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[Cloudy]

This is maybe the 3rd anime I ever watched and it's still one of my alltime favorites. I'm not into the harem or fanservice genre at all but Love Hina seems different somehow (maybe because Keitaro x Naru was pretty much the only possible outcome?)

I also really liked the character interaction and I'm almost hesitant to watch in case it doesn't hold up (It's been over 10 years).

One thing I know I'll still enjoy is the music though. In fact, hearing one of the background themes is what made me dig out the DVDs. I don't think there's any anime that has BGM as good as this one.

PS: This is the tune I came across:

Love Hina Original Soundtrack : Hinnata inn

PS2: I watched Love Hina Again and specials but I never read the manga. Worth it?

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Dude... You've never read the manga? It's like... A hundred times better than the anime. And I really liked the anime. It's like the only manga series I ever purchased lol

Spoiler

I was 19 at the time lol

And yeah the BGM is really good. My favorite was the guitar solo rendition of the ED song. Man this gets me all nostalgic and shit. I might dig out the DVDs tomorrow. Haven't watched it in maybe a decade

 

[sfedai0]

Love Hina was one of the first of many "fanservice" anime I watched in that era.

Oh my Goddess, Mahoromatic, Hand Maid May....it was a good time.

 

[Cloudy]

It looks so washed-out on my HDTV compared to today's anime. Still charming and funny so far

 

[Cloudy]

Oh my Goddess, Mahoromatic, Hand Maid May....it was a good time.

I tried all those and thought they were mostly crap. I've never really found a show similar to Love Hina *sigh*

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

What was it that you enjoyed about Love Hina? You might like School Rumble if you haven't seen that. It's light hearted, similar in humor and has some romance sub plots

 

[SigmasonicX]

Manga is better and I didn't like the manga that much either. It's probably one of those things where it has to be one of the first anime you encounter.

Anyway, if you're not familiar with it, you should check out Mahou Sensei Negima from the same creator. The manga that is. Every TV anime is a terrible adaptation. It starts out as a harem comedy, but then turns into a surprisingly good action series.

 

[Cloudy]

What was it that you enjoyed about Love Hina? You might like School Rumble if you haven't seen that. It's light hearted, similar in humor and has some romance sub plots

Oooh, I did like School Rumble a lot (and also have it on DVD). I wouldn't say it's like Love Hina though

I think I enjoyed the character interaction in Love Hina. Not super serious but not slapstick comedy either. Just a slice of life, romantic comedy

 

[scarlet]

It's one kind of anime that I could watch it again and again and won't get bored.

 

[opticalmace]

Dude... You've never read the manga? It's like... A hundred times better than the anime. And I really liked the anime. It's like the only manga series I ever purchased lol

Spoiler

I was 19 at the time lol

And yeah the BGM is really good. My favorite was the guitar solo rendition of the ED song. Man this gets me all nostalgic and shit. I might dig out the DVDs tomorrow. Haven't watched it in maybe a decade

Now that you mention it.. is digital manga a thing? That would be really cool.

And yeah OP, Love Hina was great. I have the DVD boxset around somewhere.

 

[MotionBlue]

The manga is so much better, in every way imaginable. One of my favorites.

 

[Wedge7]

Lol really enjoyed this anime back when I first watched it more than a decade ago. Was probably the fourth or fifth anime I ever saw at the time, so it obviously had a huge impact on me. Then again, I was in that honey moon stage of anime at the time where I literally loved everything I saw at the time.

 

[patapuf]

It was one of the first mangas i read, and as a 16 year old i thought it was great.

I don't think i'd like it much if i read/saw it today.

 

[Cloudy]

More Love Hina tunes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzvKVEy5Skk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbtl5JE4cbA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m9wreNf0QE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy6aYxxtSJQ (guitar solo the ED that was mentioned above )

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Oooh, I did like School Rumble a lot (and also have it on DVD). I wouldn't say it's like Love Hina though

I think I enjoyed the character interaction in Love Hina. Not super serious but not slapstick comedy either. Just a slice of life, romantic comedy

You really oughtta just read the manga. The characters are so much more fleshed out and you actually get to see Naru and Keitaro go through the stages of an actual relationship instead of just seeing him stuck in pathetic simp creeper mode like in the anime.

 

[Cloudy]

I'll read it after I re-watch the show

 

[DrForester]

This is the only harem show I have ever enjoyed. I like that the characters have arcs. They aren't just magically in love at the start.

 

[cruets]

The manga is a must read for love hina anime fans. There's so much more adventure and story to be had and fleshed out.

 

[Rosenskjold]

I'm gonna join the crowd on this one, the manga is far better

This brings back memories, I've been part of a love-hina forum for years.

