MyAnimeList.net

Love Hina
Edit

What would you like to edit?

Add to My List

Add to Favorites

Buy on Manga Store

Alternative Titles

Japanese: ラブひな

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 14

Chapters: 120

Status: Finished

Published: Oct 21, 1998 to Oct 31, 2001

Genres: Award Winning, Comedy, Romance, Ecchi

Theme: Harem

Demographic: Shounen

Serialization: Shounen Magazine (Weekly)

Authors: Akamatsu, Ken (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.80¹ (scored by 36,768 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #1350²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #228

Members: 68,178

Favorites: 3,935

Resources

Write a Review
Reviews

Filtered Results: 37 / 40

Sort

Suggested
Most voted
Newest
Oldest

Filter Preliminary Spoiler

Oct 17, 2007

Darvus_Laan

Recommended

I love this manga. It was my first read and is still at the top of my list. The artwork lent itself well to anime translation and the writing is outstanding. I really found myself wanting to learn more and more about each of the characters all the way down to the bit-players.

Despite the violence inherent in their relationship, you can see very early on just how much Keitaro and Naru care for one another. Oh, come on...don't tell me you couldn't tell just looking at the covers! I could tell you the end and it'd still be worth reading. Don't worry, I won't...just sayin'.

I ...

Jun 25, 2008

Bluegojoe

Recommended

This is by far my favorite manga of all time. xD
Ken Akamatsu is a genius and this manga is the reason I even began reading manga.
Not only is it very compatible for guys, what with the fan service and all. But girls will also enjoy it! The story line is hilarious. And every character has a very unique essence to them which may help you relate to them much better. This allows the story to be brought to life fully, and you can easily understand the emotions of all of the characters. The art is very well done, each character looks very beautifully detailed and ...

Dec 11, 2014

literaturenerd

Recommended

Overview:

Today I will look at a case where the manga is WAY, WAY better than the anime! This is actually one of the better comedy mangas ever made in my opinion. It combines the formulaic romantic comedy of the latter 20th century with the slapstick/pratfall comedy of the early 20th century. Sort of like 16 Candles as done by Charlie Chaplin, the 3 Stooges, and Laurel& Hardy.

Plot and Characters 8/10

The series also features a ridiculous cast of characters including: an alcoholic writer, a homicidal, OCD plagued samurai and an Indian princess with an IQ of 400 and ZERO social skills that can built a ... functioning robot from materials at Walmart, but thinks that kicking people in the head is an acceptable form of greetings. There is also an impossibly clumsy idiot savant that can speak to animals. Screw you Big Bang Theory, Love Hina had a comedy cast of idiot savants and socially awkward geniuses WAY before you did! The plot of the series is that a hapless student keeps failing to get into the college he wants, but won't give up trying. In the meantime, he has to become acting landlord to the most batshit insane girl's dormitory in the world. Shenanegins ensue! Despite all of his falures, Keitaro persists on and accomplishes his dreams. It is a slapstick comedy first and foremost, but it actually has some touching moments along the way.

A brief comparison with the anime:

One major difference is that the characters are MUCH more fleshed out and loveable in the manga than in the anime version. For example, the manga Motoko has a much more distinct personality, whereas in the anime she just becomes Naru with a sword. The most important differnce is that the comedy in the manga is actually fucking funny! The anime simply wasn't able to capture Akamatsu's odd sense of humor. The dialogue in the manga was much funnier and the character chemistry worked better. The anime doesn't have scenes like Keitaro freaking out that Su brought him a gun at the airport for his trip to America, based on her knowledge of American "In the Hood" movies. The anime also doesn't show that Motoko on at least one occasion actually tried to kill Keitaro. Motoko's comedic insanity is much more prevalent in the manga. One major difference that is hard to explain is in how the violence against our man Keitaro is portrayed. In the manga, Keitaro getting punched is somehow done in such a cartoonish and absurd fasion that the reader never questions how painful it would be in real life or what a violent bitch Naru is. It is like watching an old Tex Avery cartoon. We never feel bad for Wile E Coyote no matter how many times he gets blown up or smashed. In the anime, the violence seems to come across as far more mean spirited and nasty. I'm not sure why this is, but I am not the only person I have talked to that feels this way. Perhaps it is because of the panel nature of the manga, wherein if Keitaro is perfectly fine in the next panel, it is like the violence never happened.

Art: 8/10

The art in the manga is actually pretty damn good, whereas the anime looks like crap! Part of this was that the anime used its large budget to try and experiment with some new animation techniques that didn't turn out that well. Early trail blazers often have some stumbles. For example, look at CGI effects from any movie in the mid to late 1990s. They look like absolute shit! The manga is also FAR more bold in its ecchi scenes, which besides just extra fan service points adds to the comedy. If a character reacts with dismay at being seen naked, it is funnier than the character having that reaction to being seen fully covered with a bath towel on. The second scenario is just stupid and confusing rather than funny.

