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めぞん一刻 [Maison Ikkoku] #4

Maison Ikkoku, Volume 4

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Now everyone seems to forget that "home is where the heart is"! First Kyoko's dog Mr. Soichiro (named after her late husband) gets hopelessly lost. Then a misunderstanding causes Yusaku to move out of Maison Ikkoku in a huff. Unfortunately, the tiny apartment he moves into is still occupied - by a beautiful masseuse and her apelike yakuza husband.

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1983

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About the author

Rumiko Takahashi

1,586 books2,144 followers
Rumiko Takahashi (高橋留美子) was born in Niigata, Japan. She is not only one of the richest women in Japan but also one of the top paid manga artists. She is also the most successful female comic artist in history. She has been writing manga non-stop for 31 years.

Rumiko Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. The manga she creates (and its anime adaptations) are very popular in the United States and Europe where they have been released as both manga and anime in English translation. Her works are relatively famous worldwide, and many of her series were some of the forerunners of early English language manga to be released in the nineties. Takahashi is also the best selling female comics artist in history; well over 100 million copies of her various works have been sold.

Though she was said to occasionally doodle in the margins of her papers while attending Niigata Chūō High School, Takahashi's interest in manga did not come until later. During her college years, she enrolled in Gekiga Sonjuku, a manga school founded by Kazuo Koike, mangaka of Crying Freeman and Lone Wolf and Cub. Under his guidance Rumiko Takahashi began to publish her first doujinshi creations in 1975, such as Bye-Bye Road and Star of Futile Dust. Kozue Koike often urged his students to create well-thought out, interesting characters, and this influence would greatly impact Rumiko Takahashi's works throughout her career.

Career and major works:

Takahashi's professional career began in 1978. Her first published story was Those Selfish Aliens, a comedic science fiction story. During the same year, she published Time Warp Trouble, Shake Your Buddha, and the Golden Gods of Poverty in Shōnen Sunday, which would remain the home to most of her major works for the next twenty years. Later that year, Rumiko attempted her first full-length series, Urusei Yatsura. Though it had a rocky start due to publishing difficulties, Urusei Yatsura would become one of the most beloved anime and manga comedies in Japan.

In 1980, Rumiko Takahashi found her niche and began to publish with regularity. At this time she started her second major series, Maison Ikkoku, in Big Comic Spirits. Written for an older audience, Maison Ikkoku is often considered to be one of the all-time best romance manga. Takahashi managed to work on Maison Ikkoku on and off simultaneously with Urusei Yatsura. She concluded both series in 1987, with Urusei Yatsura ending at 34 volumes, and Maison Ikkoku being 15.

During the 1980s, Takahashi became a prolific writer of short story manga, which is surprising considering the massive lengths of most of her works. Her stories The Laughing Target, Maris the Chojo, and Fire Tripper all were adapted into original video animations (OVAs). In 1984, after the end of Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi took a different approach to storytelling and began the dark, macabre Mermaid Saga. This series of short segments was published sporadically until 1994, with the final story being Mermaid's Mask. Many fans contend that this work remains unfinished by Takahashi, since the final story does not end on a conclusive note.

Another short work left untouched is One-Pound Gospel, which, like Mermaid Saga, was published erratically. The last story to be drawn was published in 2001, however just recently she wrote one final chapter concluding the series

Later in 1987, Takahashi began her third major series, Ranma ½. Following the late 80s and early 90s trend of shōnen martial arts manga, Ranma ½ features a gender-bending twist. The series continued for nearly a decade until 1996, when it ended at 38 volumes. Ranma ½ is one of Rumiko Takahashi's most popular series with the Western world.

During the later half of the 1990s, Rumiko Takahashi continued with short stories and her installments of Mermaid Saga and One-Pound Gospel until beginning her fourth major work, InuYasha. While Ran

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Anna.
1,052 reviews62 followers
August 30, 2013
a misunderstanding between the usual parties, fueled by the drunk neighbors rumor-mill, gets blown out of such proportions that Godai moves out!
Which makes for a really fun read, even when already know every single Rumiko-trope & punchline about to happen
Profile Image for Lord.
556 reviews22 followers
April 3, 2013
Another excellent volume, this time the main story is quite serious and spans several chapters. This is Rumiko Takahashi at her best.
Profile Image for Lisa.
173 reviews26 followers
March 25, 2021
In this volume, Kyoko and Godai have more misunderstandings, lol. The worst one is when Mrs Ichinose overhears Kyoko talking to Mitaka about his sister’s wedding and thinks that they’re marrying each other. Godai kind of confronts Kyoko, but because their conversation is oblique, he misunderstands her and decides he’s going to move out of Maison Ikkoku. *sigh*

He rents a shithole of an apartment only to learn that the gambling tenants (a massage parlor employee and her husband) won’t leave. Kyoko find out where he is, but meets only the female tenant - and of course, thinks that Godai is living with another woman.

