with his appearances, or is he a completely different person? But being able to work as a civil servant at the ward office is quite an accomplishment.
Part 2: An Apartment Reminiscent of a Character You've Seen Before
Nasa-kun lives in "Tachibana No. 3," an apartment with a rent of 42,000 yen. The shop is on the floor below. The name is vaguely reminiscent of a certain shop and character that appeared in the previous work. The property information in the flyer, along with its visuals and terms like Saint Quartz and Servants, is reminiscent of FG○. The reason the rental information is so detailed is likely due to the infamous line, "You only pay the rent."
But it has nothing to do with the previous game...
That said, there's no evidence that characters from the previous game are involved. Unless a short, middle-school-aged boy and a maid wearing glasses appear, it's likely unrelated. However, when Nasa and Tsukasa return from their trip, they find their apartment burned down by lightning. A boy and a maid with glasses are sobbing in front of the apartment/shop...
Has it finally been turned into a tower apartment building?
But there's no evidence that they are Wataru Tachibana and Saki Takashima. The possibility that they are just strangers remains. However, later on, the name Takashima (the landlord) appears on Nasa's smartphone screen. This is... Also, the name of the model house shown was YUKARI HOUSE. Literally translated, it means Purple House or Yukari-chan House. In Hayate the Combat Butler, he frequently mentions "demolishing it and turning it into a tower apartment building."
Hayate the Combat Butler's "Wataru Tachibana"
He is the fiancé of Nagi Sanzenin, the heroine of Hayate the Combat Butler. At 13 years old, he is a rare male character in the all-female Hayate the Combat Butler series. He's foul-mouthed, self-centered, and cheeky, and initially seems to be jealous of Hayate, but he's kind-hearted at heart and grows into a fine young man. Although he is the heir to a wealthy family, the family business has fallen into decline due to the recession. His only surviving business is the Tachibana Rental Video Shinjuku Main Branch, and he is struggling to make a comeback.
Saki Takashima from Hayate the Combat Butler
Saki Takashima is a maid who serves Wataru Tachibana. She is 20 years old, seven years younger than Wataru. While she may appear capable, she is actually a clumsy and useless maid. As a result, she is the one who is supported, rather than supporting Wataru, who is seven years younger than her.
Part 3: The Game Shown in the Background
At the end of episode 31, there's a game machine called "Butler Hayate." It's undoubtedly inspired by Hayate the Combat Butler's protagonist, Hayate Ayasaki. His name was chosen with the hope that he would be able to escape from debt collectors as quickly as Hayate (the swift wind).
Hayate the Combat Butler's "Hayate Ayasaki"
In a desperate situation where his parents are saddled with a huge debt and he is on the verge of being sold to the 893, he meets Nagi Sanzenin and attempts to kidnap for profit. However, due to a major misunderstanding and a series of coincidences, he ends up working as a butler for the Sanzenin family.
Part 4: A Passerby Who Had His Photo Taken
When Nasa-kun visited his parents after his marriage, the two were sightseeing in Nara. A passing woman took a photo of him. However, the position of the photographer's ribbon somehow reminds me of a certain person. She looks a bit like Sakuya Aizawa from Hayate the Combat Butler.
Hayate the Combat Butler's "Sakuya Aizawa"
The eldest daughter of the Aizawa family, a branch of the heroine, Sanzenin Nagi. A typical Kansai native, she speaks in Kansai dialect and is a kind, nosy, and good-natured older sister character. However, she didn't seem to have that personality when she first appeared... When she first appeared, she tended to act out of control, which was apparently unpopular, so she underwent significant changes.
Part 4: The author of the manga currently being serialized in Sunday
When Nasa and Tsukasa went on a trip, the author of "Important Love," a series serialized in Sunday, was listed as "Sanzenin Kayura." This is thought to be a reference to the two heroines of Hayate the Combat Butler, "Sanzenin Nagi" and "Kenno Kayura." It's unclear whether the name is a collaboration between the two, a pen name for one of them, or a completely different person.
Nagi Sanzenin from Hayate the Combat Butler
She meets the protagonist, Hayate Ayasaki, who is being chased by the 893 due to debts incurred by his worthless parents, and through a series of twists and turns, she hires Hayate as her butler. In the story, she draws manga as a hobby, and her style is absurd and difficult to understand. After a bitter experience at Comiket and other events, she loses confidence, but she continues to challenge herself.
Hayate the Combat Butler's "Kenno Kayura"
He used to live in a tent in the park, but now rents a room at Murasaki no Yakata. Thanks to the special education he received from his parents, who were unable to become manga artists, he has an exceptional knowledge of manga and anime, and his own highly skilled skills make him a mentor to Nagi. In the story, he said he had no plans to draw a manga at the moment...
I mean, this is Nisekoi...
This is a romantic comedy serialized in Sunday in this world line, but no matter how you look at it, it's definitely Nisekoi... Both the hero and heroine look very similar.
Part 5: Idols on TV Shows
She appears while Tsukasa and Nasa are watching a quiz show. She's a girl who looks like she might be an idol. Since her name is mentioned, I'm pretty sure she's actually her. They don't seem to be trying to hide it at all, but this is Suirenji Luka, the heroine's rival in Hayate the Combat Butler, who only made an appearance midway through the show but made a huge impact.
Suirenji Ruka from Hayate the Combat Butler
A character who appears midway through the series as the rival of the super idol and heroine, Sanzenin Nagi. Her parents, whose dreams of the entertainment industry had been shattered, gave her a special education and entrusted her with their dreams. However, she failed to make it through the talent agency they founded. She then tried to sell herself to a major talent agency and achieved success. However, this caused a rift between her and her parents, who then disappeared, leaving her with a large debt. She appears midway through the series and becomes the series' leading heroine, clearly confessing her feelings to Hayate, overriding the other characters. After settling things with Hayate, she decides to continue her idol career.
Part 6: Those Who Take Over the End of the Volume
The backs of Tonikaku Kawaii's volumes feature characters like Lalah Sune, who also appeared in Hayate the Combat Butler!, the capable maid from the previous work, and characters who appeared in the bonus material and epilogue after Hayate ended. It was said that characters like Lalah would take over the end of the volume in the next work, and as expected, she is making an appearance. It seems like they're hoping to one day take on the main role.
[Tonikaku Kawaii] Hayate Jokes Summary
This series, like Hayate, is packed with parodies, including numerous self-parodies of the previous series. You might have missed some. There are so many jokes, it's hard to keep up. However, for those familiar with the previous series, there are some scenes that will surprise you. While it may be difficult to tell the difference due to the character design, Tsukasa Yuzaki looks a bit like Hinagiku Katsura, and Aya Arisugawa looks a bit like Aika Kasumi. I'm sure there will be many more parodies to come, and I'm curious to see what the voice actors in the anime will be like!
