Customer Reviews

Maison Ikkoku, Vol. 13: Game, Set, Match

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You know the old proverb: "after rain comes fair weather." Well, this volume of Maison Ikkoku is very stormy (the most dramatic and engrossing volume so far), but the last few pages offer a glimpse of the sun. A lot of pent-up emotion explodes due to unfortunate circumstances, and there are some serious fighting between our favorite couple. But Godai finally stands up like a man and speaks his mind to Kyoko. It's about time! I love their scenes in the train and outside the love motel. I also love how Akemi gives Kyoko a piece of her mind. It's about time for that too! A few tibits from this volume: Mitaka shows that he's more than a playboy by doing "what must be done" concerning a pregnant dog (^_^). And Godai gets kissed by 3 different girls (two of whom are NOT Kyoko)! Perhaps the central romance, which has been kept so subdued, will finally advance onto the next level? Afterall, the last scene is right outside a love motel... Talk about a cliffhanger! I can't wait until Vol.14 (the next and final one) because I know there'll be a happy ending.

Maison Ikkoku has been an consistently charming and witty read, more so than the better-known "Ranma 1/2" series (which isn't bad, either!). "Game Set Match" shows about 3/4's of what we voyeurs into the lives of these bumbling Tokoyo-ites have been waiting for since probably the vicinity of Vol. 3.

Unfortunately (and on purpose), it's not the most important stuff that we're shown. We're given resolutions to the Mitaka and Kozue issues but left with an incredibly unfair cliff-hanger...what will happen to Kyoko and Yusaku? Of course, it had to be arranged thusly...but it still annoys the heck outta ya to be left dangling like that.

At the time of this writing, the final issue (in trade comic form) has been in stores for a few months now. I hope that before summer hits, we'll be given a chance to sit down with a loved one and finish out this incredibly engrossing series.

(One final question...will we *ever* know exactly what it is that Yotsuya does for a living?)

This is THE Maison Ikkoku book, so far, of the SERIES (and I know I've said that about every other one I've reveiwed too, but they're all so good!)! Sparks really begin to fly for Mitaka in this book in which Takahashi weaves another one of her awesome plots together piece by piece. Then the book cuts over to Godai, Kyoko, Kozue, and Akemi. Of course, how they all tie together is up for you to find out! The book has a really great emotional impact and is VERY well written and though out! The last couple pages of this book are sure to leave you screaming for more as it drops off at one of the possibly best cliff hanger endings ever! You must read Maison Ikkoku!

With only one volume to go, things are rapidly coming to a head. At least one of Godai's problems seems to be solved as Coach Mitaka debates proposing to Asuna under the assumption that he made her pregnant while in the midst of a drunken stupor. He also begins to realize that he might just care for her. But Godai still has problems of his own as his teaching exams are rapidly approaching and he's on the skids with Kyoko. She's angry at him for not exerting any self-discipline to get ahead in life. She's also mad because he always gets into compromising situations with women because of his wishy-washy nature. Because of this, Kozue comes around again after she gets proposed to by a guy she's been dating. She tells Godai she doesn't know what to answer because she wants to be with him! With all the mess going on at Maison Ikkoku, Godai decides to move out and live at the Bunny Club until his exams are over. Of course, all of the residents don't think he's going to be able to stay away, much less pass his tests! But if he doesn't pass, he won't be able to ask Kyoko to marry him.

Finally, after 13 volumes, we're coming to the end and getting to see how this love triangle works out. That's not to say Maison Ikkoku wasn't an enjoyable series. It's a classic. I'm just looking forward to seeing what happens in the last volume. There's a point in this volume where Godai says that if only him and Kyoko would just talk and listen to each other, they could have avoided a lot of misunderstandings and pain. Misunderstandings are what comedy is made of though, and a large part of our daily lives. While keeping the comedy level high throughout its run, Rumiko Takahashi has also put in a layer of complexity dealing with the striving to be accepted by the one you love and the acceptance that there isn't just one love in your life. You can begin again.

The second last book in this outstanding series. Plot lines start coming to an end in this book. We finally get to see our hereo in a few kisses and embraces (ok the cover kind of gives it away). The end will simply have you begging for the next book.

Having read Ranma 1/2 and parts of Urusei Yatsura I was amazed by the maturity level of this series. The humour elements are certaintly their but it's raw human emotion that carries this series. At 14 volumes the plot is kept pretty tight (though i found the addition of the new tenant to Ikkoku extremely pointless) and doesn't have that drag on feeling like Ranma 1/2 does. Also the ending of this series will have more of an impact then the one Ranma 1/2 did.

There is alot of stuff that happen sin this book. The main point being that Shun Mitaka is put out of the contention for Kyoko's affections. He does end up marrying Asuna, but the interesting part is how he ends up marrying Asuna. Also Kozue finally confronts Godai about the prospect of marriage because she has been proposed to by another man. Godai tries to tell herr that he is in love with someone else, but everything as usual ends up becoming a big misunderstanding. Kozue even kisses Godai, and of course Kyoko sees it, which fuels yet another jealous rage. Also Godai has to help out Akemi by paying the bill at a love hotel, but Kozue sees them coming out, and runs off and later tells Kyoko. Kyoko and Godai get in a huge fight in this book and it looks like everything could come to an end for their relationship. good stuff

Godai gets slapped...Godai runs away...Godai tangles with another girl...nosy tenants hound Godai...Kyoko lands on top of a man...Kyoko runs away...Godai gets slapped again...nosy tenants hound Kyoko...Godai gets in trouble with another girl...nosy tenants hound Godai again...Kyoko VERY NEARLY gets slapped...Kyoko runs away again...blah, blah! With all that mean-spirited gremlin-like timing in Ms. Takahashi's romantic slapstick comedy, perhaps both Godai and Kyoko would be much better off if they just forgot about each other altogether.

But - in the very last book right before the grand finale yet to come up, we personally witness the true maturing of the young Godai from a drooling girl-crazy kid into a solemn-faced, long-suffering hero with tenderness for small children and a grim determination to succeed at everything, no matter what - to win the affections of the pretty young Kyoko. But - on the other hand, however, Kyoko herself, though a seemingly perfect, self-contained young woman on the outside, she actually turns out to be a spitting hellcat when it comes to sexual jealousy. All in all, it's a very engrossing trip that will surely hold you fast until the very conclusion of the whole series finally comes right off the press!