They argue with each other and he tries to explain - but she keeps hanging up on him. He meets up with the Maison crew and ask them to explain, but they’re all drunk and get only pieces of the conversation and poorly relay it to Kyoko. Luckily the bartender tells her the whole tale, but by that point Kyoko has already told Godai that all the rooms at Maison Ikkoku are filled and he can’t move back. Luckily she goes out drinking one night and Godai stumbles back to the house in a fever, and they drunkenly/feverishly sob and apologize to one another. What a hot mess! Lol.

I do love that jumping to angry conclusions is becoming more of a Kyoko character flaw rather than poor writing to create misunderstandings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ian Rogers.
Author 2 books25 followers
May 20, 2024
More misunderstanding tropes abound in Maison Ikkoku Volume 4, the largest of which involves a five-part series where Godai thinks that Kyoko's getting married to Coach Mitaka, featuring a climax and ending that leaves no emotional stone unturned. Noteworthy also is Chapter 6, "Memories of You," where Godai and Kozue tackle the issue of consummating their relationship, creating both a very real moral dilemma and a fantasy sequence that pierces the absolute heart of what it means to settle for a life you don't really want.

As always, an excellent read.
Profile Image for Noninuna.
861 reviews34 followers
January 9, 2021
A rumour went around about Kyoko & the tennis coach that made Godai decide to move out of Maison Ikkoku. This volume basically centres around the ramification of his decision. I enjoyed this volume a little bit more than the previous one because we got less love triangle this time around.
Profile Image for Strange.
54 reviews
March 13, 2019
Đoạn cuối lúc 2 đứa òa khóc... Dễ thương muốn xỉu 😂
Profile Image for Nicholas Driscoll.
1,428 reviews15 followers
June 10, 2020
誤解ばかりの話。五代さんと管理人さんはずっとはっきりいお互いに言えないから誤解をかさなっている。僕にとってすごくつまらない。もし話の元は誤解だけなら意味がないと気がする。
Profile Image for Owen Hatherley.
Author 43 books556 followers
March 19, 2025
Last time I read one of these I thought 'surely they can't keep this one going for ten volumes' but maybe they can!
Profile Image for Sara.
2,116 reviews14 followers
March 15, 2013
The majority of this volume revolves around a misunderstanding between Yusaku and Kyoko. He heard through the incorrect apartment grapevine that Kyoko was going to get married to her tennis coach, which of course is false, and he decides to move out. Everything falls apart and when he wants to go back to Maison Ikkoku, more misunderstandings occur. After many ill attempts, things finally work out and get back to normal. I was giggling with the ending, where they were wobbling home and sniffing. Cute!
Profile Image for Mahra.
311 reviews47 followers
Read
July 27, 2018


1. i think i am repeating myself when i say that i love the character design and art so so much, Rumiko has a talent!

2. i kinda like tiny cute heart warming moments like when yusaku carried kyoto home (after she was drunk and felt sorry for him that he had to pay the bill)

3. i love Yusaku’s fantasies they are so funny specially when he runs into a lamp or something, just adorable

4. will we ever know Mr.Yutsuya’s job? (I’m betting its PI or office job)

5. i feel like he should already break it up with Kozue, i mean how long will this pointless relationship will last?

6. WHEN HE THOUGHT KYOKO WAS MARRYING MIKATA?! and he left i thought things couldn’t get even worse but then him having to move into a new apartment with two crazy money-eating couple ! i was waiting for Kyoko to apologize (for his misunderstanding (not her fault) and her lie about not having any apartments left) but it didn’t

7. and Yusaka broke my heart when the cold water sparyed on him and went knocking on his new apartment door and had to call his friend to stay :(

8. it kinda was a happy cute ending when they both cried and sniffed, trying to clear the misunderstanding and whatnot

9. the volume ended with him buying her a cute Christmas star.

we are only on volume 4, i hope more development happens in v.5!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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