Forum - View topicSimilarities Between Love Hina and Maison Ikkoku
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10474 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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I just finished reading the 14th and final volume of Love Hina, and one thing that struck me is that the series is exceptionally similar to Maison Ikkoku in some aspects.
Both involve a Ronin who goes to a rooming house to study for University Entrance Exams. There he meets the girl of his dreams. Over the next 14-15 volumes they slowly fall in love, but not without many trials and tribulations where he is often being blamed for things that aren't his fault. spoiler[In the end, he gets into the University, studies, graduates and marries her.] There are small differences in the plot, Naru isn't the landlord (he is), he doesn't fall in love with her right away, it's a girls dormitory not a public rooming house, and so on... But those are essentially inconsequential. What is identical, is the way that over 14-15 volumes we are treated to the growing relationship between these two people. The biggest difference is that one is a sit-com, and the other is slapstick. Did anyone else notice that similarity? -t |
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Tempest
I Run this place. ANN Publisher Posts: 10474 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Personally it's a pity that Maison Ikkoku, which IMHO is much better written, isn't half as popular as Love Hina. At the end of MI I was quite attached to the characters, but at the end of Love Hina, pfft, no big deal, it's over, what's next?
-t |
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Ryuko
 Posts: 104 |
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I had noticed that, Tempest, and I've had discussions about it with my best friend (a massive MI addict) We decided that Ken Akamatsu must have been a massive MI fan, because there's so many similarities. Other than the arbitrary (ie. Beach scenes, festivals, Christmas, and so on) Love Hina mimics MI in a lot of ways. The ones you already mentioned being the chief of them. (Also the difficulties of ronin life, though Keitaro's are mostly self-caused, while Godai's are mostly caused by the fact that the other tenants have wild parties in his room while he should be studying.)
Love Hina is like MI except that all the annoying tenants are sexy ladies.  Basically, it's MI as a girl-game.
And I completely agree with you. It is sad that MI doesn't get much recognition (despite being an excellent, hilarious series, with a great anime) only because there's much fewer panty shots in it. Maybe someday I'll finish Love Hina, but right now I'm five volumes behind and I've run out of the will to buy it. |
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Godaistudios
Posts: 2075 Location: Albuquerque, NM (the land of entrapment) |
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Hmmm.... that is something to consider... Although I think romance was more accenuated and the falling in love aspect was deeper with Maison Ikkoku, especially with the obstacles that were in the way.
Even though I enjoyed the Love Hina Manga, there was more depth to the relationships involved in MI. There wasn't as much of a presentation of everybody falling in love with one character, and although there was the suggestion of alternate relationships in Love Hina, they didn't really drive the plot any. However, with MI they were necessary, given their full due, and were used to move the plot forward. As far as popularity? For too many, (even though MI is my favorite series) it's considered too old to bother with. It also gives a deeper sense of realism and I think people want the slapstick and/or supernatural things that Love Hina brings in as an escape instead. There is a reason why MI will remain a timeless classic to those who love it. Love Hina feels like it just copies a few elements and adds it's own little bits. It's like comparing (my apologies to Akumatsu) some school kid's art class project to the Mona Lisa. Although it may be artistic, it doesn't compare to the masterpiece that is already there. |
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Ataru
 Posts: 2334 Location: Missouri (Strikeman) |
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Friggn' mind readers.  I have enjoyed Maison Ikkoku for it's realism and Love Hina for it's comedy, but I had to choice of which I rather read over the other, it whould be Maison Ikkoku, becasue of it's realism. Sure, Keitaro doing something dumb is worth a chuckle, at times not even that, but near the end, it does have that MI feel. But I much rather have that good feeling thoughout the entire series then the last 4 volumes.
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Allen
Company Representative
 Posts: 281 Location: Not there |
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I think a lot of that has to do with timing of the release. Maison Ikkoku is a product of the 80s, and looks a bit dated. The manga is a strong storyline, but again, it began in the early days of Viz's releases. I'm curious to see how the second edition (unflipped stuff) will do as its released. Unfortunately, the fans seem to like the slapstick and shiny stuff. Maison Ikkoku has its own variety of fan service, but it remains much more muted when compared to Love Hina. I enjoyed reading both series and being more old school in nature, preferred the much more mature love story present in Maison Ikkoku. Godai is the original loser, and Keitaro falls into the path he set. |
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The Ramblin' Wreck
 Posts: 924 Location: Teaching Robot Women How To Love |
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Two cents here:
MI is extremely dated. It screams 80's!!!!!!! right at you. Love Hina is funnier and better drawn. MI was a romance. LH is a comedy. I enjoyed both. |
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Tempest
I Run this place. ANN Publisher Posts: 10474 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Hmm, I guess everyone who mentionend how dated MI is is right.
