Like Initial D, the anime version of this manga never held my attention
- not because its no good (like Initial D), but because I never had
time to sit down and watch 26 episodes. The manga may force me to
make the time, because its actually pretty entertaining.
At first glance, this isn't terribly original - nervous, lonely young
student (Keitaro Urashima) ends up in a house surrounded by lovely
young women with wildly differing personalities, and somehow everything
he does ends up as a disaster, leading them to believe he's some kind
of lazy pervert, despite his best intentions...
In fact, even at second glance this isn't terribly original, but it
is very well managed, and as such the storylines and situations hold
your interest long enough to get you engrossed. The cast of characters
are all likeable, and their motivations are all believable enough
to allow you to suspend disbelief at the wackier aspects.
The artwork is very cute, but precise and detailed. Page layouts are
suitably dynamic, creating a feeling of pace and urgency where necessary.
The artist obviously loves his characters, as they're never less than
wonderfully drawn, even when in the background.
One thing that did strike me was the fact that the manga seems far
less "wacky" than the anime. Where the anime tried to grab
you with hilarious sequences, the manga retains your attention with
the excellent relationships the cast develop with each other. Whilst
the pace may be ever so slightly more sedate, the experience is richer
for it.
Love Hina's only weakness is that it has to compete with the other
student romance manga's that Tokyopop are releasing, such as Kare
Kano and the more adult Mars. It compares favourably, but I'd be looking
to get Kare Kano and Mars before getting hold of this.
8/10 - Well paced romance comedy that should serve Tokyopop
well.
Back to Menu
|
