From the back cover:
Kyoko’s meddling parents plot to get their daughter to give up her independence and move back home. Yusaku meets his (sort of) girlfriend’s overzealous folks and then ends up on a never-ending visit to his own parents’ house.
Review:
I think Maison Ikkoku must be the manga equivalent of crack. It’s especially addictive when there’s more of a linked story line between the chapters. The stand-alone ones can be cute—there’s a nice one in this volume in which Godai looks after a friend’s cat—but they don’t hit the same kind of important character notes that the mini-arcs do.
Most of the plot in this volume had to do with Kyoko’s parents pressuring her to give up her job managing the apartment and to come home, revert to her maiden name, and ultimately remarry. Surprisingly, only Godai actually seemed to have any insight on what Kyoko’s true feelings are in the matter.
There’s a great scene between them later where they’re hanging out on a playground at night and he tells her he wants her to stay just as she is for several years—no pressure from him, because he’s got to graduate from college and find employment before he’d have anything to offer her. I don’t remember that happening in the anime, though I could be wrong.
About the only thing I don’t like is Godai’s relationship with Kozue. She’s just so deluded and clingy, and Godai clearly feels guilty for prolonging things with her. I suppose she’s fulfilling her purpose of inspiring jealousy in Kyoko, and at least her relationship with Godai is chaste so far, but I find her kind of annoying all the same.
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