Release back in April of 2000 by Ken Akamatsu, and dubbed & released in 2009 by Funimation, Love Hina tells the story of Keitaro Urashima. For a while, Keitaro has been trying to get into Tokyo U with no success (he's failed twice at the start of the show). The reason he's been trying to get in is because of a promise he made to a little girl in his past. The promise was that he and this girl would get into the school, and fall madly in love with each other. Needless to say, his journey to get into Tokyo U leads him to the Hinata Apartments, where he is told by his Aunt Haruka (she prefers that he calls her Haruka) that he is now the new manager. Problem is, this is a girl's apartment complex, and right away he gets into trouble.
After getting into the apartment complex's hot springs when no one's looking, one of the resident, Naru, steps in for a quick bath. After seeing him, she shrieks and screams in usual anime fashion, Keitaro runs through the complex trying to get away. However, things don't quite work out for him, as he also runs into Su (the nerd), and Mitsune (the sexy character of the show who's getting drunk on a regular basis). After a few attempts at communicating, there is a relative peace, and Keitaro goes on to live at the apartments, all the while managing the place, and studying to get into Tokyo U. Later on, the young & shy Shinobu, the beautiful & mature Motoko, the tough and even more spastic Sarah McDougal, and the ditzy Mutsumi round out the other girls. Each of them all have a thing for Keitaro, ranging from an innocent desire to be close to him, to an all out need to get into his pants. With Naru, things are a little more different. At the start of the show, she absolutely detests him. However, as the two work together and open up to each other a little more, things start to change, and eventually, the two start expressing feelings for one another.
The first thing that Love Hina has going for it are the characters. Each one of them has a distinct personality that separates them from the others: Su is a wiz at technology and is a total spaz, Sarah is just as spastic as Su his (some would say she more spastic) and had a habit for trouble, Shinobu is very shy but is sweet and good with household chores, Motoko is very stern & serious, Mitsune is sly & sexy, but also as a soft side to her, Mutsumi is just ditzy & loveable, Haruka seems serious, but has a loving side to her. The characters that seem to have the biggest personalities are Keitaro and Naru. The two are like fire and ice: Naru is serious, determined, emotional & emotionless at the same time, and takes no fools. Keitaro is also serious and determined, but he frequently lets his feelings get to him (sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way.), and gives the people around him numerous chances. It's a mix that keeps the show going at it's own unique pace.
The second thing Love Hina has going for it is it's mix of genres. It's primarily a shonen comedy (both complex & slapstic), but it also contains drama, romance (especially between Keitaro and Naru), and even a little action. When I first heard of this show years ago, I thought it was just a simple love comedy, but after watching the whole season, I've realized that Love Hina has a lot more in it that what's on the surface.
The third thing that brings positivity to Love Hina is it's visuals and sounds. The town that the Hinata Apartments has a very rustic feel to it, and it's partially populated by old people dressed in hot springs clothes (further adding humor to the show). As for the apartments themselves, they inside a large, sprawling complex that looks just like a castle out of medieval Japan. In later episodes, Su & Sarah discover numerous tunnels and crawlspaces underneath and inside the apartments, leading to some definitely wacky moments. In regards to the sounds of the show, the music and the dub stand out from everything else. Every character in the show, whether major or minor, has a voice that is perfectly suited to them. The music is also good, with notes, feeling, and instrumentation that is perfect for every situation.
The last positive thing about Love Hina is it's availability to the public. Given that the show was released (at least in this country) since 2009, it is still a relatively fresh show. You can go onto Amazon right now and find the full box sex for close to 25 dollars. Used copies aren't that much cheaper, so it really doesn't matter whether you buy a new or used edition. The subsequent Spring, Christmas, and OVA specials (more commonly called Love Hina Again), however, are a bit more expensive since they were released a while ago (2002 to 2003), so buy used copies whenever you can.
Now, down to what blemishes an otherwise perfect show. The one thing that weighs down the magic of Love Hina is...Keitaro & Naru's love for one another.
I know what I just said is blasphemy to just about every fan of the show, but hear me out. When the two first meet each other, there really isn't anything there. However, by the time it gets about a quarter of the way to halfway through the show, there are honest, genuine feeling transmitted between them. The problem is, while Keitaro admits to these feelings constantly, Naru seems to hide then. It gets really confusing towards the end of the show, where the feelings are even stronger, and Naru tries harder to hide them. As one person quoted in a review of the OVA: "She's bull-headed around 80% of the time and at certain points I had the irresistible urge to slap her repeatedly till she came to her senses. She continuously mistreats Keitaro and yet she can't stand it when other girls make their advances." I feel pretty much the same way, minus the slapping part.
Love Hina gets a 9 out of 10. The characters have distinct personalities, the show is a impressive mix of show styles, the voice acting, music, and visuals all look & sound great, and it's readily available, but the love triangle between Keitaro & Naru will get confusing (and irritating).
Until next time, stay Otaku!
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