Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 23 (23)

A hilarious tale of butlers, love and battles!

Since the tender age of nine, Hayate Ayasaki has busted his behind at various part-time jobs to support his degenerate gambler parents. And how do they repay their son’s selfless generosity? By selling his organs to the yakuza to cover their debts! But fate throws Hayate a bone…sort of. Now the butler of a wealthy young lady, Hayate can finally pay back his debts, and it’ll only take him 40 years to do it.

Out of his ever-expanding harem of love interests, Hayate has finally confessed his feelings for one special girl. But if you think it’s time to cue up the happy ending, you haven’t read the previous 22 volumes. Instead, our hero faces heartbreak, emotional turmoil, and a battle with a skeleton hand. This is why most protagonists of romantic-comedy manga keep their feelings to themselves.

Without ever receiving any kind of manga award, Kenjiro Hata’s first series, Umi no Yuusha Lifesavers, was published in Shonen Sunday Super. He followed that up with his smash hit Hayate the Combat Butler.