Resurrecting this thread. Have no idea how I missed it.
> Love Hina turned 20
> not even a peep anywhere
>>881475
The adaption was good for what it was, striving more for gags instead of ecchi humor. I hated it when it came out. The fact that most of the art and promotional material was based off of the anime felt like salt rubbing in the wound. You couldn't go to any fan site without seeing it. The anime art style was simply inferior but typical of the turn of the decade.
I rewatched and reread the series for its 20th anniversary. The manga holds up tremendously although it goes off rails, twice. I'm not sure if it started the lucky sukebei gag but I will stand by it popularizing it. Akamatsu definitely wanted to crossover to shonen halfway through and Love Hina got dragged into it.
The anime was surprisingly smart in how it took many plotlines and important details and forged its own take on the setting. I appreciate it more today and can see why people enjoyed it when it was airing. I still think the manga is superior in every way, and I saw that the OVAs would improve the art style it used as time wore on. Lova Hina Again, the final OVA and covering the original 11th volume, looks great and the payoff relies on a filler episode from the series.