Part Eight #6
Story and Art by Takahashi Rumiko
Copyright © 1999 Takahashi Rumiko/Shogakukan

It seems like the American version of MAISON IKKOKU has been running for a long time. After all, they're on Part 8. But I was really surprised by how far along the story seemed when I read this most recent issue.
The story opens with Kyoko waiting impatiently for Godai. It's the night before his big test, the Preschool Teacher's Licensing Exam, which he was determined to pass. Kyoko has made him a wonderful dinner. But he's not there, so she sits, as she often does, waiting for him. Growing angrier by the minute.
So just where is the erstwhile hero? He's decided that he and Mitaka are going to have it out once and for all. We find them strolling through the city at night, looking for a place to have a fistfight. But the appearance of a policeman, as well as several other obstacles, keep preventing them from doing anything but wandering around and drinking. Meanwhile, Kyoko's at home, and still very angry. This can't be good.
Part of the humor in MAISON IKKOKU comes from the love triangles and the misunderstandings that arise between the characters, but these very same circumstances are often the cause for a lot of hurt feelings and heartbreak for the characters themselves. Although it's funny that Godai is out trying to fight Mitaka when he should be home eating Kyoko's dinner, what happens when he finally returns is not funny and is in fact, downright painful. It takes a lot to make Kyoko angry, but once she gets there, stand back.
The story is really humming along now, as the characters and their relationships are all well-defined. In this issue, we even see the beginning of the end of the Godai-Kyoko-Mitaka triangle, and the beginning of another pairing that will ultimately prove more fruitful. We also begin to see a hint of backbone in Godai as he decides to stand up to first Mitaka and then later, to the situation he has created for himself. There's a lot of character development in this particular issue.
This issue is more serious than normal, as it deals with a lot of story elements that have been building for a long time. But it still has its lighter moments, especially when Yotsuya, Akemi, and Ichinose show up to "encourage" Godai and "comfort" Kyoko in their own weird way. It's hard to tell whose side these guys are really on sometimes.
I don't read the English version normally, so I can't really say, but this seems to be coming up awfully soon. I don't know how many chapters (if any) they've skipped, but it seems like the beginning of the end of the series is coming up a little too soon.
MAISON IKKOKU is a quiet, charming story that can make you laugh, cry, and even make you think. This issue is one of the best that I've seen in a long time. But those new to the series should probably start back at the beginning to gain an appreciation of what these characters were and what they have become.

English version published in North America by Viz Comics
32 pages; Black and White
ISBN 820090382300611
$3.25
Available now in the USA
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