Love Hina
Click here to go to the Love Hina Picture Gallery!
DID YOU KNOW:
**SPECIAL UPDATE!**
Due to popular demand, rumor has it that there is a new Love Hina series coming out called Love Hina Again. It's a return to the Hinatasou with your favorite characters and all the sky-high action you loved in the original series! See what's going on in the lives of Keitaro, Naru, Mitsune, Kaolla, and the whole bunch, as their hilarious adventures continue. Visit AnimeNation.com or other online stores to check for availability! Plus…Check out the Love Hina mangas from Kodansha/Tokyopop.com at your local bookstore today!
Random Love Hina Vocabulary
kanrinin = "manager", "resident manager", or "landlord"
minjuku = "all-girls dormitory"
senpai = a term of respect for an older person (it can also mean "sir" or "ma'am" when talking to adults)
misoshiru = soup
kame = "turtle" or "a jar"
niisama = older brother
neesama = older sister
youkai = a ghost, or "to melt"
tamatama = "coincidence"
baka = "stupid"
kawaii = "cute"
hakanai = "short-lived"; "easy to disappear"
yukata = a Japanese summer kimono
ronin = a person who waits to get into a university
"Love Hina" means "Lovely Comedy".
Keitaro is often mistaken as a "pervert" by the Hinata Inn girls, especially Naru and Motoko. He totally isn't a pervert at all -- he's a very cool guy with good intentions and a good heart, but he is usually in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the "wrong" stuff. The girls go from abhorring to simply adoring Kei-kun as their adventures bring them closer together.
At first, Keitaro lies to the girls that he is a Tokyo U. student, just to make a good impression on them, and to insure himself that he won't be kicked out from his managing duties. They later find out about the lie, but they urge and support him (and Naru, who also needs to pass the Tokyo U. exam), so that he can pass the exam and be a part of the university where love and dreams can come true (but unfortunately, Sweet Valley doesn't have a university!).
Naru and Keitaro aren't really enemies at all (despite the billions of punches this girl delivers on him!). They create a stronger, more intimate relationship as the series continues. Why does Naru do it? It's all on purpose. It's basically Naru's way of hiding her feelings and getting Kei-kun back on track. She punches him only when Keitaro acts or talks like a "pervert", no matter what woman he's with. Motoko also delivers many a mighty blow on our main man, but in one episode, both Keitaro and Tama the turtle catch the blade of Motoko's sword, during a time when she was peeved off at Keitaro, and she had to let her sword do the talking. How about that?
Seta isn't actually the real father of Sarah McDougal (didn't her name trigger that off?). Actually, Sara's parents are in another place, while Seta, Sarah's foster dad, takes care of her, and makes sure she's staying out of trouble. Boy, did he do a good job…or did he?
I don't think anyone should be pointing blameworthy fingers at Keitaro. The only "perverts" and "weirdoes" you'll see in LH are none other than Shirai and Haitari. What makes them so weird? They both have too many lusty fantasies involving Keitaro's aunt Haruka! Adult fantasies…eww (thank God Kitsune's only in her twenties)!
Here's an explanation on Kaolla Su's "red moonlight" conflict: You see, Kaolla, next to Shinobu, is the youngest inhabitant of the Hinatasou (Hinata Inn). Because of her youth, she wishes that she could be older. Due to her exotic and supernatural family history, whenever she looks up at a bright red moon, her wish is instantly granted -- she turns into her adult form.
As you probably noticed, the cute turtle seen in LH is named Tama. Another name-sharing anime animal ally is the white cat from Fushigi Yuugi. As you can see, "Tama" is a very popular name among animals in Japanese culture, especially towards cats. "Whity", the LH crocodile owned by Amara Su, is not a common name. Yet, it is perfect for this albino croc!
Name-spelling controversies are literally haunting LH. Name spelling is a common problem in all animes -- some names are spelled one way correctly, and then another spelling is shown, which makes it confusing which spelling is correct. Here are some examples: Kaolla is called "Kaora", and even "Koalla", Keitaro is known as "Keitarou", and Seta's last name is interchanged -- in one episode's credits, his name was "Yasunori", instead of the correct "Noriyasu". There's absolutely nothing wrong with that -- sometimes, when translators or fansubbers create the subtitles for animes, the spellings can differ from time to time.
