Love Hina

Of course, the solution is not making the girls abusive bipolar in the first place. Playing them as actual likable people, and not forcing every other situation into an absurd OH I DERPED AND RAN INTO YOUR NAKED CROTCH AGAIN DUHRRR nonsense. Really, it's kinda silly considering it as if only side of the equation (Keitaro) should be changed, when the problem was how the whole scenario was built up.

I'd make the story shorter and cut out the last part with Kaolla and replace it with something sensible. I don't really care much about what the characters are doing.

*GIBBS SLAP* There be no double standards here, boyo!

and That's why you need to keep it funny. Tone down the violence, and give it somewhat reasonable justification.For Naru, hitting guys that act like perverts toward her is a knee-jerk reaction by the point Keitaro shows up, and she eventually stops thinking of the poor guy as a pervert, especially when she starts having accidents.

Motoko is entrenched in her "all men are pigs" mindset, not at all helped by her and Naru constantly having to deal with unwanted advances from guys who just can't take a hint. Keitaro's kind and chivalrous behavior along with the utter absurdity of some of the things that happen to him cause increasing damage to this worldview, and there's definite comedy potential with her desperate attempts to hold onto it clashing with her honorable personality as said worldview begins to crumble.

One scene that would score him major points with the two is when he tries to intervene in a situation where some guys are directing their clearly unwanted attentions at the girls. He gets between them and the guys, arms outstretched, and tries his best to keep things from escalating into violence. Then one of the idiot makes a particularly crude remark at the girls. Keitaro's face goes blank, he lowers his arms, and with a completely deadpan voice, says "Don't kill them." The scene ends with him walking away from the two ladies handing out a well-deserved asswhupping. Needless to say, this earns him major points with Naru and Motoko.

edited 13th Nov '14 10:21:01 PM by Valiran

I think more than anything else, these ladies were fearful of the world, and Keitaro represented the world. If we look at the ladies, they had their more sympathetic moments, even at the height of the cruelty.

Naru was a lot more understanding about the public onsen story when they fled their assumed failed entry to Todai than she might have been. She also didn't pummel him when Su got into his porn stash, choosing to understand that he would have one, and keeping Su out of stuff is impossible.

I recall Motoko actually praising his diligence at cleaning, and Kitsune feeling genuinely bad when she flubbed his getting a part-time job. Su and Mutsumi always seemed to love him, as did Shinobu, but with some genuine fear flubbing things up for her. I think sometimes her crying jags got Keitaro more beatings than his actual actions towards the others.

Sarah I think feared rejection and being sent away, so she pounded on him to test his resolve, other than just being a smart-ass kid. Haruka at least once dropped her dull indifference and privately admitted to herself things were dull before her cousin/nephew came back. Using some perspective, I can re-read any part of the series except Molmol. That I have to skip. The ladies' actions veered into actual scummery, and the explanation of 'we were testing you and wanted to declare ourselves' just left me dry, and even disliking Shinobu (for that arc).