Season
overview:
It was at this point in the series that the American production hit a major snag. After a few years of falling sales, Viz abandoned their efforts to dub Maison Ikkoku and continued on in a subtitled-only VHS format. This too proved to be unsucessful and the series as a whole was cancelled at episode 60. Thankfully it was later relaunched and completed years later on DVD both dubbed and subtitled. If you would like to see examples of the different styles of the various animation directors, please read our article on the animation directors of Maison Ikkoku.
Episode 37: アブナイ仮装大会!! 響子も過激に大変身
Abunai kaso taikai!! Kyoko mo kageki ni dai-henshin (Crazy Costume Contest! Kyoko's Amazing Transformation)
When a new mirror arrives at Ikkoku all hell breaks loose. Kyoko orders a floor length mirror for her room and decides to try on her old high school uniform. Before she can take it off, the other tenants bust into her room and try to get her to party with them. They whisk her off to Godai's room, and don costumes themselves. Ichinose and Godai get their old high school outfits, while Akemi dresses as a nurse and Yotsuya as a Buddist monk. They begin acting out little plays until Mitaka arrives. After seeing how much fun Kyoko seems to be having with Godai, he readily joins in, becoming a doctor. They continue to wrestle and get out of control until Kentaro comes home and tells Kyoko how dissapointed in her he is.
Godai has a new Madonna poster in his room. This one is based on a photograph by Herb Ritts for Madonna's Papa Don't Preach single. Godai's previous poster was seen in episode 16 and Kozue has a Madonna poster in her room in episode 24.
This is the first time Soichiro’s subject area at Kyoko’s school is mentioned. He teaches Geology.
Kyoko, Ichinose and Godai all wear their school uniforms in this episode. Girls uniforms are known as sailor fuku (セーラー服) while boys uniforms are known as gakuran (学ラン). Both styles of uniform resemble military naval uniforms, with The gakuran is derived from the Prussian Waffenrock and the sailor fuku based on the uniform of the British Royal Navy.
Yotsuya is dressed as a komusō (虚無僧), a Japanese monk of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism. While he wears a traditional tengai (天蓋) a straw-like basket hat in the manga, in the anime Yotsuya dons a paper bag instead. He does carry a flute known as a shakuhachi (尺八), which is used to aid in meditation.
During their partying, Akemi and Yotsuya practice pro-wrestling holds on Godai, with Akemi performing a Camel Clutch and Yotuya attempting a boston crab.
Yotsuya flips his bag around to reveal an okame (おかめ) mask design. This Japanese Mask has two names, Otafuku and Okame. Otafuku literally means “Much Good Fortune”, and Okame means “Tortoise”, also a lucky symbol for long life. Otafuku represents a lovely, always smiling Japanese woman who brings happiness and good fortune to any man she marries. She is also known as the Goddess of Mirth.
“She’s right, Oka! “Aim for the Ace!” – Aim for the Ace (エースをねらえ!) is a famous shojo manga about tennis by Sumika Yamamoto. The series follows high schooler Hiromi Oka as she struggles to become a professional tennis player. The series later spawned an hugely popular anime adaptation by director Osamu Dezaki.
Episode 38: 五代くん失恋? こずえが三鷹に急接近!?
Godai-kun shitsuren? Kozue ga Mitaka ni kyu-sekkin!? (Godai's Dumped!? Kozue Falls For Coach Mitaka!?)
Kozue begins to notice that Godai isn't as affectionate with her as other couples in their dating situation seem to be. She begins worrying about why this is happening and turns to Mitaka for answers. He readily instructs her, in hopes that keeping Kozue together with Godai will open up his chances of winning Kyoko. Yotsuya spies on Mitaka and reports back to Godai. Yusaku had no idea that any of this was going on, but decides its time to break up with Kozue. He runs into her and Mitaka at a diner, and Mitaka tells him to say goodbye the right way. Godai thinks this must mean to break up with Kozue, so when he tries to he puts his arm around her, and Kozue gets excited, because all she wanted in the first place was a little more affection from Godai.
