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Well, it's over -- it's finally over. Volume 6 is the final disc in the first season of "Love Hina," and I have to admit to feeling very slightly let down. I don't think that I'll give too much away by revealing that the final episodes don't really resolve the central question of Naru and Keitaro's relationship ... and I was hoping that they would.

Wait!!! I just did a little searching on Google, and found out that this is NOT the end of the first season, despite the blurb on the box. There is actually one more episode, number 25, which appears as a "bonus" on the "Love Hina Christmas Special" DVD. Hmmm. Well, that's nasty little bit of false advertising. I'm knocking the "packaging" score down a LOT as a result.

The episodes on this disc focus on Naru, Keitaro, and especially Mutsumi; she appears in every episode, with the excuse that she's studying hard for the Tokyo U. entrance exams with Naru and Keitaro. In fact, we learn -- to no real surprise -- that she may have a second agenda: Keitaro. Our favorite punching bag is forced to make a choice between the two women in his life (well, the two women whom he sees as potential girlfriends, that is).

I watched all four episodes in a row, and by the end of the third one, my "Just SAY it" meter was reaching the danger zone. I have never enjoyed stories in which the main characters keep a secret from each other for no good reason (hence my disdain for many of my wife's historical romances, which seem to be filled with men who can't admit that they are just pretending to be "bad" to hide their truly sensitive nature, and women who refuse to admit that they actually find Mr. Right attractive). So much is made out of Keitaro's long-ago promise to a playmate to attend Tokyo U., and just about everyone's discovery of the playmate's identity -- except Keitaro's -- that I became frustrated. Grrrr. Naru's repeated abuse for Keitaro really started to get on my nerves, too. She beats him when he looks at anyone else, but refuses to be nice to him herself. I'm afraid that after an hour of watching her behave like a real bitch, I realized that she was, in fact, nearly indistinguishable from a real bitch.

Fortunately, the final episode manages to bring out the best in Naru and the others. Shinobu acts as a catalyst for some of the action, which is always a Good Thing. Poor little Shinobu. She's so vulnerable, so sincere, and she has no chance (and knows it, too). She's easily my favorite character, and I'm glad to see her get some attention, even if it makes me a bit sniffly.

You know, if I were in Keitaro's position -- caught between a woman who freely admitted that she loved me, and was willing to spend the rest of her life with me, who was gentle and straightforward (if a bit klutzy), and another woman who refused to admit her own feelings for me, struck me repeatedly in jealous fits, and constantly put me down -- well, I think I may well have just cast away any feelings I might have had for Naru and gone off with Mutsumi. At some point, it just isn't worth the abuse.

Equipment used when writing this review:

JVC 32-inch TV, Sony DVD deck, stereo speakers.

Content: 8 Video: 8 Sound: 8 Packaging: 4 Menu: 7

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Other reviews of this disc:

Love Hina Vol 6 "And the Winner is ..." by Urashima_Taro (Rating: 9.20) Okay, let's get two things straight. One, I am a HUGE fan of Love Hina. Two, THIS IS NOT THE LAST VOLUME IN THE SERIES. Since most Japanese seasons consist of 13 episodes, it is a reasonable conclusion that there will be 26 episodes....(continues) Content: 10 Video: 10 Sound: 10 Packaging: 8 Menu: 8

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