Most people know Rumiko Takahashi for wild comedies like Urusei Yatsura and Ranma ½. Maison Ikkoku is her quieter, more grown-up masterpiece. It follows Yusaku Godai, a struggling student living in a shabby boarding house, who falls for the building's new manager, Kyoko Otonashi, a young widow still grieving her husband. It is funny, frustrating and genuinely moving, and it has aged remarkably well.

Maison Ikkoku is the second most stocked manga series in our shop, thanks to a lovely run of Viz's early comic-format issues alongside the graphic novels. So we sat down with the whole story to put together this guide. If you want to see what we have, browse our Maison Ikkoku collection.

Where Maison Ikkoku came from

Takahashi wanted to write a love story that could happen in the real world, without aliens or curses getting in the way. She drew on her own experience of living in an apartment building in Tokyo, where the strange habits of her neighbours gave her plenty of inspiration. The title mixes the French word maison with a Japanese name and can be read as "The House of One Moment".

The story unfolds over roughly six years, about the same time it took to publish, so the characters age and change alongside their readers. That gives the series an unusual sense of time passing, something that was rare in manga romances of the era.

The story: a romance that takes its time

Godai is broke, failing his exams and living in Room 5 of Ikkoku-kan, a run-down boarding house full of nosy, hard-drinking neighbours who treat his love life as their favourite entertainment. When Kyoko arrives as the new manager, he is smitten. The trouble is that she is still mourning her late husband, Soichiro, and she has a rich, handsome tennis coach named Shun Mitaka also pursuing her.

Over fifteen volumes Godai grows up. He fails, finds work, makes mistakes, and slowly becomes someone worth marrying. The misunderstandings are classic Takahashi comedy, but the series never forgets that Kyoko's grief is real, and the ending earns every one of its quiet emotional beats.

From page to screen: the Maison Ikkoku anime

The TV anime brought the boarding house to life with many of the same staff who had adapted Urusei Yatsura, so Takahashi's comic timing came through intact. Viz later released the series in English across eight DVD box sets between 2003 and 2006, and a remastered HD version has since been released on Blu-ray in Japan.

The story also jumped to live action twice: a Toei film released on October 10, 1986, and a TV Asahi special that premiered on May 12, 2007. In a 2019 NHK poll of more than 210,000 people, Maison Ikkoku was voted Takahashi's third-best animated work.

Rumiko Takahashi: the queen of manga

Takahashi is one of the best-selling manga artists of all time, and Maison Ikkoku shows her range. Here she swaps martial arts and monsters for small apartments, late-night drinking sessions and the awkwardness of adult relationships. Fans of Ranma ½ and Inuyasha who have never read it are in for a surprise. You can explore more of her work in our Rumiko Takahashi manga.

Why Maison Ikkoku still matters

Plenty of later romance manga borrowed the formula of a shared house full of eccentric residents, but few matched Maison Ikkoku's patience. Its willingness to let the characters fail and grow, and to treat grief seriously, is why it still turns up on lists of the best romance manga ever written. Its Viz comic-format issues from the 1990s are also a neat piece of manga publishing history, from the days when American publishers released manga in floppy monthly instalments.

Where to start reading Maison Ikkoku

Start with Vol. 1 of the 15-volume Viz edition, which follows the original Japanese order. If you enjoy the hunt, the 1990s Viz comic-book issues, split into "Parts", are a lovely way to read it the way American fans first did. We have a good run of those right now, starting with Maison Ikkoku Part 1.

Maison Ikkoku manga & anime timeline

Key characters in Maison Ikkoku

Curiosities collectors should know

Maison Ikkoku volumes worth knowing

• Vol. 1

  Maison Ikkoku Vol. 1

  2003 · Viz Media

  Godai meets Kyoko and the residents of Ikkoku-kan make his life impossible. The perfect introduction.

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• Vol. 5

  Maison Ikkoku Vol. 5

  2004 · Viz Media

  Mitaka's rivalry heats up and Godai's love life gets more complicated by the chapter.

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• Vol. 10

  Maison Ikkoku Vol. 10

  2005 · Viz Media

  Godai's career struggles and growing maturity start to change how Kyoko sees him.

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• Vol. 15

  Maison Ikkoku Vol. 15

  2006 · Viz Media

  The finale. A wonderfully earned ending that fans still consider one of the best in romance manga.

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Maison Ikkoku covers through the years

A look at the covers across the English-language run. Tap a cover to find it in our shop.

Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Vol. 3 Vol. 4 Vol. 5 Vol. 6 Vol. 7 Vol. 8 Vol. 9 Vol. 10 Vol. 11 Vol. 12 Vol. 13 Vol. 14 Vol. 15

Maison Ikkoku on our shelves right now

Here are some of the volumes we currently have in stock. Every copy is checked and graded before it is listed.

Vol. 1 Vol. 1 Vol. 1 Vol. 1 Vol. 1 Vol. 4

You can also browse every Maison Ikkoku book we stock.

Frequently asked questions about Maison Ikkoku

Condition grades on our listings follow our comic & book condition guide. Have Maison Ikkoku books of your own you would like to sell? Email us at contact@siomiccomics.com. Maison Ikkoku and all related characters are trademarks of Rumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan. Cover images are shown for reference.