Kenjiro Hata : A Journey Through His Works and Legacy in Manga

Kenjiro Hata-sensei’s Biography

Kenjiro Hata-sensei entered the world of manga as an assistant on Katteni Kaizo. He worked as an assistant to Koji Kumeta-sensei for about five years, starting from the first chapter.
From 2004 to 2017, he serialized Hayate the Combat Butler, which was adapted into an anime, film, and live-action (Taiwan).
Afterward, in 2018, he began serializing TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You, which was adapted into an anime in 2020.
In 2018, he announced his marriage to voice actress Masumi Asano.
With Masumi Asano, he has worked under the doujin circle Hajimemashite., creating Seiyu’s Life!, which was also adapted into an anime.

Main Works of Kenjiro Hata-sensei

The following is a list of Hata-sensei’s works published in Japan, arranged in order of release.

Kenjiro Hata’s Early Works: Before *Hayate the Combat Butler* (2010, collection of works prior to 2004)

As the title suggests, this is a collection of short manga created before the serialization of Hayate the Combat Butler.
It includes Kamisama ni Rocket Punch!! from 2002 and Umi no Yusha Lifesavers from 2003, along with a bonus special chapter of Hayate the Combat Butler.

Kamisama ni Rocket Punch!! features the mysterious god who appears on the back cover of Hayate the Combat Butler.
Umi no Yusha Lifesavers includes a character from Shiomi High School, which Hayate attended in Hayate the Combat Butler, sharing the same world as Hayate.

Hayate the Combat Butler (2007-2014)

A hugely popular work adapted into multiple anime seasons and even a movie.
This is a rare series where the main character is a “butler.”

While it is a comedy manga, it also includes elements of romance and action.
With a total of 52 volumes, this popular series has exceeded 21 million copies in circulation.

After the series ended, Kenjiro Hata-sensei published related doujinshi under the name Hajimemashite., his doujin circle.

Ad Astra Per Aspera (2015-, currently on hiatus)

Serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 2015, this series is currently on hiatus.
The protagonist’s iconic antenna is still present, and it’s a highly entertaining series that fans miss.

TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You (2018-)

A rare type of rom-com that starts with the couple already married.
It was adapted into an anime in 2020.
The series has surpassed 5.5 million copies in circulation.

Like Hayate Ayasaki, the protagonist of Hayate the Combat Butler, the main character here is also a “hardworking, skilled but somewhat flawed protagonist.” One of the remarkable aspects of Kenjiro Hata-sensei’s works is that they lack the sense of frustration often felt toward main characters’ actions in other manga.
Despite starting with marriage as the goal, the story is full of fresh, sweet developments.
This was clearly a series destined for an anime adaptation.

Seiyu’s Life! (Illustrator, Doujin Version from 2011-2017)

Written by Kenjiro Hata-sensei’s wife, voice actress Masumi Asano, with Hata-sensei as the illustrator.
Originally released as a doujinshi, it later received an anime adaptation.
Filled with insider details about the voice acting industry, it depicts the reality of voice acting, presented by a popular voice actress.

The anime version has a stronger narrative focus than the manga, making it more enjoyable as a story