Edo is a city in Japan that happens to be the center of Japan, and it's also where Amara Su's accent comes from.
Kaolla Su's favorite food is bananas. No wonder she's so agile and healthy, with all that potassium in her body!
Mitsune's favorite drinks are sake, and, believe it or not, beer! She can drink sake by the keg. I told you this girl was fun-loving!
Speaking of the vivacious, voluptuous Kitsune, her name is Japanese and it means "fox" (animal). She's named that way because her eyes are very thin, like a fox's…and because she's a "fox" in her own right! If you don't want to call her "Kitsune", you may also call her "Mitsune", another name that has appeared in the LH credits (which is actually her real name, but a vixen like her named "Kitsune" makes sense!).
You'll often see a group of old men appearing and giving their penny's worth of wisdom. Master Roshi fan club members? Not at all. They are just Japanese monks who walk around and observe all the things that go on.
The yellow squirrel-like plush animal/character that you see in a majority of the episodes (and dancing for a split second in the opening credits) is named Liddo-kun. He is an imaginary character on Love Hina who was said to have his own television series called "Liddo and Friends", in which he and his identical-looking buddies fought crime together with their superpowers. Liddo-kun is also the stuffed animal that belongs to Naru, which was a present from Otohime.
You'll learn a lot from watching Love Hina, including: How not to look at pretty girls, how not to be a peeping tom, how to make sexy ladies' undergarments from leaves, how to drink sake correctly, how to faint correctly, how to freak girls out with turtles, how to make mincemeat out of wood with a katana blade, and what a kiss really feels like ("…it feels like a marshmallow and tastes like lemon!" -Naru).
It's funny to hear Japanese anime characters/voice actors say a couple words in English in the midst of lines. You'll see that a whole lot in almost every subbed anime there is. Two English words that totally stand out are "Christmas" and "party".
Someone should seriously get a counter for Naru's punching. We should be up to around ten, twenty, thirty thousand hits by now! Get this girl enrolled in some anger management classes! I'm surprised that the Hinata Inn doesn't have its own hospital!
I've been getting mixed reviews about the theme song of Love Hina. Some say it's too fast and annoying-sounding, while others think that fast and annoying theme songs like this one are cool. All I know is that in episode #18, you'll hear a very slow and beautiful-sounding version of the opening theme. The last line is translated: "Raise up your hands". If you don't like the regular theme song, then "raise up your hands"…and cover your ears!
|
Love Hina
Love Hina
Copyright ©1999, 2000 Bandai/TV Tokyo/Xebec
Created by: Ken Akamatsu
Opening Theme: "Sakura Saku" ("Cherry Blossom Blooming")
Performed by: Megumi Hayashibara
GENRE:
Adventure/Comedy/Romance
CHARACTERS:
Keitaro Urashima, Naru Narusegawa, Mitsune Konno, Kaolla Su, Motoko Aoyama, Shinobu Maehara, Aunt Haruka Urashima, Grandma Hina Urashima, Mutsumi Otohime, Tama (the Turtle), Kentaro Sakata, Shirai Kimiaki, Haitani Masayuki, Amara Su, Whity (the crocodile), Nyamo, Seta Noriyasu, Sarah McDougal, Moe (the mechanical doll), Prince Ranba Ruu, Mei Naursegawa
SYNOPSIS:
A 20 year-old male pursues to find the girl that he made a promise with 15 years ago. The promise: To enter into Tokyo University, where they would be in love and live happily together forever. The exploits of the young man go haywire, when he accidentally stumbles upon a girls' dormitory, in which he becomes the manager, surrounded by a diverse group of beautiful young female inhabitants.
Let me introduce to you an anime of extremely funny, crazy and touching proportions. This series is called Love Hina, and if Tenchi Muyo had a parallel universe, this would be it!
The show is about young Keitaro Urashima, a shy, misunderstood 20 year-old, whose life is school, drawing, working, and…being misunderstood. When he was 5 years old, he made a promise with a girl to, when they would grow up, enter Tokyo University (also known as "Toudai", the Japanese word for it), in which they would be in love and happy together forever. The girl gave him a kiss, and the promise was unforgettable. Suddenly, she was swept away into a mysterious truck, and Keitaro never saw her again.
