How can Yusaku Godai ever pass his exams living in a nuthouse like Maison Ikkoku? Between Mrs. Inchinose’s snooping, sexpot Akemi’s teasing, and Mr. Yotsuya’s mooching, Yusako’s academic life is going down the tubes. He’s just about to move out–really, he means it this time!–when Kyoko Otonashi walks in the door. Kyoko is Maison Ikkoku’s new manager, and she’s a lovely young widow. Needless to say, Yusako falls for her like a rock. Can he ever hope to win her love? Maison Ikkoku is a screwball romantic comedy like Love Hina, the sexy farce set in a girls’ dorm. This romantic romp gets it right, delivering the comic misunderstandings and mix-ups with a light touch and snappy dialogue. Rumiko Takahashi’s characters may have doe eyes and 1940’s pin-up bodies, but they also have a realistic range of emotions and a genuine sweetness. Kyoko is an appealing leading lady, and Yusako, despite his bumbling, is a truly nice guy. The other residents of Maison Ikkoku take a wicked delight in making trouble for the pair, and romantic rivals liven things up as well. While it features a few racy moments (the obligatory accidental breast groping, for example) and occasional drunkenness, Maison Ikkoku is truly a sweet story. Fans of romantic comedy will smile, sigh, and guffaw at the antics of Maison Ikkoku’s hapless neighbors. The characters are college age or older, so Maison Ikkoku may not have the teen appeal of other manga romances. Rumiko Takahashi is the author of the wildly popular Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha, though, so fans of those series may take to this one as well. There are fourteen volumes in all.
Maison Ikkoku, vol. 1
ISBN: 1591160545
by Rumiko Takahashi
Viz 2003
