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Maison Ikkoku
Volume 1 of the Japanese wideban edition of Maison Ikkoku.
めぞん一刻 (Mezon Ikkoku)
Genre	Romantic comedy
Manga
Author	Rumiko Takahashi
Publisher	Shogakukan
English publisher	Viz Media
Other publishers: Level Comics Star Comics
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Big Comic Spirits
Original run	1980 – 1987
Volumes	15 (List of volumes)
TV anime
Director	Kazuo Yamazaki (1-26) Takashi Annō (27-52) Naoyuki Yoshinaga (53-96)やまざきかずお(1-26話)、安濃高志(27-52話)、吉永尚之(53-96話)
Studio	Studio Deen
Licensor	Viz Media
Network	Fuji Television、HK：TVB、ATV
Original run	March 26, 1986 – March 2, 1988
Episodes	96 (List of episodes)
Live-action film
Apartment Fantasy
Director	Shinichirō Sawai
Studio	Toei Company
Released	October 10, 1986
Runtime	97 minutes
Anime film
The Final Chapter
Director	Tomomi Mochizuki
Studio	Ajia-do Animation Works
Released	February 6, 1988
Runtime	66 minutes
Original video animation
Through the Passing Seasons
Studio	Kitty Film
Released	September 25, 1988
Runtime	90 minutes
Episodes	1
Original video animation
Shipwrecked on Ikkoku Island
Director	Kenichi Maejima
Studio	Magic Bus, Kitty Film
Released	November 17, 1990
Runtime	23 minutes
Episodes	1
Original video animation
Prelude: When the Cherry Blossoms Return in the Spring
Studio	Kitty Film
Released	June 25, 1992
Runtime	27 minutes
Episodes	1
TV drama
Director	Katsuhide Motoki
Network	TV Asahi
TV drama
Director	Akabane Hiroshi
Network	TV Asahi
Anime and Manga Portal

Maison Ikkoku (めぞん一刻, Mezon Ikkoku^?) is a Japanese seinen manga written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi and serialized in the manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1980 through 1987. Maison Ikkoku is a bitter-sweet comedic romance involving a group of madcap people who live in a boarding house in 1980s Tokyo. The story focuses primarily on the blossoming relationship between Yusaku Godai, a poor student down on his luck, and Kyoko Otonashi, the young, recently-widowed boarding house manager. The manga has been translated into English and fifteen volumes spanning the series are available from Viz Media.

The manga was adapted into a ninety-six-episode TV anime series which ran on Fuji TV from March 26, 1986 to March 2, 1988. The anime included some story arcs not covered in the manga, and is notable for being the only one of Rumiko Takahashi's four long-running series wherein the television series ending corresponds to the manga ending. A Final Chapter movie, three OVAs (one original story and two summaries), and a music special were also produced.

A live action movie was also made by Toei in 1986, though it deviates significantly from the story in the manga and anime. A TV special aired in May 2007 on TV Asahi starring Taiki Nakabayashi as Yusaku Godai and Misaki Ito as Kyoko Otonashi. The finale to the special aired in July 2008.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Production 3 Characters 4 Media 4.1 Manga 4.2 Anime 4.2.1 Theme songs 4.2.1.1 Opening Themes 4.2.1.2 Ending Themes 4.3 Live action movie 4.4 TV Drama 4.5 Soundtracks 4.6 Video games 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Plot

This section requires expansion.

When the previous landlord of the Maison Ikkoku decides to retire, he sends Kyoko to be the new landlord. Yusaku almost immediately falls in love with her, but due to the meddling of the other boarders in the building, he has trouble expressing this to her. He tries multiple time throughout the series, but is almost always interrupted by others or is misunderstood by Kyoko, causing frequent and brief fights. When Kyoko joins a women's tennis team, Yusaku then has to compete with her handsome coach, Shun Mitaka, for her affection. Shun insists on marrying Kyoko and tries to convince her to not marry Yusaku because Shun has more money and a better job situation. Despite this, Kyoko remains indecisive about the issue for some time. Partway through the series, a new tenant arrives at the Maison Ikkoku, Nozomu Nikaido. He is 18, younger than Yusaku and is extremely dense, though interested in Yusaku and Kyoko's relationship, as a part of the story's events. Yusaku and Kyoko's relationship gradually improves over the story to the point where Kyoko is earnestly hoping for a marriage proposal from Yusaku near the end. Yusaku eventually proposes to Kyoko. She accepts, and the couple ends up getting married with the blessings of their families.

