Love Hina: Moving In...

Reviewed By: Carla Land

Bandai Entertainment DVD

Review based on volume 1 (episodes 1-4)

Rating 13+

What it’s (basically) all about: Keitaro has failed the entrance exam for Tokyo University two years in a row. He has to get in for two reasons: 1.) he promised a girl who’s name he can’t remember fifteen years ago that they’d meet there, and 2.) when he inherited the management of a girls’ dorm all the girls got the impression that he was already a student. What follows is a comedy of errors, as Keitaro learns to live with five very different women and to be a more positive, stronger person. And just maybe he’ll find that girl, too.

Nitty Gritty: There’s some fan service, as the dorm has a hot spring. All the girls are usually wrapped in towels when using it though. There is no nudity at all. Keitaro has a habit of tripping, falling, or otherwise landing on people putting himself in compromising positions. One of the girls gets herself a month of free rent by forcing Keitaro to feel her up. He also ends face down into one girl’s bust, and she later hides him under a table where he can’t see what he’s doing and ends up with his head in her lap. All of these accidents get him punished violently (and comically) by the offended female.

Keitaro spends most of the show living in either dismay at his grades or in fear that he is going to be beaten up by one of his residents. To his credit, he is not a pervert and is mostly just clueless. He’s also a really nice guy who just wants to make good on a promise he made and not be a loser.

The girls are all of varying age (between middle school and college) and for the most part they are pretty normal. Only when dealing with Keitaro do they usually become crazy. Still, even though he’s a man, most of them appreciate his work ethic and that he’s not a villain, and even grow to like him, for all that they beat him up.

The language is tame. The word “damn” appears in the subbed version. Interestingly enough, the subtitles are actually more suggestive than the English version.  There’s a lot more innuendo in them, and the girls claim Keitaro is a pervert all the time. The dubbed English version is much tamer.

Extras include the DVD credits, a character gallery, some pictures from Keitaro’s sketchbook, and trailers for Saber Marionette J, Pilot Candidate, Escaflowne, and Haunted Junction (which has some fan service in it.)

One thing to note is that while there are boxed sets of the whole series available, it’s harder to find it in single volumes.

Survey says: There’s nothing here that is too over the top or sexually inappropriate. This light hearted comedy is a good addition for teen collections.

Personal Ad: While I know this would be popular with my teens, I just can’t help but wonder why Keitaro doesn’t evict all of these untrusting psychopaths and get some stable residents. He’s the manager, but the girls treat him like they can kick him out at any point, and since he’s a total wuss he takes it.