“What do you say we go to Harjuku?” – Harajuku (原宿) is one of the most well known fashion districts in Tokyo. Beginning in the 1970s and powered by the youth culture’s obsession with fashion, Palais France was built. The building housed many clothing stores and was able to capitalize on the trends as well as provide a gathering place for the fashion conscious younger generation. Additionally, on Sundays a pedestrian only area was opened which encouraged people to walk around the shops and people watch the groups of teenage dancers in the nearby Yoyogi Park.
Kozue and her friends eat at a café named Sasori Gatame, or Scorpion Leg Lock. This is a wrestling hold created by Riki Choshu and popularized in America by Sting and Bret “the Hitman” Hart. The hold begins with the opponent supine on the mat. The applying wrestler (A) steps between the opponent's (O) legs with their own left leg and wraps O's legs at shin level around that leg. If A decides to cross O's legs around A's own right leg, A has to cross O's right leg over O's left or the left leg over the right. Holding O's legs in place, A then grabs O's leg which they has crossed over the other and steps over O, flipping O over into a prone position before leaning back to compress O's lower back.
The Ueyama Zoo that Godai and Kozue visit is fictional but a likely stand in for the Ueno Zoo (恩賜上野動物園) the oldest zoo in Japan.
Kozue’s professor lectures about a work by Edmond Rostand. Rostand is a French poet and playwright best known for his work Cyrano de Bergerac and the adaptation of his Les Romanesques to the musical The Fantasticks.
Episode 39: 恋はガッツで勝負! 五代のバイト大作戦
Koi wa guts de syobu! Godai no baito dai-sakusen (Love Takes Guts! Godai's Part Time Job Ploy!)
As Kyoko cleans out her room, she notices something stuck in the back of her closet. When she pulls it out to inspect it, she realizes its a rock that her late husband gave her. Its quite large and has mysterious green specks in it. Kyoko wonders if it had any special meaning, and asks Godai if he could help her learn something about it. He agrees to try his best and takes it to school with him. Godai meets Kozue at a bookstore later that day and they go window shopping for the upcoming Christmas holidays. Kozue points out an expensive cat brooch that she thinks is cute and so Godai decides to take on as many jobs as he can to buy Kozue, Kyoko and Ikuko presents. He and Sakamoto get a variety of odd jobs including a children's drama show, cashiers and sewer workers. He finally earns enough money and buys the brooch for Kozue, a bracelet for Kyoko and a Dappya doll for Ikuko. He also learns that Sakamoto knows someone in the Geology department that can identify the rock for Kyoko. Meanwhile, Akemi and the others ask if he'll be coming to the annual Chachamaru Christmas party, and he says he plans on it if Kyoko will be there. The next day, Godai tries to give Kyoko her present, but is interrupted by Mrs. Ichinose. On his last study session of the year with Ikuko, he gives her her present and she mentions to him that the rock of Kyoko's is the only thing Soichiro ever gave her. Godai becomes slightly depressed at the thought of how important the rock is to the Manager. That night, he and Kozue go to the Observatory and watch a laser show about Christmas. He gives her the cat brooch, which she loves, and she give him a ticket good for one free sweater, which she was unable to finish in time. She's so tired from working on the sweater that she falls asleep on Godai's shoulder. The next day is Christmas Eve, and Godai and Kyoko ride the train to Chachamaru. They meet Mitaka on the way and Kyoko steps off to talk to him, she doesn't notice Godai is staying on the train until it begins to leave. He tells her he has to pick up the rock and will meet her later. Kyoko feels guilty that he has to go get the rock all by himself. As Godai rides to meet Sakamoto, it begins to snow.
6,500 yen is the price of the brooch Kozue likes. That would be roughly 7,664 in 2021 yen.
