"Love Hina" (2000) "Rabu Hina" (original title), TV series

Directors:

Wendee Lee
Shigeru Ueda

Seasons:

1 | 2

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Spring back into Love Hina again!

Plot:

When Keitaro was a child, he was friends with a little girl. When the girl had to move away, the two...

Plot Keywords:

Promise | Turtle | Tragic Hero | Aunt Nephew Relationship | Emotionally Vulnerable

Cast

Yûji Ueda	...	Keitarou Urashima / ... (9 episodes, 2000)
Yui Horie	...	Naru Narusegawa (8 episodes, 2000)
Masayo Kurata	...	Shinobu Maehara (8 episodes, 2000)
Yu Asakawa	...	Motoko Aoyama (8 episodes, 2000)
Reiko Takagi	...	Kaolla Su (8 episodes, 2000)
Junko Noda	...	Mitsune 'Kitsune' Konno (8 episodes, 2000)
Megumi Hayashibara	...	Haruka Urashima / ... (8 episodes, 2000)
Satsuki Yukino	...	Mutsumi Otohime / ... (7 episodes, 2000)
Hiroyuki Yoshino	...	Masayuki Haitani / ... (7 episodes, 2000)
Michio Miyashita	...	Kimiaki Shirai / ... (6 episodes, 2000)
Yukie Maeda	...	Onsen Tamago / ... (6 episodes, 2000)
Yuki Hokimoto	...	Emi Ichikawa / ... (5 episodes, 2000)
Madoka Akita	...	Kikuko Onoue / ... (5 episodes, 2000)
Yuri Shiratori	...	Narusegawa Mei (4 episodes, 2000)
Takuma Suzuki	...	Keitaro's Father / ... (4 episodes, 2000)
Yasunori Matsumoto	...	Seta Noriyasu (3 episodes, 2000)
Masako Nozawa	...	Hina Urashima (2 episodes, 2000)
Aya Hisakawa	...	Amalla Su (2 episodes, 2000)
Hiromi Tsuru	...	Shinobu's Mother (2 episodes, 2000)

Series Directed by
Yoshiaki Iwasaki		(25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Takashi Sudo		(5 episodes, 2000)
Kôichi Sugitani		(5 episodes, 2000)
Kiyotaka Isako		(3 episodes, 2000)
Osamu Sato		(3 episodes, 2000)
Shigeru Ueda		(3 episodes, 2000)
Masakazu Hashida		(2 episodes, 2000)
Yasushi Murayama		(2 episodes, 2000)
Wendee Lee		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Ken Akamatsu		(23 episodes, 2000)
Shô Aikawa		(14 episodes, 2000-2001)
Hiroyuki Kawasaki		(3 episodes, 2000)
Mitsuyasu Sakai		(2 episodes, 2000)
Katsuhiko Takayama		(2 episodes, 2000)

Series Produced by
Fukashi Azuma	....	producer: TV Tokyo (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Takatoshi Chino	....	associate producer (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Naotake Goshima	....	associate producer (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Shin'ichi Ikeda	....	producer (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Keisuke Iwata	....	producer: TV Tokyo (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Yukinao Shimoji	....	producer (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Del Casher	....	producer (24 episodes, 2000-2001)
Maki Terashima-Furuta	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Koichi Korenaga		(25 episodes, 2000-2001)

Series Cinematography by
Fumio Hirokawa		(25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Katsutoshi Hirose		(25 episodes, 2000-2001)

Series Film Editing by
Yayoi Ôtake		(25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Yoshiyuki Tokura		(3 episodes, 2000)

Series Art Direction by
Hachidai Takayama		(25 episodes, 2000-2001)

Series Costume Design by
Shin'ichi Yamaoka		(25 episodes, 2000-2001)

Series Art Department
Junko Nagasawa	....	artboards (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Eiji Yasuhiko	....	prop designer (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Yoshiaki Iwasaki	....	storyboard artist (4 episodes, 2000)
Kiyotaka Isako	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Shinichiro Kimura	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Takashi Kobayashi	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Yasushi Murayama	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Hiroshi Nishikiori	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Katsushi Sakurabi	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Osamu Sato	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Shigeru Ueda	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2000)

