Card Captor Sakura, Kanak - Kanak 10 Tahun Yang Manja.

Service with a laugh in Hayate the Combat Butler on Animax

• Comedic slice-of-life anime series Hayate the Combat Butler to premiere 11 June 2009, airing weekdays 6pm exclusively on Animax. The series follows Ayasaki Hayate, a 16 year-old boy who tries to kidnap Nagi Senzenin, heiress to a great family fortune, for ransom to pay off his debts to the Japanese mafia; but ends up as her love interest – and butler – in an amusing twist.

• Based on the manga and light novel series which sold more than 10 million copies, Hayate the Combat Butler spun off games for Nintendo DS and Sony PSP consoles, along with radio drama CDs, soundtrack albums, and singles, with its theme song hitting 7th spot on Japan’s singles chart.

• Viewers across Asia can tune in to Animax daily from 11 June to catch pictures of a real-life butler and find out to which part of his body the bow-tie is attached to each day, submit answers daily to contests@animax-asia.com for a chance to win half a day’s service from the handsome butler on TV.

29 May 2009, Singapore – Dreamt of living life as an heiress to a ridiculously rich family? Like to have service staff at your beck and call everywhere you go? Wish to be entertained and amused as and when you want to be? Need to be protected from robbers and kidnappers eyeing your enormous family fortune?

If these are ‘problems’ you only dream about, then let Animax offer you a light-hearted peek into such an extravagant life where a charming and talented BUTLER is THE solution, in new comedic anime series Hayate the Combat Butler! Premiering 11 June 2009 and airing weekdays 6pm exclusively on Animax, Hayate the Combat Butler features Ayasaki Hayate, the ultimate sixteen year-old butler who not only delivers first class personal service, but doubles up as a cute, funny and silly companion, and as a bodyguard who protects his mistress Nagi Sanzenin, heiress to a great family estate, against all danger.

Sold by his compulsive gambler parents to the Japanese mafia, Hayate tries to pay off his debts using ransom from kidnapping thirteen year-old Nagi. Things take an unexpected and amusing twist when Hayate’s demand to ‘take her away’ is mistaken by Nagi as his confession of love, falls in love with him in return, and hires him as her personal butler! The humorous slice-of-life anime series sees the unlikely butler serve Nagi and use his excellent fighting skills to fend off villains who are after her fortune. Oblivious to Nagi’s feelings for him, Hayate falls instead for her maid, Maria, in a comedy that will have viewers laughing no end and returning for more.

Based on Kenjiro Hata’s manga (comics) and light novel series that sold ten million copies in Japan as of January 2009, Hayate the Combat Butler is produced by anime studio Synergy SP and is directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi (Great Teacher Onizuka; Ginban Kaleidoscope). The anime series also features Rie Kugimiya, top voice actor responsible for Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood’s protagonist Alphonse Elric, in the role of Nagi Sanzenin.

Beyond the anime, manga and light novel series, Hayate the Combat Butler spun off two Nintendo DS games, as well as a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) game slated for 2009 release. Songs inspired from the show also proved a favourite as opening and ending tracks were released as six singles, with theme song ‘Hayate no Gotoku!’ reaching seventh spot on Japan’s nationwide singles chart. Radio drama CDs that bring the action to airwaves were also released along with two original soundtrack albums.

Finally, in the spirit of Hayate the Combat Butler, Animax is running a special on-air contest to deliver REAL butler service to viewers! Starting 11 June, viewers across Asia can tune in to Animax and catch pictures of a real butler with a bow tie attached to one part of his body each day. Viewers can then submit daily entries to contests@animax-asia.com by 26 June to stand a chance of winning half a day’s service from the real, handsome and young butler on featured on TV. Able to help the winner with simple errands such as carrying her shopping bags or helping her buy movie tickets, the butler will be a fun and helpful companion to have, specially brought to a lucky viewer by Animax! See www.animax-asia.com for details.

Serving up weekday evenings of fun and amusement, see how Hayate brings on service with lots of laughs in Hayate the Combat Butler on Animax this June!

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Hayate the Combat Butler premieres 11 June 2009
Airs weekdays 6pm exclusively on Animax

About Animax Asia
Launched on 1 January 2004, ANIMAX is Asia’s first youth brand specializing in the fastest growing youth entertainment genre - Japanese animation. Animax Asia’s programming strategy is to offer a dynamic lineup of the highest-rated, most popular anime programs, including shows never before seen outside of Japan. In addition to anime, Animax also offers exclusive original productions, music, technology, gaming and youth lifestyle programs. In 2009, Animax Asia created TV history as the world’s first broadcaster to offer an anime series in a same-time simulcast as Japan with Tears to Tiara.

Promising ‘A World Less Ordinary’, Animax is the channel of choice for Asia’s trendsetters, image-conscious, tech-savvy youth and young adults, as well as individuals seeking a unique entertainment experience. The channel now reaches 40 million viewers in over 22 million households across 20 countries in Asia, and is set to become a leading iconic brand synonymous with popular youth culture.

ANIMAX ASIA is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and managed by SPE Networks – Asia, which also operates pay-TV channels AXN, AXN BEYOND and SONY ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION. Visit www.animax-asia.com for more information.

For more information, please contact:

SPE Networks - Asia Pte. Ltd.
Priscilla Yip
Direct: (65) 6622 4200
Priscilla_Yip@spe.sony.com

Calvin Wong
Direct: (65) 6622 4203
Calvin_Wong@spe.sony.com