Fifteen years later, Mr. Urashima, a talented artist and daydreamer, is now out of high school, and he is desperately trying to enter Tokyo University and find the girl of his childhood. The problem is: He can't pass the dang exam (failed it multiple times), and he still can't find that girl, and remember what she looks like and what her name was! This is one character everyone should sympathize with, so stop doing the "loser" symbol on your forehead and listen up!
Keitaro, who runs away from his classmates, stumbles upon the Hinatasou (the Hinata Inn), which was an old place he used to visit and play in. Little did he know that it has, over time, changed into an all-girls dormitory (with its own luxurious hot spring…and this can be yours if the Price Is Right--oops, wrong TV show!). After his grandmother, who runs the girls' dorm, decides to retire and travel to other hot springs, he is made the kanrinin (Japanese for "manager") of the dormitory. His aunt approves of it, yet, the girls of the Hinata Inn Girl's Dormitory have another opinion! Say, who are these gorgeous girls? Here they are!
First up, there's Naru Narusegawa, a sexy, studious, sassy-sweet, strong, punch-happy brunette, who is only rude towards Keitaro (but that seriously changes later), who can't seem to stop knocking the otaku crap out of him! She knocks him out cold into the sky about…well, I just can't count that high! But the punching is only a reason to teach Keitaro a lesson, whenever he acts like a "pervert" (which he is not). Naru dresses like a pig-tailed dork by day, yet by night, she's her beautiful, long-haired, innocent (hah!) self. Naru later becomes a teen ronin idol, when she wins a Hinata City talent competition. She sings, dances, and looks cute…yep, the average popstar (haha). Naru and Keitaro may seem like enemies at first, but as the episodes go by, their feelings for each other become more gentle.
The next Hinata hottie is Kitsune Konno (or Mitsune Konno; take your pick), a foxy, fox-eyed, flirtatious girl, who is very cheerful, alluring, and very well-endowed! Well, hey, don't get me wrong here…if you can't notice her "blessings", you must be blind! Kitsune is also very carefree and fun-loving, and at many times, very crafty and cunning, like a fox. In the ninth episode, she figures out the case of Keitaro's stolen rent money, dressed as a seductive Sherlock Holmes! Anything she wears and anything she does, she does it with style! Kitusne also loves to drink sake (and beer on some occasions), and she can be quite the eavesdropper -- out of love and sometimes even blackmail! Although she is a golddigger sometimes, she is a very caring person, looking out for her best friend Naru, and the rest of the ladies…as well as Mr. Urashima! I dislike favoritism, but she's my fave!
Next, we meet Kaolla Su, an extremely playful, bubbly, jumpy, sugar-high, barefoot junior high student. She loves playing with (and unintentionally hurting) Keitaro and the other girls, and wishes to work in the technological field when she gets older. She loves to invent things, and she invents a number of nifty devices seen throughout the series, including a "Mecha Techno-Turtle", which flies, spits fire, and shoots missiles (can your turtle do that?), the "Su-Special Cherry-kun Kiss-Good Toy", which is a toy made for people who want to learn how to kiss (the machine twists cherries in its mouth), and the "Virtual-kun", a virtual reality machine that enters a single person's or multiple persons dreams and thoughts, turning their mental visions into an on-screen video game! Another thing about the cheeky Kaolla that you must know is that she is always hungry (there's a hungry one in all animes!). Just mention any long word to her, and she will think that it is delicious (especially Toudai, which means "Tokyo University")! Oh, and don't let this girl look into red moonlight…she will transform into an adult! It's a long story, dealing with her people, and her culture.
The next girl we meet is Motoko Aoyama, who's just a ray of swashbuckling sunshine! But seriously, folks, she's a downright serious, protective, and disciplined warrior. She is a 13th generation daughter of Yagua Jubei, her father. She enjoys kicking butt and practicing to kick butt -- talk about a full life! Wonder if she has free time…anyhoo, Motoko rarely dresses in feminine clothes until the later episodes in the series, but take it from me…she's all woman. She usually wears her white robe uniform, and carries her sharp swords with her wherever she goes. She is fearless…except when she is among turtles, like the one you'll read about later.
