--- Maison Ikkoku Guidebook : The Live-Action Movie Copyright 1996 by the Misery Loves Company (see the full copyright notice in part 1 of this guidebook) ______________________________________________________________________________ ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Live-Action Movie: @live_action ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This article was written by Andy Johnson. (dated 93.10.13) Here it comes: a not-too-detailed synopsis of the live action Maison Ikkoku movie I have been writing over the last week or so. Yes, it's the legendary live action Maison Ikkoku movie. This 97 minute film arrived in theatres in 1986. Synopsis: -------- It's a sunny morning as our story begins. A teacher leads her singing school children past Ikkoku-kan. The mailman pedals up on his bicycle to deliver the mail, the music starts up, and ... (g1) _Maison Ikkoku_ (AKA _Apartment Fantasy Maison Ikkoku_) The clock in the tower reads a steady 9:04 throughout the credits. Soon we hear Godai shouting. He's had enough! He's leaving! (g2) The clock suddenly moves and the bell tolls. Mrs. Ichinose, Yotsuya, Akemi and Godai rush outside. The clock isn't dead after all. (g3) Their discussion of this miraculous event is interrupted by a dog's barking. They turn and see ... Kyoko Otonashi. Kyoko introduces herself, as Godai's desire to leave evaporates in the morning sun. Later that day, Godai, and the gang (Mrs. Ichinose, Akemi, and Yotsuya) are having a drink (well, several drinks) at Chachamaru while they discuss their new manager. A man is sitting in a nearby booth, listening. Later that evening the standard party is going on in Godai's room while he tries to study for tomorrow's exam. Kyoko drinks ... a few, and Godai begins to worry about her. The lights go out. Kyoko screams (well, a small `kya!'). (g4) The lights come on revealing Godai holding onto Yotsuya as Kyoko holds onto herself. The excitement (and the alcohol) are a bit much for Kyoko and she runs out of the room. The next morning Godai is finishing his entrance exam. As Godai leaves, Gilbert O'Sullivan starts into "Get Down." (g5) Kozue walks over and introduces herself. (g6) Godai and Kozue ride the train until Godai's stop. Godai leaves the train, sees Kyoko get on the train, and quickly reboards. Kozue misunderstands Godai's "kiree da na." <=beautiful...> On foot now, Godai follows about 30 feet behind Kyoko - on her way to the cemetery. Kyoko walks past a flute player. Godai follows as the flute player reveals himself to be ... Yotsuya. Godai and Yotsuya follow Kyoko into the cemetery and hide behind a convenient nearby grave. (g7) Yotsuya stops playing his flute, demanding payment from Godai. Godai gives him the cash. I guess its cup-ramen for Godai again. Kyoko spots Godai who suddenly remembers he's visiting the graveyard too. What a coincidence! They begin talking. Yotsuya passes by them, still playing. Godai and Kyoko walk through the graveyard as Kyoko tells Godai that she is a widow. (g8) [BONG!] Kyoko crouches on the ground holding her head. [BONG!] Kyoko hears a bell tolling [BONG!] that Godai can't hear. She says it's Soichiro-san. Later that day, Godai returns home to Ikkoku-kan in the rain. He finds Mrs. Ichinose, Akemi and Yotsuya standing outside under umbrellas. They tell him Kyoko is up on the roof. Godai heads up as everyone else heads inside. Kyoko is spreading a tarp. Godai tries to convince her to come down, finally grabbing hold of her. You know what's coming. Slap! She sends Godai rolling across and off the roof, falling past the gang's window. Kyoko leans over the edge of the roof and sees Godai sprawled on the grass, unconscious. (g9) Back at school, Kyoko is keeping Godai and his broken leg comfortable, at least until Kozue appears and takes over. Kyoko leaves coldly. Yotsuya walks through town with his hat, trench coat, and his attache case. A police car speeds by. Kyoko walks through the park when she comes upon Yotsuya reading a newspaper on a set of swings. She joins him. Yotsuya buries his head in the paper