“I promised my girl I’d take her to Saipan.” – Sakamoto hopes to take his girlfriend to Saipan, surprising Godai. Saipan (彩帆島) is the largest of the Northern Marianas Islands and has been controlled by the Spanish, German, Japanese and now Americans.
“I’m Galatic Warrior Big Bang!” – This is an obvious parody of Super Sentai series. In 1986, the specific show airing would be Dengaki Sentai Changeman (電撃戦隊チェンジマン).
Observatories often do Christmas presentations and describe the process by which the "Star of Bethlehem" or "Christmas Star" appears in the sky. The "star" is actually a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, and was believed to have guided the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus Christ.
Mr. Otonashi is playing Go, a game invented 2,500 years ago in China. The object is to surround more territory on the board than your opponent. A standard go board is 19 by 19 grinds of lines, consisting of 361 points. The two players, Black and White, take turns placing stones of their color on the intersections of the board, one stone at a time. The board is empty to begin with. Black plays first, unless given a handicap of two stones or more (in which case, white plays first). The players may choose any unoccupied intersection to play on. Once played, a stone can never be moved and can be taken off the board only if it is captured. A player may also pass, declining to place a stone, though this is usually only done at the end of the game when both players believe nothing more can be accomplished with further play. When both players pass consecutively, the game ends and is then scored.
Episode 40: 優しさがせつなくてX'マスは恋の予感!
Yasashisa ga setsunakute Cristmas wa koi no yokan!! (A Bittersweet Favor! Budding Christmas Love!?)
Godai rides the train to its destination, and meets Sakamoto at the appointed cafe. Sakamoto shows up late an sits down, very sullen. He tells Godai that he was able to figure out what the rock consisted of, but that he forgot the rock on the train. Godai panics and they run to the platform's lost and found and to see if anyone turned it in. Unfortunately, no one has, and so Godai and Sakamoto board the train to search themselves. They don't find it and have to come back to their original destination just to ask at lost and found again. When they arrive this time, the attendant says someone turned it in down the line, but when they check into it, they find a rocker, not a rock. Godai begins to lose all hope, and can't believe that he is responsible for losing the only present Soichiro ever got to give Kyoko. Sakamoto says that if he found it he would have just thrown it away. As soon as Godai hears this he leaps off the train and begins digging through the trash cans. Suddenly, he finds the rock, but just as he does, the train leaves the station with his bag on board, and inside the bag is Kyoko's bracelet. Sakamoto and he learn that the train attendant is holding the back for him at their station in Yotsuya. Godai is so exhausted and late for the party that Sakamoto agrees to go get his back for him while he takes the rock to Kyoko. The entire night, Mitaka has been trying to find a way to cheer Kyoko up. All she can do is sit quietly and worry about why Godai isn't with them. On his way to Chachamaru, Godai gets some stationary to write a card for Kyoko. As he rushes to the bar, he falls in the snow and loses Kozue's card. Everyone at Chachamaru is happy to see him, and give him some beers to warm him up. Akemi turns out the lights for a slow dance, and as Mitaka searches for Kyoko, Godai sneaks out and Kyoko follows him. Godai goes out in search of Kozue's card and finds it just before Kyoko gets there. She thanks him for all he's done for her, and tells him she'll treasure his card forever. They decide to walk home together, enjoying the fresh snowfall.
As Godai waits for Sakamoto in the café he reads an issue of Shonen Sunday with Makoto-chan on the cover. Makoto-chan (まことちゃん) is a gag manga by legendary horror mangaka Kazuo Umezu. It ran alongside Urusei Yatsura at the same time in the same magazine.
As Godai makes his way to Chachamaru he passes a sign for the 1986 American film, F/X starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. The film was released in the US on February 7, 1986 and was a sleeper hit. The sign in the episode recreates the film’s poster.
No new episode of Maison Ikkoku aired the following week due to the New Year's holiday.
Episode 41: 湯上り響子にドキッ露天風呂のぞき合戦
Yuagari Kyoko-ni doki. Roten-buro nozoki gassen (Kyoko's Hot Spring Heart Stopper: Peeping Wars at the Outdoor Baths!)