 

[Jintor]

Manga is amazing (in my memories). But the OST for the anime is pretty good.

One thing that sticks in my head is the slow, melancholy version of the hyper theme tune they sing during one of the specials. It's so weird and cool.

 

[PKrockin]

I used Kazaa or something to get Love Hina Again 1-3 because it was popular back then. It turned out to be a fucked up love triangle with Keitaro, Naru, and... Keitaro's sister. She spends every waking second trying to fuck him. Not sure I want to watch the original series after that. lol

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Wow this was the first anime I really it into and made me an anime fan back in the day. I might have to re watch it. It has been years..or read the manga again.

 

[MrChom]

Love Hina's manga basically finishes the story that they got maybe 60% the way through in the anime. Yes, it's ridiculous, and stupid....but it's also kinda fun. I can still read the manga.....I'm not so sure I could handle the anime these days.

 

[OminoMichelin]

I might read the manga, but at the same time I remember 90% of the plot points in the anime, even after...I don't know how many years. It was the first series I watched from beginning to end.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Probably the first non-"mainstream" anime I ever watched.
Still one of my absolute favorites.

Manga was great as well, just completed it in the last year or two.

Thinking about it, I have probably completed the series at least 5 times.

Favorite track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9QNCsZCdH0

 

[Angry Grimace]

Naru is a war criminal

 

[thequickandthedead]

I found the portrayal of the dumb Indian girl offensive.

 

[Syntsui]

I used to watch this on Cartoon Network, it was one of the first obscure animes I've ever watched together with another one about ghosts exorcising or some shit like that.

It was really ''weird'' I never got confortable watching this kind of anime.

 

[Shard]

Wait, Love Hina is considered to be obscure? I am not sure if that is a testament to some sort of tumble into obscurity or a lack of staying power but this was one of the biggest anime/manga transmedia franchises around back in the day. Some stats courtesy of Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Hina

The series has proved extremely popular around the world, both commercially and critically. In Japan, the manga sold over 16 million copies; over 1 million anime DVDs were also sold. The English release of the manga has been reprinted many times. Both anime and manga have received numerous industry awards in Japan and North America, as well as praise from critics.

 

[Syntsui]

Wait, Love Hina is considered to be obscure? I am not sure if that is a testament to some sort of tumble into obscurity or a lack of staying power but this was one of the biggest anime/manga transmedia franchises around back in the day. Some stats courtesy of Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Hina

Obscure in Brazil I mean, where Dragon Ball or Saint Seya for example are bigger than in Japan for comparison.

 

[OminoMichelin]

Obscure in Brazil I mean, where Dragon Ball or Saint Seya for example are bigger than in Japan for comparison.

In Italy as well. I don't think it was ever aired over here, even the late night anime shows.

 

[dragonlife]

Love Hina was my intro to manga, and I will always be fond of it. It's fucking hilarious.

Didn't care for the anime too much because I thought it was bad in comparison.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Wait, Love Hina is considered to be obscure? I am not sure if that is a testament to some sort of tumble into obscurity or a lack of staying power but this was one of the biggest anime/manga transmedia franchises around back in the day. Some stats courtesy of Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Hina

I wouldn't say obscure, definitely outside the mainstream though.
For the US I would say
Mainstream: Dragon Ball/Z, Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, etc.
Beginning steps outside of mainstream: Ghost in the Shell, Love Hina, Inuyasha, etc

 

[Syntsui]

I wouldn't say obscure, definitely outside the mainstream though.
For the US I would say
Mainstream: Dragon Ball/Z, Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, etc.
Beginning steps outside of mainstream: Ghost in the Shell, Love Hina, Inuyasha, etc

For Brazil I would say,

Mainstream: DBZ, Saint Seya, Pokemon, Digimon, Sakura Card Captors, Hamtaro, Inuyasha, Shaman King and the likes.

Out of mainstream: Shurato, Samurai Warriors, Ranma 1/2, Love Hina.

Animes were BIG here in the late 90s/early 00s. Now they are irrelevant as fuck thanks to internet.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Ken Akamatsu is a freakin' genius.

 

[OminoMichelin]

BTW I would recommend Ken's other famous work, Mahou sensei negima. It's still good, but of course very different, especially in the second half.
I appreciated how he took weeks off just to do research (presumably to write stuff in ancient greek and latin).

 

[John Blade]

Love Hina is one of the few anime that make me jump in the anime bandwagon in the early 00s. Still have a soft spot for it. Also, would side to the managa if you want to see the development of the anime character in the show and a much better ending. Did try to watch the anime in the eng dub and man....it was rough to watch. Would stick with the japanese dub if you want to watch it for the 1st time.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Lol what a coincidence, i was just talking yesterday night with a friend about it. He told me he liked the anime and I was whaaaat, have you even read the manga?