as two policemen rush by. After they're gone Yotsuya begins moving stealthily around and through the playground equipment. Kyoko wonders what's in the case. Yotsuya opens it, but won't show her what's inside. They take a walk through the trees ending up at a small shine by a small lake where they talk. That night a woman arrives at Ikkoku-kan. She is looking for Yotsuya. `Woman' makes her way to Godai's room where the party is well under way. She will not give her name. Ichinose quickly gives her a drink, but the mood of the party has changed. Kyoko then arrives with a guest for Akemi - the man from Chachamaru. Kyoko and `Man' join the party. Yotsuya grabs his hat and trench coat and tries them on `Man.' They fit pretty well. Yotsuya offers `Man' a light and comments about the recent bank robbery. The party stays subdued. (Note the characters of the man and woman are listed only as `Man' and `Woman' in the credits.) The next morning Kyoko is up early talking to Soichiro-san. `Man' leaves after giving Kyoko some money. He spent the night in Akemi's room. A minute later, `Woman' leaves and gives Kyoko some money. She spent the night in Yotsuya's room. A few moments later Kentaro heads out--presumably he slept in his mother's room. Later that morning, the scores from the exam are being posted. Godai, Kozue, and friends push their way through the crowd, take a look at the boards, and find ... (g10) That night Akemi calls Kyoko from Chachamaru. Godai still hasn't called. Akemi hangs up and continues talking with `Man.' Kyoko sets the dinner table and the dinner gets delivered. More time passes. Yotsuya calls Kyoko from a phone booth in the park. He still has the hat, trench coat and attache case, but now he also has two plain-clothes policemen following him. The two detectives stand nonchalantly outside the booth. Yotsuya plays a quick game of tag with the detectives before asking them for a light ... and a cigarette. Yotsuya thanks them in Russian and walks off. Akemi and Yotsuya have returned for dinner with Kyoko and Mrs. Ichinose, but Godai is still missing. The big celebration dinner is not going well. (g11) Yotsuya is busy stuffing his face. Akemi is a tad drunk so Yotsuya gallantly picks her up and carries her upstairs. Mrs. Ichinose takes some food to Kentaro leaving Kyoko alone. Kyoko begins drinking and gets more than a little drunk. Suddenly she hears Godai announcing to the world that he loves her. (g12) She sobers up real fast and heads outside. Godai is seriously drunk and Sakamoto (well, he isn't named but he's fulfilling Sakamoto's role so we'll call him Sakamoto) is encouraging him. Godai hugs Kyoko, telling her that he passed his exam. He then lifts her up, knocks Sakamoto down, and carries Kyoko inside. Godai carries the protesting Kyoko upstairs. Yotsuya is nice enough to open Godai's door, after sneaking a quick peek up Kyoko's skirt. Godai manages to fall on top of her on his bed, moaning he that loves her, before falling asleep. Yotsuya peers through the hole in the wall as Kyoko starts hearing bells again. Its morning again. Godai wakes up and remembers nothing about the night before ... at least until he meets Akemi and Yotsuya at the wash basin. Kyoko is putting on a kimono in her room, thinking about the events of the previous night. Mrs. Ichinose is outside pumping water from a well (!!!) (1) to wash her clothes. Godai runs into Kyoko as she is leaving. Godai tries to apologize but Kyoko is rather happy this morning. Godai is rather confused this morning. Kyoko heads off to meet with Soichiro's father. After her talk with Soichiro's father, Kyoko starts walking home. It begins to rain, then it begins to pour. She finds Godai and they both walk home under her umbrella. It is big umbrella. It was Soichiro's umbrella. (g13) A gust of wind carries the umbrella up into the trees. Kyoko takes this as another sign and begins apologizing to Soichiro. They walk home through the rain, getting drenched, until `Man' picks them up in his car. The gang, including `Man', celebrates Godai's victory in his