House Ikkoku Final

About

Before becoming a monument of the Japanese comic strip, Ikkoku House was above all a simple and deeply human story imagined by Rumiko Takahashi. Far from fighting and science fiction, the work recounts the turbulent daily life of Yusaku Godai, an unlucky student, and Kyoko Otonashi, the young manager of a pension filled with completely eccentric tenants.

Faced with the phenomenal success of the manga and animated series in Japan, several video-based adaptations emerged in the mid-1980s. This version developed by Micro Cabin on MSX2 is one of the best known.

The game takes a very different approach to the usual productions of the time. Here, no monsters to eliminate or worlds to save. The goal is to advance relations between the characters while navigating in the many humorous situations that make the charm of the original work.

Manga lovers will find with pleasure the residents of Ikkoku-kan, their incessant arguments, their awkwardness and their often catastrophic attempts to interfere in the relationship between Godai and Kyoko. The light and romantic atmosphere of the series is remarkably transcribed despite the technical limitations of the MSX2.

Micro Cabin here carries out an interesting work of adaptation by favouring narrative and dialogue rather than pure action. A relatively rare approach in the video landscape of the 1980s, especially on Japanese computers.

An interesting anecdote: Ikkoku House is considered one of the mangas that have helped popularize the genre of modern romantic comedy in Japan. His influence is still in many animated and visual novels.

This adaptation is of particular interest because it perfectly represents a facet of the Japanese market that is often unknown in Europe: the games drawn from successful manga and animated. These productions were extremely popular in Japan but rarely exported outside the archipelago.

Today, Maison Ikkoku remains a piece sought after by Rumiko Takahashi fans, Micro Cabin enthusiasts and collectors wishing to discover another face in the MSX2 catalogue. A precious testimony of the golden age of manga and Japanese video game.

There are two versions of this game, either on 3.5′′ diskette or in MegaRom cartridge. This is the second version, the most sought after and the most rare as well.