Akamatsuverse Mao Chan Naru

[Terdwilicker]

In episode 13 or 16 of Mao Chan, the girls visit a certain hot spring lodge, which is being run by Naru and her husband Keitaro. He's absent, and a Suu Tech detector shows him nearing another glowing light on the screen, presumably one of the other former residents. Naru snarls that her husband is seeing another woman again and storms off in rage to kill/beat him.

So is this the usual Naru misunderstanding or is Akamatsu implying that Keitaro really IS cheating on Naru after they marry since she remains an abusive shrew. The lodge is thrashed, holes in the walls etc, and Naru breaks a new hole after complaining that Keitaro never wants to fix them, worthless husband etc.

So, what's it all mean?

 

[EagleCeres]

Mao-chan was done by Akamatsu, but there is no official connection between the stories

maybe it was jut a cameo or homage to Love Hina...
tho if he WAS tired of getting beat up by the shrew, we all know that there are at least 4 ladies ready and willing to comfort him

 

[cilrais]

I'm pretty sure visiting the hinata-sou in an episode counts as an official connection.

 

[EagleCeres]

I'm pretty sure visiting the hinata-sou in an episode counts as an official connection.

what i'm curious is
- Does Mao and her group go to THE Hinata Sou (is it said that it is THAT specific place)? or do they just go to A hot spring lodge? (where it's "just a coincidence" and homage to LH)

 

[Legacy|iB]

It was just an homage to Love Hina, if I recall. Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan was done by somebody else, but Ken Akamatsu did character designs and referenced his work with Love Hina.

As far as we're concerned, it's all coincidental - the characters in Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan just went to a place that resembled Hinata-Sou and came across a few people that resembled the characters of Love Hina. It isn't a connection towards Love Hina, at all.

But, seeing how we are discussing this, I figure somebody will take this as something and use it for a fic of fic related idea...

 

[Terdwilicker]

Hmm. Well, I recall in the LH anime a scene of news footage showing Godzilla stomping on Tokyo, but they change channels too quickly out of boredom. The sign DID say Hinata Lodge, and while they won't say her name, she says "my worthless husband, Keitaro". And it was a Su Tech locator gizmo. So, the crossover is established enough to suggest further development post-Wedding.

 

[Dark Knight Gafgar]

Mao-Chan is done by Akamatsu, it's one of his earlier works I believe. The place the girls visit is, AFAIK, directly stated to be the Hinata Sou, and Keitaro and Naru are apparantly identified by name.

Edit: Though Terd probably knows more about it than I do.

 

[Legacy|iB]

I don't know much about the series either. I'm just doing what I do best - finding info from Wikipedia. Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan is apparently a later work, and it references Love Hina at times. Whether it mentions Keitaro and Naru by name, I wouldn't be sure, but I've seen a few images and it does appear as though the two of them do show up in some similar form. There's some images for it here.

I wouldn't take it as canon in the Love Hina universe, though.

 

[rootathell]

It's episode 20 "Let's Go to the Hot Springs to Pass the Tokyo U Exam" and the female officer looks like Naru with glasses, while the landlady looks like the normal Naru

 

[Legacy|iB]

Huh...

If that's the case, maybe Ken Akamatsu just got lazy or something...

 

[SimmyC]

I haven't seen Ground Defense Force! Mao Chan so I can't really say one way or the other. The only one that has seen it apparently is Terd and rootathell so, they would probably know more than any of us trying to respond.

The only thing I can say at this point is, homage does not equal canon. Especially if they 'change' the names around to make it, similar but not the same.