room ... food, drink, the usual. Soft laughing from Yotsuya's room reveals `Woman.' Mrs. Ichinose invites her in. This must mean it's time for ... a musical number!!! The title comes up and Soichiro gets to do his MGM Lion routine. Godai is wearing his schoolboy outfit; Kyoko is in her schoolgirl outfit. Yotsuya is dressed as a flute player, Akemi as a nurse, and Mrs. Ichinose as a bride. (g14) `Woman' is dressed as a nun and `Man' is dressed like Yotsuya. The cast is not a marvel of synchronized motion but the number is entertaining. The cast sings and dances for a while, up, down and around the stairs. After a few minutes of music it's `The End.' The cast stays on the stairs drinking and talking and then the music starts up again. No, its not over yet! Yotsuya and `Woman' have the leading roles in this song as the rest of the cast sways back and forth in the background - a red flashlight in their right hands and a green flashlight in the other. Again, they are not exactly swaying in unison ... but at this point you are so confused that it just doesn't matter! With the musical numbers out of the way, `Man' and `Woman' are lying on the floor in a room full of motionless clocks (the attic? the clock tower?). They talk as the rain continues falling. Godai and Kyoko try to sleep in their individual rooms but they can't. Back upstairs, `Man' tells `Woman' that he stole 5,000,000 yen (about $35,000US in 1986. (2) ) The rain stops and Godai steps outside. He walks over to Soichiro and raps him on the head. OOPS! Kyoko is standing on the porch! She is not at all happy. Godai is sorry but he doesn't understand her. He is here. He is alive. He is in love with her. She slaps him. He is leaving. (g15) Kyoko and the gang are at Chachamaru talking over the situation ... soberly! A little while later, back at Ikkoku-kan, Kyoko cleans out the big empty space that was once Godai's room. Yotsuya comes through his hole in the wall and gives her a package - a package for Godai. As Kyoko heads off to deliver the package Yotsuya begins slowly vacuuming Godai's room. (g16) Godai arrives home at his new apartment to find Kyoko waiting with the package. She starts to leave but he invites her in for some food. Kyoko decides to make dinner. The food is good. Soichiro used to like it. (g17) Night falls. Godai and Kyoko sit on opposite sides of the bed staring away from each other before Kyoko takes the initiative. She turns out the lights and begins taking off her clothes. Godai follows suit and they are soon under the blankets. The passion level is hovering at just about absolute zero. As Godai makes his move, the bells begin ringing and ringing and ringing in Kyoko's head. Soon they are sitting on opposite sides of the room again, staring at the walls. (g18) The phone rings. Mrs. Ichinose needs to speak to Kyoko. Yotsuya and Akemi are dead! Godai and Kyoko head to the park in a taxi. There are police cars and flashing lights. Kyoko wants to see Yotsuya and Akemi. Mrs. Ichinose says they are over by the water. Godai and Kyoko walk slowly over to the water as Yotsuya and Akemi emerge from the shadows, their skin glowing blue from the lights on the police cars. They walk over to the small shrine where Yotsuya's trench coat and one of Akemi's dresses are laid out. The two detectives are there and divers are searching the lake. There are no bodies. The `bodies', in their underwear, are back in the clock room at Ikkoku-kan. `Woman' starts some of the clocks moving. Soon they are all moving (with about as much synchronization as the cast of the musical shown earlier.) The police drop off everyone to Ikkoku-kan. Its party time! Kyoko and the gang start to head inside. Godai wants to come back. Slap! The gang heads inside. Godai asks again. This time, Kyoko smiles. (g19) The party in Godai's room is in full swing as Gilbert O'Sullivan starts into `Alone Again.' (g20) The credits roll and it's `The End.' by Andy Johnson proofread by Glenn Tarigan Footnotes: ---------- [ Glenn Tarigan: I haven't seen this movie, but to be a true MI fan, one must