Maison Ikkoku Review
By celluz
Maison Ikkoku Review
Rumiko Takahashi
Review Statistics
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Plot Synopsis
Maison Ikkoku is a romantic story in a modern Tokyo, the two main protagonist are Godai Yusaku, the classic student with many life problems and Otonashi Kyoko, a young widow called as a new administrator of Ikkoku Mansion. Other protagonist are the guest of Ikkoku kan (house) that are some of the weird but still realistic characters ever seen in an Anime, people likte Yotsuya, a man with a mistery aura around him and Akemi, a young girl with the tendency of walking around the house semi-naked. The story play around the difficult developing of love between Yusaku and Kyoko but with theyrs life too that will meet many troubles.
Story & Characters
What happen when there is love at first sight? Only problems. The story start here, with a young student (the perfect image of a loser) that live in an old house with many original guest that are very happy to harras him but someting is going to change when a young woman come there like the new house manager, and the love war start.
The story take about 5 years where the poor student (Yusaku Godai) try to give his love to the manager (Kyoko Otonashi) but he will encounter many and many obstacle like the house guest (that are to see of about are crazy) the love rivals, and the simple life of all days but maybe he will finally find the true love.
All events are very important, all things give a sense of reality very rare for an anime, what happen is something that you have witness or suffer in your life. In 96 episodes you can see how a love story is not so easy to develope and hoe the misfortune is near any angle ready to attack and how a woman drive crazy a guy that makes mistakes that never a child will do.
- Rating
- 10 (excellent)
Art
The Character Design is different during the series. The first bunch of them is
little young style and made by a great artist Akemi Takada but after a specific
event in the story, the design is more adult and if maybe is focused on Kyoko
Otonashi (she is the most cured in the design) the other characters are very
similar to the first episodes but still groving in age. A mention to the
backgrounds that in certain situation make a great emotive feeling. Animation is
good, there aren't action scene naturally but strange to say you will notice
many running situation 
- Rating
- 10 (excellent)
Sound
What i can say about the soundtrack, is one of the most beautiful that i ever listen, most classical with a plenty use of instruments like piano and violins; fundumental to say that the pieces of music fill perfectly the situation, in fact many songs appear only one time in the anime because there is an event that need it and that song give a really emotive touch, even if you hear it without the anime, because you will feel the event anyway.
A little mention to the weird songs that are really funny and the Opening adn Ending themes that are simply great.....if anyone need a really good OST have to try it...
About the dubbling....im italian and i have see the anime ages ago and the
dubbed version was great, but i must admit that the english version is crap,
because the voices really dont fit the characters and that is a big loss because
all of them have a personality that need a good acting.....then go straight for
the subbed versione
- Rating
- 10 (excellent)
Presentation
Ok, if someone dont have noticied i really love this anime. The reasons are
many, the great story, the incredible soundtrack and above all the care of the
details. All characters have a personality that is very funny (like the
misterious Yotsuya) and the incredible love war between Kyoko and Godai is
something to see because is realistic, is something that can happen to you. You
will not find boring o recap episodes (a classic in recent anime) but little
episodes sometimes funny, sometimes sad and sometimes angry, all very important
for the developing of the story and if maybe you will know how wll ending, you
will never imagine what occur in the mean thime, 5 years are long what you think
A mention to the world background, full like the other works of Rumiko Takahashi
works of japanese story and culture like the tofu seller (i love the sound of
the trumpet), university festival and many others. What i can say
more...nothing...because my english is not so good but i have to say it...if you
like love story this is a anime to see and to hear
- Rating
- 10 (excellent)
Final Verdict
10.00 (excellent)
Reviewed by celluz, 4y 0wk ago
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Hahaha, I could of expected this review from you, those scores no less either. And whats funny is those scores are true too.. Well at least thats how I feel. Very, VERY good job Celluz, you did one HELL of an amazing job review this series. ^^ Bravo.
Ok......im sure that all 10 maybe is too much for this anime...but im still convinced that its a little jevel and a must see....sadly the long series well made are veeeeeeeeeeeery rare and no...im not an amateur reviewer because i have given all 10 :P i have made many and many reviews in other web sites but if someone can give me a decent real bad thing about this anime i will hear it...but if someone tell me again "ehi but where is the fanservice in this anime...its sucks!" i swear that i will kick is ass for the eternity
I didn't a lot this anime even if I've watched all the pes I could. But it's anime I've watched years ago, so it was probably too mature for me at that time. The french dubbing was really awful and the censuring... well at that time I didn't realize that they were a little too red and cheerful after drinking some "orange juice".
...i 'm convinced...i'm going to download it...
I prefer the subtitled version too, especially as regards Kyoko when she's angry :p