show review
by Zaku88 on 2011-05-22 03:17
Rating:7.5
Approval:-
This is the first special following the end of the TV series. Christmas Eve is supposed to be a special time to confess and so we find Keitaro and Naru in a slightly comedic, slightly dramatic situation. This is by far the better of the two specials and advances the plot to some degree. A definite good watch for those who enjoyed the original Love Hina series.
Animation:
This is the same as the original for me. I still don't like how the characters are drawn face-wise but I overlook it with time. Fairly good job overall.
Sound:
Again, very similar to the original with some insert songs and a few Christmas-themed BGMs. VAs are also the same and do a very good job.
Story:
Naru and Keitaro are studying for the Tokyo exams still and it is almost Christmas at Hinata . With the "special" christmas eve approaching, will the two be able to confront their feelings and confess to each other? The story follows the two as they struggle to find the words they seek. It seems at some times that EVERYTHING is working against the pair but they struggle onwards. This creates slightly more drama in this and takes away some of the humor. However, do not expect the drama to even approach that of serious romantic dramas (Ef, KGNE, etc...). The plot twists are quite minor and linear in their approach.
Nonetheless, it was a heartwarming story and a good addition to the storyline. Compared to the original series, the overall story development is done better.
Character:
Keitaro is still the weak yet nice guy from the TV series and Naru is still overly strong yet immensely shy (when it comes to relationships). There is a substantial amount of development for both of them and some additional background info on the other characters.
Value:
A quick and enjoyable add-on to the series that incorporates a nice chunk of the manga. Recommended for those who liked Love Hina and want more.
show review
by saya77 on 2007-01-23 22:11
Rating:4.83
Approval:86.0% (1 votes)
The better of the two Specials, the Love Hina Christmas Special is more "mature" than the original TV series, and focuses more upon the romantic relationship of Keitaro and Narusegawa.
The animation is typical of Love Hina: good character models and 2D backgrounds with various cartoony effects. Not great, but a bit above average.
The soundtrack is decent, but not as good as the Love Hina TV series; the best song was the re-hashed opening from the original series. The voice acting was good, but I didn't like the random songs in the middle of the anime.
The story, as I stated, is more "mature" than the TV series. By this I mean that the Special is not filled with the crazy antics and lack of development characterized by the TV series. Much of the Special is sombre and depressing in its mood, unlike the mood of the TV series; it is more like the mood of a Soap Opera than a comedy. However, the story was a bit predictable.
Keitaro and Narusegawa actually act like real people for the majority of the Special, while in the TV series they weren't believeable. It is interesting to see the development of their relationship as they each struggle to find out how they feel for each other and how to tell the other person.
There is even a little exploration of Shinobu's and Motoko's characters, though they don't really develop.
For Love Hina fans, this is an interesting add-on to the TV series, and expands a little on Keitaro and Naru's relationship (though, judging by the final scenes, nothing changes). For people who did not enjoy Love Hina; you probably won't want to watch this, as it is pretty much more of the same.
I enjoyed the anime for the greater level of maturity than the series, and the greater realism. However, I didn't enjoy the random songs in the middle of the Special, and the story wasn't as interesting as it could have been.
show review
by matthew0 on 2005-04-19 13:00
Rating:7.83
Approval:30.1% (3 votes)
I liked Christmas Special a lot. I thought that it did a great job continuing the Love Hina story, and I thought that the ending was very sweet.
Story:
It wasn't incredible, but it was good. It follows the usual pattern of Keitaro trying to impress Naru, who isn't willing to admit her feelings, but it does a better job of it than usual.
Character:
Nothing great here, but it was nice to see Naru slowly starting to change here. The inner conflict as to what to do about their relationship works well and helps move things forward.
Animation / Sound:
Typical for Love Hina. Good but nothing outstanding.
Value:
I've already watched it a couple of times, and you probably will too after seeing it once.
Enjoyment:
I honestly liked this one a lot. Don't watch it until you've seen the main Love Hina series, but once you have, this makes a great continuation. Thumbs up.
show review
by netaddict on 2004-05-24 19:37
Rating:9.66
Approval:06.6% (11 votes)
Christmas Special Was really awesome... Keitaro tries soo hard for Naru.. well.. I guess tats the power of love. This special was very romantic.. and basically tells alot/sums up the manga actually..
Keitaro buys Naru a really sweet jacket but is mistaken about her at an earlier time with Seta. Shinobu is soo sweet.. even though she really like Keitaro.. she always think of his feelings first.. She tells him about the whole misunderstanding and... just a few minutes before midnight Naru professes her feelings.. :)
Its the best of the special!! WATCH IT!! :)
show review
by arroyo on 2004-04-04 21:32
Rating:7.5
Approval:23.7% (9 votes)
[ story ]
lh: xmas special is still pure lh action, and so is its shallow story. keitaro is still that wimpy guy, and naru is still denying herself about her feelings...
how long will lh fans tolerate that?
at least, naru shows sum small signs that this situation might change in the near future... at least, ppl hope so ;-)
[ characters ]
again, naru takes the highlights... keitaro becomes more like a support role, as his will hasnt changed much thru the series... but naru, she's the one in a quest to admit to herself what is in her heart...
the rest of the party is nothing but ok, as usual... they have their own depths, enough to give em sum richness
[ animation ]
the same good-looking style as the tv series... in fact, u notice sum increase of quality in this special... but nothing too special overall
[ sound ]
it keeps the same level as animation does... not better, but the same from before... but the ending part bgm was nicely chosen and deserves a mention ;-)
[ value ]
as part of the lh series, it's a must-see if u're a fan... otherwise, dont even waste ur time on this piece, it wont make any sense if u dont know the lh story...
[ enjoyment ]
it's an all nicey story, pushed towards romance more than the comedy side... there's a lot of misencounters, but the highlight goes for naru's confession scene... kinda every fan expects that, and the productor really gave it ;-)
show review
by coochan on 2004-02-16 18:46
Rating:6.33
Approval:48.8% (7 votes)
For fans of the series, once again the question is asked: will Keitaro get together with Naru? or will she finally kill him? By this point everyone in the building knows they have a thing for each other, although Naru continues to deny it.
Lets run down the main aspects:
Animation: good as always.
Sound: unobjectionable; I can't gauge the artistry of the Japanese voice actors, not being a native speaker, but it seemed pretty good. The English voice cast, on the other hand, suffer from that stupid, unconvincing, over-acted style that 95% of anime English dubs suffer from.
Story: follows and continues the series story quite nicely. In fact, I would consider this OVA probably the right way to end the series, as it wraps up matters in a way which is much more satifying than the last episode of the TV series.
Character: I found the handling of Keitaro a little clumsy. With his broken foot he is so overtly pathetic that it's hard to imagine anyone actually liking him. The supporting characters are only allowed to move the main plot along.
Value: I don't think I'll be wanting to see it again (nor the series either).
Enjoyment: Not bad, not great.
In summary, a good way to wrap up the Love Hina franchise. I recommend the viewer to cap the series with this OVA -- but go no further.