Unlike many current reviewers, I actually like Takahashi's character designs, and I find that theyhave a fairly timeless look to them. I recently re-watched one of my all time favorites, BGC, and I immediately noticed how dated the art looked. But when I pick up a copy of MI, the art didn't strike me as quite as dated... But her style certainly isn't as in-style as it used to be... And you can see how the art of Inu Yasha has progressed over her older art, even if the style is certainly similar... -t |
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Godaistudios
Posts: 2075 Location: Albuquerque, NM (the land of entrapment) |
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Unfortunately, there is a reason why there is genre now dedicated to Romantic Comedy
And both titles qualify under that line. Art is also subjective... one might consider the 80's style to be nostalgic and remind us of when we were younger, and the people it will appeal to may appreciate the work done there more. I also know people in their late teens/early twenties who like Maison Ikkoku better than Love Hina, so even then, the dated feel does NOT always determine the audience. (And like Tempest, I do find them timeless as well) As far as humor value? Again, that's subjective, and can vary on whether you like fanservice or not. Not to mention the repeated stuff... Some people think that Keitaro being constantly beaten up a great deal is the funniest thing in the world... others don't care for it all that much. While I still enjoyed both, people will have their opinions on to why they like what they like. |
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Ryuko
Posts: 104 |
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True.. I'm 18, and there's no way that Love Hina is better than MI. The datedness... Well, I guess that could bother some people, but it really doesn't seem that dated to me... Not compared to some of Takahashi's older works, even. And the characters definitely have more depth. I don't consider fanservice very funny.... (Well, in certain situations, of course...) But the type of humorous misunderstandings that Takahashi has in MI are not the stereotypical ones of today... (Coming to mind is the pregnant dog fiasco... (snicker)) I don't know if Romantic Comedy was such a big genre back then, but of all the RoCom serieses I've read, I like MI the best....
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Woo Jae
Posts: 69 Location: NYC and the Bronx. |
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Dated? Bah Humbug!
If you are looking for a story, Maisson Ikkoku is much much better than Love Hina. Maisson Ikkoku's story rates as a A- or A (and in my mind, A+) versus that of Love Hina (C/C+). The anime is a great great slightly different take on the situation than the manga, and yet, retains the heart and soul of the story quite well. The struggles that Godai has, the enventual realization by Kyoko of Godai's strengths and differences, and ultimately, the growth of the characters and minor characters as well make this a wonderful series. That's not saying that Love Hina fans aren't right to love their show - and defend it. It's just that this has been done better in an older series, and it truly saddens me to see that MI isn't as popular as LH, despite its superior story. That said, I love to watch fun and silly shows, and have all of Love Hina (just got the Love Hina Again DVD yesterday, in fact) Love Hina has its place, but Maisson Ikkoku IS a better story, and Yuusaku Godai and Kyoko Otonashi will have a special place in my heart that Keitaro and Naru will never usurp. |
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Aaron White
Old Regular
Posts: 1365 Location: Birmingham, Alabama |
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The Ikkoku manga was my passion around the time I graduated College-as a nebbish trying to win the love of an emotionally reserved woman, I related to Godai's struggles. Nowadays so much of the plotting seems painfully, creakily contrived, though; I used to think MI was a perceptive study of realistic human relations, and sometimes it is, but those corny plot contrivances get in the way. Having read Acme Novelty Library, Eightball and Love & Rockets, MI seems like pretty phoney drama. It looks like Carol Shields next to Love Hina, though.
I still like the art in Ikkoku. What it may seem to lack in cartoony slickness, it makes up for in atmosphere and a more nuanced expressiveness. |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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I don't know.. seems to me that asking why Maison Ikkoku isn't as popular as Love Hina is like asking why The Beatles aren't as popular as Justin Timberlake right now. One's classic, but the other one is new, panders to the audience, and is designed specifically to please the lowest common denominator's every wish. From a marketing perspective, it makes perfect sense. Maison is old and doesn't have a lot of fan service in it. Hina is new and does. There's your answer.
I loved Maison in High School, but the girl I was with wasn't emotionally reserved at all, so I didn't really relate to Godai, but I still found the story very amusing and fun to read. It's sort of a testament to Takahashi's ability to tell a compelling love story, warts and all. Since then my tastes have shifted away from romance stories, but I still have a soft spot for things like Maison and Marmalade Boy. More out of nostalgia than anything else. -Z |
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Catawba
 Posts: 4 |
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I also believe Ken Akamatsu is a big fan of Maison Ikkoku. I remember a character was wearing Kokyo's PIYO PIYO overall with the little chick on it in one of the later episodes of the Love Hina manga, 12 or 13. Perhaps this was a bit of an homage.
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BuffaloStyle
 Posts: 274 Location: Colorado |
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It would be nice, with the re-releasing of MI on DVD and through the second printing of the manga, if this classic series can get some recognition from those same fans that love stuff like Hina, Ai Yori Aoshi et al. |
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