The Ikkoku residents decide to visit a hot springs and Mitaka comes along. The trip starts off badly for Godai as he's forced to carry everyones bags. When they finally get to the hotsprings Godai begins to relax a little until Yotsuya attempts to find a way to peep at Kyoko, Akemi and Mrs. Ichinose on the other side. Godai and Mitaka try and stop him, but Godai gets stuck between the dividing wall and almost drowns. The night gets worse when they learn that Ichinose and Yotsuya spent all the money on booze instead of food. Everyone gets wasted and passes out, but Godai awakens in the middle of the night to find himself face to face with a sleeping Kyoko!
Maison Ikkoku has shimekazari (しめかざり) placed on its doors. These decorate the entrances to homes during the New Year celebrations to ward off evil spirits.
The tenants and Mitaka make a New Year's trip to an onsen. You can read more about hot springs here.
Yotsuya hauls an entire case of “Kerin” beer out for the tenants party at the onsen. This is an obvious pun on Kirin.The Kirin Brewing Company (麒麟麦酒株式会社) was established in 1885. The company sells two of the most popular beers in all of Japan: Kirin Lager and Ichiban Shibori.
Akemi can be seen drinking from a smaller, blueish bottle. This is Suntory Old Whisky. Suntory Old is a popular release from Japan. First produced in the 1940s, it remained one of the most prestigious whiskies to come out of the country until the 1980s when single malts grew in popularity. Medium-bodied with spicy notes, this is an excellent Japanese sipping whisky.
The tanuki (狸) or Japanese Racoon Dog are a unique species that is actually neither dog nor raccoon indigenous to Japan. These nocturnal creatures appear in many folktales as mischievous, playful shapeshifters.
Episode 42: 五代くん骨折! 恋のチャンスは病室で!!
Godai-kun kossetu! Koi-no chance wa byoshitsu-de (Godai Breaks His Leg! Chance for Love at the Hospital!)
Godai's been feeling depressed about leading Kozue on lately. Kyoko isn't helping, by constantly telling Godai how much Kozue likes him. When he finally decides to end things between them, Kozue surprises him with a new sweater. Unable to do anything, Godai happily accepts the gift and returns to Maison Ikkoku, where he and Kyoko get into an argument, causing her to almost fall off the roof. Godai rescues her in the nick of time, but falls out of his second story window in the process, breaking his leg and taking quite a blow to the head. When he wakes up in the hospital, he finds out Kyoko's taken care of everything, but can't bring herself to visit out of shame. When she finally does arrive, Mitaka shows up and sees that Kyoko's sympathy for Godai might lead to trouble for him. Godai and Kyoko take a walk and embrace each other, almost kissing before an ambulance interrupts them. They're both shocked to see Mitaka in Godai's room, he apparently broke his leg in a skiing accident.
The song played by the school bell is known as the "Westminster Chime". This became a standard school bell chime in Japan after World War II. Prior to this the same alarm sound used to warn of bombing raids was used to denote the end of a class session, but the memories of bombings were now strongly associated with this alarm. Consequently, inventor Kunio Ishimoto (石本邦雄) invented a device that could play Westminster Chimes. He heard the sound because he was a frequent listener to BBC radio where the chimes were often used.
Episode 43: 恋の火花がスパーク五代と三鷹入院騒動
Koi-no hibana-ga speaks! Godai to Mitaka nyuin sodo (Love Speaks! Godai and Mitaka Duke it Out at the Hospital!)
Mitaka and Godai begin to get on each others nerves at the hospital. Mitaka and Mrs. Ichinose notice that Kyoko and Godai seem to have a playfulness about them. Mitaka gets desperate and tries to hug Kyoko after Godai leaves the room, but only gets embarassed at trying so hard. Godai and Mitaka continue to battle for Kyoko's attention, and Kyoko is delighted that they both want her to help so much, but all that changes when Mitaka's group of college girls comes to take over his care. Right after that Kozue shows up and insists on helping Godai, leaving Kyoko with nothing to do. Mitaka and Godai both watch helplessly from their window as Kyoko leaves the hospital, taking just enough time to leave them a message in the snow.
