These are the bitter-sweet comedic romance involving the class action of hotheaded population world health organization sleep within the boardinghouse in contemporary Tokyo, written during a early 1980s. These are primarily a story of the flowering relationship between a unfortunate student down in his luck, Yusaku Godai & the immature, recently widowed, boarding home manager Kyoko Otonashi. Maison Ikkoku has been translated into English and forteen volumes spanning the series come available from either Viz Communications.

A TV series of Maison Ikkoku ran for 96 episodes & involved a bit of fresh story arcs not covered in the manga version. A television series is notable therein these are a sole one of Rumiko Takahashi's quatern long-running off series wherein a television series ending corresponds to the manga ending. There was likewise the Final Chapter motion picture, 2 OVAs, and the music favorite.

Characters
List come around American choose, sustaining a surname after the given title. Everthing of the tenants' list require the paronomasia on the character's room total. Sustaining a exceptions of Mr. Yotsuya & Mrs. Ichinose, independent characters tend to refer to & location every more informally sustaining their given list; still Yusaku Godai, when normally on to her by her given title, near universally addresses Kyoko Otonashi sustaining her job title of "manager."

Major Characters
Kyoko Otonashi (音無 響子 Otonashi Kyōko) - the beautiful young lady world health organization starts the story ingesting on the project of managing a broken-down apartment house. Early in the series, these are revealed that Kyoko was recently widowed, & she is very hesitant to enter the freshly relationship because of her continuing feelings for her late hubby. Typically friendly & likeable, she has a tendency to dote on top Yusaku (the more tentants ridicule her for acting "like a good wife") & for instance becomes "inexplicably" jealous about him (though she denies these are jealousy). She sleep in the manager's room, which doesn't have a total.

Yusaku Godai (五代 裕作 Godai Yūsaku) - Yusaku starts a story as a ronin who is trying (and repeatedly failing) to survey for his entrance examination. He does in time wear the college (by owning Kyoko's support), although another-mediocre a single. He has the tendency for boss around per more tenents of Ikkoku, world health organization tend to apply Yusaku's room as a communal gathering place for meetings & swallowing binges. When a series progresses, Yusaku typically strains to develop from either a lackluster, undependable young human he starts when to get person he believes is supplementary worthy of Kyoko. He sleep in flat Phoebe (Last)

Hanae Ichinose (一の瀬 花枝 Ichinose Hanae) - The middle-aged gossip world health organization is seldom seen sober. Her wage-slave husb& seldom appears in the manga and is all unknown to the more tenants until he gets temporarily placed bump off. She enjoys joining inside by having a more tenants to stir higher pain for Yusaku & Kyoko, however she from time to time acts by owning dependable intentions for the 2, especially Kyoko, whom she understands as a "younger sister" (wilfully ignoring a difference in their ages, when the more tenants point retired). But, possibly after she is acting by having a right of intentions, her way of doing items typically leave Yusaku, Kyoko or even two within worse situations than in case she hadn't gotten required. Mrs. Ichinose is besides an incurable gossip world health organization relishes her room's proximity to the communal telephone. She swallow her married man & her boy Kentaro within flat One (ichi)

Kentaro Ichinose (一の瀬 賢太郎 Ichinose Kentarō) - Kentaro begins a story when grade-school-aged brat, typically seen trying to make their way between his mother & her bottle. Ab initio, he is antagonistic towards Yusaku, however cases presently watch him to look upon Yusaku as an "alright guy." He is besides super fond of Kyoko, especially because he understands her when a merely reasonable individual in the building differently himself. He develops a crush in Ikuko before long fallowing she is introduced to the story, reminding Yusaku of himself (although Kentaro resents the comparison).

Akemi Roppongi (六本木朱美 Roppongi Akemi) - The boozy bar hostess world health organization is normally known to lounge around wearing lean intimate apparel when lallygag Ikkoku; Mrs. Ichinose at times complains after unknown come as much as, however usually a tenants make their way wont to her ways. She sleep in flat Sixer (Roku) & works a short few feet away away inside the bar known as Cha-Cha Maru, around which the tenants gather to digest whenever non in Yusaku's room. She is known to let occasionally of the bar's male patrons choose her as well several drinks, & typically comes at home from either function drunk. She is typically distant towards two Yusaku & Kyoko, however she is non above joining Mr. Yotsuya around tormenting Yusaku. Her cognomen is likewise the title of a illustrious red light district in Japan, Roppongi.

