Maison Ikkoku

This OVA is a recapitulation of the entire series, done with scenes taken from the series, mainly focused on Godai and Kyoko relatioship.

Released in 1990 this 30 minute special is the only 'true' OAV in the series. This is a completely original piece of animation. The story is based on the extra chapter of Maison Ikkoku where the tenants and Mitaka are all shipwrecked on a deserted island due to the usual insane partying by Ichinose, Akemi and Yotsuya. Once they are on the island Kyoko begins sweeping the sand to keep herself busy while Godai and Mitaka compete with one another to catch fish for Kyoko and make sure she doesn't starve. All the while Yotsuya wanders off by himself and finds a nearby resort, where he makes himself right at home, never telling his other castaways of course.

A special which pastes together all of Kyoko's flashbacks of Soichiro, with some dialogue along the scenes. Like a cherry flower in the spring talks about Soichiro, Kyoko's first love and husband, using a series of flashback, already seen in the TV episodes, making up a sort of "journey in the memories".

Yusaku Godai is fed-up with life as a ronin and his horrible housemates, namely loud and brash Mrs. Ichinose, her bratty son Kentaro, sexy Akemi Roppongi, and the mysterious Yotsuya. As he finally packs his bags and heads for the door he meets Maison Ikkoku's new manager...Kyoko Otonashi. Its love at first sight for Godai, so he toughs it out in order to get to meet the gorgeous new manager a bit better.

Godai decides that since its Kyoko's first Christmas at Maison Ikkoku, this would be a great opportunity to buy her a present and tell her how he feels. As will become the norm, he chickens out when the Ichinose's arrive. Meanwhile, he learns from Akemi that Kyoko is already seeing someone and these suspicions are confirmed when he finds a sleeping Kyoko mention someone named ""Soichiro"" on the roof.

With his entrance exams bearing down on him, Godai just can't seem to focus. Kyoko decides its up to her to stop the other tenants from interrupting his studies, but what she doesn't know is that Godai's thoughts slip everytime she's in the room. And just as things are about to settle down...the power goes out. Kyoko's determined to fix the problem and Godai offers his help, but is he really trying to be a good tenant, or does he want Kyoko all alone in the attic?

Kentaro offers to walk Soichiro for Kyoko, but ends up losing him. Kyoko tries her best to reassure Kentaro that Soichiro will find his way home, but in reality she is terrified of never seeing him again. She remembers the day that she and her husband first brought Soichiro home, and how he wouldn't answer to any other name. All the tenants do their best to find the missing dog, and after many false hopes, begin to give up. Finally, Godai finds him at the house of a family a few blocks away and returns him to a greatful and shocked Kyoko.

The tenants are shocked when they begin seeing a mystery man leaving Maison Ikkoku. Soon enough they realize that he is none other than Kentaro's father, Mr. Ichinose! After losing his job, Mr. Ichinose begins having trouble finding a new one, meanwhile Kentaro has a parent/child sports meet at his elementary school, but is too embarassed to ask his overweight, alcoholic mother, and recently unemployed father to come, so instead he asks Godai and Kyoko to come as his sister and her husband. Godai is all to happy to accept, but Kyoko feels guilty. Yotsuya finally tells Mr. Ichinose what Kentaro has planned, and the Ichinose's decide to not only compete, but win the three-legged race.

All the Maison Ikkoku tenants visit a local Fall Festival and Godai and Kyoko even decide to take part in it. A misunderstanding leads to Kyoko falling down a very deep well. Before long Godai realizes that Yotsuya was mainly responsible for the mishap, but when he goes to save her, he gets pulled in as well. Soon Yotsuya drops by but instead of helping, he uses the well in order to partake of his favorite hobby, voyeurism. After he leaves Yotsuya brings Mitaka to the well, but for reasons only known to him, he decides to push him in with Godai and Kyoko. Now a new problem has risen its ugly head...who will help Kyoko get out, and who will stay stuck at the bottom of the well? Soon enough a frightened Kozue climbs down into the well to hide from some locals dressed as monsters, Akemi jumps in to visit with Mitaka, Sakamoto hops in for a visit, Yotsuya returns to join in the fun, and Ichinose drunkenly dives in too! Can Kentaro save everyone else?

This episode marks the first appearance of Ibuki Yagami. As a college co-op, Godai has entered a student teacher's program. For the next two weeks he'll be teaching at an all-girls high school which he discovers is the very same school that Kyoko attended and where she met her husband Soichiro. Godai has a rough start since he's so weak-willed that he has difficulty controlling the students. The class representative Yagami helps him out, but comes to think of him as just another wimp. During a break, Godai gets an idea to find the old yearbooks to finally discover what Soichiro looked like, but of course he has no luck. Yagami spies on him and in typical schoolgirl fashion, she romanticizes the situation and comes to believe that he's suffering over the death of an old girlfriend that attended this school. Now she's suddenly developed a crush on Godai. At the end of the day she paints her hand and slaps Godai on the back, imprinting a red heart on his shirt (an old schoolgirl prank). T

Even in the middle of a lesson, Yagami is trying her best to corner Godai and get him to reveal his feelings towards Kyoko. His supervisor Kamiogi-sensei is wise to the situation and warns Godai not take Yagami's advances seriously. Godai of course has no intention to reciprocate. Under the guise of discussing the distribution of clean-up duties, Yagami gets Godai alone and tries to kiss him. She's almost caught, so instead Yagami gives Godai a journal supposedly outlining the classroom duties. On the way home he runs into Kozue who sets his mind at ease that these high school crushes are usually just a phase. When he gets back to Ikkoku-kan Kyoko nonchalantly brings up the subject of Yagami, but Godai gets defensive, which kind of stuns Kyoko. In his room he settles in and opens the notebook Yagami handed him. Inside the words ""suki desu"" (I love you) are written on every page. Of course Yotsuya, Ichinose and Akemi all find out and tease him about it. The three of them later set up a

Ever since what happened last time, Yagami hasn't been able to get close to Godai with her homeroom teacher keeping an eye on her. With only two days left before Godai's student teaching stint ends, she's almost out of time. Yagami inquires to Kamiogi-sensei about Kyoko and learns that she too was in love with a student teacher at the school and ended up marrying him. This gives Yagami added impetus realizing that it is possible to make it work. She invites herself and her friends to Godai's place the next day as an informal good-bye. Kyoko wants to help but Yagami becomes really possessive. Kyoko starts catching on to how aggressive this girl is. In Godai's room, Yotsuya greets the high school girls wearing a white tuxedo. After a lively time, the Ikkoku-kan gang see the girls off. The realize a bit later that Yagami hasn't gone with them. Apparently she plans to sleep over. Godai tries to get her to leave but she isn't budging. She tries whatever tactic she can to stall until after t

Pressured by Yagami, her dad finally gives in and hands Godai a solid job offer. To everyone's astonishment, however, Godai hands the offer back saying that as much as it pains him, he wants to be more relied upon and find a job that he likes by himself.

After drinking with Sakamoto who celebrated by getting Godai's job, they wake up in debt in a cabaret. Having to pay off the debt, Godai is forced to work there in secrecy while looking for a permanent job.

Kyoko, still believing that Godai is working in daycare and looking for a job, begins to encourage Godai by making home-made lunch everyday. Having been laid off at daycare and working off his debt at the cabaret, Godai is pulled on whether to tell Kyoko the truth. To add insult to injuries, the looney gang discovers Godai's secret and decides to free load off of him at the cabaret every night and keep him in debt forever!