***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** OK, so this is a cartoon. But it is also one of the most "mature" ones I have ever seen. And I do not mean it in the way of sex or violence. I mean that it has good stories, characters that feel real, and will make you want to see the next one.
And that is saying something, considering I am a 37 year old man!
Love Hina is a cartoon from Japan, that was broadcast on the commercial TV stations in 2000. And the obvious target was teenagers. While it hase some "cutesey" things in it, there are things that makes it obvious that it's audience was more mature.
While it was broadcast in Japan, here this would definately never be shown. It would almost rate a PG-13 or R because of some of the content. While it is violent, it is in the vein of the old Bugs Bunny or Roadrunner style violence. People that get their foreheads cut are perfectly fine 1 minute later. And while Keitarou is constantly beat up and abused by the girls he lives with, he is never seriously hurt. And although there is a definate sexual tension, you never see anything more severe then maybe a panty shot, or Keitarou accidentially grabbing one of the girl's breasts (through clothes).
In a nutshell, Keitarou has failed his entrance exams to Tokyo U. After being told he can no longer live at home, he decides to visit his Grandmother and Aunt, who own an inn and hotspring. Here he hopes he can stay until he gets into college.
The fireworks start when he is relaxing in the hot spring, and an almost naked girl gets in with him and starts commenting on how she is growing up. Once she discovers he is a guy, the fireworks start.
Keitarou learns his grandmother has gone on a world vacation, and turned the inn into a girls dormatory. The girls tell him he can't stay, but his aunt helps talk them into allowing him to stay temporarily as a manager.
Keitarou is your classic teenage klutz. He is shy, clumsy, does the wrong thing at the wrong time, has no real friends, and is a poor student. But he needs to get into Tokyo U because of a promise he made years ago. His only real hobby is collecting "photo stickers", but they are all of himself.
The girls range from Junior High age to his own age. And each of them is very distinct.
Kaolla Su is a Jr. High student from overseas (India is hinted at), a mechanical genious, and is so hyper it makes Jim Carey look like he is on depressants. She is also a mechanical genious, and is constantly making wild devices.
Shinobu is also a Jr. High student, and the daughter of a resterant owner. Her cooking is amazing. She has a crush on Keitarou, but realizes he is interested in somebody else, so keeps it to herself.
Motoko is a High School student, who is also a Kendo master. She has the least trust for Keitarou, and causes him the second most amount of grief. She is sure that he is a pervert, and living in the same Inn as him will ruin her fighting ability.
Mitsune is a scheemer. She tries to poke her nose into everybody's business, and always comes up with plots to make money or get others in trouble. But she has no malice, it is just her way to have fun.
Naru is Keitarou's main focus. She is strongly attracted to him, and because of her denial of this, she is his worst tormenter. She beats him up 2-3 times an episode, in convinced he is a pervert, and yet can't stay away from him. Like Keitarou, she has failed her entrance exam to Tokyo U, and is trying to get in as well. Keitarou believes that she is also the girl he made the promise with years ago.
Haruka is his aunt, and is almost never seen without a cigarette in her mouth. She is very hard, but also feels sorry for her nephew. And while she seems as hard as nails, we see her soft side also.
The main series consists of 27 half-hour shows, and each one both stands on it's own, and builds from earlier ones. I would not reccomend it for children, but definately for teens and up. Teen girls would probably really enjoy it, since there are hints of romance in it, and because Keitarou is constantly getting beat up by all of the girls. And unless you can't stand reading, I recommend watching them with subtitles, not dubbed.
And that is saying something, considering I am a 37 year old man!
Love Hina is a cartoon from Japan, that was broadcast on the commercial TV stations in 2000. And the obvious target was teenagers. While it hase some "cutesey" things in it, there are things that makes it obvious that it's audience was more mature.
While it was broadcast in Japan, here this would definately never be shown. It would almost rate a PG-13 or R because of some of the content. While it is violent, it is in the vein of the old Bugs Bunny or Roadrunner style violence. People that get their foreheads cut are perfectly fine 1 minute later. And while Keitarou is constantly beat up and abused by the girls he lives with, he is never seriously hurt. And although there is a definate sexual tension, you never see anything more severe then maybe a panty shot, or Keitarou accidentially grabbing one of the girl's breasts (through clothes).
In a nutshell, Keitarou has failed his entrance exams to Tokyo U. After being told he can no longer live at home, he decides to visit his Grandmother and Aunt, who own an inn and hotspring. Here he hopes he can stay until he gets into college.
The fireworks start when he is relaxing in the hot spring, and an almost naked girl gets in with him and starts commenting on how she is growing up. Once she discovers he is a guy, the fireworks start.
Keitarou learns his grandmother has gone on a world vacation, and turned the inn into a girls dormatory. The girls tell him he can't stay, but his aunt helps talk them into allowing him to stay temporarily as a manager.
Keitarou is your classic teenage klutz. He is shy, clumsy, does the wrong thing at the wrong time, has no real friends, and is a poor student. But he needs to get into Tokyo U because of a promise he made years ago. His only real hobby is collecting "photo stickers", but they are all of himself.
The girls range from Junior High age to his own age. And each of them is very distinct.
Kaolla Su is a Jr. High student from overseas (India is hinted at), a mechanical genious, and is so hyper it makes Jim Carey look like he is on depressants. She is also a mechanical genious, and is constantly making wild devices.
Shinobu is also a Jr. High student, and the daughter of a resterant owner. Her cooking is amazing. She has a crush on Keitarou, but realizes he is interested in somebody else, so keeps it to herself.
Motoko is a High School student, who is also a Kendo master. She has the least trust for Keitarou, and causes him the second most amount of grief. She is sure that he is a pervert, and living in the same Inn as him will ruin her fighting ability.
Mitsune is a scheemer. She tries to poke her nose into everybody's business, and always comes up with plots to make money or get others in trouble. But she has no malice, it is just her way to have fun.
Naru is Keitarou's main focus. She is strongly attracted to him, and because of her denial of this, she is his worst tormenter. She beats him up 2-3 times an episode, in convinced he is a pervert, and yet can't stay away from him. Like Keitarou, she has failed her entrance exam to Tokyo U, and is trying to get in as well. Keitarou believes that she is also the girl he made the promise with years ago.
Haruka is his aunt, and is almost never seen without a cigarette in her mouth. She is very hard, but also feels sorry for her nephew. And while she seems as hard as nails, we see her soft side also.
The main series consists of 27 half-hour shows, and each one both stands on it's own, and builds from earlier ones. I would not reccomend it for children, but definately for teens and up. Teen girls would probably really enjoy it, since there are hints of romance in it, and because Keitarou is constantly getting beat up by all of the girls. And unless you can't stand reading, I recommend watching them with subtitles, not dubbed.