Love Hina

(Tokyopop, 2001-2003)
™ and © Tokyopop

There’s nothing startlingly original in Love Hina, what with its silly situation of a lone guy (hapless, luckless would-be college student Keitaro) who’s “stuck” in an all-girls dormitory (full of femmes, most of whom soon take a shine to him) with supposed hilarious consequences.

If this sounds more than a little like a cross between Maison Ikkou and Tenchi Muyo, well, that’s because it is.

Although rich in bawdy wish-fulfillment potential, the execution is kept mostly clean, due in large part because, like 90% of all manga males, Keitaro is hopeless when it comes to girls. (Clearly, there aren’t any dances in Japanese junior high.) But he’s got heart and makes for a likable protagonist. And, if all the antics seem more than a tad predictable (by the end of the first issue, it’s clear which girl will hero-worship him, who’ll chase him, and who’s most likely to catch him), well, there’s a lot of really cute girls in short skirts — and the nice art doesn’t hurt, either.

— S.A. Bennett

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#2

Cover Price: $2.95
1 copy available for $4.99

Ken Akamatsu

#4

Cover Price: $2.95
1 copy available for $13.98

Ken Akamatsu