Love Hina Volume 11

You knew it had to happen. With just three books left to go, the Lova Hina saga is slowly winding down and coming to an end. And like a good television soap opera, one final new character is introduced, bringing with them startling new revelations to shake up the ongoing plot one last time before the big hurrah. In this case, that character would be Kanako Urashima, the little sister of our hero Keitaro.It's fitting, actually. Remembering how Love Hina basically runs through the archtypes for female personalities (the indecisive love interest, the pre-teen princess, the foreign girl, the ditz, the man-hater, the brat, the party girl, the older woman), what's the last archtype we haven't run into? That's right, the blood relative. Fortunately, since Kanako isn't Keitaro's sister by blood, it's not as bad as it sounds, and let's the series' most perverted fans play out their incestous fantasies without actually crossing the line. Character-wise, Kanako is completely different from the other members of the harem; she's completely obsessed with her step-brother, which makes her more than a little insane, and not in the funny, laughable way the other girls are. She has a huge bag of tricks and costumes, and is an expert ventriloquist (no, the cat does not talk, though the anime interprets it that way). For the first time, the gang has a true antagonist, and it'll be interesting to see how the tension plays out once Keitaro is re-established in Hinata House (he's gone overseas with Seta for the majority of the book). At the same time however, Kanako gets some subtle character development. She wants to fit in, though she's cautious and not very trusting. She has an undying loyalty to her step-brother, and is the only one that loved him even before he improved himself (which in turn shows us the better side of Keitaro when he was still a loser klutz). She is also probably aware that her love for her brother is incest (though *technically* it isn't), and aware of the implications that come with this. Add Ken Akamtasu's playful (yet sometimes annoying) brief hints of a shrouded past and yet another childhood promise, and Kanako makes a worthy addition to the Hinata harem. Since the whole book is about Kanako's introduction, it has a reasonably tighter and stronger pacing, which makes it a more involving read. My only gripe is that the main plotlines, such as the Naru/Keitaro relationship, and even the Haruka/Seta relationship are completely put on hold. However, there is a really nice character moment in the opening airport scene that makes up for this, and Kanako's inclusion in the series is basically the catalyst that will eventually get Naru and Keitaro together. Don't worry, nothing's been forgotten.Those who hate this volume will probably enjoy it a lot more once the series is complete, and they see how Kanko fits into the overall scheme of things. For everyone else, vol 11 shakes things up, dares to be different, and is a great success. However, it's

I know there are many people who don't want the plot to progress outside of Naru and Keitaro, but I thought that the new character added a new dimension to the series. I say, anyone who doesn't like it should stop their moaning and stop degrading the series with their whining and complaining.

I thought this book was a very good addition to the love hina series and who ever gave it a two is not a true fan u cant use the same story line over and over. I think that sending the main character away for a while added suspence because everyone in the house depends on him.

The Love Hina series is a great comedy/drama/love/action series. It changes very quickly between what genre it is. Though some people like I find this series to be the greatest thing since sliced cheese, others find it boring or offensive? (Or at least one person I've heard thought this was offensive.)If you have never read these books before, I would recommend starting at the first one. Though buying all of the books at once would rack up [quite a bit of money].

While this volume takes on quite a different plot than the rest of the series, it definitely doesn't make the book unenjoyable. Of course, you don't get as much of the usual funny-lovey type interaction between Keitaro and Naru that as a reader you've probably come to love, which is slightly disappointing--but it only makes you unable to wait to read the rest of the story. The events during this book are very a very refreshing change from the norm, and by the end of the book you'll just find yourself just aching to read the next one. ^_^ The new character adds some interesting tension to the plot. I believe the previous review was unfairly written--the turn of events will in no way ruin the series, and it is definitely NOT a bad book. Change is good in a series, rehashing the same storyline over and over will eventually get old.