Tona-Gura!

Kazuki Arisaka remembers her childhood friend, Yuuji Kagura, very fondly. When she and her older sister Hatsune learn that Yuuji and his younger sister Marie are moving back next door after 10 years, she is delighted. That delight quickly fades when she realizes that her friend and crush is now a blatant pervert, and his little sister is a machine-gun toting maniac, tasked with keeping her brother in line (with paint balls, and on occasion, smoke bombs). Hatsune still wants the two to hook up, an idea that revolts Kazuki, but are things as simple as Kazuki believes? Is her friend still inside the hyper-active bag of teen hormones called Yuuji?

Tona-Gura! (also known as Tonagura!) comes off a bit like Love Hina with some roles and motives switched, and the mystic elements removed. But with a trimmed-down cast and the same basic settings throughout, it works on its own, and no one is so perfect as to not see at least a chapter or three where things don't go their way. If you want an anime wherein the guy arguably deserves his beating but is still someone you'd want to be around, and where the girl is not so Tsundere as to wonder where the attraction is, this may be your cup of tea.


 * Accidental Pervert: Subverted almost entirely in Yuuji. He knows exactly what he is doing and saying, though he thinks of it as far more playful than it comes across to the girls he pursues, particularly Kazuki. Despite this, he still manages to walk in on situations he didn't intend, but tries to exploit.
 * All Men Are Perverts : The underlying belief, ("All Boys Are Like That") though playfully toned down, of Kazuki's best friend, Chihaya Suzuhara. This enables her to tolerate and even encourage Yuuji's behavior, to the point of flashing her underwear at him.
 * Adaptation Expansion: The manga made after the anime provides much deeper looks at the characters and their stronger points to balance off their more extreme ones: Yuuji's loyalty to Kazuki and their friendship; Kazuki's admiration and encouragement for Yuuji's skill at ; Marie's love for her brother; Hatsune's ability to handle people in almost any situation, like in Chapter 37 of the manga where she manages to successfully chide Haya, the bipolar assistant to Yuuji's Dad for not letting Yuuji call home in a crisis.
 * Axe Crazy:  is possibly this in   when   threatens
 * Beady-Eyed Loser: Yuuji.
 * Belligerent Sexual Tension: Very, very Yuuji/Kazuki, though subverted somewhat by Yuuji not gladly taking those beatdowns he does not have coming, almost going Tsundere on her when she is in the wrong.
 * Berserk Button: Calling Hatsune "motherly" means a Tickling Hell for whatever poor soul did so.
 * Cannot Spit It Out: Yuuji can't bring himself to call Kazuki cute.
 * Chivalrous Pervert : Yuuji will not touch or dream of touching Nina, and despite Marie's early explanation of her role in 'punishing' him and it being for her safety as well, there are places he will never go. Unless the target is Kazuki.
 * Clingy Jealous Boy : It appears that
 * Comedic Sociopathy : Both Yuuji's intrusive, often juvenile pursuit of Kazuki, and his sister Marie's literally armed response to any and all signs of such lewdness. Possibly also Hatsune tying Marie up to stop her punishment of Yuuji, and her ignoring Kazuki's stated desire to stop her extreme efforts at matchmaking.
 * Dojikko : Tojo Haya, the junior partner in photography to Yuuji and Marie's Dad. Note : A manga-only character.
 * Emotionless Girl: Marie, though in reality, her indifference hides a wish that.
 * Epiphany Therapy : Kazuki, when she realizes (at least in the anime's finale) that . This leads to
 * Failure Is the Only Option : Marie, whose stated goal of controlling her brother's hormonal behavior may be attainable, but her secret goal of  is one that can never be, even if Yuuji became a complete gentleman.
 * Gag Boobs - Both Hatsune and Nina.
 * Genki Girl : Nina, whose manic attentions freak Marie out, to the point of almost 'punishing' her with paint balls, one of the only other people besides Yuuji to get this attention, and the only female. On occasion, Tojo Haya as well, though in her case it plays out mainly as nerves.
 * Green-Eyed Monster : Yuuji becomes rather sullen when he thinks
 * (Not-so-) Heroic BSOD : Put 'Kazuki' and 'break up' in the same sentence, and Yuuji becomes a stone statue of shock and despair.
 * Hot for Student : The teacher, Kogorou, towards Hatsune, and Hatsune towards him, though Yuuji suspects/accuses that he feels this towards Kazuki as well. The age difference between Hatsune and Kogorou earned him
 * Hot Shounen Mom - Hatsune can be called this. As can Haruka from an often compared series. Just not ever in their presence, if you value your life and limbs.
 * Les Yay: Enough to occasionally border on Ship Tease between Kazuki and Chihaya. Hatsune also seems to be highly enamored of her sister's cuteness, even moreso than Ui for Yui.
 * Little Miss Badass : Marie.
 * Lolicon : Nina, whose early-bloomer bustiness freaks Yuuji out. To his credit, he regards her age as being a firm dividing line, and a point of squick. When Marie's panties are exposed at one point, his expression blanks entirely. Strangely she is only One year younger.
 * Lonely Rich Kid : Nina's reason for being so grabby.
 * The Matchmaker : Hatsune, who at one point in the manga, even writes . Hatsune 'knows' what her sister wants, whether she wants it or not. She even on occasion ties up Marie to stop her from 'punishing' her brother's clumsy efforts to win Kazuki.
 * Megaton Punch : Both Kazuki and Marie, albeit through use of her paint-ball gun, can knock Yuuji clean across a room. Very very rarely, he can even become A Twinkle in the Sky.
 * Parental Abandonment : Both Kagura siblings feel this towards their father, whose frequent moves have made it difficult for them to make friends. He also has left curbing Yuuji's enthusiasm towards girls to his pre-teen daughter. At least in the anime, and in the manga as late as  none of their parents make a real showing. Nina does not resent her parents, but hates how often they are away.
 * Porn Stash - Yuuji's spills out right in front of Kazuki.
 * The Reveal :
 * Secret Diary : Subverted in the anime. The pivotal diary that  gives Kazuki is   which reveals that   She also sees in it that  . The Reveal in this case marks a huge turning point.
 * Stalking Is Love : "Isn't that proof he thinks you're charming?" in reference to Yuuji's constant perving and peeping on Kazuki.
 * Thirteen Episode Anime : 13, really, but with a semi-firm conclusion. The manga is ongoing as of 2011.
 * Time Skip : One chapter of the manga seems to do this early on, but it turns out  Kazuki is not amused.
 * Tsundere : Kazuki, though only when truly provoked. Somewhat of a subversion, as very few of the blows she lands on Yuuji are examples of misplaced affections.
 * Unwanted Harem : Mostly subverted. Only three main characters (Kazuki, Chihaya and Nina) have even directly stated an interest in Yuuji. One is resistant to openly stating it, one is mainly teasing her best friend, and one is underaged to the point Yuuji does not consider her even a remote possibility. Marie may have an arguable brother complex. Hatsune seems to think of him more as a brother, and possible future brother-in-law. A new character in the manga is  She is, despite being hard on him, deeply grateful to Yuuji for his assistance.