The Love Hina manga is not a series that is not easy on fan service intended for the male reader, yet the intelligent mix of romance and comedy has made Love Hina a hit amongst female fans as well. The fifth and sixth volumes continues this tradition…and be warned this review does contain spoilers for past volumes and the anime.

Volume 5

Its summer, summer, summer meaning sun, sand and of course lots of shots of the female characters in swimsuits. Every year the girls at Hinata house serve at the Hinata seaside café, and this year they are also joined by Keitaro. Keitaro is still shocked at the news that Naru fancies his boss Seta, and constantly trying to avoid her. Where as Naru herself tries to figure out what her heart is telling her about the two men. A struggle that isn’t helped when Keitaro keeps bungling things up and Seta seems like the king of cool.

The fifth volume of Love Hina, is unfortunately given quite a lot of time in the anime and while there are some differences there won’t be anything that would surprise those who have seen the anime (Of course the opposite applies to the anime as well). In terms of plot development there really isn’t anything new on offer in the fifth volume, although it is very enjoyable.

Volume 6

Back from their summer vacation Keitaro and Naru hit the books once again to make up for lost time. An effort that pays off when Keitaro’s chance of getting into Tokyo U this year based on practice exams is now a B. To celebrate this success Keitaro decides to ask Naru out on a date, a task that proves a mammoth achievement in it’s self with all the other Hinata girls trying to interfere. The whole gang however break loose when it turns out one of the resident’s runs away, an adventure that turns into a return of an old friend, Mutsumi Otohime. Mutsumi is also still trying for Tokyo U and the three flunkies form a study group.

The return of Mutsumi (my personal favourite character I might add) adds a new element to the story, as Naru is constantly battling her feelings for Keitaro; Mutsumi begins to openly declare hers for him. This leads to a number of shocking plot twists and developments. Also this volume finishes on a massive cliff hanger that is bound to keep the die hard fans awake at night until they learn the conclusion.