Maison Ikkoku

      Maison Ikkoku was written by one of my favorite manga artist (mangaka), who is said to be the most read mangaka in the world, Rumiko Takahashi. Maison Ikkoku first appeared in April of 1980 in the manga anthology magazine Big Comic Spirits. Big Comic Spirits is a magazine geared toward people in their twenties and reflects the realities of contemporary relationships and society issues in Japan. Maison Ikkoku ran until November of 1987, totally a number of fifteen tankouboun (are comic collections much like comic collections seen for strips like Garfield here in the States). The manga series was so popular it was adapted into an anime series, which had ninety-six episodes, and ran from 1986 through 1988. Both the manga and anime series are available in English from Viz Communications.

      Maison Ikkoku is the story of Yusaku Godai, a young ronin (a student who has failed his initial college exams), who lives in a boarding type house name Maison Ikkoku. Godai falls in love with the boarding house's manager, a young beautiful widow named Kyoko Otonashi and thus the five year-almost there-not-quite-yet-relationship develops. Of course these two, while the main focus of the story, are not the only cast members. Maison Ikkoku has one of the most delightful casts of characters ever created.

      Godai's neighbors are a crew of party loving lushes who make it their business to mess with Godai every chance they get, especially when it comes to his exams and his attempts at a relationship with Kyoko. Hanae Ichinose lives at Maison Ikkoku with her son Kentaro and her elusive husband. While the very provocative cocktail waitress, Akemi Roppongi, makes no qualms about walking around in her scant nighties in front of the youngest or most important visitors. Then there is the dastardly funny perverted character of the bunch is Yotsuya, a man with a very mysterious life. No one knows his occupation or anything about his past, but the boarders of the house do know that he likes to peep at women and get drunk. In order to get his peeping jollies at home he often borrows Godai's pornographic magazines or just takes pleasure in watching Akemi through a hole he has carved into Godai's room. And who can forget the loveable Soichiro, Kyoko and her late husband's dog who holds his name.

      Of course no love story would be complete without a cast of other loves. In particular Shun Mitaka, who is Godai's number one rival, Shun is a handsome tennis instructor, who is stable, and close to Kyoko's age. He is the number one pick according to those around Kyoko and Godai, who will do anything for Shun and Kyoko to be engaged.

      While Kyoko is busy with Shun, Godai takes on a sometime relationship with a young college student named Kozue. Godai also has a teenage girl whom whose class he substituted as a teacher become obsessed him. While Shun's uncle has taken the honor of betrothing Shun to the heir of a business fortune.

      So if you are an adult fan of comics and or manga and are looking for something a little more sophisticated in sequential art, I definitely suggest you pick up Maison Ikkoku. Also, be sure to check out March's issue of BANDWIDTH for more info on Maison Ikkoku and the wonderful world of Rumiko Takashi. Also check out BANDWIDTH's review of Takashi's latest series Inu Yasha in our October 2000 issue.

      Comments and questions about this article can be sent to JenniferJ@ybfree.com.

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