Today’s post marks the end of a tradition here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog. Since the earliest days of this site, I’ve taken a look at the Love Hina franchise. In 2014 I looked at the main series, 2015 involved the Christmas special, and last year I reviewed the Spring special. Today marks the last release from this series. A 3 episode OVA that concludes all the zaniness of the crew that lives in the Hinata Apartments, and wraps up the story of Love Hina rather nicely. Let’s not waste anymore time, and check out the mini-series known as Love Hina Again. Let the review begin!
Story/Setup
Taken from the back of the DVD case:
“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Hot Spring! Keitaro and Naru have finally begun college life at Tokyo University! After a long period of studying, bizarre happenings, random trips, and misunderstanding upon misunderstanding, their dream has finally come true! However, their feelings for each other are still a little muddled. And with a newer, stricter, manager to run the Hinata Apartments - Will anyone survive Hinata Boot Camp? It’s Love (Hina) Again. Welcome back.”
This is more or less what happens in Love Hina Again. Unlike the more serious nature of the Spring special, this OVA is far more silly & jovial, although there’s still a little bit of seriousness around. The mood and atmosphere is much more like the original Love Hina series, but in a few moments it hasn’t completely shaken off the Spring special’s tone. Luckily, the happy nature more often than not is what you see when you watch Love Hina Again.
Animation
Like the main show & the previous 2 OVA specials, the animation in Love Hina Again is typical Ken Akamatsu. Luckily, that weird color fade issue from the Spring special seems to be gone, and thus the colors come across more like their old selves from the main series & Christmas special.
Voice Acting
As with pretty much every other entry in the Love Hina franchise, the voice acting for the most part is good (Apart from the select few characters I’ve complained about before). With the introduction of Keitaro’s step sister, Kanako, we get some new voice acting blood. Melissa Fahn, the American voice actor for Kanako, does a pretty good job for the most part. At times she does seem whiny (More on this below), but overall does a really good job of representing the character.
Characters
As with the last special, the crew of the Hinata Apartments are back, front & center. In a very welcome change, everybody isn’t quite so serious or whiney as they were in the Spring special. There is a sliver or two of their Spring special personality that creeps in once in a while, but for the most part they’re just like their old selves. With Love Hina Again, we gained a new character in the form of Kanako Urashima, Keitaro’s step sister. I’m legitimately conflicted on Kanako: on the one hand she’s a selfish little brat. Throughout most of the OVA, she only thinks of herself, and isn’t really concerned about the rest of the girls at the apartment. On the other hand, she is a little endearing, and by the end of the show she actually gets over her bad attitude for the most part. She still thinks of herself, but realizes that some things aren’t meant to be.
Availability & Pricing
Along with the prior 2 OVAs, Funimation never picked up Love Hina Again for re-release. I bought my copy all the way back in December of 2013, the day after Christmas. Excluding shipping and handling and tax, the DVD costed $14.99 used, which is pretty good all things considered. Unfortunately, finding copies to buy is almost impossible at this point. Amazon has hardly any available to buy, but the pricing of 14 dollars to about 25 dollars for used copies isn’t half bad.
Overall Impression & Rating
Love Hina Again definitely manages to recover from the blandness that was the Spring special. Regaining much of what made the main show & Christmas special so good, it’s a perfect way to conclude the anime. There are still some shortcomings to be had, but they pale in comparison to the positives that the OVA provides. If you were dissuaded by how weak the Spring special was, then you’ll enjoy Love Hina Again. Definitely recommended.
Love Hina Again gets an 8 out of 10.
And that was my look at the final Love Hina OVA. Better than the Spring special, but just a few inches behind the Christmas special, these final 3 glimpse into the lives of those at the Hinata Apartments are more than enough to satisfy the fans of Love Hina. See you next Monday or Tuesday, as I take a look at some classic Christmas commercials. Until then, stay warm!
***
If you’d like to take a look at my review for the Spring special from last year, here’s a link:
Anime Review - Love Hina Spring Special
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