6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yet another great work by Takahashi sensei!, March 4, 2000
This review is from: Maison Ikkoku, Volume 1 (Paperback)
Can you believe the talent of this woman? She's done it to me again! Another series for me to get addicted to *sigh*. In 'Maison Ikkoku' Takahashi uses all of her powers of characterisation to weave a marvelous story about real people. And let me tell you, some of the characters are so real it's scary. Maybe part of the reason I want Godai to be more responsible is because I want to become more responsible myself. This is Takahashi at her subtlest, which may turn some people off. You're not going to get any martial arts duels to the death, or flying aliens or demon dog-boys. As always, though, Takahashi is free with the laughs, but at times they are bittersweet. I mean, Godai can be so pathetic it's funny, but you still 'feel his pain'.
I recomend this manga to all Takahashi fans. While I prefer more action oriented manga, I still liked Maison. Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha remain my favorites, but there is room in my heart for this work. It's funny, poignant and satirical, and as always, we are granted Takahashi's unique insights into the human spirt. Definately worth admission.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Superb Classic Masterpiece of Romance & Comedy, June 4, 2001
This review is from: Maison Ikkoku, Volume 1 (Paperback)
"Maison Ikkoku" has been called a heartwarming romantic comedy, a brilliant soap opera, an emotional roller coaster, funny, thoughtful and moving, and screwball romantic comedy at its finest. It is all this and much more.
Covering 14 volumes, "Maison Ikkoku" is a masterpiece of international literature, showing off Japanese culture and societal conventions, by telling the comic yet romantic story of a young man in love for the first time, a young woman who is learning to love again after becoming a widow, their romantic rivals, and, especially, their interfering neighbors. Although set in Japan, the story is one of universal appeal.
Rumiko Takashi has had great success writing on all manner of outrageous subjects, ranging from the comically interfering aliens of "Lum*Urusei Yatsura", to the gender-bending martial arts hi-jinks of "Ranma 1/2."
But in "Maison Ikkoku", the focus is on real life. Like real life, there is comedy, sadness and romance. Ms. Takahashi blends these elements quite well, although the comic elements are more strongly in the forefront in Volume 1.
Maison Ikkoku is a run down boarding house in Tokyo. Student Yusaku Godai, Resident of Room 5, has had enough of the teasing he gets from his neighbors, and is threatening to move out, for the 3rd time that month.
His neighbors are quite a handful: There's Mrs. Ichinose, a hard drinking, hard partying, hard gossiping mother who lives downstairs in Room 1 with her young son Kentaro. Akemi Roppongi lives next to Godai in Room 6, works nights as a bar hostess at local hangout ChaChaMaru, and goes about wearing a see-through nightie. Last, but definitely NOT least, there's Yotsuya, a man of mystery who lives in Room 4, who likes to bash through Godai's wall so that he can peep on Akemi, and so that he blackmail, steal and/or mooch food from Godai. These 3 view Godai as their personal toy, and hold their drinking parties in his room, when Godai is trying to study.
Godai's thoughts of leaving slam to a stop when walks the new manager of the building, the beautiful and young Kyoko Otonashi. Godai falls head over heels for Kyoko, and our romantic comedy is off to the races.
Maison Ikkoku focuses on the kind-hearted, decent and struggling student Godai, who's wishy-washy and a bit irresponsible, and Kyoko, who is beautiful, kind, and sweet, but is most definitely the jealous type. You really feel for Godai, as his love for Kyoko matures, and for Kyoko, who's coming to terms with the loss of her beloved husband, and is learning to love again. One story will have you in hysterics, while the next story might tug at your heart.
Volume 1 spans the first year with Kyoko as manager of Maison Ikkoku. We meet Kyoko's dog, Mr. Soichiro. Godai discovers that Kyoko is a widow, and realizes that his quest to win the love of a woman who became a widow after only 6 months of marriage is not going to be an easy one.
We meet the two main rivals for Godai and Kyoko. There's the rich, suave, handsome, and assertive tennis coach, Shun Mitaka, so perfect even his teeth glint. Mitaka has just one problem, a major fear of dogs! He becomes Godai's rival for Kyoko. We also meet cute, sweet, innocent, and naive Kozue Nanao, who becomes Godai's girlfriend by accident, and has no clue that her platonic boyfriend really loves Kyoko.
Volume 1 introduces most of the the key locales, the local bar, ChaChaMaru, and the tennis court, which can also be thought of as gossip central.
We also meet supporting characters who will appear throughout the series: Sakamoto, Godai's college buddy; kindly Mr. Otonashi, Kyoko's father-in-law and the owner of Maison Ikkoku; mischevious Ikoku, Kyoko's niece, Mr. Otonashi's grandaughter, who Godai ends up tutoring; Ms. Kuroki, with the college puppet theatre Godai joins; and the manager of ChaChaMaru.
Although a few things are lost in translation, e.g., an inside joke with all the characters in the boarding house having their name correspond to their room number, even Kyoko, whose manager's room doesn't have a number, the humor and romantic aspects of this book are of immeasurable enjoyment. This is a great start to this series, which only improves with each volume.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious, Sweet Romantic Comedy, February 23, 2001
This review is from: Maison Ikkoku, Volume 1 (Paperback)
Maison Ikkoku is not your average boarding house. Oh, on the surface it is, but the tenants are the most insane people you'll ever meet. There's Mr. Yotsuya, who constantly breaks holes in walls to peep on other tenants; Mrs. Icinose, a constantly drunk housewife; her young (and kawaii!) son Kentaro; Akemi, a flirtatious barmaid who runs around in a see-through nightie; and Yusaku Godai, a struggling college student. When Maison Ikkoku gets a beautiful new manager, the widowed Kyoko Otonashi, Yusaku falls for her, and chaos, romantic comedy, and love triangles ensue! This is a wonderful story that no one should miss, by everyone's favorite female comic artist, Rumiko Takahashi.
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