Thread: Hatsukoi Limited - SJ's answer to SR

Hatsukoi Limited, a new manga published in Shonen Jump by the guy that did Ichigo 100%, is in it's 11 chapter now and the more I read it the more and more similarities I find with School Rumble. It's the character design that almost draws a carbon copy of their SR counterparts. Heres a run of the cast:

Misao Zaitsu - High School year 1
The delinquent high schooler that falls in love with one of his brother's classmates.
SR Equivalent = Kenji Harima

Ayumi Arihara - Middle School year 2
The object of Misao's affection, she is the plucky girl that has her eyes set on only one boy, Misao's brother Mamoru.
SR Equivalent = Tenma Tsukamoto

Kei Enomoto - Middle School year 2
The idol of the middle school girls. She believes a boy is only as good as his looks.
SR Equivalent = Eri Sawachika

Rika Dobashi - Middle School year 2
A sports star and the most athletic girl in her school. She's tom-boyish and probably the most level-headed of all her friends.
SR Equivalent = Mikoto Suou

Misaki Yamamoto - High School year 1
The Zaitsu brother's next door neighbor and childhood friend. She is very open and considerate of the Zaitsu's, and she is often overly concerned for Misao. Is oddly a powerful submission expert that can fight in her sleep.
SR Equivalent = Itoko Osakabe

There are more SR simularities, but I didn't feel like going through the entire cast. So, is it just me, or has Hatsukoi Limited taken more then just a few pages out of School Rumble's book?

http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=14271

One thing is different - it's Ecchi manga, which lately was boring hell out of me...

I've been reading HL since it started and I would say its pretty much nothing like SR. They're about as similar as 666Satan is to Naruto- they may have similar basis, but the execution and direction and conduction of the story seem to be completely different.

I don't see the similarities, either. School Rumble's cast of characters is hardly unique; I'm sure you could find many manga with characters in the same roles, or with similar personalities. What makes School Rumble unusual is the plot and execution of said plot, not the characters themselves.

Although I know nothing about this manga, I have to agree with Digi from theoretical point of view - even if at start manga's are similar it doesn't mean that this likeness will remain as story progresses. So you'll have to wait for some time to say if that manga is a copy of SR or not.

Oh, and Kawashita Mizuki is hardly a guy.

Originally Posted by Kolox

One thing is different - it's Ecchi manga, which lately was boring hell out of me...

Means you are growing up, no?

Well, I like dirty jokes but jokes like "OOh, I saw your panties" are a little..not funny ? Nudity as nudity isn't funny, unless there is something more to it...

Originally Posted by Digital_Eon

I don't see the similarities, either. School Rumble's cast of characters is hardly unique; I'm sure you could find many manga with characters in the same roles, or with similar personalities. What makes School Rumble unusual is the plot and execution of said plot, not the characters themselves.

Well, there is plenty of gag manga around, too. What makes SR unique is the interactions between specific characters. Any given scene is usually built from the dynamics of a given pair of characters, romantic or not.

You're bound to see some ideas borrowed from SR in manga to come, though. Imitation is the best form of flattery.

Originally Posted by Kolox

One thing is different - it's Ecchi manga, which lately was boring hell out of me...

It's not really ecchi, as of now.

Originally Posted by Kyto1984

Misao Zaitsu - High School year 1
The delinquent high schooler that falls in love with one of his brother's classmates.
SR Equivalent = Kenji Harima

Ayumi Arihara - Middle School year 2
The object of Misao's affection, she is the plucky girl that has her eyes set on only one boy, Misao's brother Mamoru.
SR Equivalent = Tenma Tsukamoto

Kei Enomoto - Middle School year 2
The idol of the middle school girls. She believes a boy is only as good as his looks.
SR Equivalent = Eri Sawachika

Rika Dobashi - Middle School year 2
A sports star and the most athletic girl in her school. She's tom-boyish and probably the most level-headed of all her friends.
SR Equivalent = Mikoto Suou

Misaki Yamamoto - High School year 1
The Zaitsu brother's next door neighbor and childhood friend. She is very open and considerate of the Zaitsu's, and she is often overly concerned for Misao. Is oddly a powerful submission expert that can fight in her sleep.
SR Equivalent = Itoko Osakabe

I think you tried a little bit too hard to make these fit.

so I'm the only one here who agrees with him that SR and HL has similarities? When I first read it. I saw a bit of similarities to SR story and plot wise. Finding similarities to Characters are easy for High school Romantic comedies so I wouldn't count that one.