The title of the book Mitaka is reading is Casa est Magna which is Latin for The House is Great.
Mitaka asks Kyoko to buy two periodicals for him, the Economic Times and Newsweek. The Economic Times is an Indian newspaper that has been in publication since 1961. It is the world’s second largest English-language business newspaper after The Wall Street Journal. Newsweek is an American publication that has been in print since 1933, with the Japanese language version launching in 1986.
“Don’t ever come back.” – The doctor’s words may seem rude, as Godai and Mitaka were basically model patients while they were in the hospital. This actually eludes more toward what happened in the manga version of this story, as Godai’s cousin Akira visits and attempts to elope with her boyfriend, which the residents of Maison Ikkoku get highly involved with, causing no end of trouble.
While Godai and Mitaka are out drinking they end up at a yatai (屋台) or food stall. These are sometimes but not always mobile food carts on wheels. The yatai culture has diminished in Japan following new laws put in place for the 1964 Olympic games, when health risks and hygiene were being considered for out of country visitors.
Episode 44: 賢太郎君もマッ青?! 四谷の恐るべき正体
Kentaro-mo massao. Yotsuya-no osorubeki syotai (Kentaro Freaks Out! Yotsuya's Frightening True Identity)
After Kentaro tries to hide a bad grade from his mother, she gets angry with him and yells. He runs into the attic to get away for awhile and finds an old album. He's shocked to find that the album has pictures dating back almost 60 years and that they all have Yotsuya in them! Even stranger is that he looks exactly the same as he does today. Mrs. Ichinose begins to get worried about how on edge Kentaro becomes after finding the album and decides to do something about it. When she mentions it to Mitaka he agrees, and decides to formulate a plan in order to learn more about Yotsuya's past. Godai follows Yotsuya after he leaves for work, and watches him with a little girl on a playground. Godai is shocked when the girl calls him "sempai". Yotsuya then moves on to catch a bus. He misses his bus while watching a cat, but sees Godai and gets him to pay for a few games of Pachinko. After that Kyoko dons a disguise and follows him to an oversees refugee organization. While there, Yotsuya sits in their waiting room and eats some snacks before turning around and leaving. Mitaka trails him around the block, but gets caught. Yotsuya admits he knew they were there the whole time. Back at Ikkoku the tenants wonder what the mystery of the album is, until Yotsuya decides to tell Kentaro. The men in the photos are his relatives and he explains that the history of Maison Ikkoku is his family history.
Tomomi Mochizuki, who provided storyboards for this episode, was heavily involved in the first season of Ranma 1/2.
In the attic, while Kentaro is hiding you can briefly see a magazine with a masked man in sunglasses on the cover. This is Gekko Kamen (月光仮面) or Moonlight Mask, a 1950s superhero of tokusatsu fame. The original 1950s series was cancelled after a boy fell to his death attempting to imitate a stunt he had seen on the show. The character is tremendously popular and has been parodied numerous times such as with Go Nagai’s Kekko Kamen (けっこう仮面) and the Moonlight Knight character from Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン).
The photo album Kentaro finds shows a mysterious figure who resembles Yotsuya throughout scenes of Japan’s history. The first shows the torch being carried at the Tokyo Olympics, which took place in from October 10th through October 24th, 1964.
“The Specium Beam?” - When Kentaro encounters Yotsuya in the hall, he crosses his arms in a pose and Yotsuya asks if he is going to use the Specium Beam. This is Ultraman’s most basic attack.
Kyoko and Godai discuss more of Yotsuya’s false aliases. Godai was told that Yotsuya’s first name is written as “Kamekichi” but pronounced as “Tsuruji” while Kyoko was told that his name is written as “Fuji” but pronounced like “Kawadacho.”
