Anyone else a Maison Ikkoku fan?

[Arnold]

It really is a special series, IMO, and it's too bad that it's pretty much gone by unnoticed by fans these days. Maybe it's the older look of the animation, the lack of crazy fanservice, or the generally subtle tone of the show, I don't know. But it's a great, very genuine show that makes me want to smile or laugh or cry every time I watch it, and gets better and better as the show goes on. Right now I'm through episode 87 of the anime and in vol. 14 of the manga.

Even the rerelease of the manga and the DVD box sets are getting rarer and rarer these days (DVD box set vol. 8 in particular is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find, though I finally managed it) and it's a damn shame.

Viz really dropped the ball on this series, IMO. This is not the kind of series that survives well on two episodes a tape every couple of months.

[bctaris]

Viz really dropped the ball on this series, IMO. This is not the kind of series that survives well on two episodes a tape every couple of months.

How did they drop the ball, in the end, exactly? The series struggled (it started in 1996) during the VHS days, yes, but this was not an age when anything except action titles did anything. They tried to keep it going, dropping it to only the subtitled version by episode 36 (volume 18) and continued to episode 60 before being dropped in 2001. Fans complained even before it was ended, around 1999-2000, when DVD was revving up, that Viz should transition to that format but Viz inexplicably countered that the lack of VHS sales proved there was little interest in the DVD.

All the same, MI fans--at least on this forum--were a pretty passionate and vocal, if small, group, and they were eventually heard. Viz did finally get it on DVD in 2003 and also restarted the English dub from episode 37 onward (which you may or may not care about, but that's a sign of commitment towards market viability). And they finished releasing the whole thing in 2006, in exactly three years. They got it done, bilingually, in eight three-disc twelve episode sets. That's not dropping the ball, I think--especially if, like the manga release (or at least the original edition manga run during the 90s) they may have lost money on it in the end. (As for availability, it was somewhat tedious to get even when some of the sets were originally released, at least when they became exclusives at Right Stuf, but for something that ran from 2003-2006, it's about par for what one can find for anything complete from that period.)

[Kirarakim]

I love Maison Ikkoku but I admit I've only read the manga and have not seen the anime.

Although in general I enjoy Takahashi's stories, Maison Ikkoku is definitely my favorite of her works.

[Njr Scrawl]

I'm a fan back to the VHS days when they first started dropping the ball on MI releases. Got all the sub VHS, R1 sets at launch & 2 set 8s, so far. Considering dding on 1 - 7 as well.

Manga was all the flipped books, then all the unflipped & some Japanese volumes.

MI's only failing is not enough Kyoko & too much everyone else!

[jlazar]

You can have my complete DVD set for one million US dollars. Not a penny less. (for that much I can learn Japanese and get the Japanese DVDs, otherwise I'd never part with them :) ).

[jayro0]

I bought the Maison Ikkoku DVD box sets as they came out. In fact Viz switching over to mail order only via Viz'es online store and Right Stuf is what led me to the Dark Lord's influence.

I suppose the surprising thing is that if Viz still holds the license, why don't they re-release them in 3 disc single keep cases at two-thirds or half the price of the original boxes like so many others do. Milk the license for everything it's worth. Although I suppose that would mean they'd need to find some more fans.

[memyselfandi]

Maison Ikkoku is one of those series I would really like to watch all of; from everything I've heard about it it should be the sort of series I would like ... but every time I've tried to watch it I have never got past disk one before getting distracted with something else.

But I'm determined that one day it *shall* happen (I do have the 8 boxsets as someone I know was selling off his anime collection so I got them off of him for an exorbitant price).

[Njr Scrawl]

MI in bigger & thinpacked sets as Ranma & Inu Yasha were reeased in would be good. Even Digipacks. And 6 episodes to a disc. 3 sets instead of 8!

