Bandai Entertainment has acquired the rights to the 52-episode Hayate the Combat Butler anime, which was directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi, produced by SynergySP, and aired on Japanese TV from April of 2007 to March of 2008.  Based on the shonen manga by Kenjiro Hata, which has reached 15 volumes in Japan and is published here by Viz Media, Hayate the Combat Butler is a fast-paced romantic comedy with some “harem” touches and lots of self-conscious parody references to popular manga and anime series.  A second Hayate anime series has been announced in Japan.  Bandai Entertainment has not yet announced the format or release date for the first Hayate the Combat Butler DVD in the U.S.

Like the manga it is based on, the Hayate anime series follows the adventures of Hayate Ayasaki, a particularly unlucky teenager, who is sold to the yakuza, who want to harvest his organs in order cover the gambling debts incurred by his parents who have fled leaving Hayate to face the debt collectors.  A good natured soul, Hayate attempts to escape from his predicament by kidnapping a rich girl, but ends up protecting her instead and becoming her “protector/butler.”

Both the Hayate manga and anime include numerous examples of characters breaking down the fourth wall and addressing the reader (or audience) directly on things like censorship, the conventions of manga (or anime), or even characters voiced by the seiyu in previous series.