When Kyoko goes undercover to follow Yotsuya, she has a babydoll strapped to her back with a small drum toy called a den-den daiko (でんでん太鼓). When you twirl the stick in your hands the small beads strike the drum and it makes a noise. These were popularized in the west in the film The Karate Kid, Part II.
Another photo of a Yotsuya lookalike was taken at Asakusa International Theater (浅草国際劇場). This building was opened in 1937 and closed in 1982.It featured featured the Shōchiku Shōjo Kagekidan (松竹少女歌劇団) an all female musical performance group.
The subway photo most likely references the opening of the first passenger subway in Tokyo, which travelled between Ueno and Asakura and opened in 1927.
The photo of a Yotsuya lookalike giving a Nazi salute at the signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact would be November 25, 1936. The pact was seen as a “litmus test of loyalty” to the Nazi’s against the Soviet Union.
As Godai looks through Yotsuya’s photo album he mentions Felix the Cat coming to Japan, in the English translation. In Japanese he’s actually talking about Norakuro (のらくろ) a very early manga series that began in 1931 and was the first series to be collected into a tankobon format. The series was created by Suihō Tagawa (田河 水泡) and was actually inspired by Felix the Cat. The story features a dog named Norakuro who is in a dog army that fights against a pig army as a stand in for the second Sino-Japanese War.
The sound of a tofu salesman’s horn can be heard as Yotsuya and Kentaro sit on the roof.
Episode 45: 衝撃の重大発言?! 響子が五代に愛の告白
Syogeki-no judai sengen?! Kyoko ga Godai ni ai no kokuhaku (A Shocking Revelation: Kyoko Declares Her Love to Godai?!)
Finals approach and Godai is playing catch-up. Because of his broken leg and extended hospital stay Yusaku has fallen behind in all his classes. Sakamoto helps him out though by providing a copy of all his notes and answers to old tests. Kyoko decides that its partially her fault that Godai is so far behind because she still feels that she was the one that caused him to fall and break his leg. So she sets out on a mission to make sure Mrs. Ichinose, Akemi and Yotsuya stay out of his room and don't do any loud partying until finals are over. As the days progress, Godai studies his hardest and finds that Kyoko is being more affectionate than ever, offering to cook all his meals for him and checking up on him from time to time to see how he is progressing. When the tests finally arrive, Godai does his best and manages to get through them all, with the exception of his last final of the semester, Adolescent Psychology. Godai really buckles down the night before for an all out cram session. Kyoko promises to wake him up the next morning, so Godai overdoes it and and studies into the wee hours of the morning. But the tenants decide to party in Kyoko's room, ensuring that she won't get any sleep either. When she wakes up the next morning, she realizes the test will begin in thirty minutes. She rushes Godai into a taxi and goes to school with him to try to beg the professor to let him in, but its all in vain. As Godai realizes he will have to repeat Annother year of school, Kyoko tells him she's willing to wait for him. Suddenly Sakamoto arrives and tells Godai that the schedule he gave him was wrong and that their Adolescent Psych final begins in a few minutes. A very perturbed Kyoko simply gets up and walks away.
Godai is reading “Playman” in his room, which is an obvious parody of Playboy, or as it’s known in Japan, Monthly Playboy (月刊プレイボーイ) not to be confused with Weekly Playboy. Much like its American counterpart the magazine featured nude models known as “playmates”.
The drinking song that Yotsuya, Ichinose and Akemi sing about Godai is Barracuda’s Nationwide Drinking Song of Japan (日本全国酒飲み音頭) released in 1979. The song itself uses the melody of Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo which was written in 1948 and used in the 1950 Walt Disney film Cinderella.
