Anime Review: Love Hina

I felt like I had to review Love Hina at some point as this series was the first comedy animes I had seen….. and it had me laughing out loud. Please feel free to comment on what you think and recommend other similar anime in the comments section.

Grenre: Romantic Comedy

Episodes: 24

Sequel: Love Hina Again (OAV)

Ok guys, I know this series is a fan favourite in its genre, and I know overall the views and opinions are generally the same for Love Hina. It is a damn near perfect anime with not too much romance to put you to sleep and plenty of comedy to keep you laughing and engaged.

So, for those unfortunate few who have not had the pleasure of watching this series, it is about a boy, who likes a girl, who loves to give him a hard time!

The story starts where Urashima Keitaro has failed his entrance exams (twice!) for Tokyo U and is forced to move out of his house and live on his own. His option is to go to his Grandmothers inn (Hinata Inn), which is now an all girls hall of residence, and takes the role of manager. Sounds like a dream job for any male student, but this isn’t what he was expecting to say the least!

In typical fashion, Keitaro is branded as being a ‘pervert’ from day one, which I’m sure you will agree when you watch the series, might not be completely unrealistic opinion. This only make life more difficult for Keitaro, he is beaten, picked on, harassed and I’d even go as far as saying maybe even tortured by the girls on a daily basis. One girl in particular, who has Keitaro in her crosshair, is Narusagawa Naru. She is a 17-year old senior who not only is exceptionally bright and good looking, is also trying to get into Tokyo U.

So what happens when girl picks on boy? Keitaro eventually falls for Naru as they become friends (which Naru could never admit). The viewers then wonder if Naru could be Keitaro’s childhood love, who promised to go to Tokyo U together!

So yes, it is a romantic comedy. Think Chobits or Tenchi Muyo, but more comedy, a lot more comedy, to get an idea of this series. Like I stated earlier, it is hilarious! The Series has plenty of characters with different personalities, combined with unusual and ‘circumstantial’ situations and random events; it will keep you hooked throughout the series. Every episode is a new way to beat on Keitaro, which yes, is repetitive but doesn’t make you think if it’s too much.

One thing that initially put me off before even picking up the DVD was the romance side of this series. Yes it does keep you guessing and doesn’t really answer any questions. But the conclusion I came to at the end was that if you enjoy pure comedy and don’t mind bits of romance, then this series is unmissable!

The story doesn’t just revolve around Keitaro and Naru trying to get into Tokyo U, there are a number of sub-plots to break up the story and introduce the other characters and their unique ‘traits’.  This maybe a weakness to the series where there is no fluidity, as each episode has a different story. But if you like that sort of style, then you’ve got no worries.

The animation is very well done, with views saying it’s almost OVA like. Each character is drawn to perfection, with plenty of fan service for those who enjoy it.

I have to quickly comment on the music from the series, I mean, I still remember the theme tune from when I first watched it 8 years ago! The music is excellent and ties in well with each episode.

For the few viewers who want to watch the dubbed version, don’t. The original voice acting is wonderful and played with a uniqueness fitting to each character. The dub doesn’t have the same impact and lack the crazy uniqueness and emotion their Japanese counterparts have.

I do think this is a must for anime fans out there, even as I’m writing this, I’m thinking about picking up my DVD and watching it. One thing I will say is that this doesn’t end the way you’d think. For conclusions on the story, you need to watch Love Hina Again OAVs, which even though not as good as the series, is still a welcomed addition.