Hayate no Gotoku! 3rd Popularity Contest Results

I can finally write about this since im up to date on watching anime (soon blogging it). For chapter 300 of Hayate, the results of the new popularity poll are up. The last time we had one, Hinagiku completely destroyed all competition by winning against 2nd place by a ratio of over 2:1 (4185 to 1814 against Maria for a 2.3 difference). Now, almost 100 chapters later and with now a fully developed Athena character (last time she ranked 5th with 1008 votes with only 10 chapters devoted to her), the new results are as follows: BEWARE FOR MANGA SPOILERS FOR THOSE THAT DONT READ!

This page is in Chinese, will update to ENG if translated

Well, it seems not much has changed this time around. But lets analyze the top 10 for now:

10. Saginomiya Isumi (393 votes) – Ever since the last popularity contest, Isumi’s role has actually been pretty active throughout the Golden Week arc. Getting lost in ruins underneath Nagi’s resort, saving Hayate from the wrath of Kind Midas/Athena combo and even being part of one of the most impressive battles the Hayate series has yet seen. But despite all this…her vote count has actually decreased from last time (437 votes). But she still manages to take the 10th spot for the 2nd time in a row.

9. Aizawa Sakuya (666 votes) – Sakuya’s role in the series since the last popularity contest has not been as active as Isumi’s but in terms of appearances she has been pretty much on par with her since she has been kind of Isumi’s sidekick for most of the Golden Week. Despite all this the number of votes she gets compared to Isumi is quite large. But again, last time she actually ranked 8th place with 881 votes but she still remains in the top 10.

8. Harukaze Chiharu (789 votes) – Now this is a surprise, despite being absent for the entirety of the Golden Week arc, the lovely otaku maid Chiharu manages to one up Sakuya and take the 8th place she owned last time by upped her vote count from her 705 votes that earned her 9th place long ago. Chiharu’s developed actually is a more recent one, with the currently ongoing Luka arc (is it ok to call it that?) she has finally stepped up her importance in the series and could even be starting to become an older sister model for Nagi now.

7. Nishizawa Ayumu (869 votes) – And then comes the hamster, if there is anyone that has remained consistent throughout the series….its her. This is the 3rd time in a row that the poor Ayumu gets the 7th place in the popularity contests and with almost the same number of votes as last time (888 votes). However that placing itself is not bad, but I really wonder if she will ever break her 7th curse in the future. As for her involvement in the series…she has actually done a lot of things that have truly made me like her a lot more than before. She has almost taken the role of the life counselor…having given advice to a lot of characters like Hayate, Nagi, and Hinagiku. I would love to see her interact with Athena in the future. Despite her lack of involvement in the most crucial moments, when it comes to reaching out to other characters Ayumu is a shinning star amongst the cast. FOREVER 7th AYUMU!

6. Segawa Izumi (944 votes) – If there is a reason for Izumi’s popularity…I possibly could not tell you myself, but dammit if I dont love her as well. Her involvement in the manga since last contest has not been that high, with only a small mini-arc with her raping Hinagiku as her main source of focus. But despite all that she manages to regain her 6th position and up her vote count from the previous 905 ballots. As far as character goes, Izumi really isnt that very well developed, but if you want to get into how cute she is overall…well she is pretty much one of the best and despite not being able to fully understand why she is so popular, seeing her in 6th place is absolutely OK with me.

5. Maria (1059 votes) – This is where the biggest change happened. If you were to ask me what Maria has done in the past 100 chapters of the manga that was significant (make that 200 even)…I probably could not be able to answer. In fact, her role in the manga has almost but disappeared, with only the occasional comedy chapter. I really wonder why Hata has shafted her so hard for so long, yet despite all this Maria still continues to be one of the most popular characters in the series. However her down time is starting to take its toll, last time she was runner up with 1814 votes but now 800 of those votes have gone somewhere else. Hata, I hope this result wakes you up and you start to use Maria more…God knows I’ve been waiting for her spotlight for the longest time now. One of the best examples of good characters going to waste right now.

