Shizuka Itou's Hinagiku performs opening; Ayako Kawasumi plays Atene Tennōsu

Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine is announcing the cast, staff, and theme of the new Hayate the Combat Butler anime. The theme of the new anime is "Cuties," and every episode will follow different characters and a different "route":

Episode 1: Hayate Ayasaki

Episode 2: Nagi Sanzenin

Episode 3: Atene Tennōsu

Episode 4: Isumi Saginomiya & Sakuya Aizawa

Episode 5: Hinagiku Katsura

Episode 6: Izumi Segawa & another character

Episode 7: Ruka Suirenji

Episode 8: Ayumu Nishizawa

Episode 9: Chiharu Harukaze & Kayura Tsurugino

Episode 10: Maria

The ending theme song will change in each episode as well. Shizuka Itou is performing the opening theme song "Haru Ulalala Love yo Koi!!!" as her character Hinagiku Katsura.

The anime includes a more prominent role for Ayako Kawasumi, who voiced a minor role in the first anime series and dubbed Atene Tennōsu in the live-action Taiwanese version.

Ryoko Shiraishi as Hayate Ayasaki

Rie Kugimiya as Nagi Sanzenin

Rie Tanaka as Maria

Shizuka Itou as Hinagiku Katsura

Mikako Takahashi as Ayumu Nishizawa

Haruka Yamazaki as Ruka Suirenji

Ayako Kawasumi as Atene Tennōsu

Masashi Kudo is once again directing the anime and designing the characters at the studio Manglobe, with Rie Koshika supervising the series scripts.

The series will premiere on TV Tokyo on Monday, April 8 at 25:35 (effectively, Tuesday, April 9 at 1:35 a.m.).

[Via Moe Ota-News Sokuhō]