Series Sound Department
Wendee Lee	....	adr director (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Hideyuki Tanaka	....	audio director (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Yasuyuki Konno	....	sound effects editor: Suwara Production / sound effects: Suwara Production (6 episodes, 2000)
Yoshio Obara	....	sound mixer (6 episodes, 2000)

Series Special Effects by
Tsuyoshi Nakano	....	special effects (3 episodes, 2000)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Atsushi Iwasaki	....	digital camera operator: Sankou Production (2 episodes, 2000)
Hisao Maruta	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Kôgo Matsudaira	....	digital camera operator: Sankou Production (2 episodes, 2000)
Mikio Nakaide	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Toyomitsu Nakajo	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Terumi Nakayama	....	digital camera operator: Sankou Production (2 episodes, 2000)
Yoshio Ookouchi	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Tatsuo Sakai	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Ryô Sekihara	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Yohei Suzuki	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Masaru Takase	....	camera operator: J.C.Staff Photography Department / digital camera operator: J.C. Staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Nobuchika Yamaguchi	....	digital camera operator: Sankou Production (2 episodes, 2000)
Hirosato Ônishi	....	digital camera operator: Sankou Production (2 episodes, 2000)

Series Animation Department
Takao Abo	....	animator: opening animation (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Takayuki Gorai	....	animator: opening animation (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Michiru Ishihara	....	animator: opening animation (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Yoshinobu Itô	....	animator: opening animation (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Toshiyuki Kôno	....	animator: opening animation / animation director / ... (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Toshihiro Nakajima	....	animator: opening animation / animation director / ... (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Yasutoshi Niwa	....	animator: opening animation / animator (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Eiko Saitô	....	animator: opening animation (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Takashi Tomioka	....	animator: opening animation (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Sadatoshi Matsusaka	....	animator / animator: Anime R (7 episodes, 2000)
Shinjirô Shigeki	....	animator / animator: Studio Cockpit (7 episodes, 2000)
Yuka Takashina	....	animator / animator: Studio Cockpit (7 episodes, 2000)
Chikashi Kubota	....	animator / animator: Studio Cockpit (6 episodes, 2000)
Ryôta Niino	....	animator: Production IG / animator (5 episodes, 2000)
Kazuhiro Ota	....	animator: Production IG (5 episodes, 2000)
Yoshinari Saitô	....	animator (5 episodes, 2000)
Kaori Takahashi	....	animator / animator: Studio Cockpit (5 episodes, 2000)
Tetsuya Takeuchi	....	animator: Production IG (5 episodes, 2000)
Ayumi Tsukamoto	....	inbetween checker (5 episodes, 2000)
Takenori Tsukuma	....	animator: Anime R / animator (5 episodes, 2000)
Shingo Adachi	....	animator (4 episodes, 2000)
Masumi Hattori	....	animator: Studio Mark (4 episodes, 2000)
Tatsuya Ichikawa	....	animator: Anime R / animator (4 episodes, 2000)
Hiroyo Izumi	....	animator: Production IG / animator (4 episodes, 2000)
Masayuki Katô	....	animator / animator: Studio Cockpit (4 episodes, 2000)
Hiroyuki Notake	....	animator: Studio Mark / animator (4 episodes, 2000)
Masayo Ogura	....	animator: Production IG (4 episodes, 2000)
Yukiko Takahashi	....	animator / animator: Studio Cockpit (4 episodes, 2000)
Kyôko Taketani	....	animator: Production IG (4 episodes, 2000)
Minoru Ueda	....	animation director / animator: Production IG (4 episodes, 2000)
Yoshihiro Ujiie	....	animator: Studio Mark / animator (4 episodes, 2000)
Yoshinori Yumoto	....	animator / animator: Studio Cockpit (4 episodes, 2000)
Takefumi Ôga	....	animator: Studio Mark / animator (4 episodes, 2000)
Kenji Adachi	....	animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 2000)