Episode 46: 響子争奪! スケートリンクは愛の戦場
Kyoko soudatu! Skate rink wa ai no senjo (Race for Kyoko! Skating Rink is Love's Battleground)
Kyoko, Mrs. Ichinose, Kentaro and Ikuko plan a trip to a skating rink with Godai and Mitaka tagging along. The problems begin almost instantly when the rental van seating arrangement leaves Mitaka and Godai sitting up front together with Mitaka driving and Godai in charge of the tape deck. On the way, Ikuko asks Godai to teach her how to skate once they arrive, but he modestly refuses, telling her that Mitaka would be a much better coach. Mitaka also refuses and passes the task back to Godai. Once they arrive everyone learns why. Neither Mitaka nor Godai have a clue about how to skate. They begin stumbling all over the rink, begging Kyoko to help them and refusing the help of Mrs. Ichinose. Kyoko reluctantly agrees to help, when suddenly Akemi and Yotsuya arrive to cause problems for Godai. Soon Godai is laid out on the ice with Yotsuya refusing to let anyone help him, in hopes of fostering a sense of independance in him. Ikuko finally offers Godai some comfort, which enrages Kentaro, who quickly follows Godai's lead and pretends to hurt himself. Soon, a worn out Kyoko says she needs to spend some time with the children and passes Mitaka and Godai onto Mrs. Ichinose. But Mitaka and Godai persist and make a deal with one Annother. A race to the Manager with the winner getting private lessons from her without interference from the loser. Later that day, both Mitaka and Godai have mastered skating, but are still not fast enough to catch Kyoko.
As Toyota was a sponsor of Maison Ikkoku, the van Mitaka rents is likely a Toyota HiAce.
“You were born in snow country, weren’t you?” – Godai is from Niigata, which is in the north and does in fact get plenty of snow.
“If you don’t have John Wilson, I’ll take Schafer.” - John Wilson is the world’s top brand of skating blades. Many top Olympians and World Champions have worn them, including Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu. Scafer is likely a reference to Austrian skater Karl Schäfer.
“Born and raised in Hokkaido!” - Hanae Ichinose is from Hokkaido, which states fairly cool year round and very cold in the Winter months due to winds from Siberia.
The ball shooting game Yotsuya plays has a cameo from Godzilla as the target, along with his distinctive roar.
Yotsuya hands Akemi a kairo or hand warmer. The kairo package contains iron filings, water, vermiculite, carbon and salt. When exposed to air the iron oxidises and heats up over a period of about 10 minutes, it then stays hot for around 12 hours. Hokaron is a brand from LOTTE.
Episode 47: 響子ハチャメチャ! 酔いどれてプッツン
Kyoko hachamecha! Yoidorete puttsun (Kyoko Loses it! Drunk and Crazy!)
While Godai is out of school for one more week, he and Sakamoto decide they had better get a part time job. Things start off badly when Godai tells his prospective new boss, a tavern owner, that he will only be able to work for one week. Sakamoto scolds Godai for not lying about how long he would be able to work, then the two head off to the local supermarket to buy food. While shopping Sakamoto runs into Kyoko and tells her he'll be staying with Godai. When she notices the meager amount of food in Sakamoto's cart, she gets a bit worried. Mrs. Ichinose arrives and pulls Kyoko off to see something, when Godai arrives and notices Sakamoto staring lovingly where Kyoko was standing. Godai quizzes him on what exactly he was talking to the Manager about, when Sakamoto tells him not to get so defensive. When the two friends arrive at Maison Ikkoku, Kyoko invites Sakamoto to have dinner with her and tells Godai he can come too, causing Godai to feel a bit like a fifth wheel. Over dinner, Sakamoto continually compliments Kyoko, causing Godai to get very jealous. When Sakamoto invites her to come visit them at the tavern the next night Godai jumps in and says he'll treat her to anything she wants if she comes. Kyoko accepts. That night Sakamoto and Godai try to relax before starting work the next day, but are interrupted by Yotsuya and Akemi who sneak in and drink all their beer. The next night finds Godai hard at working and already on his boss' bad side. When Kyoko arrives he's too busy to wait on her and so Sakamoto gets to her first. Godai is run ragged and constantly being cursed out by his rude boss when he runs into Yotsuya, Akemi, and Mrs. Ichinose, who promptly tell him that they couldn't resist getting free beer. As they settle in with Kyoko they become very rowdy and get Godai in deeper trouble with his boss. All through the night they never miss a chance to cause more headaches for Yusaku and get Kyoko even more drunk. By the time last call comes around, Godai is very eager to get rid of them, but is reminded by Kyoko that they think he's going to pay for everything. Kyoko drunkenly tells him to let her handle everything, but begins to throw up and has to run into the restroom. On the way home, Godai carries his Manager up the hill while everyone else talks about finding more alcohol. Kyoko wakes up long enough to find out that Godai paid for everything and begins strangling him for being so weak-willed.