watch everything MI--so I should watch this movie one of these years. Urusei Yatsura had its "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Lum the Forever", so it's fitting that Maison Ikkoku should have its "Maison Ikkoku" (movie). @_@ Except that this movie may have none of the redeeming features of Urusei's movies... (e.g., a decent plot) It's sort of interesting to see how many references they made to the original story. This live-action movie is a weird sort of compilation. In the footnotes below I've tried to point out all these references in terms of the TV anime--for now, it's easier for me to do this than to locate the proper references in the manga. Note: when this movie was released, the MI anime would have just barely started. Presumably, the manga was already finished. ] (1) [ If you didn't know, Ikkoku-kan in all its other incarnations has no such hand-pumped well! ] (2) [ In the U.S. the average bank robbery nets $2000. The average computer crime nets $450,000! Ah, the wonders of modern technology. ] [ Ankle-note: Glenn Tarigan wrote all the footnotes which are prefaced with a "g"--these footnotes only describe cross-references. ] (g1) [ The animated movie somewhat makes a reference to this: it starts out on a rainy evening, and a mailman drops off a letter at Ikkoku-kan. ] (g2) [ Episode 1: Godai threatens to leave Ikkoku-kan. ] (g3) [ Episode 3: The clock bell starts ringing mysteriously. ] (g4) [ Episode 70: A short black-out at Ikkoku-kan occurs during a thunder storm ] (g5) [ Episode 24: This is the one episode in which "Get Down" is used in the ending title. ] (g6) [ Episode 12: Kozue re-introduces herself to Godai. ] (g7) [ This would refer to the couple times that Godai hid behind a grave while Kyoko was visiting Souichiro: Episode 52 and 76. ] (g8) [ Episode 6 was the episode where Kyoko tells Godai that they're standing in front of her husband's grave; meaning she's a widow. ] (g9) [ This modifies and combines the roof scene of episode 2 (when Godai saves Kyoko from falling off the roof) with the falling scene of episode 42 (when Godai breaks his leg). ] (g10) [ Episode 5 is when Godai finds out whether he passed his entrance exam or not. ] (g11) [ This has similarities with Episode 93 when Kyoko and the loon squad await Godai's return (on the day that he finds out whether he graduated or not). ] (g12) [ Godai expresses his love for Kyoko to the whole town in episode 8. ] (g13) [ This is a slight reference to episode 17. In the manga, Kyoko tried offering an umbrella to Soichiro when she was in high school; with Godai she tries offering the same umbrella. ] (g14) [ Except for Ichinose, all the regular cast are dressed up as they were in the costume party of episode 37. Fortunately, the anime version did NOT have a musical number. ] (g15) [ In episode 30, Godai leaves Ikkoku-kan... for a different reason. ] (g16) [ These scenes are based on episode 30. Except that Yotsuya doesn't do any vacuuming. ] (g17) [ Kyoko cooked Soichiro's favorite dish for Godai in episode 11. ] (g18) [ This makes a vague reference to the aborted attempt at making love in the manga volume 14, part 11. ] (g19) [ Kyoko did this sort of slapping and changing of heart in episode 15. ] (g20) [ Now we come back to Episode 24. Instead of coming at the end, as we see here in the movie, that anime episode used `Alone Again' in the opening title. ] Movie Credits: -------------- Directed by: SAWAI Shinichiro Character: Live-action actor: -------------------------------------------- GODAI Yusaku ISHIGURO Ken OTONASHI Kyoko ISHIHARA Mariko OTONASHI ojiisan ARISHIMA Ichiro Soichiro-san (dog) Angela YOTSUYA IBU Masatoshi ROPPONGI Akemi MIYAZAKI Yoshiko ICHINOSE Hanae FUJITA Yumiko ICHINOSE Kentaro NAKAGAKI Katsuhasa NANAO Kozue KAWAI Michiko Chachamaru's Master FUKAMI Hiroshi IIOKA Detective KUSANAGI Kojiro Priest OTAKI Shuji Woman MANDA Hisako Man TANAKA Kunie -- provided by Andy Johnson ______________________________________________________________________________ ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------