by Rumiko TAKAHASHI.
© Rumiko Takahashi/SHOGAKUKAN
Before tackling the incoming stack of manga, I finished revisiting an old fave, Rumiko Takahashi’s Maison Ikkoku.
The tale of Yusaku Godai and his apartment manager, Kyoko Otonashi, remains one of manga’s great romances.
The passage of time plays a crucial role in the story: allowing Godai to grow up and grow into a viable romantic option while providing Kyoko with the much-needed space to both mourn her recently deceased husband and eventually see the possibilities in front of her.
They are likable but not perfect — by any stretch. And some of the scenes in the final two volumes are so heart-achingly real that the series finale takes on a special emotional resonance.