One of the new Hinata Inn residents is 14 year-old Shinobu Maehara, a shy, worrisome, and often depressed and lonely girl, who is torn apart from her fighting parents, and has a hard time smiling sometimes. Yet, this girl knows how to cook her butt off! She cleans and acts as a "little housekeeper" alongside Keitaro in the Inn. She and Keitaro first met by accident: Kei-kun was sitting on a bench, drawing the girl of his past (who resembled Shinobu), when he accidentally is startled by a group of men, causing him to throw his sketchbook into the air, which lands right in front of Shinobu, who then takes the notebook, and tries to smile, matching the smiling drawing. She then tries to find him, and she does, and then the rest is anime history! Shinobu is infamous for getting teary-eyed at many moments throughout the shows, and she is very apologetic and worrisome. Regardless, Shinobu's a sweetie!
The woman who keeps watch of the other girls just happens to be Keitaro's aunt, Haruka Urashima. She often smacks Keitaro with her fist for him calling her an "old woman". She's not old at all (I'm guessing somewhere in the late thirties or early forties). Haruka enjoys smoking and offering advice. She is very understanding, nonchalant, and soft-spoken, and is usually creating ingenious ways to make money for the Hinata Inn (like puppet shows, a live play involving the Inn residents, and running an afternoon tea restaurant).
Well, that's all for the main Hinata Inn Ladies…now, for the other crazy characters, including some more pretty girls (there's never enough!).
Next, there's Sakata Kentaro (no, not "Keitaro!"), who believes that Naru is the apple of his eye. He's smart, he's suave, he's romantic, he has rich parents (have you yawned yet?), and he's accepted into the Kero University Medical School…somebody get this kid on the phone with the people from General Hospital! I see a career in the dramatic arts (a.k.a. soap operas) for this guy! He is kidded by the Hinata Inn girls as a "stalker", because he often pops up in weird places, looking to give Naru a bunch of roses, and to ask her to be his girlfriend. He is also the "manager" of Naru when she becomes a ronin idol.
We also have two characters that pop-up often in the series. Their names are Shirai Kimiaki and Haitani Masayuki. They are two crazy, square, pony-tailed loners who are Keitaro's fairweather friends and they work at various part-time jobs, such as Kanagawa Neverland, which is an amusement park (is it real?) very similar to the DisneyWorld that we have here, bakeries, and as waiters at Haurka's Hinata Inn Tea House. These two crazy boys are always looking for profit for themselves, and they always offer Keitaro bad advice to make sure that he's not happy. And Naru's not laying a fingertip on these two? What is this world coming to?
One of the aforementioned pretty girls is named Otohime Mutsumi, who is a swoon-happy girl (in other words, she faints a lot at the wrong times). She is lovely, shapely, amorous, and a three-time failer of the Tokyo University exams (beating Keitaro's 2 failures…these two must be smitten!). How does she do it? Well, Otohime is really a genius, but she forgets to put her name on her exams everytime she takes it! Wow, the wonders of repetition! Anyway, Otohime also loves to kiss. She kisses Kei-kun, which is sweet. She also kisses Naru, which is…well, creepy. Oh well, to each her own! But she does have her own island, and she once had a turtle as a pet. How is she so good with turtles? Well, Ms. Mutsumi is the daughter of a CEO of a financial group who was taken control of by turtles (I assure you that they weren't teenage, or mutants, or even ninjas). Her turtle friend came to her by fate, and you'll read about her later.
Another female character is Amara Su, who is -- you guessed it -- Kaolla Su's sister, who reminds me of "Kida" from Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire. She is a beautiful and mysterious woman, who has an Indian-like look about her. She travels with her crocodile companion Whity, who is a bit snappy at sometimes (if you catch my drift!). Her (and Kaolla's) cousin is Ranba Ruu, who actually trades places with Keitaro in one episode, pulling off a very funny Prince and the Pauper sketch! He is a cool, royal prince and powerful person, capable of dodging Kaolla's playful kicks and inventions.
Did you know Naru has a stepsister? Well, she does! Her younger stepsister Mei Narusegawa appears much later in the series, and visits the Inn, trying to get her sister Naru to come back home with her, since she ran away from her studies. Mei is a master at spying and persuasion, and she could probably teach some of our ladies to be better ones (since they are always up in each other's business!)!
The man known as Seta Noriyasu is a recurring and very popular character in a number of the shows. He's a professor at Tokyo U. and a professional archaeologist. He's known to be the man who saves Keitaro's entrance exam ticket, who becomes Motoko's sparring partner, and he was also Naru's former tutor (and he was her love interest). Seta is the man responsible for giving Keitaro a part-time job as his lab assistant. His "daughter" is the spunky blonde named Sarah McDougal, which is the only Americanized name I've seen in the series. Sarah is extremely bratty and troublesome, only caring for her papa Seta, and an expert in making Keitaro lose his partially sane mind! She soon becomes Kaolla Su's partner in mischief, and is as carefree as the chewing gum of the same brand name!
