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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Sunday, 24 February 2008 16:00 |
 You know what they say - you can never go back. Love Hina Again may share the same characters and basic idea as its TV & OVA predecessors, but there's just something missing that spoils the whole experience - and even added fanservice can't seem to fix it...
1 - Kanako
Keitaro's luck hasn't changed in the year or so since the TV series ended - he may have finally passed the entrance exams for Tokyo U, but on the day of the entrance ceremony, he managed to break his leg, so he still hasn't been to class. Life goes on as usual at the Hinata Inn, though, until he announces that he's going to take a leave of absence and go work on a dig with Seta for a while. To say Naru's unimpressed would be an understatement, and without Keitaro around to keep the girls in check, the Inn soon begins to look the worse for wear - and Naru begins acting strangely. Or is that really Naru..?
2 - Keitaro
With Keitaro back at the Hinata Inn, the place is almost back to normal. Almost - Kanako's presence is going to be a big change. For all that she's his little sister, it takes Keitaro a while to recognise her - she's been living with her grandparents since they were kids, and they haven't seen each other for a while, but while it's clear that Kanako has a serious case of brother-complex going on, Keitaro just can't see it. End result: Kanako feels she's not getting enough attention, and the more she sees of how he dotes over the other girls at the apartment, the more her own feelings are hurt - and the more she becomes determined to get Keitaro to herself...
3 - Naru
With Kanako and Keitaro having entered the old annexe together, its old curse kicks in - and as it sees them as the 'destined couple', Naru soon finds herself on the wrong end of 1,001 magical effects designed to keep her from interrupting the course of true love. She's not about to let an old building stand between her and Keitaro - a decision that's a revelation in itself. She can't get near Keitaro and Kanako - strange mishaps keep happening whenever she tries - so she decides that to beat the annex's effects, she'll have to beat the annex itself...
First, Love Hina isn't a show I can be picky about for no reason - my online nick, and the old name of this site, are taken from one of the show's characters (Shinobu Maehara), and the TV series was one of the first shows I watched after returning from a 10-year break away from anime. Love Hina and its characters are actually quite dear to me, in a strange sort of way - and yet I still can't bring myself to enjoy Love Hina Again. With this being my 3rd run through the series, it's not for lack of trying. either.
First, the good: the characters are all here, their personalities are all as they were, and the physical comedy is the same as it ever was (which will no doubt annoy haters of the Naru Punch). With this being an OVA series, there's even added fanservice, with acres of flesh and underwear on display at every inappropriate moment - so if that's what you're after, work away. You'll love this.
The problems? Two things, really. First, there's Kanako, who simply doesn't ring true as a character - she's alternately trying to get Keitaro for herself and trying to get him to admit to loving Naru, which makes no sense. Her line in convincing disguises make no sense. The past relationship between her and Keitaro has been dropped in from nowhere and makes no sense. It all just... Make No Sense. Sure, very little in Love Hina ever has (mechatama, anyone?), but this is on a whole new level, and after the big "I love you!" scene at the end of the Spring Special, I can't help but wonder how we got to this position anyway.
And that's the second problem. We've already had the big confession - why do we need to go back to square one and persuade Naru to do it again!? Really, this OVA has the feel of greedy producers about it, trying to milk the idea one more time, but the end result just doesn't feel right.
One other very noticeable change from the previous incarnations is that the character designs have all changed, to bring them more into line with the style of the manga. It's not a big change, but you can't miss it and, when you're used to & expecting the anime designs, it again just feels a little off.
Normally three episodes in a row of any show isn't a problem for me - a disc at a time is the way I watch my anime - but this time around, I couldn't do it. It was an episode at a time for me, and even then I was just waiting for the episode to stop so I could get back to making better use of my time. The fanservice aspect will probably keep some happy, but if you're looking for something that recaptures the sense of fun that the TV series had, this isn't it.
Watch promo clips for this release: Clip 1 | Clip 2 | Clip 3 | Clip 4
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