Overall: 8/10

Is Love Hina some kind of masterpiece that you keep on your book shelf between "Fathers and Sons" and "Dead Souls". NO! That is just my bookshelf because I don't have the money right now to buy more than one. Is Love Hina a funny manga that will give you some good laughs? Yes it is. I recommend this goofy early 2000s manga to all that love zany humor and cheesy romance.

Oct 29, 2022

Myrmiderp

Recommended

Spoiler-free should-you-read review:

This series holds a special place in my heart, but it does deserve some warnings. Love Hina is funny first, sexy and romantic second. It is an unabashed harem anime. Its young women (all the way down to 12 years old at one point) are sexualized (often semi-nude), and its "lucky pervert" male protagonist is the victim of comedically-framed physical abuse as a punishment for tripping face-first into their boobs. If these things upset you, you will not like Love Hina. If you're willing to look past them, read on.

The core plot is about romance, but the moment-to-moment plot is completely absurd, and ... if you can get over the lack of seriousness, it's really quite enjoyable. For a story set in modern-day realistic Japan, Love Hina covers a ton of ground setting-wise, and the rules of the world shift between realism, romance and fantasy at the drop of a hat. It probably sounds like the absurdity would make it hard to care about anything that's happening, but Love Hina operates on two different levels at any given time: situational, and emotional. While it engages in situational absurdity with reckless abandon, it doesn't often engage in emotional absurdity, which is really where the true story lies. As cliché'd as the plot can be, it's elevated by this absurdity into a strangely compelling mess of feelings and frustrations. Conveniently timed for the narrative, the characters' doubts and insecurities are relatable, and they remind me of how I felt when I was their age.

Naturally, don't expect a ton of subtlety; Love Hina is closer to fast food than fine dining. The drama and tension introduced to the romance is sometimes interesting, but usually kind of silly, and can feel repetitive. It would be fair to call it a bit formulaic, because Love Hina focuses pretty hard on establishing patterns to play around with. But you know what? I like fast food, and I like Love Hina. People like to pretend that things sit on a single axis from good to bad, and that you should always choose something higher on the scale if you have a choice, but that's just not how cravings work. I'll happily take a break from my Cormac McCarthy to look at Ken Akamatsu's lewd scribblings any day; they're fun, and even if they're kind of stupid, they make me feel feelings.

15-to-20 years after first reading Love Hina, I finally caved and watched the anime. Truthfully, I'm only writing this review because I was underwhelmed by the show and decided to go for a re-read. It was worth it; I can now confidently say that the manga is superior. The characters are more detailed and charming, the romance is strung along at a more compelling and quite frankly realistic pace, and the story is generally *more* funny, *more* sexy, *more* touching, etc. Keitaro and Naru are more three-dimensional on paper, and you get a better sense of the themes Ken was playing with. I certainly enjoyed it more when I was in my teens, but I still had a great time today. The only thing the anime improved upon was Shinobu, but it threw that out the window during the OVAs and Specials, so you can't give it too much credit.

It's cheesy, chock-full of anime cliches and tropes, gratuitous sexualization, and stupid hormonal teenagers. But it can be charming, and moreso than the anime it feels like the characters grow over time (just not a ton). Really though, the only reason you need to watch it is that it's entertaining, and it is. Find a way to read the first few chapters, and if you don't like them, put it down and think nothing of it. But it's easy to binge and goes down smooth.

Jul 11, 2009

TPont

Recommended

Very good manga one of my all time favorites. just finished it for the 4th time. I looked back to the first time i read it and realised how much of an impact it made on me and i remembered this was the first series that i completed. Even though i have read it 4 times i still get just as sad everytime i finish it. it is just so good. I always root for keitaro and naru. This and suzuka are my all time favorites, u kno it is a great series when u are sad for finishing it.

Feb 2, 2011

TheRealKing

Mixed Feelings

When I think of Love Hina, I think of, "repetitive", but in a somewhat good way.

I read Love Hina about 2 years ago. Main reason why I read it because many people say Love Hina is a "Classic", "Great", "Wonderful","fantastic" harem manga series; plus I wanted to read something fun. I read it and..."Meh". Its not bad, but its no where near good.

Story:
Basic plot:
Two kids, in love, promise each other they will both go to Tokyo U, get married and live happily ever after. Simple right?

Here's my problem: Why make a BIG deal like that? I mean, both of them are kids, and most likely ...

Dec 13, 2008

Fareplay

Recommended

Ok im going to be honest here; this is the very first manga ive read so i might be biased in some areas.

The story is a typical main character tries to achieve somthing and in the end achieves it; in this case, its a enterance to a university. the story is different in a matter that it feels like half if it is a filler ( but a very good filler; character development is usually the only progression). if you like the genure of ecchi comedy with a hint of romance every now and then, you will love it.

well, honestly i think the art ...