Mr. Yotsuya (四谷) - The mysterious human world health organization finds enjoyment within mooching, voyeurism, & typically tormenting his next-door neighbor Yusaku; he is renowned for breaking the hole through the conterminous wall up order to exist as by having "young Godai" (& to apply Yusaku's room to peep into Akemi's). He is unremarkably seen dressed around the business lawsuit or potentially likewise formal dress & tends to speak around the super formal manner (even when sucking down & partying by using Akemi & Mrs. Ichinose within Yusaku's room), however what life he could use outside of Maison Ikkoku occurs as complete mystery to everyone. Mr. Yotsuya claims to have a job (however is non above stealing Yusaku's food) and comes and goes at odd and changing hours, keeping a schedule known only to himself. He torments Yusaku directly & Kyoko indirectly, when these are her job to repair a damage treat Mr. Yotsuya. He sleep in flat Foursome. (Yotsuya means "four valleys")

Soichiro - This title actually properly belongs to ii characters, Soichiro a puppy (惣一郎さん, Sōichirō-san), & Soichiro Otonashi (音無惣一郎 Otonashi Sōichirō), Kyoko's late married man. The pooch - A big, white, "mangy" run, obtained as a alley cat by Soichiro Otonaishi. He was originally known as "Shiro" ("Whitey"), however he commonly responded to the title "Soichiro" & Kyoko insisted in officially changing his title to "Mr. Soichiro" inside memory of her married man. Differently providing mirthful relief, he service to remind each Kyoko & Yusaku of the human he was known as fallowing, & serves as a foil to Shun Mitaka. Kentaro enjoys swimming sustaining him & considers him his pet. the hubby - Kyoko & Soichiro met whenever you took highschool when she was the student there & he was a irregular teacher. It at length married, albeit by owning aloud opposition from either Kyoko's personal. Soichiro died of an unspecified drive (infection is implied), allowing Kyoko the super immature widow woman. As a going gag, his face is never shown in the series (unremarkably to Yusaku's fustration), universally either inside shadow or even otherwise obscured around exposure. Soichiro's personal, especially his father, is however super just about Kyoko, world health organizatiin however holds on to the Otonaishi surname.

Shun Mitaka (三鷹瞬 Mitaka Shun) - Shun, within sharply counterpoint to Yusaku, is comfortably easily-off & works as a ladies' lawn tennis coach extra away from love for the sport than any require for funding. He is young (though older than Yusaku, even some Kyoko's age), handsome, & his dentition seem to sparkle if he smiles. Kyoko begins to require lawn tennis lessons from either him early in the series, & Shun begins to court her. His exclusively apparent flaw in the beginning is his morbid fear of dogs, which makes it hard for him to become by owning Kyoko whenever Mr. Soichiro is in the area of. Spell super concerned around & devoted to Kyoko, he is very popular using women (like Akemi: "Can I have him when you're done with him?") & has something of the reputation as the philanderer, a reputation non completely undeserved (virtually all of his other grievous actions use at times guiltless explanatons, however Shun has admitted up to now several women). All the same Kyoko's mother srongly approves of him as a likely first married man of Kyoko (to Yusaku's humiliation). Shun recognizes Yusaku as a competition for Kyoko's heart (& the more way around) & them come unremarkably antagonistic towards both other. Shun's actions towards Yusaku come someplace between magnanimous & patronising, based in whenever Kyoko is in the area of, & he is non above trying to position Kozue as a wedge between Yusaku & Kyoko; Yusaku ordinarily finds himself on the defensive attitude. Kyoko usually likes Shun & understands him as a suer, however is apprehensive all about his forwardness & now and then feels pressured by him (Shun doesn't obviously click the relationship away from her, however might typically "bend the rules"); it may be undecipherable whether Shun is interested additional witharound Kyoko herself or even sir thomas more in "saving" Kyoko from either what he understands as a degrading life around Maison Ikkoku, putting him in the stereotyped role of the "knight in shining armor." Although he is one of a characters world health organization doesn't sleep in Ikkoku-kan, his title is representative of the benumb terzetto.