[Arnold]

How did they drop the ball, in the end, exactly? The series struggled (it started in 1996) during the VHS days, yes, but this was not an age when anything except action titles did anything. They tried to keep it going, dropping it to only the subtitled version by episode 36 (volume 18) and continued to episode 60 before being dropped in 2001. Fans complained even before it was ended, around 1999-2000, when DVD was revving up, that Viz should transition to that format but Viz inexplicably countered that the lack of VHS sales proved there was little interest in the DVD.

My main complaint was with their handling of the VHS release; even in '96 other companies were heading towards a 3 or 4 episode per tape format, and that was for relatively fast moving, 26 episode series. 2 episodes per tape every two months is deadly for such a leisurely paced series. And they did kind of drag their feet with the DVD release. By the time they did pick things up with the DVD box sets and the unflipped manga, the series was too "old" to be a success amongst the anime fanbase.

They dropped the ball not in the sense that they didn't do right by the fans, but rather I think that the series could have been more successful than it was.

[bctaris]

How did they drop the ball, in the end, exactly? The series struggled (it started in 1996) during the VHS days, yes, but this was not an age when anything except action titles did anything. They tried to keep it going, dropping it to only the subtitled version by episode 36 (volume 18) and continued to episode 60 before being dropped in 2001. Fans complained even before it was ended, around 1999-2000, when DVD was revving up, that Viz should transition to that format but Viz inexplicably countered that the lack of VHS sales proved there was little interest in the DVD.

My main complaint was with their handling of the VHS release; even in '96 other companies were heading towards a 3 or 4 episode per tape format, and that was for relatively fast moving, 26 episode series. 2 episodes per tape every two months is deadly for such a leisurely paced series. And they did kind of drag their feet with the DVD release. By the time they did pick things up with the DVD box sets and the unflipped manga, the series was too "old" to be a success amongst the anime fanbase.

Okay, I see what you mean. Though I disagree with the optimism that Viz missed a window when MI could have been more popular and not as "old". It was already going on ten years old when it started in 96. If they put it out on DVD as early as possible (98-99) it still would have been closer to 15 years. It simply was never a big seller both because of its content (perceived incorrectly or not by some), and because it was an 80s series.

I adore many "old school", pre-1990 titles, very much including MI, but I push back on the notion by some old school fans that if only companies could have done a little more here and there this stuff would be as popular as Dragonball (I exaggerate, but you get the point). The anime fanbase in North American increased by probably 10, 20 times what it was in the very early 90s by the end of the decade, with mostly quite young fans who liked what they came up with: mid to late 90s titles, with some love for early 90s titles like Ranma because its release was still ongoing. By the time DVD came into the picture, and more fans came in, they were only focused on 2000 and beyond. MI never had a chance, at any point in its release. It's an era thing. (Which is why I stress it's still somewhat monumental that it finished its DVD release, and fully dubbed. Had they started that DVD release one year later, and ending in 2007 when the bubble burst, it's interesting to consider if it would have finished, at least bilingually (which expanded the albeit small audience).)

Maybe Viz missed a window, but it was more likely not releasing MI when they started Ranma three years earlier, in 1993. (Even so, AnimEigo couldn't get much crossover from that to Urusei Yatsura during that early 90s period.)

But I shouldn't draw this topic to all this stuff, sorry. To get back to the original point, I am a Maison Ikkoku fan, as I am a fan of most Takahashi work besides maybe Inu Yasha (which I simply have little desire to see entirely as I have MI and UY and minor series). MI's a special thing. I'm glad even if it is destined to live on as a cult title.

[KevinTRod]

MI is easily one of my favorite shows of all time. In fact, when making a Top Ten list of favorite TV shows in general (America/Import/Live Action/Animation) MI easily made the top five.

[Mazinkaizer]

MI is one of my all time favorites and will continue to be so ! I am glad that VIZ managed to get it out on DVD (Hugs his 8 sets) but i am sorry for fans who might want to watch it these days since VIZ don't seem interested in re-issuing them. Too bad also that this pretty much kills any chance of the Movie, OVAs or even the 2 Special J-Drama movies being released for the R1 market :depressed:

[Dissonance]

I love the Maison Ikkoku anime but I prefer the manga. Still, the anime does some things better and that's one hell of a voice cast.