Nov 17, 2013

Dunkjoe

Mixed Feelings

I've just completed Love Hina a second time. First time I completed it I gave it a score of 6/10. After the second reading completion, I still think that this score is not too low. Why?

[Story: 5/10]
Actually for story, there could be 2 parts: Before chapter 70 and after 70.
To me, the 2 parts represent a [Before very random and draggy situations] and [After very random and draggy situations]. This is especially so for the main love relationships and the never-ending memory issues that seem to keep changing from here on==. Therefore, chapter 70 marks a drastic change in character personalities, story coherence and also ...

Sep 16, 2008

zerotoriyama

Recommended

I LOVED THIS MANGA!!!! I read it back when I was in 5th grade so I really did not appreciate it that much. Then a few years later in maybe 7th grade, I picked it up again and I fell in love with it. At first it was the pretty girls and stuff but I'm a guy...what can I do :]? As I started really getting into it I loved the story. It touched me and in a way I felt attached to it, like I could relate to it. Not him being pathetic and sucks with girls but the things he has ...

Sep 30, 2010

rider1928

Recommended

this was the first manga i actually completed.
its a very enjoyable manga with a happy ending.
id recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good anime which stands from the crowed.

May 26, 2014

inukagome134

Recommended

This manga is one of my favorite ones. Love Hina is a wonderful read, and after watching the anime and not feeling satisfied with that, I decided to read the manga. I rarely ever enjoy manga as much as I did with Love Hina. It was short, but it was packed with story and character development. I will always remember it.

Story: 9
The story in Love Hina is hilariously crazy and sweetly romantic, at the same time. It has ups and downs, but overall is a very well-developed story and although it starts off a bit strangely, it quickly becomes a memorable one with funny scenes ...

Mar 5, 2012

old_boy22

Not Recommended

Before I start my review, let me say I choose to review Love Hina for multiple reasons but ultimately this is sadly much more of a review about its genre mixture, harem-ecchi-romance-comedy or more specifically the harem-ecchi genre. The first is prior to watching another ecchi anime earlier this year, I was very meh about this sort of story, because it has become the norm of what anime and manga is. I hadn't really given it any thought until during a conversation I had with Donwun, I came to the question "what exactly is the Clownshoes rating to me?"

...

Nov 1, 2020

Shellshock123

Not Recommended

Classicly shit that is. Actually it's completely fucking awful.

Love Hina is the story about a Ronin who wants to get into Todai the no.1 university in Japan. So he joins the Hinata Inn which is now a girls only dormitory. His grandmother own's the dormitory but now gave the ownership to her grandson the MMC, The Ronin. Now he has to live with like 6 girls including the FMC. And since the author is such a master writing character personalities she has the absolute unique personality of being a Violent tsundere. I know never been done before. I think this is the first series ... to even try something as bold as this. Guess what else. The main character has no redeeming value whatsoever except he's kind of a hard worker and incredibly debatably nice. Both very unique and never been done before.

Lets talk about what i liked about the series first.

Now lets talk about the garbage aspect of this series which is everything. The side characters are complete trash. Every single of them are the most generic boring pieces of garbage ever. The main heroine however, get this, Is actually the worst one. Amazing i know. It's not just the violent tsundere problem or the fact that the main character is used as a punching bag. They are literally 2 dimensional garbage tier heroines. You can usually forgive the side character in other romance series because they don't have the spotlight often but in here the main heroine is garbage. Tsundere's are really the most garbage tier laziest heroine's in existence this really solidified by feeling that violent tsundere are trash. The only decent character was the 12 year old shy girl who had a crush on the MMC in the series but she's basically just a pointless side character.

The main character isn't better either. Now about 60% of the time i'd say he doesn't deserve to get his ass beaten. But this character is borderline retarded. This man has no understanding of personal space. Constantly he is entering the woman's bathroom or going inside woman's room. This guy is beyond dumb no wonder he was a ronin for 2 years holy shit. Their are other series out there like sora no otoshimono where the main character deserved the ass beaten he got but that made the relationship more equal. It felt sexy to see the naked girls and satisfying to see his ass get beaten. Here he's just a punching for an ecchi manga that doesn't even deserve called an ecchi manga.

Another thing this series has no understanding for serious moments. I laughed 7 times throughout this series. btw im counting a snigger as a laugh which happened 6 times of the 7. The comedy in this series is dog shit repetitive and ruins any serious moment this series had. Last time i read a romcom which a crapton of jokes was Jitsu wa watashi wa and that series sucked massive balls too. Not everything, every moment needs to be a fucking joke. Pace yourself for fucks sake.

Don't worry though their are moments where you are like oh they are going a step forward. But don't worry any sort of attempt of actually making this series interesting is thrown directly into the garbage can for more garbage tier slapstick comedy. What the fuck is wrong with this series.