[edit] Production

Takahashi created Maison Ikkoku as a love story that could occur in the real world.^[1]

[edit] Characters

All of the tenants' names involve a pun on the character's room number:

Number	Character	Kanji of family name and meaning
0	Kyoko Otonashi (born Chigusa)	音無 (not a sound)
1(一)	The Ichinose Family	一の瀬 (first ford)
2(二)	Nozomu Nikaido	二階堂 (two-story temple)
3(三)	Shun Mitaka *	三鷹 (three hawks)
4(四)	Mr. Yotsuya	四谷 (four valleys)
5(五)	Yusaku Godai	五代 (five generations)
6(六)	Akemi Roppongi	六本木 (six trees)
7(七)	Kozue Nanao *	七尾 (seven mountain ridges)
8(八)	Ibuki Yagami *	八神 (eight gods)
9(九)	Asuna Kujo *	九条 (ninth avenue)
1000(千)	Mr. & Mrs. Chigusa (Kyoko's parents)	千草 (thousand herbs)

(* Not residents of Ikkoku-kan.)

In the English version, main characters tend to refer to and address each other informally with their given names, with the exception of Mr. Yotsuya. Yusaku, while usually referring to Kyoko by her given name, almost always addresses her with her job title of "manager". In the Japanese original, Yusaku addresses Kyoko as "kanrinin-san," meaning manager.

[edit] Media

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Manga

[edit] Anime

Maison Ikkoku was adapted into a ninety-six episode television series animated by Studio Deen and aired on Fuji TV from March 26, 1986 to March 2, 1988. The series was directed by Kazuo Yamazaki for episodes 1 through 26, Takashi Anno for episodes 27 through 52 and Naoyuki Yoshinaga for episodes 53 to the end. Maison Ikkoku was later licensed for a North American release by Viz Media in 1994, and was put on 2-episode VHS dub releases, but Viz dropped the English dub after 36 episodes. The remaining sub-only VHS releases went on until volume 32, without finishing off the series. In 2002, Maison Ikkoku was given a second chance when Viz re-established the English dub with a partial new voice cast, released in its entirety on DVD.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Theme songs

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of Maison Ikkoku episodes. (Discuss)

All of the opening and ending theme songs are contained in the Maison Ikkoku CD Single Memorial File box set, and on various other singles and soundtracks.

[edit] Opening Themes

• Kanashimi yo Konnichi wa (Yuki Saito, ep.1-23, 25-37)
• Alone Again (Naturally) (Gilbert O'Sullivan, ep.24)
• Suki sa (Anzen Chitai, ep.38-52)
• Sunny Shining Morning (Kiyonori Matsuo, ep.53-76)
• Hi Damari (Kōzō Murashita, ep.77-96)

[edit] Ending Themes

• Ashita Hareru ka (Takao Kisugi, ep.1-14)
• Ci · ne · ma (Picasso, ep.15-23, 25-33)
• Get Down (Gilbert O'Sullivan, ep.24)
• Fantasy (Picasso, ep.34-52)
• Sayonara no Sobyō (Sayonara no dessan) (Picasso, ep.53-76)
• Begin the Night (Picasso, ep.77-96)

[edit] Live action movie

[edit] TV Drama

[edit] Soundtracks

• Maison Ikkoku CD Single Memorial File (1998, Kitty Records)

[edit] Video games

• Maison Ikkoku: Omoide no Photograph (1986, adventure game, Microcabin, released for PC-9801 and PC Engine)
• Maison Ikkoku: Omoide no Photograph (1988, adventure game, Bothtec, released for Famicom)
• Maison Ikkoku Kanketsuhen: Sayonara, Soshite...... (1988, adventure game, Microcabin, released for PC-9801 and MSX2)

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Maison Ikkoku

• Maison Ikkoku Manga Product Page at Viz.com
• TV Asahi TV drama site (Japanese)
• TV.com Episode Guide

[edit] References

1. ^ "Rumiko Takahashi Interview." Viz Media. March 2, 2000. 3. Retrieved on October 2, 2009.

v • d • e The works of Rumiko Takahashi Major works Urusei Yatsura · Maison Ikkoku · Ranma ½ · InuYasha · Rin-ne Other manga Mermaid Saga · Rumic World · One-Pound Gospel · Rumic Theater Related anime Fire Tripper · Maris the Chojo · The Laughing Target · Rumic Theater