Maison Ikkoku is a run down apartment building in Tokyo. Living there is struggling and wishy-washy college student Yusaku Godai, who has fallen head over heels in love with the beautiful, young manager of the building, Kyoko Otonashi. Kyoko has some feelings towards Godai, but she's a widow, and still is not over the death of her beloved husband, Soichiro.

Complicating matters between the two are rich, suave, hysterically dog-phobic, and handsome tennis coach Shun Mitaka, Godai's rival for Kyoko; and Kozue Nanao, a sweet, cute, and naive girl, who accidently has become Godai's platonic girlfriend. Kozue is clueless that Godai is in love with Kyoko.

But the crowning touch is the 3 other residents of the apartment building: hard drinking, hard partying and hard gossiping Mrs. Ichinose, who lives with her young son Kentaro; Akemi, a sexy party animal who is the bar hostess at local hangout ChaChaMaru, and who wears her see-through negligee around the building; and then there's the mysterious Yotsuya, who gets his kicks out of peeping, and breaking through Godai's wall so that he can mooch food from Godai. These characters would be at home in "A Confederacy of Dunces".

All 3 regard Godai as their personal toy, and they get their kicks from teasing him and holding their drinking parties in his room. They've also discovered that Kyoko is fun to tease as well.

The 9 chapters contained in "Empty Nest", Volume 5 of the 14 volume saga which is "Maison Ikkoku", are heavy on comedy, although a hint of romance always lurks around the corner. The 3rd anniversary of the death of Kyoko's husband, Soichiro, is upon us, and Kyoko's parents have become more aware of the absence of grandchildren in their lives. This discussion brings Kyoko to consider the possibility of raising a family with either Coach Mitaka or Godai. Baseball is the national sport of Japan, and the manager of the gang's bar ChaChaMaru, has recruited everyone to play in a game against the local merchants, for a wager, of course. Kyoko's going to a class reunion, while Godai's playing host at a freshman mixer. Godai ends up with a cute, intoxicated freshman gal, who's supposed to be verrrrrry lonely. What a coincidence that Godai is in the Shinjuku District, the same area as Kyoko's reunion.

The remainder of Volume 5 covers a story arc that continues into Volume 6; Godai's grandmother comes to visit. Granny Yukari drags Godai and Kyoko to her class reunion. Granny finagles Godai into taking her with him on a date with Kozue, and we see that Godai has been indecisive since he was a child. Granny learns that Godai has a rival, and Coach Mitaka mistakenly invites Granny, Godai and Kyoko to his luxury apartment, where Granny has a lesson for Godai to learn. Granny gets a shipment from home of her homemade plum wine, which helps to show that alcohol and dogs don't mix. Granny invites the gang to a hotel pool to swiim, and Kyoko misunderstands the hickey Godai is sporting. It is embarrasing, since Godai got it from his drunken college buddy Sakamoto, who's decided to take a "don't ask, don't tell" policy about the hickey, which only infuriates Kyoko. Godai takes off for Hokkaido, to escape Kyoko's wrath, and winds up making friends with a chatterbox of a gal who helps Godai sort things out.

A few notes of interest: when Granny Godai arrives, it's clear that she & Kyoko had met before. The reason for this is that an early volume that contained Granny's 1st visit to Ikkoku was not translated/published in America, for unknown reasons. At the mixer, Sakamoto says that he & Godai had been buddies since they failed their college entrance exams. The English translation of the series had Godai introduced as a college student; the original Japanese had Godai as a "Ronin", a person who failed his/her difficult entrance exams and who is cramming to retake the exam.

This wonderful Volume keeps this great story rolling along with it's drop-dead funny humor, and yet the romantic angle keeps things touching. "Maison Ikkoku" is better than "Oh! My Goddess!" and is superior to most books which make Oprah's Book Club. Buy it, you'll love it!

Kyoko knows she should love her parents like a good daughter should, but it is so hard with parents like these!

'Tis the season to be jolly at Maison Ikkoku! It's Christmastime, and Godai wants to get Kyoko a present. So he splurges on a pair of earrings and gives them too...Kozue? Now he's broke and has nothing to give to Kyoko! Then it's New Year's Eve and Godai is all alone with Kyoko...can he stand the temptation? Then, at the end of the holiday madness, Godai goes home for a few days, but a chain of unfortunate accidents prevent him from coming home as soon as he planned.

Next, Kozue takes Godai home for dinner. It's then that Godai discovers just how ambitious she is in their relationship. Meanwhile, Kyoko's parents are worrying that managing Maison Ikkoku reminds her too much of her dead husband. But when they can't get her to leave the boarding house, they start using sneaky, manipulative methods. Kyoko and the rest of the residents must learn how to stand up to her shrewd parents. Maison Ikkoku continues its sweet and (mostly) innocent humor in the second book. Once again, Rumiko Takahashi exhibits her mastery of the art of manga!

Don't miss this book! The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is cause I don't care for the Romeo and Juliet half of the book, but it might be your thing!