The first similarities that I've notice is kinda obvious. First love (duh Hatsukoi) and how the characters stumbles around it. I know, most (if not all) of romantic stories are like that but most of them follow the standard story of having a guy/girl liking someone who actually likes them back.

HL is like SR in this perspective. The person that the character likes isn't conveniently in love with them as well.

The second similarity that I've notice is the plot. The story moves at a different character's perspective. It's like having a different main characters. (we had a discussion here about whos the main heroine for SR so no one could argue that SR's story moves differently)

They are similar but I would have to say that HL isn't a photocopy of SR.

Originally Posted by _Vincent_

so I'm the only one here who agrees with him that SR and HL has similarities? When I first read it. I saw a bit of similarities to SR story and plot wise. Finding similarities to Characters are easy for High school Romantic comedies so I wouldn't count that one.

The first similarities that I've notice is kinda obvious. First love (duh Hatsukoi) and how the characters stumbles around it. I know, most (if not all) of romantic stories are like that but most of them follow the standard story of having a guy/girl liking someone who actually likes them back.

HL is like SR in this perspective. The person that the character likes isn't conveniently in love with them as well.

The second similarity that I've notice is the plot. The story moves at a different character's perspective. It's like having a different main characters. (we had a discussion here about whos the main heroine for SR so no one could argue that SR's story moves differently)

They are similar but I would have to say that HL isn't a photocopy of SR.

Well, given that the OP's point was that the characters in HL are carbon copies of characters in SR, I'm not really sure how your stance is in agreement with his.

When you mention plot, you seem to be really talking about the setup. The idea of exploring a first love or setting up love triangles (ie. a loop of unrequited loves) is fairly common. At present, we have no idea as to how HL intends on exploring these ideas, given that it's only beginning. What makes SR's approach unique in terms of theme is that the love story archetype is neglected in favor of exploring character.

The parallels between HL and SR so far seem to be fairly superficial. While Kei, for example, matches Eri's overall archetype, as far as twin-tailed blonde tsundere school idols go, we can't really talk about them being similar until we see what sort of character development Kei undergoes. The fact that Kei has a sister, for example, makes it unlikely that she's going to pull off the whole theme of loneliness and melancholy that surrounds much of Eri's storyline.

But even when you draw similarities to a few characters, you might run into problems when you try to extend it. Misaki, for example, doesn't have all that much in common with Itoko aside from the fact that she's an "older girl". Ayumi doesn't have all that much in common with Tenma aside from the fact that she's liked by a delinquent. Not to mention that the relationship dynamics between the characters, which is central to SR, is quite different. That's why I think that the comparisons are a bit of a stretch, in some cases.

I agreed with this part:

Originally Posted by Kyto

Hatsukoi Limited, a new manga published in Shonen Jump by the guy that did Ichigo 100%, is in it's 11 chapter now and the more I read it the more and more similarities I find with School Rumble. It's the character design that almost draws a carbon copy of their SR counterparts. Heres a run of the cast:

there are similarities but your right. the story has just began. the story might move differently later on.

but I disagreed with him when he says that the characters are carbon copies of SR

Originally Posted by me vince XD

so I'm the only one here who agrees with him that SR and HL has similarities? When I first read it. I saw a bit of similarities to SR story and plot wise. Finding similarities to Characters are easy for High school Romantic comedies so I wouldn't count that one.

yes I quoted myself XD

tsundere Idol girls are very common. It's possible that they became Idols because they're unapproachable and therefore looked up on. The unreachable stars ^^