It's a rough volume for Keitaro this time around, but if the first two volumes are any indicator, it looks like things are never going to go Keitaro's way. In this volume alone, for example, Keitaro has to contend with the holidays, a very lonely Su, a fever, and constant studying. Will anything good happen to Keitaro for a change?

Much like volume one, Love Hina still remains a slapstick comedy with some romantic subplots thrown in for good measure. Keitaro is a second year ronin studying for Tokyo University, a school that he thinks he is destined to go to so that he can meet a girl he made a promise to when he was only a wee little guy. Trying to get into Tokyo University, however, isn't an easy thing to do when you've got five women invading every facet of your life.

Shinobu

The book opens up with a nice change of pace, focusing on Su and what makes her like she is on a regular basis. Su's my least favorite character in the series so far, but she isn't completely detestable. It's sweet to find out why her and Motoko are such close friends, and she certainly gets Keitaro into a ton of problems in only a short matter of time. Keitaro also finds himself dealing with a run of holidays in rapid succession, starting with Christmas and ending in Valentine's Day (the worst holiday of all for any lonely guy). Though the Valentine's Day portion of the volume deals a lot with Keitaro, it's really Shinobu's story, as she wants to show her sempai she appreciates him, but yet can never find the time to do so.

The main story is supposed to be Keitaro's struggles to get into Tokyo University, but it's blatantly obvious the real story is will he fall in love with Naru? The relationship between the two is still a lot of what happened in the first volume (Keitaro and Naru fight, awkward position or inadvertent panty flash, and then Keitaro getting punched). However, there are some genuine feelings starting to show, such as a friendly moment in the back of a delivery truck.

The mystery regarding Keitaro's childhood sweetheart deepens this volume, as Keitaro accidentally stumbles upon Naru's diary, which happens to reference something 15-years-ago…the same amount of time it's been since Keitaro's promise to his girl in the sandbox. Could Naru actually be the girl of Keitaro's dreams? The possibility drives the later portion of the story.

If you liked the first volume you'll enjoy the second one…mainly because they are practically one in the same. The book still has some great characters (Keitaro, Naru, and Shinobu especially), the artwork mixes comical mischief with lovely fan service, and the humor is actually funny in some parts of the story. On the negative side of things, there are some translation problems, and from beginning to end the story still follows the same formula as defined in the first volume. Despite the feeling of déjà vu, I'm still enjoying my time at the Hinata House.

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