Kozue Nanao (七尾こずえ Nanao Kozue) - Kozue is Godai's steadily date ("girlfriend" can be as well hard the word, at least inside Yusaku's watch) & usually serves as an obstacle for Yusaku around his pursuit of Kyoko. Cute, sweetly, & the little scatter-brained, she's oblivious to the fact that she is interested around Yusaku than he is within her, & she doesn't view Kyoko (or even, late, Ibuki) when competition for Yusaku's fondness. Their relationship starts fallowing Kozue finds Yusaku by having a spare pic ticket (originally designed for Kyoko, world health organization experienced good began dating Shun) & she invites herself along, setting the general theme for their relationship. Yusaku would such as to came forward & break items off Kozue, even then he either just can't buy the right chance to clean so while forgoing hurting Kozue's feelings deeply (Yusaku's review) or even he is unwilling to "be a man" & could have higher for himself (Kyoko's look at). A situation becomes further complicated when Kozue introduces Yusaku to her personal (Yusaku didn't understand Kozue's project until it got already arrived at her front yard), world health organization approves of Yusaku & is completely as well unforced to feed a perpetually starved university student. Kyoko doesn't nessecarily dislike Kozue & universally responds to Kozue's echt friendliness in a similar way, however Kozue's relationship by having Yusaku does trigger Kyoko's jealousy (which she won't admit intrinsically) & following Yusaku universally requires pains to keep a lot mention of Kozue out of Kyoko. Yusaku finds Kozue attractive, & admits to himself that he would keep around fallen for her in case Kyoko weren't in the picture, however because of his feelings for Kyoko he strives to maintain a select few kinda few feet away from either Kozue, his naivety (each feigned & echt) keeping their relationship platonic. Kozue's title means "seven tails."

Ibuki Yagami (八神いぶき Yagami Ibuki) - As a a portion of his studies, Yusaku was a student-teacher briefly in the highschool Ibuki was attending (coincidently the equivalent school Kyoko attended, in which she met Soichiro). Ibuki was at number 1 unimpressed with "that mope" (First ed. of English manga) or even "that dork" (Second ed.), ridiculing one of her schoolfellow for her short-passing crush in Yusaku, however Ibuki developed her have crush in Yusaku fallowing misinterpreting him as a kinda tragical romanticistic hero. Potentially when she lives extra instance around Yusaku (& even learning that her foremost impression was other precise), nonetheless, her feelings for Yusaku persist fallowing his tenure at her school terminates. Ibuki tends to hatch devious plots that put her together by using Yusaku, ordinarily putting him into the conciliatory situation. Yusaku wants nothing to run by owning her however she scraps to exist as denied. Kyoko at the start lets Ibuki play out what Kyoko understands as a elementary schoolgirl crush, potentially acting once in a while to "protect Ibuki from Yusaku," nonetheless at length sides by owning Yusaku after it becomes clear that he is the of these that needs protection; however, Kyoko is however discomfited by using what she perceives when Yusaku's involuntariness to could have higher for himself. Ibuki, then again, at the start understands Kyoko as a model for incurring married to her have high school teacher, however late comes to recognize "that old hag" as a competition for Yusaku's warmheartedness & typically confronts her. It may be hard to determine whether Ibuki is thomwhen more concerned around Yusaku himself or even inside what she perceives as a tragical romance of their (her) situation. Ibuki's title means "eight gods." She is voiced by Alexandra Carter in English translations.

Minor Characters

Nozomu Nikaido (二階堂望 Nikaidō Nozomu) - Originally intending to go into an upscale establishment known as "Ritsukoku-kan" ("Rikkoku" within Viz' translation), a typographical error on the lease papers will bring him to Maison Ikkoku comparatively late into the story as an accidental tenant. He led a comparatively sheltered life prior to typing a story, & he go in Maison Ikkoku when he began college against the wishes of his hard mother. Nozomu ab initio strikes Kyoko as a super easily-mannered son, when virtually all more tenants look at him as a "sheltered mama's boy." Aside from either his long-going blood feud against Mr. Yotsuya (Nozomu retaliates to Mr. Yotsuya's invasions, within direct contrast to Yusaku), he is known for existence implausibly heavy ("I don't get it") & is wholly oblivious to the situation between Yusaku, Kyoko, & their various love triangles. He enter a long-empty flat Deuce. Nozomu sole appears in a manga & the film. His lines come largely given to Yotsuya or even Kentaro in the TV series.

