Torna alla ribalta la regina dei manga, la maestra Takahashi, con la riedizione di una delle opere più romantiche e struggenti della storia del fumetto giapponese! In una nuova veste rispettosa dell’originale, un intramontabile classico raccolto in corposi volumi impreziositi con pagine a colori!
Arriva l’estate e con essa le tradizionali feste del quartiere. Godai riesce a invitare Kyoko ad andarci insieme, ma ovviamente non mancheranno i rivali in amore e gli invadenti coinquilini a far da contorno!
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
The last chapter ruined this one for me. I like a lot about this series, and being that it’s 40 years old, I can forgive quite a bit. But sometimes it crosses even that already adjusted line and just makes me feel ick.
The last chapter, called I Won’t Look, is a will they won’t they of the men in the house deciding whether they should peep on Kyoko getting dressed. It’s played off as a gag, but it’s just gross. If I didn’t already own more volumes, this might’ve been it for me.
The surprise/accidental kiss! One of those tropes that feels like it's impossible to pull off well, and yet Rumiko has done this, in my memory, and done it well, like a half dozen times.
The intense focus on the will-they-won't they in this one makes me wonder how they're going to stretch this out over another 7 volumes, but: I find these just incredibly calming things, with the little details of the suburban townscape and the boarding house, zooming in on this handful of very charming if sometimes let's say somewhat leering characters. So maybe I'll try and find out (but worrying thought sometimes: is the heroine, 'the manager', a...landlord?)
I’m not sure if the translator changed from the first two collector’s edition volumes or if the writing simply improved tremendously, but the hilarity in this volume was the best so far in the series — countless puns and wordplay, creative hijinks, and actually cleverly layered slapstick bits. Hoping the writing continues in this trajectory and I’ll continue to check these volumes out from my local library.
Following the second collector’s volume, this third collection of chapters of Godai and Kyoko finds their relationship and their individual journeys taking another step forward, albeit incremental. However, the amusing mishaps and circumstances that our characters are in are far more entertaining here than what was showcased in the previous volume. Rumiko Takahashi has allowed me to feel closer to these characters and left me in anticipation of what is to come next.
ENOUGH TEASING! I WANT THESE TWO TOGETHER ALREADY!!!!!
And the other tenants need to stop hatin on Godai so much.. I get that it’s a running joke in the series but come on! He deserves some love dammit!!! Not every male lead is going to be Mr Perfect. We all have our Godai moments… let’s be honest lol
How many romcom misunderstandings can you have in one manga volume?
That was a rhetorical question. I’d love to borrow Rumiko Takahashi’s brain for a while. How does she come up with these ridiculous situations?
In this volume: Godai is sort of dating Kozue. Ok, why are you dating someone you don’t care much about, while wondering if Kyoko is jealous? You are a mess, Godai. ”She’s always out there sweeping when I leave to go on a date. It’s hard to believe she’s truly sick of me.”
Mitaka is still trying to use that sparkle in his eye to impress Kyoko. (No such luck.)
My favourite chapter title: The Great Beer Heist. Godai and his friend get a job at a beer garden and invite Kyoko to come over! Only Kyoko! Guess what the neighbours of Maison Ikkoku do…
I chuckled more times than I can count. These people are so over the top! Facepaaaaaalm. But they warm my heart, too.
man the cringe factor is not really abating but 1) rumiko has a lovely, intimate understanding of space and the way people move in it even in slapstick mode. i cherished all the quasi-awkward quasi-cozy silences around meals. sharing food is a primary activity for this cast of characters & also, incidentally, the initial bridge between mitaka and godai. 2) kyoko continutes to be so friggin compelling. it's almost jamesian the inverse-growth of these characters (ok im exaggerating) where godai has the initial infatuation and must temper it with kyoko's insane stubbornness, and kyoko must grow from a preemptive coldness to potential love. i think that makes the kiss in this volume so spectacular--it's literally transferred over, and to live it again they must meet somewhere in the middle, their feelings undetermined & unresolved, almost grumpily in love.
Dans ce troisième opus, quiproquos et situations embarrassantes s'enchainent jusqu'à provoquer le départ de Godaï! L'ambiance n'est plus la même à la pension Ikkoku, et certains restent campés sur leur position. Heureusement les évènements et les sentiments de chacun font que tout évolue. Encore un excellent tome.
This volume is the one where I can say that I’m fully invested in the characters, even the annoying ones (looking at you Mr. Yotsuya). The misunderstandings are a numerous, but I was very much engaged in how Takahashi progressed the story. Really liked this one.
Berlanjut. Lika liku komedi romentis yg bikin gregetan namun konyol. Di satu sisi, Godai jalan terus sama Kozue, di sisi lain Mitaka mepet terus si oya-san LOL
I’m really not so into this, but I feel like I have to see it through!! I hope it shifts and just focuses on Kyoko. I am so unbelievably tired of reading the name ‘Godai’ over and over and over…
Ya sé que antes me debería conseguir el tomo 1, pero cuando vi los números 2 y 3 a tan buen precio, no me pude resistir. Supongo que quedará en lista de espera hasta que pueda conseguir (o leer de prestado) el #1.