Keitaro Urashima
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
and the main protagonist
from Ken Akamatsu
's manga and anime Love Hina
. He is voiced by Yūji Ueda
(Japanese) and Derek Stephen Prince
(English). His name is inspired by Keitarō Arima
as well as the mythological character Urashima Tarō
student who is desperately trying to get into University of Tokyo
(Tōkyō daigaku, often abbreviated to Tōdai) because of a promise he had made fifteen years earlier to his first love. This promise, that if two people who love each other and go to Tokyo University together they will live happily ever after, is what keeps Keitarō focused and determined, even though he can not remember the name or face of the girl with whom he made the promise to.
After failing the entrance exams twice and becoming a second-year rōnin
(a high school student who did not pass the college entrance exams), his parents kick him out of his house, forcing him to move into his grandmother Hinata's home in , a hot-springs village in Kanagawa Prefecture
overlooking Sagami Bay
. Hinata's residence is a hotel called the Hinata House, located at 1 Hinata Street; what he does not know at this time is that the hotel had been converted into a girls-only dormitory. Despite an embarrassing and painful run with the residents which almost forces him to leave, he stays upon finding out that Hinata has given him the title and deed to the Hinata establishment. As the new landlord and manager, he must oversee and maintain the residence, a fact which upsets the girls. Even though the girls think of him as a pervert, over time he wins them over with his good-natured personality and constant perseverance even under dire pressure. Whereas in the anime he has a skill for drawing, particularly women, in the manga his main specialty is cooking chocolate dishes; he even boasted in the second volume that his skill can easily match that of any real chef's. One of his favorite hobbies is collecting photobooth pictures, which are, however, almost only of himself (except for two of him with Naru
).
In the manga, after a trip with Seta to the USA
, Keitarō becomes a skilled martial artist. He is able to match Motoko and on occasion defeats her in battle. Under Seta's wing, he becomes an impressive archaeologist, gaining Seta's uncanny ability to pull artifacts out of the ground practically anywhere. However, he also adopted Seta's bad driving habits and as well suffers from night blindness. His growth in character is picked up by the girls, who begin to develop even larger crushes on him. His developing relationship with Naru is one of the focal points in the story.
On the fourth attempt, he finally gets accepted into Tokyo U, then proposes to Naru. Despite attempts from the other girls to capture his heart, Keitaro's feelings for Naru are unwavering. In Chapter 118, it is revealed that she is the girl he made the promise to 15 years ago. He, Naru, and Mutsumi were all in that fateful sandbox and that Hinata says that he should hang onto "that girl beside him," signifying Naru. He becomes a renowned archaeologist and successor to Seta's studies.
After three years and a very long engagement the two finally get married. His luck, though, has not changed much as he is last seen being chased by Naru after accidentally tearing off her wedding dress while heading to their honeymoon though considering their expressions it is implied that this was done more as "for old times sake".
He is luckless around women and is the subject of their violent attacks whenever he accidentally sees them naked or trips and touches them inappropriately. Despite such savage beatings, he is incredibly resilient (even a rocket does not do real harm). There is a joke in Volume 12 of the Manga that Keitaro is gifted with immortality, when he tells Naru that she probably would not survive the fall but he would.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
from Ken Akamatsu
Ken Akamatsu
is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo.Sailor Moon was his introduction to anime and manga fandom.In his teens, Akamatsu applied himself to Film Study . Eventually, he became famous as an illustrator featured in Comiket . He used the pen name...
's manga and anime Love Hina
Love Hina
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine by Kodansha from October 21, 1998 to October 31, 2001 and was published in 14 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. The series tells the story of Keitaro Urashima and his attempts to...
. He is voiced by Yūji Ueda
Yuji Ueda
is a popular Japanese seiyū.He is most known for the roles of Sagara Sanosuke , Akito Tenkawa , Takeshi , Horohoro , Johannes Krauser II and Keitaro Urashima ....