Another exotic female character is named Nyamo, and you'll see her for a very short time. She's a native of the mysterious paradise island called Paralantis (the turtle island…full of turtles!), and she's a beautiful girl with a beautiful voice -- but those dulcet tones are used to only calm the restless Paralantis turtles that reside with her. Nyamo, in an episode, save Keitaro's life, while seeking her lost grandfather. All this while singing to turtles -- now there's an independent woman (this is not a song cue, Destiny's Child fans) !
Our only mechanical human character is Moe, who is a mechanical girl owned by Keitaro's great-great grandfather. The doll was accidentally found in a secret room by the LH group in the Hinata Inn, and it has been in that same place for almost 100 years. The doll is a real, living and breathing mechanical doll, capable of human speech and emotions…especially love. When Keitaro was young, he made a promise to her to fix her broken legs, and to be his bride (and you think this guy is hopeless? No way…every girl eventually likes him!). Her legs never worked until she was found, and was successfully "operated" on by the Hinata Inn bunch. Moe only lasts for an episode, but is one of the most memorable characters of the group.
Our star animal in the series is Tama, who is a comedic and adorable turtle, who squeaks when she talks (she sounds like a Pokemon…could she be moonlighting??). Tama is a female turtle who offers comic relief, and is a good-bye gift from Otohime, when, in one episode, Keitaro and Narusegawa end up on her island home (when they travel to Kyoto and bump into her).
Well, I guess that's everybody! If there's anyone I forgot, please don't get angry…I aim to please! This series is super-funny, full of fan-service, and one many people can relate to. People do have dreams in life, and they have to encounter lots of traps, obstacles, letdowns, and rejections to get to the good stuff. Keitaro is definitely a character to sympathize with. He goes through a lot of heck and happiness to be an unlikely success. But what happens to him in the end? Will he find his "promise love" and get into the school of his dreams? Will Naru or one of the other girls be that love? Will Naru stop using her fists and learn to love? Will Motoko get over her "turtlephobia"? Will Otohime only kiss boys and keep her lips away from the same sex? For these answers and more, watch the incredibly funny and friendly Love Hina, and its two "seasonal" episodes to find out! A true anime favorite!
EPISODE GUIDE:
1: All Girls Dormitory w/Outdoor Bath (Hot Springs)
2: Arrow Signs
3: Swordplay
4: (Diary) The Promise to get into Tokyo U was 15 years ago
5: Close Contact! Travel to Kyoto
6: Keitaro's First Kiss
7: (Now a Days) First Date; Keitaro's True Feelings
8: Kendo Daughter and the Legendary Dragon Story…A Dream?
9: Hinata Inn's Missing Money Case Mystery
10: Identity of Wandering Beauty Under the Moonlight -- Transform!
11: Don't Sing (Go For It, Todai Student; The Idol is a Ronin)
12: Transform? Swordmaster Motoko's Casual Look -- Woman
13: Did the First Kiss taste like a lemon? Marshmallow? (Adult)
14: Is a Tokyo U Professor Meet again? Naru Dream Lover
15: A Hole -- I Love You! Love Confession in the Cave
16: House by the Sea -- Hinata Tea House Monkey Performance. A Kiss?
17: The Sea…Heart Races for Naru Knocked out by Ghost! Suspicious
18: A Summer Festival with You in all sorts of Yukata
19: A Jade Palaquin? The Prince from the other side of the Ocean SuiWarm
20: The Sleeping Girl and the Sepia-colored Promise (Windup Doll)
21: Jealousy Explodes!? Two Hot People on a Boat (Trap)
22: Younger sister Mei's Scheme Operation in a Locked Room -- No Way!
23: Narusegawa Naru, the shaking heart and Keitaro -- Broken to Pieces
24: Congrats! Cherry Blossoms Blossom at Tokyo U? Love?
25: Don't Cry
SEASONAL EPISODES:
Love Hina Christmas "Winter" Episode
Love Hina Special "Spring" Episode (The Final Episode)
|