[kabuto]

Aargghh! I still haven't seen the end of this series. Started collecting the fan made VHS from C-ko Duplication before Viz picked it up. He then stopped when Viz got the rights and I only got a couple of tapes. Never got the VHS from Viz as I had an LD player was buying more LDs. Then it came out on DVD. Got a couple of the sets and just got busy and didn't get the rest. Still like two short on my manga collection from Viz when the anounced the non-flipped version. *Sigh*

[Steve_the_Talking_Pie]

Maison Ikkoku is my all time favorite anime series. Sweet, funny, wonderful, with never a dull moment. Maison Ikkoku delivers a great down to earth show. I wish more shows were like this, however none have really been released in R1 land (Maison Ikkoku itself did lousy).

Hopefully in the future MI will be picked up again and released in an easier to manage form for the masses. Until then I will hug my R1 DVD set and be more than content with it.

[untoldsorrow]

Maison Ikkoku is my all time favorite anime series. Sweet, funny, wonderful, with never a dull moment. Maison Ikkoku delivers a great down to earth show. I wish more shows were like this, however none have really been released in R1 land (Maison Ikkoku itself did lousy).

Hopefully in the future MI will be picked up again and released in an easier to manage form for the masses. Until then I will hug my R1 DVD set and be more than content with it.

I wouldn't say its on my top list but its pretty close. The anime had a little too much fillers for my taste. The manga is simply wonderful. It is on my top 5 along with Orange Road.

[Njr Scrawl]

I love the Maison Ikkoku anime but I prefer the manga. Still, the anime does some things better and that's one hell of a voice cast.

Both have their own charm. MI made me a Sumi Shimamoto fan - one of my permanent top 10 seiyuus, & also a Rumiko Takahashi fan.

Early MI manga has Kyoko looking a lot like Lum in UY, but by the end Kyoko has her own distinct character design.

[Yotsuyasan]

I have never heard of this Maison Ikkoku of which you speak! (Pay no attention to my Screen Name!)

All kidding aside, I am one that counts MI as one of my favorite series. Never really wanted to decide if I had one all-out favorite, but if I did then MI would certianly be a contender.

I have all of the DVD's, back in the day had all of the first run of graphic novels (for nostalgia purposes I still have the first and last) and have upgraded to the un-flipped graphic novels. Pity that those are impossible to find these days, as my volume 9 has a teeny tiny bit of warping from a flood. But it is only a tiny bit, doesn't affect the readability at all, and the spine still looks fine on the bookshelf. Still, I'd replace it if I ever saw it in a bookstore, although that seems most unlikely.

I remember about the original graphic novels that there was one volume I could not find for the longest time, and I actually had to sit on two or three of the later volumes and suffer through not reading them until I finally found the missing one!

As for the newer editions, I'm very happy they included the previously missing chapters with Godai's enterance exams. Would it have killed them, though, especially for the sake of consistancy, to replace references in the previously available chapters calling Godai, "Mr. Flunk Out," to refering to him as a ronin? They certianly had no problem changing a later chapter to mention a DVD player, which seems not at all out of place in a series set in the 80's. Nope, not one bit! (Grr...)

[Buckeye]

It has its good points, but it is something that was out a long time ago. I watched some of it and it had some good things to it.

[Dissonance]

Would it have killed them, though, especially for the sake of consistancy, to replace references in the previously available chapters calling Godai, "Mr. Flunk Out," to refering to him as a ronin? They certianly had no problem changing a later chapter to mention a DVD player, which seems not at all out of place in a series set in the 80's. Nope, not one bit! (Grr...)
What bothers me more than that is how Yusaku and Kyoko address each other by their first names in the early part of the translated manga. That nuance of their relationship was lost on me until I watched the anime some years later, by which point I had a better understanding of honourifics and whatnot, and it's something that could have been easily explained with brief translation notes. See also "Kyoko-Baby"/"Kyoko-chan".

