Maison Ikkoku

I’m going to be honest, the biggest reason I decided to give this manga a shot is simply because it was referenced in a Kaiji spin-off. It also helps that it's a Rumiko Takahashi manga that has significant reverence as one of the better romcoms out there. Considering that many circles I'm in have also greatly praised this manga, I thought it would actually come to be one of my favorites as well. Did it accomplish that? Maybe not, but it definitely accomplished writing its own unique story in its own terms.

One of the most surprising thing I can glean from this is that despite being hailed a classic, a lot of its tropes don’t seem to have been repeated and continued by romcoms in the present. Certain elements of character indecisiveness, multiple characters having multiple love interests rather than just being only one, all of this feels oddly mature in how it presents these characters as being deeply flawed. Granted it really does ride a fine line between endearing and obnoxious and at times completely trips itself up. Yet because of all this, it feels oddly refreshing that despite how old it is that its still quite the unique experience in reading this.

Another issue I have is that despite introducing some really interesting characters, the story sometimes doesn't do much with them after their introduction, even having them disappear for up to 30+ chapters even if they’re a resident of Maison Ikkoku. By the time you finally get to see them again, the manga is already wrapping itself up towards the conclusion. Because of this, some character arcs feel incredibly unfulfilled when they just show up suddenly in the story again after being gone for so long and all of a sudden they just have this huge turning point that feels unrewarding with how little we’ve seen them. I wish I could love the characters more, but this story really doesn't give me many opportunities to.

Nonetheless, this manga does indeed have charm. Rumiko Takahashi's trademark art style is very fitting in a comedic yet adult story about growing into a proper adult who can support oneself. Despite very closely inching to same face syndrome, each character is oddly distinct enough that I never really confuse them despite characters Like Godai, Nikaido, and Mitaka having very similar faces. The backgrounds with certain locations such as Maison ikkoku and the various townspots surrounding the boarding house are also depicted to be very vibrant and lively which adds more to the setting. Regardless of my opinions on Maison Ikkoku's story, I would definitely read more Rumiko Takahashi for her designs alone.

Ultimately, there’s an element of relatability and wistfulness in reading Maison Ikkoku with how Yusaku Godai develops throughout the story. Going from a Ronin to a college student and then trying to find a job is painfully easy to grasp especially if one had similar life experiences. His relationship with the main heroine, Kyoko Otonoashi, despite having hiccups that can amuse and annoy is still endearing with how it all works out in the end is very heartwarming to see the whole journey through. I like this manga, but it's not as up there as I wanted it to be.