Asuna Kujo (九条明日菜; Kujō Asuna) - the classically coy Japanese initiative from either the loaded personal, Asuna is jolly, variety-kind-hearted, shy in humans & inexperienced person overly. Her personal & Shun's uncle has intended the traditional Japanese marraige betgween she & Shun (against Shun's wishes). Within direct contrast to Shun, Asuna occurs as puppy-lover & she is ab initio attracted to Shun (approving of their engagement) because her numbers of dogs seem to approve of him. Shun would rather to prevent their ordered engagement, however typically finds himself unable to, either because of his fear of her dogs or even his fear of hurting her feelings (mirroring a situation between Yusaku & Kozue). Asuna is ab initio unaware of Shun's feelings for Kyoko, however she is non above pursuing Shun, albeit around her have fashion. Her title means "nine paths."

Ikuko - Kyoko's immature niece from either her marriage to Soichiro. In the visit to Maison Ikkuko, Ikuko meets Yusaku & quickly becomes fond of him. Ikuko insists that Yusaku becomes her private instructor when she approaches entry into senior high school, though it seems she's other concerned inside goofing off by using him like than actually researching. Kyoko ab initio strains to dissuade Ikuko & in the future tends to hover whenever them come together, hoping to keep Yusaku from either corrupting Ikuko using his sleeping habits, however these are extra typically Ikuko world health organization steers conversation out of her studies & thomas more towards gossip. Tutoring Ikuko becomes Yusaku's number one steadily source of income besides when his foremost major attempt to demonstrate his maturity & dependability to Kyoko.

Creator of Cha-Cha Maru - Akemi's emboss (there are no title is given). Ab initio an incident character once a tenants of Maison Ikkoku last somewhere differently Yusaku's room to swallow, he is typically seen complaining after a tenants come trashing a piece of furniture, daunt more patrons, or even specifically once Akemi seems to exist as ingesting her have drinks like than serving the children to others. Late, a creator from time to time acts while a voice of cause, sole too typically existence a only sober human in a room when something crucial happens, whether the more characters come either drunk in alcohol (Akemi, Mrs. Ichinose, Mr. Yotsuythe), their have hard emotions (Kyoko & Yusaku), or even a mixture of the deuce.

Mr. & Ritsuko Chigusa - Kyoko's parents. At the start against Kyoko's marriage to Soichiro, it (especially her mother, Ritsuko) wish to view their girl prove my point her life, rather remarrying. Ritsuko is quite taken using Shun & understands him as a suitible hubby for her girl, when Kyoko's father understands a handsome Shun as a expected womaniser world health organization may single break his "little girl's" heart. Neither of the two seem to notice Yusaku's being (their inability to remember his title is utilized as a running off gag), not to mention a attach two he & Kyoko part, & their obsession by having Shun exclusively frustrates Yusaku. Two Ritsuko & Kyoko tend to addres Mr. Chigusa when "Daddy" or even "Father."

Sakamoto - Yusaku's friend & sucking down pal (normally at Sakamoto's insistence) from either school. Sakamoto has his have woman troubles, though around direct contrast to Yusaku his difficulty is searching for the right of these. Sakamoto at times offers Yusaku a roof to survive under after situations temporarily inflict him away from Maisaround Ikkoku, & possibly has the word or even even deuce of insight on love for Yusaku, however extra typically than does'nt the nights them spend ingesting together (typically to lament that Sakamoto had dumped once more) develop Yusaku in pain by having Kyoko for 1 cause or a second.

Yukari Godai - Yusaku's grandma. She normally swallow Yusaku's parents call at the united states within the Godai personal eating place, however she now and again comes to visit her favored grandson in Tokyo (though Yusaku would like she didn't). Akemi, Mrs. Ichinose & Mr. Yotsuya love whenever she visits when she universally joins the children in their sucking down, but "Grandma" Godai doesn't torment Yusaku inside quite a equivalent way. She truly cares for her grandson, recognizes his situation using Kyoko, & her schemes come at last constructive for the 2 of the two (&, inside counterpoint to Mrs. Ichinose, she's far additional successful at it).