[Arnold]

Maison Ikkoku is my all time favorite anime series. Sweet, funny, wonderful, with never a dull moment. Maison Ikkoku delivers a great down to earth show. I wish more shows were like this, however none have really been released in R1 land (Maison Ikkoku itself did lousy).

The only comparison is Love Hina, but then, that's not really a comparison, is it? LH is really more of a standard shounen romantic comedy/harem series with tons of fanservice to boot.

But what I love about Maison Ikkoku is that it's more than just a romantic comedy, it goes into truths about human relationships, and fleshes out all these characters beyond what in other shows would just remain standard, stock character types (the crazy neighbors, the arrogant rich guy, etc.) It started out as a charming romantic comedy with a melancholy backdrop, and became a really emotionally engaging series where the occasionally silly comedy moments became this harmonious backdrop to the strong character drama.

[Njr Scrawl]

As for the newer editions, I'm very happy they included the previously missing chapters with Godai's enterance exams. Would it have killed them, though, especially for the sake of consistancy, to replace references in the previously available chapters calling Godai, "Mr. Flunk Out," to refering to him as a ronin? They certianly had no problem changing a later chapter to mention a DVD player, which seems not at all out of place in a series set in the 80's. Nope, not one bit! (Grr...)

I agree, & in fact whited out the "Mr Flunk Out", then neatly wrote in ronin, to replace it. Not the only Viz-ism I've felt compelled to change, in MI & other books. :angry:

[ooga]

I loooove MI. The 8 TV boxsets are some of my most prized possessions. Too bad Viz couldn't sneak in the movie and OVA in one of those boxsets. No big loss though.

[Njr Scrawl]

OVA not, but I consider the movie a loss (having seen it several times).

Since we have had both Ranma movies & all OVAs, and all the Inu Yasha movies from Viz - MI fans have been snubbed once again by being deprived of the movie & OVAs.

[bishopcruz]

I just don't understand why they don't thin pack this thing and release it in like 2 $40-$50 dollar sets. A lot of people I know tend to jump on these value packs, even of older stuff. Maison could o decently well at under $100 for the whole series. Past that it becomes harder to market.

Then again, has Viz ever been good at value priced re-releases?

[Njr Scrawl]

Yes. Ranma 1/2 re-releases for me. Not got any Inu Yasha yet.

The issue is Viz & its attitude to Maison Ikkoku anime generally IMO.

[Arnold]

Just watched the last episode for the first time.

No spoilers, all I'll say is- wow. Perfect way to end the perfect show.

[Arnold]

Finished off the final episode the other day. Totally blown away- I've been an anime fan since 1994, and this is possibly the most satisfying finale I've ever seen.

Now I'm hungering for something very similar.

MI is a show with a lot of subtlety, emotion, drama, character development in spades- years pass, they get older, mature, etc. Brilliant series.

Anything similar to this that I should keep my eye out for? (And before you say Love Hina, I've seen enough Love Hina to say that it is no Maison Ikkoku.)

[Fencedude]

Anything similar to this that I should keep my eye out for? (And before you say Love Hina, I've seen enough Love Hina to say that it is no Maison Ikkoku.)

Why would anyone even think Love Hina was anything like Maison Ikkoku? Thats just...bizarre.

I don't like it much, but you could try Kimagure Orange Road, perhaps.

If you want something more modern, then Clannad.

[Njr Scrawl]

How long a show do you want? KOR is MI's contemporary & also has character designs by Akemi Takeda. The 2nd movie takes the characters into their early 20s. I think you will like the 2nd movie's ending, & movie 1 should be watched as well.

KOR = 48 TV episodes, 8 OVAs & 2 movies.

[Arnold]

Anything similar to this that I should keep my eye out for? (And before you say Love Hina, I've seen enough Love Hina to say that it is no Maison Ikkoku.)

Why would anyone even think Love Hina was anything like Maison Ikkoku? Thats just...bizarre.


People seem to make the connection because it's a romantic comedy about a Ronin living in a boarding house. I have seen the two shows compared on a number of occasions.

Anyway, KOR has been on my radar, should have mentioned that. I'll check out Clannad.