So yeah, love hina was my first full tankōbon manga. I friend bought it monthly (I think the releases started to be every two months in spain at the end of the series) and every time I went to his home I read it, other friends did the same. I think I was 13-15 at the time. The first volume was so opened up with pages falling he had to bought it again lol

So we were in a a manga/anime expo in barcelona (i think it was the first time we went) and we saw there the first dvd of the anime. He bought it and when we arrived home we watched it.
Was the first time i said, what a piece of shit the anime was compared to the manga (my other examples were dragon ball and doraemon and I never saw anything wrong at the time between them). The rest thought the same. He still bought the rest because he is a completionist.
So yeah, i dont know how well it helds up (i remember already thinking the last volumes were a bit iffy until the

Spoiler

wedding

), but read the manga.

About people knowing about it, it was a pretty famous manga in Spain. The anime was never aired on tv (maybe in catalonia's tv channel) but the manga was the big thing. The majority of anime that airs know here is only shonen (dragon ball, one piece), comedy (shin chan) or kids animes. There was a time we got more types of anime on tv (before it went all to the shitter in the 2000) with things like cowboy bebop and detective conan on paying channels and even normal ones but that time has passed and you this series only get lucky to be released here in dvd/bluray form. There was a time before that that we got nearly every type of anime possible aired on tv during the 80's-90's, it was glorious.
Now peope buy still manga (which thankfully we still get everything) but anime is watched subtitled on the internet. Yeah, you can watch everything now just as it releases, but there was something special about watching it on tv when you came from school and talking about it with your friends the next day.

 

[Beartruck]

I found the portrayal of the dumb Indian girl offensive.

She's actually a pacific islander. Also, her character is shown many many times to not be dumb, as she builds a bunch of weird robotic contraptions. She's just super-flighty.

 

[PKrockin]

So why IS the manga so much better than the anime? What did the anime change?

 

[Jintor]

Kaolla was definitely my fave back when I first read it. She's basically manic pixie fairy girl: the stereotype, but hey, whatever

All that shit with the turtle robots... ended up being pretty amusing.

Anyway, here's the OP I was talking about:

Normal OP
Lullaby Version

Another thing I forgot: their fucking outfits. I swear Akamatsu changed them every couple of chapters. Blew my mind back in the day.

So why IS the manga so much better than the anime? What did the anime change?

The long and the short of it is that I feel the anime kind of loses a lot of Akamatsu's weird personality that comes across a lot better in the manga (specifically the Tokyopop translation, which I still think is fucking fantastic). It's also kinda ugly as sin, although that era hadn't quite discovered proper cutesy anime design yet... in my opinon.

 

[Dynedom]

One of the first anime I watched in it's entirety. Thought it was fun back then. Haven't watched it in years though.

 

[Cloudy]

I read Chapter 1 of the manga and it was great. So fleshed out and character motivations are clearer. Thanks for the recommendation, guys

 

[Oblivion]

Naru is so fucking unbearable throughout most of the series. Even Akane Tendo wasn't that bad.

 

[BakedYams]

GOAT show, negima was gonna reach that tier too if they just didnt fudge up the anime!

Spoiler

asuna dying was never a part of the plot!

if you want another anime like love hina, go ahead and try uhhhhh, idk damn

 

[StayDead]

Part of me thinks I should go back and watch it (I'm a fan of the harem genre) since this is like probably one of the ones that spawned all the ones I like.

 

[OminoMichelin]

Naru is so fucking unbearable throughout most of the series. Even Akane Tendo wasn't that bad.

That's...debatable. Reading the manga now, and the progress between Naru and Keitarou is much swifter than I remembered. I'd go as far as to say that I was wrong years ago, when I considered this a harem series. The end-game is set up from the get-go, the rest is just distraction/comedy stuff.
Ranma was waaay more obnoxious when it came to romance. I'm not sure about the manga, but the anime never really had a real ending. Same goes for urusei yatsura, which had a non-ending.

 

[sca2511]

I really liked the manga, plus it has a conclusion. Hmm, I should go read it again.

 

[MrChom]

Ranma was waaay more obnoxious when it came to romance. I'm not sure about the manga, but the anime never really had a real ending. Same goes for urusei yatsura, which had a non-ending.

It was a weekly comedy....it didn't really NEED an ending.

But before we get into a discussion over why Ranma is better I think we should move onto something we can agree on. They're both still a better love story than Twilight.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

they should do a new OVA that follows the manga closely

Love Hina deserves an upgrade