My main complaint here is that almost everything you cited that you
liked about Love Hina were things I thought were really not so amazing.

Then, IMO, you are missing what the author was trying to say. I mean if you
take out the central value of what Keitaro stands for, you don't have
anything but a bunch of pratfalls, Mokoto cutting things with her sword and
Koalla Suu shooting big guns that come out of no where.

Megumi Hayashibara put it nicely when talking about the song for the Love
Hina Anime. Sakura Saku.

"I feel that the song title fits Love Hina very well. Even if the cherry
blossoms go out of season, it can bloom again the year after; even if the
blossoms seem beutiful now and all is well, the cherry tree could wither.
It's akin to maintaining your own seed inside of yourself, just because
things aren't going well, it doesn't mean you should give up; conversely,
you can't le up even when the flower inside you is blooming nicely, as
unforseen obstacles may lay ahead."

Ken Akamatsu  the series's creator said it all... and sumed up why LH is
popular with a wider audience than many other Manga and Anime are. He talked
about how the story of Keitaro and Naru was more than just romance, it was
about growing into your potential, even when that growth is painful and
things don't go well for you.

Love hina is about potential... and hard work.. and that's why it appeals to
older manga fans as well as the younger audience who are all about the
action.. it's core theme is about more than just Keitaro tripping and
falling face first into Naru's chest or women in a bath. It's about the
growth that we get out of what we do. You might not see the traits that I
ascribe to Keitaro... but they are the traits that the author put there and
intended to be seen. Me, I'd go back and take a fresh look at the story, you
might be surprised what you see in the character if you take a fresh look at
him. The author hides a lot of Keitaro in the story, you kinda have to read
between the lines with him.

It seems to me everyone's going to like different aspects, and what you
like may not appeal to soomeone else (say, the author) as much.

yep... totally agree... But at the same time, as I said before, I have no
problem with crossovers, provided the spirit of the original material is not
butchered.

    Personally, I think that while Keitaro's not offensive as a main
character, he's really just not very spectacular, either.

Totally disagree... Keitaro was a fantastic character, and given that he was
listed as the most popular character in the series both in the Manga and the
Anime by the fans in Japan throughout it's run, I am not alone in saying
that I think you're seriously overlooking the qualities in the character.

 I have a hard
time seeing him with all the positive qualities that you've attributed
to him; more to me, it seems he was just the ingedient at hand when it
came time to mix a relatively formulaic episode where the new character
changes a pre-existing dynamic and everyone comes out of it feeling
positive.  And if you haven't seen THAT a million times in anime, well....

Again, disagree... to use a cooking analogy, you have to have the RIGHT
ingredient to make the dish. Substituting kumquats for a daikon radish in a
dish just ends up messing up the recipe. Keitaro has certain qualities that
Ranma simply does not have.

Take how Ranma would handle the "operation kick out" that the Hinata sou
residents tried on Keitaro, working him dawn to dusk to make him leave. Kei
earned their respect through his toughness, his uncomplaining attitude, and
his unwillingness to quit. Maybe you're unaware of it, but men in Japan have
this blindspot when it comes ot housework, they consider it to be Women's
work, and simply will not do it, considering it humiliation.  Ranma would
have just ditched the work and ran away. Earning their respect was key to
the later peaceful cohabitation that was needed to advance the story. I
merely point this out as one among many examples of where the difference in
character mentality would create serious plot stumbling blocks.

ganchan

-- 

Brian Randall
--
I write fanfiction. Too much of it. You can read it here, thanks to a
kind grant from the Larry F foundation:
http://www.rakhal.com/florestica/durandall/index.html
--
Together. Allegiance or death. BIGFIRE!
--
Haiku of my lament:

Forgive my spelling,
my U.S. education,
is the source of blame.

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