Naoki Aisaka	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Nobuko Akutsu	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Yasunori Hishinuma	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Takashi Honda	....	animator (3 episodes, 2000)
Taeko Hori	....	animator (3 episodes, 2000)
Hiroshi Itô	....	animator (3 episodes, 2000)
Harue Iwakawa	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Sachiko Iwamura	....	animator: Anime R (3 episodes, 2000)
Yousuke Kabashima	....	animator: Studio Z5 (3 episodes, 2000)
Chiharu Katawaki	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Fumie Kawai	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Yumiko Kinoshita	....	animator: Anime R (3 episodes, 2000)
Natsuko Mito	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Kuniko Miyake	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Etsurô Mizuno	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Fumi Morita	....	animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 2000)
Hideyuki Motohashi	....	animation director (3 episodes, 2000)
Masami Nagata	....	animation director (3 episodes, 2000)
Yuriko Nagaya	....	animator: Studio Z5 (3 episodes, 2000)
Masahiko Nakada	....	animation director / animator: Studio Cockpit (3 episodes, 2000)
Kiminori Nishio	....	animator: Studio Cockpit (3 episodes, 2000)
Kayo Nomichi	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Megumi Ogawa	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Yukiko Ogawa	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Hiroshi Saitô	....	animator: Studio Z5 (3 episodes, 2000)
Sen Shimizu	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Kôji Shôki	....	animator (3 episodes, 2000)
Kiyoko Sugano	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Eikichi Takahashi	....	animator: Studio Cockpit / animator (3 episodes, 2000)
Daisuke Takemoto	....	animator: Anime R (3 episodes, 2000)
Kazuyoshi Tanaka	....	animator: Anime R (3 episodes, 2000)
Ryûji Tsuzuku	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Tatsuya Urano	....	animator: Anime R (3 episodes, 2000)
Shin Watanabe	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Kôji Yabuno	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Yutaka Yoshida	....	animator: Studio Mark (3 episodes, 2000)
Mika Yoshikawa	....	animator: Studio Cockpit (3 episodes, 2000)
Yûki Yoshizawa	....	background artist: Production AI (3 episodes, 2000)
Futoshi Ônami	....	animator: Studio Z5 (3 episodes, 2000)
Tomoyuki Abe	....	animator / animator: Zero G Room (2 episodes, 2000)
Shigehiro Asaoka	....	animator (2 episodes, 2000)
Mitsuko Baba	....	animator: Studio Cockpit (2 episodes, 2000)
Haruko Iizuka	....	inbetween artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Chisato Ikehira	....	animator: Studio Cockpit (2 episodes, 2000)
Takeshi Imai	....	animator (2 episodes, 2000)
Tomomi Ishikawa	....	animator (2 episodes, 2000)
Naoko Kasuga	....	animator: Studio Mark (2 episodes, 2000)
Saiji Kawanishi	....	animator: Anime R (2 episodes, 2000)
Yoshiyuki Kodaira	....	animator (2 episodes, 2000)
Genichiro Kondo	....	animator / animator: Zero G Room (2 episodes, 2000)
Yasutaka Kubota	....	animator (2 episodes, 2000)
Takashi Maruyama	....	animator: Studio Mark (2 episodes, 2000)
Satomi Minowa	....	cel checker / color designer / ... (2 episodes, 2000)
Ryûtarô Nakamura	....	animator / animator: Zero G Room (2 episodes, 2000)
Norikatsu Nakano	....	animator / animator: Zero G Room (2 episodes, 2000)
Terumi Nishii	....	animator: Studio Cockpit (2 episodes, 2000)
Toru Okubo	....	animator (2 episodes, 2000)
Ryuichi Saito	....	inbetween artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Tadataka Shimodaira	....	animator: Anime R (2 episodes, 2000)
Kazufumi Takano	....	animator: Studio Cockpit (2 episodes, 2000)
Atsuo Tobe	....	animation director (2 episodes, 2000)
Fumiko Ueda	....	animator: Anime R (2 episodes, 2000)
Makoto Uno	....	animation director / animation director: opening animation (2 episodes, 2000)
Yasuhiro Watanabe	....	animator / animator: Studio Mark (2 episodes, 2000)
Katsuhiro Yamada	....	background artist: Production AI (2 episodes, 2000)
Yuka Yoshihara	....	inbetween artist (2 episodes, 2000)
Takayuki Noguchi	....	animator (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Masahiko Takahashi	....	casting assistant: CPU / casting (5 episodes, 2000)

Series Editorial Department
Hiroaki Itabe	....	assistant editor (4 episodes, 2000)

