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lensman · 2004-06-29, 02:50

Love Hina is one of the greatest Manga ever created... period...

What is interesting to know is that Akamatsu originally intended Love Hina to be just filler for Shonen magazine. But suddenly (around volume 4, or so) it got a LOT better and the result was a story that was beautiful as was captivating.

I love the changes the characters go through, especially Motoko and Shinobu. And, by the way, have you noticed that the first thing Shinobu does once she matures (in volume 14, before we see her in adult form) is to send Keitaro airborn, by hitting him?

Some characters, like Mutsumi, Kaolla, and Kitsune were static but they played a great part in the story, and there were hints that there was much more to them than meets the eye. Kaolla despite her happy-so-lucky attitude is essentially a very lonely person, and Kitsune despite her attitude is a really caring person. In fact one of the static characters, Mutsumi, is my favourite because she is sweet, innocent, naive and very beautiful.

Spoiler:

For me, even Kanako is an interesting and important character.

Spoiler:

Even one of the most villified aspects of the Manga (just check out any Love Hina Fanfic section), the Naru/Keitaro relationship worked well for me.

Spoiler:

Naru's character is interesting because she is one of those people that get in the way of their own happiness.

Spoiler:

She is incredibly worried about her image.

Spoiler:

Despite that she is a likeable character. She cares about Keitaro a lot and is actually sweet, despite her mood swings and violent behaviour. There are points in the Manga where she offers support to him and helps him out.

Spoiler:

Most of her flaws stem from the fact that she is a good but insecure person. She is insecure about her sexuality

Spoiler:

she is insecure about boys, she is insecure about her future, she is insecure about herself she is even insecure about her friends. It is through her relationship with Keitaro that she gets over those insecurities and actually finds some kind of balance in her life.Like most of the characters in the manga Naru develops as well and ends up being quite a mature person (well... almost).

The anime was not bad, but it lacked the character development the Manga had. The other girl's crushes on Keitaro were downplayed, and in the end of the anime, they were essentially where they had started. The anime also misses one of the most important points of the manga, Keitaro wondering where he is headed in life, and what he is supposed to do (just before he decides to go study in the states. However, I did like the fact that Kitsune's character was more developed in the anime than in the manga. And of course, I am thankfull because the anime introduced me to the manga.

Whew! Sorry about the verbal diarrhea... But the Love Hina manga is one of my favourite topics... Right after GTO...

2004-06-29, 02:50	Link #68
lensman Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: I live in Greece. Age: 45	Love Hina is one of the greatest Manga ever created... period... What is interesting to know is that Akamatsu originally intended Love Hina to be just filler for Shonen magazine. But suddenly (around volume 4, or so) it got a LOT better and the result was a story that was beautiful as was captivating. I love the changes the characters go through, especially Motoko and Shinobu. And, by the way, have you noticed that the first thing Shinobu does once she matures (in volume 14, before we see her in adult form) is to send Keitaro airborn, by hitting him? Some characters, like Mutsumi, Kaolla, and Kitsune were static but they played a great part in the story, and there were hints that there was much more to them than meets the eye. Kaolla despite her happy-so-lucky attitude is essentially a very lonely person, and Kitsune despite her attitude is a really caring person. In fact one of the static characters, Mutsumi, is my favourite because she is sweet, innocent, naive and very beautiful. Spoiler: Why Keitaro doesn't choose her is beyond me.... I loved the story where she regresses to being a five year old and almost ends up marrying Keitaro. And the way she lost Keitaro to Naru by playing Janken... For me, even Kanako is an interesting and important character. Spoiler: She is important because she is the one that actually causes Keitaro and Naru's relationship to progress (I believe she is just misunderstood). Even one of the most villified aspects of the Manga (just check out any Love Hina Fanfic section), the Naru/Keitaro relationship worked well for me. Spoiler: I liked how they develop from being strangers hostile that are hostile to each other to being friends and then lovers. Naru's character is interesting because she is one of those people that get in the way of their own happiness. Spoiler: She knows that she loves Keitaro and that she would be happy with him, but she is so much worried about what her friends will think, and so afraid of the future that it takes an INCREDIBLE amount of persuasion by Kanako and the rest of the Hinata Sou gang to make her admit her true feelings. Heck, even AFTER she admits her true feelings, she almosts breaks up with Keitaro for the silliest of reasons. She is incredibly worried about her image. Spoiler: Notice how she looks left and right to see if anybody's there before kissing Keitaro on the cheek... Not to forget the diarrhea incident in pararakelse. Despite that she is a likeable character. She cares about Keitaro a lot and is actually sweet, despite her mood swings and violent behaviour. There are points in the Manga where she offers support to him and helps him out. Spoiler: Not to mention the point in the story where she actually admits that she is selfish and wonders why Keitaro fell in love with her. And, by the way, the start of volume 11 is not the first time she almost admits she loves Keitaro. In volume 10, just after Mutsumi is cured of her amnesia, and right before she gets on the boat back to Hinata, she actually says "I am completely and utterly in lov..." before the wind shows us (and Keitaro) a flash of her panties and causes her to go into a violent outburst, completely ruining the moment Most of her flaws stem from the fact that she is a good but insecure person. She is insecure about her sexuality Spoiler: (she punches Keitaro whenever he sees her naked and yet she freaks out whenever he ignores her) she is insecure about boys, she is insecure about her future, she is insecure about herself she is even insecure about her friends. It is through her relationship with Keitaro that she gets over those insecurities and actually finds some kind of balance in her life.Like most of the characters in the manga Naru develops as well and ends up being quite a mature person (well... almost). The anime was not bad, but it lacked the character development the Manga had. The other girl's crushes on Keitaro were downplayed, and in the end of the anime, they were essentially where they had started. The anime also misses one of the most important points of the manga, Keitaro wondering where he is headed in life, and what he is supposed to do (just before he decides to go study in the states. However, I did like the fact that Kitsune's character was more developed in the anime than in the manga. And of course, I am thankfull because the anime introduced me to the manga. Whew! Sorry about the verbal diarrhea... But the Love Hina manga is one of my favourite topics... Right after GTO...