I do like the fact that the author really did the show don't tell really well tbh. I liked that part. Like the author show'd how the main heroine fell for the MMC. The answer was obvious the entire time.

**She's fucking retarded.**

After that her personality made more sense. Why she acts like she does. Why she falls in love with a guy who constantly falls into her boobs and ass and has no sense of personal space. Like i'm tearing into her character but Honestly the main character is also just complete ass. This is like the tv series friends. 2 of the most incompatible people on the fucking planet end up together. What a shit show of series, What a shit show of character development.

Another thing i enjoyed was so many people stating that they loved the ecchi-ness of this series. Now imagine my surprise when i saw the abhorrent amount of 5-13 year old naked in the series. I'm glad the pedophiles find themselves comfortable in expressing themselves especially the author.

This is an ecchi series without any of the fun. This is a harem series without a proper ending. This is a romance series without any of the romantic interactions. Almost every single time it is a complete shit show. This is one of the most pathetic excuses of a series i have read. Their are 7 panels, 4 pages ,and half a chapter of decent moments. I know because i counted thats how fucking bad it was. This series was awful from chapter 1 and got worse. I guess i can include another *masterpiece* that belong in the fucking trashcan.

TLDR: Domekano was better. 2/10

Apr 17, 2008

ChokoChoko

Recommended

Well, I started to read Love Hina for a couple years ago, in a swedish manga-magazin. But they dropped Love Hina! So I started to buy it on my own...all the volumes, and I still LOVE IT! I think the story is pretty good, because it happens a lot! And the characters is so funny, and original, and I think the fit so good together! ^^ and maybe the art isn't the best, but not the worst either. It's pretty good, I think. And about the story: I think it's very fun to follow Keitaro Urashima all the way: from when he first met al ...

May 23, 2013

Narudatsu

Recommended

This one is a keeper. Definitely a manga that imprinted a lasting impression on me. Love Hina is an old but gold story. Although I really hated the anime, the manga is just magnificent. The story of a young college boy trying to study hard and find love is really fun to follow.

Story - 10: Excellent storyline all throughout the manga. I don't think a single chapter was boring. The storyline is very serious at times and very relaxed. It has so many aspects you just don't find in a single manga now. I just can't emphasize how great it is. Please read before I ...

Feb 3, 2023

Doctorfeddy

Recommended

All the characters in the manga are very characterized, each with their own emotions, fears, growths especially Keitaro and Naru
The tables are very clean and the outline of the characters is very sweet, the dialogues are very flowing and not heavy.

The author Ken Akamatsu wants to tell a romantic comedy full of misunderstandings with the achievement of an insurmountable goal like the University of Tokyo at its center, telling us through Keitaro that no goal is impossible if you put all your strength into it.
For me Love Hina is the first manga I've read, I was only twelve years old, I saw Naru on the ...

Mar 27, 2008

sibnova

Recommended

Love hina, is a story about Keitaro a man who is trying desperately to get in tokyo university to for fill a promise he made as a very small boy, on one fateful day he is told to go to his grandmothers apartment complex, once arriving he take a bath in the open air hot springs, and who should happen to walk in but Naru a girl who is also going to Tokyo university for the same reasons she chases him out of the bath, hyjinks ensue and it is found out that his grandmother has gone on a round world trip and left the ...

Dec 16, 2016

butthurtbrigade

Not Recommended

This was one of the series that helped popularise the harem comedy with a beta inept main character but I can't hate it too much, it at least tries compared to most other harems which are just soft porn.

I did actually kind of like Naru, she was a tsundere done right and Keitaro wasn't so bad, he at least tries to be a decent person in spite of being a loser. Unfortunately the other girls are underdeveloped archetypes (slut, loli, samurai, foreigner) who exist just to fall in love with the MC and provide "comedy".

This was the main flaw of the manga, it ...

Jun 27, 2011

zaharat

Recommended

To be honest this manga was pretty amazing. The romance the comedy was just right and perfect. I really enjoyed it and every chapter was worth reading. The end was so sweet and cute too. This was a manga that my friend introduced to me like 4 years ago when I was 12 or 13 in Thailand. He was reading it and told me to read it. But I didn't get to read it till now. This manga was truly amazing and romantic. The character development was also quite amazingly well done. I loved it :D I am glad that I was able to read ...

Apr 30, 2013

apau

Recommended

It's also by far my favorite manga of all times. I just loved everything about it, the story is fucking hilarious, but at the same time it's so good, plus it's the relation between the characters which i found the best of this manga (although all of this manga is soooo fucking good xD). It never bores, never goes down and it gets better and better, the only harem that i find actually a masterpiece. There's also the plus that this was the first manga that I read online but yeah, it's still a masterpiece, i recommend this manga to anyone, whatever your tastes ...