While it's not the progenitor of tsundere harem anime (I consider Ranma 1/2 to hold that honor), Love Hina is without a doubt one of the most popular and successful series ever in its respective genre, and no doubt had a lasting influence on many series that followed it afterwards.

It all starts with a childhood promise. Keitaro and his Promise Girl both vow at a very young age that they would find happiness together in Tokyo University. Fast forward 15 years later, and the poor guy is struggling with re-tests to get in. And his problems are all downhill from there: He's also the manager of an inn-turned-girl's dormitory full of women that hate him. As the story unfolds, he does grow onto them and they eventually accept him as part of the household, albeit the violence towards him hasn't really subsided.

Love Hina has a wonderful and diverse cast of characters, all of which are memorable and will become dear to the reader's heart. Unlike the anime, which fumbles with their stories and characterizations in opt for more slapstick, every character in Love Hina is fully fleshed out and has a moment in the spotlight. (even Haruka! Get ready for her character arc!) Each character, even secondary characters - have pushed the plot in some meaningful way, and that is something I really appreciate in Love Hina's writing, even if certain gags get overused.

Speaking of gags, the vast majority of them will be Keitaro receiving some pummeling from the girls, but the manga covers far more than that. Even the girls will get their moments of comically bad luck that has plagued Keitaro for most of the series.

Though it is a romantic comedy with a larger focus on laughs, there are some genuinely tender moments in the manga that tug my heartstrings a bit. Without saying too much, the last character arcs for Mutsumi, Motoko, and Shinobu, while they do come full circle, did hit me in the feels and made me love them even more as characters.

Above all else, the manga wraps up the much anticipated question of who the Promise Girl really is. Although there's some crazy intense filler before getting to the ending (which really confirms who it is), all loose ends to the plot have been tied and you have an emotionally satisfying conclusion to the series. If you want the definitive experience of Love Hina, look no further than this now classic manga.