(Japanese) and Derek Stephen Prince
Derek Stephen Prince
Derek Stephen Prince is an American voice actor who is most memorable for his various roles in the Digimon series, as well as the voice of Elgar in the live-action Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers in Space.While a talented actor, with vocal skills capable of anything from High School girls to...
(English). His name is inspired by Keitarō Arima
Keitaro Arima
is a Japanese manga artist. He was a member of the Manga Dōkōkai OB at Kansai University. His pen names include , and .-Works:*Astro Fujo-san *Eromanō...
as well as the mythological character Urashima Tarō
Urashima Taro
is a Japanese legend about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded for this with a visit to Ryūgū-jō, the palace of Ryūjin, the Dragon God, under the sea...
Fictional character biography
Keitarō Urashima is 19/20-year-old cram schoolCram school
Cram schools are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities...
student who is desperately trying to get into University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
(Tōkyō daigaku, often abbreviated to Tōdai) because of a promise he had made fifteen years earlier to his first love. This promise, that if two people who love each other and go to Tokyo University together they will live happily ever after, is what keeps Keitarō focused and determined, even though he can not remember the name or face of the girl with whom he made the promise to.
After failing the entrance exams twice and becoming a second-year rōnin
Ronin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
(a high school student who did not pass the college entrance exams), his parents kick him out of his house, forcing him to move into his grandmother Hinata's home in , a hot-springs village in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
overlooking Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...
. Hinata's residence is a hotel called the Hinata House, located at 1 Hinata Street; what he does not know at this time is that the hotel had been converted into a girls-only dormitory. Despite an embarrassing and painful run with the residents which almost forces him to leave, he stays upon finding out that Hinata has given him the title and deed to the Hinata establishment. As the new landlord and manager, he must oversee and maintain the residence, a fact which upsets the girls. Even though the girls think of him as a pervert, over time he wins them over with his good-natured personality and constant perseverance even under dire pressure. Whereas in the anime he has a skill for drawing, particularly women, in the manga his main specialty is cooking chocolate dishes; he even boasted in the second volume that his skill can easily match that of any real chef's. One of his favorite hobbies is collecting photobooth pictures, which are, however, almost only of himself (except for two of him with Naru
Naru Narusegawa
is a fictional character and the female protagonist in the Love Hina series by Ken Akamatsu. Known for her fiery temper and tendency to use physical violence to punish central character Keitaro Urashima, she is the first female introduced in the series who is trying to pass the University of Tokyo...
).
In the manga, after a trip with Seta to the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Keitarō becomes a skilled martial artist. He is able to match Motoko and on occasion defeats her in battle. Under Seta's wing, he becomes an impressive archaeologist, gaining Seta's uncanny ability to pull artifacts out of the ground practically anywhere. However, he also adopted Seta's bad driving habits and as well suffers from night blindness. His growth in character is picked up by the girls, who begin to develop even larger crushes on him. His developing relationship with Naru is one of the focal points in the story.
On the fourth attempt, he finally gets accepted into Tokyo U, then proposes to Naru. Despite attempts from the other girls to capture his heart, Keitaro's feelings for Naru are unwavering. In Chapter 118, it is revealed that she is the girl he made the promise to 15 years ago. He, Naru, and Mutsumi were all in that fateful sandbox and that Hinata says that he should hang onto "that girl beside him," signifying Naru. He becomes a renowned archaeologist and successor to Seta's studies.
After three years and a very long engagement the two finally get married. His luck, though, has not changed much as he is last seen being chased by Naru after accidentally tearing off her wedding dress while heading to their honeymoon though considering their expressions it is implied that this was done more as "for old times sake".
Personality
Keitaro is extremely kind-hearted and can always be counted on to help out when a friend is in trouble. He has a well-meaning personality, is constantly friendly, dedicated to his studies, and has a genuine concern for all of his friends.He is luckless around women and is the subject of their violent attacks whenever he accidentally sees them naked or trips and touches them inappropriately. Despite such savage beatings, he is incredibly resilient (even a rocket does not do real harm). There is a joke in Volume 12 of the Manga that Keitaro is gifted with immortality, when he tells Naru that she probably would not survive the fall but he would.