4. Ayasaki Hayate (1091 votes) – Our protagonist Hayate, its dumb to ask what his role in since the last contest has been since he is the main driving force of the manga. However for the whole Greece arc, Hayate’s character has probably gone through the most changes and has been explored more than ever before in this series. Fixing his mistakes of the past, reuniting with Athena, and going through the most physical punishment he has received yet…Hayate has had it rough. Despite all this he remains in 4th place but his vote number has really shrunk by almost 300 votes…I dont really understand why but well, thats how it goes.

3. Sanzen’in Nagi (1700 votes) – For the 2nd time, Nagi clinches the 3rd place in the series. Now, since the last contests Nagi remained in the shadows for a good chunk of the beginning, however once the time finally came…out of the sudden, Nagi goes and does what might possibly be one of THE most shocking developments in the entirety of the Hayate series and shatters Hayate’s King Jewel and frees him of his torment given by Mikado. Ever since that point in time, there has been a pretty radical change in Nagi…it almost feels as if she is growing up, no longer is she as bratty as she used to be…and some of the things she says are even pretty mature compared to how she used to think before the Golden Week. If there is a character that has changed with time, Nagi is the one. Oh but she did lose 76 votes this time around lol.

2. Tennos Athena (2168 votes) –  If you wondered where all those missing votes went, well here she is, the one character that took the entire Hayate fanbase and shook it from its core. Not a single character in this series has caused so much uproar and discussion among the fans as Athena has done since her appearance. Dearly loved and also severely hated by the fans, throughout the majority of the Greece arc, if Athena was involved, a shitstorm would follow her name. And for the first time ever, the Athena fanbase was actually able to rival the Hinagiku empire in shipping wars all over the internet…now THAT is an accomplishment on its own. Ever since the little 10 chapter preview that we got of her past with Hayate in the End of the World arc which granted her a top 5 spot in the last contest with 1008 votes. This time around Hata was ready to unleash the full Athena story and I would be lying if I said that I did not love every single bit of it. The main reason so many people were interested in Athena is the fact that so much of her character was shrouded in mystery since she was a relatively new character to the series at the time (despite being mentioned a couple times in the past). And as Hata revealed more, I started liking her more…so am I glad to see that the fans of the series also enjoyed her character? FUCKING RIGHT I AM! I am also not afraid to say that out of all the characters in this series, the way Athena interacts with Hayate is just bundles of fun to watch, and the fact that she seems to be the only character to be open with Hayate about her feelings (other than Ayumu) just gives her that extra edge in the ways she can interact with him. But look at me im already rambling…a good showing by A-tan, lets hope to see more of her in the future ❤

1. Katsura Hinagiku (4089 votes) – Cmon…like no one saw this coming…reigning supreme over the Hayate no Gotoku! fanbase, the forever undefeated Hinagiku stands on top of the mountain for the 3rd time in a row. However, Hinagiku’s popularity does not come without reason. Being such a hugely popular character both in her series and in the anime world in general, Hinagiku’s role in the series tends to be bigger than everyone else except for Hayate (despite being a supporting character). Even in the Golden Week arc which was mostly focused on Hayate and Athena, Hinagiku still had the 3rd biggest role. After Athena and Hayate, Hinagiku and her fans have gone through the biggest emotional rollercoaster the series has yet seen. From a failed confession that was only countered with Hayate’s own confession, to selflessly trying to support Hayate’s relationship with Athena despite making her depressed. Hinagiku really has acted the part of the ally of justice, and since then she has gained the symbol of it in form of the Shirosakura sword. I have nothing but admiration for Hinagiku after the Golden Week arc, and seeing her in 1st place is nothing unexpected. Hata created a fantastic character and her legions of fans should be thankful for it. Although this is the first time Hinagiku has NOT won this popularity contest with a 2:1 ratio over the 2nd place, Athena put up a decent fight considering Hina fans do not go easy…this time around her margin of victory was 1.88…should I be glad or not?

And there you have it, I would like to take this time to comment on certain interesting things about the other results.

• Holy crap I didnt know Hibiki Fumino was so popular…she beat Wataru and Saki? wtf man!
• Ikusa gets 22nd place, not bad considering he is only in like…2 chapters?
• REALLY!? Yozora Housen is ranked 27th already? wow I did NOT see it coming…no Luka love?

Ok….now im done…man this is such a long post, Hayate no Gotoku BANZAI!