Series Other crew
Shô Aikawa	....	series development / series coordinator (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Toshimichi Ohtsuki	....	planner (25 episodes, 2000-2001)
Hiroyuki Nakamura	....	literary coordinator (6 episodes, 2000)
Shinji Ushiro	....	creative advancement (6 episodes, 2000)
Shun'ichi Yamamoto	....	production supervisor (6 episodes, 2000)
Tatsuhiko Matsuzaki	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 2000)
Toku Ueda	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 2000)

Distributors

• Bandai Entertainment Inc.
• JONU Media

Other Companies

• Xebec  Animation Production

Also Known As:

"Rabu Hina" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

22 min (24 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

South Korea:15 | UK:12 (DVD volumes 5-6) | New Zealand:PG | UK:PG (DVD volumes 1-4) | USA:TV-14 | Germany:12 (some episodes) | Germany:6 (some episodes) | Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (video rating) | Australia:PG | Spain:13 | Singapore:PG

Trivia:

Keitaro Urashima's name is a reference to the title of the Japanese fairy tale, "Urashima Taro."

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Haruka and Keitaro both refer to the same woman as their grandmother, yet Haruka is Keitaro's aunt. This would make Haruka and Keitaro cousins, not aunt and nephew. In fact, they are cousins. Haruka's parents died in an accident and she was adopted by her grandmother; that's why Keitaro calls her aunt. (This is not explained in the series, though.) Additionally, it is common usage in Japanese to refer to an older (but not elderly) woman with whom you are familiar as "aunt" regardless of your actual blood relation to her; similarly, elderly women are respectfully referred to as "grandmother" regardless of blood relationship or lack thereof.

Quotes:

[Motoko blasts Keitaro skyward]
Kaolla Su:Keitaro, did the Earth look blue from up there?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: Episode #35.2" (2006)

Please read the manga first!

I've read several Japanese manga's but none has managed to capture my heart like 'Love Hina' did. The series was made into an anime series, which is good, but nothing compared to the manga. The story is as follows: Keitaro is about to become a third year Ronin and wants to get into a high class university called Tokyo U, but he has failed so many times before he doesn't think he has a chance... until he moves into his grandmother's former hotel, which unfortunately for Keitaro has now been turned into a girls' dormitory. After several mishaps with the girls they finally allow Keitaro to stay with them. Upon learning the truth that he is not really a Tokyo U student, they begin to contemplate kicking him out. However, when Keitaro announces to them that he wishes to take the exams again in order to get into Tokyo U and escape becoming a third year Ronin, they let his little lie slide and allow him to stay. However, he neglects to tell them the real reason for why he wants to go to Tokyo U: years ago Keitaro made a promise to an anonymous girl that both of them would get into the university together. He wants to discover the girl's identity, but how can he after all these years?

Keitaro becomes close with each and every one of the girl characters. There's Naru, the heroine of the story, who becomes Keitaro's best friend and begins to harbour a crush for him, which is mutual; Kitsune, the sly fox who often gets into trouble by getting wasted or gambling far too much; Motoko, the verging-on-psycho kendo girl who is forever trying to kill Keitaro (she, however, also has a crush on him); Shinobu, the sweet, shy and caring young girl who unlike Naru and Motoko falls in love with Keitaro almost at once, and Su the eccentric yet lovable Indian girl. Each one has an effect on Keitaro and he becomes very good friends with all of them. Along the way Keitaro meets other new friends, such as Mutsumi Otohime, the clumsy yet carefree girl who could be a link with Keitaro's past.

Together both Keitaro and Naru vow to study hard in order to get into Tokyo U together, but they both know it won't be an easy ride.

So, why should you read the manga first? Because simply put it's one of the best manga series' ever created. In short it's a sweet, fun, hysterical masterpiece. The main problem with the anime is that it's only twenty six episodes long, while the manga lasts for a whopping fourteen volumes. Therefore not everything could be packed into each twenty minute episode of the show. Not to mention that the manga is a hundred times better and funnier then the anime. Still, the anime is great too, and you can hardly beat that catchy ass theme tune. So please read the manga first, I beg of you! You really will not regret it. Also if you are considering watching the anime please watch the Japanese dub as the English dub is beyond awful.