There are many different types of romance shows, but the two that seem to be the most prominent are romance/drama and romance/comedy, and it's not exactly difficult to see why. They're the most obvious genres to combine it with. In the drama version, the situations that arise from the romance, are dramatical. In the comedy, the situations are comedic. Now obviously, most romance shows are a mix of both. Take 'Toradora' for example, which is the most popular romance anime ever (if we're going by MAL statistics that is). It's got tons of both hilarious, and dramatical moments. And after having watched Toradora, I really did feel like it was the apex of a romance anime. It's got everything you want. It's not too long, the plot moves relatively fast, it has an ending, the character designs are nice looking and the soundtrack bops. Not to mention that it makes you really want the two main characaters to hook up, because man they are adorable together. But, alas, Toradora is not the apex of anime romance. No, it is Maison Ikkoku, a 96 episode long show from 1986. So, what exactly is it that Maison Ikkoku does, that other romance shows don't?
But first, a short plot synopsis. Godai Yusaku is a young, directionless guy with no serious convictions in his life. He lives with a few other people in a boarding house called Maison Ikkoku. One day, they get a new manager. Her name? Otonashi Kyoko, a widow who is having trouble coming to terms with her husbands death and attempting to figure out her place in life. Enter adorable moments, lots of alchohol, and tons, and tons of misunderstandings.
So, what does it do differently? ot that much actually, and the show isn't perfect. No, this may not be Versaille no Bara or GunBuster, but it really does come close to the greatness of those shows. I'm going to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of shows that go on for longer than 50 episodes. They often drag on, and if a show is lasting longer than that, there's no guarantee that all the episodes are going to be good. As stated previously, Maison Ikkoku comes really close to that, though of course, there are some duds. No episode is outright "bad", but there are certain aspects of the show which I would say I dislike. Which does feel a bit weird to say, as I haven't really felt that about a show I've given a 9 before. However, there is one big problem: 2nd hand embarrasment. I get this a lot, especially when watching shows, and Maison Ikkoku is ripe with it. And... It's just really, really cringe. I mute the show, I look away, and pray that it's over. That doesn't sound like an enjoyable viewing experience, and you'd be right, it's not. So why, even after it's unneccesary length, outright cringy scenes, do I still feel comfortable giving it a 9? It's rather simple actually, the characters, voice acting and the visual aesthethic.
I LOVE this visual aesthethic. It's absolutely beautiful. Everything from the hair, to the colours, and the gorgeous backgrounds is done impeccably well, and it's one thing which never falters throughout its ninety six episode long run. The character designs fit right in, and the world around them feels lived in when it's supposed to, as well as calm and quiet when it should. On the topic of voicd actors, these folks are prolific. Looking through their list of work was extremely interesting, as I found out that I've watched tons of series that they've also worked on, and that most of them are still getting work! And of course, the characters themselves. Everything from their designs to their actual writing, except for Yotsuya, are all great. The key to writing an interesting romance series is this: the love interests must be like puzzle pieces. They're both incomplete, and they need each other to be just that, complete. The side characters are also good (except for the aformentioned Yotsuya). They've got their own life, and while they may spend most of their time around the main cast, they've got their own lives outside of it as well. Ichinose is a middle aged, single mother who likes drinking and gossiping, Akemi is best girl and a person who tends to picksup on the more subtle details of the things that go on around her. And Yotsuya is... well he has no character. That's the kind of the point though, no one knows what he actually does to earn money, whether he has any family or lovers, or anything him. As I said, that's kind of the point, but all it makes me think is that the point is stupid.
It's kind of difficult to discuss this show without mentioning the misunderstandings, and well, it is a staple of Rumiko Takahashi's work. There's a lot of it, but it doesn't really get annoying until the last stretch of the show, where it goes from just "I thought you said X but I heard Y" to "I could have stopped this entire arc from happening if I just decided to actually answer."It's fine in the earlier episodes, but when you're doing the same thing, like six times, it gets old. That's not to say that the later episodes are bad, that coudn't be further from the truth. In fact, most of my favourite episodes are from the 70-96 episode range. Getting too watch as Godai figures out what he wants to do in life and finally finds something he can be passionate about, but still struggling with his conviction... It is touching, and most of all, nothing short of masterful. It reminds me a lot of Ashita no Joe. You spend twentyfive episodes shaking your head and thinking, "Is he going to finally stop being an asshole?" And then you watch another twenty episodes, and he's still an asshole. But then, it all falls down, and he becomes a good dude. And without all the buildup, it woudn't have been nearly as satisfying.
I love this show. It's so beautiful, enjoyable and great. It doesn't have my favourite aesthethic, Oniisame e still holds that title, but I'd damned if it doesn't still look amazing. The length is a bit annoying, and I'm not making any defenses when it comes to the misunderstandings, which sometimes reach comical stupidity. But even with that, even though I recognize all of it's grave faults... I still love it so much. And if that ain't masterful, then nothing is.