Anime Profile: Maison Ikkoku

Widow Kyoko Otonashi has just become manager of a very interesting and very run-down apartment house, and this is where the fun begins. Welcome to the world of Maison Ikkoku, a romantic comedy from the creator of Urusei Yatsura and Ranma 1/2. The story is focused around the apartment house, its tenants (especially one) and its new manager. A delightful blend of strange happenings, a bit of slapstick, and a thorough interrelation of the characters topped off with some realistic angst makes it an altogether delightful series to watch.

As you would expect from Rumiko Takahashi, there is a troubled relationship. For Maison Ikkoku, the relationship is between Kyoko and college applicant (and Ikkoku-kan tenant) Godai Yusaku. And as you would expect, Godai has some problems, namely in the other tenants, who just can't seem to get off his case. And of course, there's that tennis coach who is also trying to woo Kyoko.

The situations in Maison Ikkoku are more mature and much more realistic. The characters are older than those of Takahashi's other series, and the situations seen do not have as much slapstick. The story tends to focus on the relationships among the characters. For someone who has already seen Ranma 1/2 or Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku will be a departure from the action-packed titles most associate with Rumiko Takahashi.