Love Hina

Love Hina is one of most well known and popular harem series in anime, and not without reason. One of the most appealing aspects of Love Hina is that it is rooted in reality(as far as harem series go) there are no aliens, magical girls(unless you count Su)or supernatural elements. The main story involves typical nice guy Keitarou trying to fulfill a promise he made many years ago to a childhood sweetheart that they both would meet again has Tokyo University students. Now a young adult, Keitarou is understandably in a bind; hes a poor student trying to get into one of the most exclusive colleges in the world. In the meantime he is called on by family members to take over management of a quaint (all female) inn. It's at the family inn that he meets Naru, a beautiful girl around his age, who is trying to get in to Tokyo U based on a long ago promise as well, is Naru Keitarou's childhood sweetheart? Has the female population of the inn increases, hi jinks galore ensue.

Love Hina is based off the mega-popular manga, and I must say, is inferior to its source material, while it's a good anime in it's own right, it fails to capture all of the magic of the manga. With that issue aside, Love Hina is a very energetic, humorous romantic comedy that can be both charming and sentimental at turns. The cast, like the animation is bright and colorful. Naru makes for a excellent female co-lead, which brings me to the show's biggest problem; Keitarou himself.
At first you can't help but cheer him on and feel sorry for him, but after awhile, you end up being thoroughly annoyed by him. He fits the bill of a male harem lead much to well; he is a utter doormat, and completely lacking of a backbone. Kietarou's spinelessness becomes unspeakably frustrating, leading to moments were you just want to shut the tv off. There are also some completely unnecessary and pointless detours in the plot that don't exactly work in the show's favor as well. Despite it's disappointing shortcomings I would still gladly recommend Love Hina, taken has a whole, its an entertaining, fun anime and still one of the better offerings this genre has.

Grade: B

Reviewed:episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English sub, DVD