Rating: 
Summary: A Superb Classic Masterpiece of Romance & Comedy
Review: "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.
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Classic Masterpiece of Romance & Comedy
Review: "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.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent series... get all 14 volumes!
Review: 'Maison Ikkoki' is a romantic comedy that focuses on Godai, a young man who falls in love with the manager of his apartment building. The manager is Kyoko, a young widow who is still recovering from the loss of her husband, her first and (so far) only true love. The series follows the development of Godai and Kyoko's relationship, as it is threatened by romantic rivals, the general weirdness of the other residents of Maison Ikkoku, and misunderstandings that, if featured on sit-coms, might actualy make them worth watching. The readers also get to follow the emotional growth of Godai and Kyoko, both of whom really have a lot of maturing to do when the series starts. 'Maison Ikokku' consists of 14 volumes. As with all of Takahashi's work, the art is pleasing to the eye, the characters are all likable, and the humour is genuinely funny. Some elements of the story grow out of Japanese culture, but the characters are developed enough that the reader can nonetheless relate to all their reactions, viewpoints, joys and heartbreaks. Pick up Vol. 1 today, follow the series through to the end. It's a great story... and you get to watch Takahashi's style evolve as well.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Review: Ah. . . classic manga, and that is what you are going to get in this series which was originally serialized back in the year 1980, but what a series it is!! Actually Maison Ikkoku is a very simpleseries with no action, no thrills, and no death, but what it does have is great characters and a great story, and that story is a love story between Yusaku Godai and Kyoko Otonashi. Kyoko is a young widow who trying to cope with her lost becomes the manager of Maison Ikkoku a infamous residence house. She meets Yusako Godai there, and he falls in love with her immediately, and so the story begins. Along the way they have to deal with the crazy residents of Maison Ikkoku: Mrs. Ichinose, Mr. Yotsuya, and Akemi, and love rivals Shun Mitaka, Kozue Nanao and Ibuki Yagami, but what a ride it is!! The art in this book is subpar to Takahashi Sensei's usual, but it does improve dramatically in following volumes.
Rating:
Summary: A SERIES NOT TO BE MISSED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
Review: Already being a fan or Rumiko Takahashi thru Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura, I decided to try out Maison Ikkoku. I have to say that within a matter of minutes I was hooked! You cheer for Godai, you feel for Kyoko, you boo-hiss at Mitaka, and you want to strangle the meddlesome neighbors! If you're familiar with Rumiko Takahashi, but haven't tried out this series, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THIS IS FANTASTIC!! And for first-timers, GET THIS SERIES, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST ROMANTIC COMEDIES EVER!!
Rating:
Summary: Yet another great work by Takahashi sensei!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff!
Review: I am hooked on Maison Ikkoku. It's good stuff. I have the first 3 graphic novels and the first video...the graphic novels are better!
Rating: 
Summary: Maison Ikkoku - fine story, good translation, good study aid
Review: I am not a big fan of comic books in English or Japanese, but I enjoyed this fifteen-part series by Rumiko Takahashi. It is touching and charming. It reminds me of the apartments I lived in and the down-and-out people I knew in Japan twenty years ago. The graphics are not quite as good as the original Japanese edition. They are little blurred in places, which is a shame, because the artwork and the small details are so much fun. Others here on Amazon have described the contents, so let me make a few comments about the translation. I bought six of the English books and I had a delightful time comparing them to the originals. The translators, Jones & Morimoto, have done a bang-up job. Very impressive. This is a bold, free-form rendition, which sometimes strays far from the literal text. And why not? It is a comic book, after all. In places they invented witty or telling English dialog which was not in the original. That makes up for the unavoidable losses in translation. The delightful nuances of Japanese grammar are sometimes captured by using completely different words, as in this exchange between two women in a bar: "Yotte iru 'n desyo'" "Yotte ru wa yo." . . . is rendered: "You're drunk, aren't you?" "Yup. Got a problem with that?" In Japanese, the character Yotsuya often speaks with exaggerated politeness and formality inappropriate to the situation. In English, this is rendered by having him speak in pompous, archaic, or technical terminology instead of ordinary conversation. It isn't quite the same thing, but it works. I would recommend the combination of this translation and the originals to an intermediate student of the language. I have heard it has been made into a television series in Japan, so you have a lot of good reinforcing material.
Rating:
Summary: Definetly a good story
Review: I liked Maison Ikokku, but I don't feel it really can compare to Ranma 1/2. Rumiko Takahashi is definetly my favorite manga author/illustrator, but some of her work outshines others. Seriously, how can you compare a story about a boy who likes an older woman whose husband died to a boy and girl who were engaged by their parents but the boy is engaged to two other girls and when he gets splashed with cold water he becomes a girl! Come on! I mean, don't get me wrong, i like Maison Ikokku and will continue to read it, but before looking into it, maybe you should get yourself familiar with some other of Rumiko Takahashi's work...
Rating:
Summary: Best yet
Review: I love Maison Ikkoku, though many people may not agree it's Rumiko Takaheshi at her finest. It's something that is actually from a realistic point of view. It's hilarious, and it's the best Romantic Comedy I've ever read, especially in Manga. The whole story revolves around a love-struck College Boy who's fallen head-over-heals for the widow who is the new manager of the run-down, shabby, and yet suprisingly comfortable apartment building.
It's a definate must read if you're fans of Rumiko's other works. Even though a bit out of Genre.
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