The tavern at the beginning of the episode is called Nomazukuwazu (飲まず食わず
のまずくわず) which is an expression that means “without eating or drinking.” The tavern itself is technically an izakaya (居酒屋). At an izakaya it is customary to serve alcoholic drinks with snacks called sakana (肴), shukō (酒肴), or otsumami (お摘み). These are usually quite salty and served in relatively small portions. The saltiness increases the need for a drink, which fuels alcohol sales. Izakaya are sometimes called akachōchin ('red lantern') in daily conversation, as such paper lanterns are traditionally found in front of them.
The song the residents sing is Shucho no Musume (酋長の娘) from 1930 which translates to “The Chief’s Daughter.” Author Robert Thomas Tierney in his book Tropics of Savagery: The Culture of Japanese Empire in Comparative Frame writes: “The popular song “Shucho no musume, composed by Ishida Ishimatsu, is another work that offers a compendium of Japanese stereotypes about the South Seas. The lyrics of this song describe a native island woman as seen by her Japanese boyfriend: “My lover is the daughter of the chief. She is pretty dark but in nan’yo she’s considered a beauty. She sways and dances beneath the palm trees in the Marshalls, south of the equator dancing as she swigs down muddy liquor. Tomorrow is the happy festival of severed heads. The chief’s daughter I saw yesterday is sleeping today beneath the banana tree. How can a girl who does not dance make a good wife?”
When Kyoko slips her shoe off viewers can see the label is Himiko. Himiko is a high‐class women's shoes brand which was founded in 1973.
Episode 48: 五代激白! 僕の気持ちを判ってほしい!!
Godai gekihaku! Boku-no kimoti wo wakattehoshii!! (Godai's Confession! I Want You to Know How I Feel!!)
Kyoko finds out that her mother has been very sick lately and is unable to take care of her father, prompting her to go home and help out for two or three days. Godai gets worried that it could be Annother plot to trick Kyoko into quitting at Maison Ikkoku, but Mrs. Ichinose reassures him that Kyoko is too smart for that. Godai doesn't think much of it for the next few days, but after the alotted time passes he begins to think something may have happened. Trying to shake off his feelings of worry, Godai takes Soichiro for a walk and meets Mr. Ichinose, who is on his way home from work. Being the kind man he is, Mr. Ichinose invites Godai to have dinner with him and the two begin talking. Ichinose instantly guesses that Godai was walking around, hoping to run into Kyoko. He mentions to Godai that he reminds him of himself when he was younger and proceeds to tell him about a woman he used to be infatuated with at his first job out of college. She was a "jewel in a dunghill" he says, and he always hoped to get a chance to talk to her. One night, the company had a party, and he hoped it would give him the chance he had been dreaming of. Suddenly, an intoxicated young woman asks him to have a drinking contest with her. If he beat her, he could marry her. As it turns out, this girl, Hanae, was the future Mrs. Ichinose. As hard as he tried to lose, Mrs. Ichinose tricked him and agreed to marry him right then. Mr. Ichinose says he's never been happier. The next day Kyoko tries to tell her mother that she needs to go back to Maison Ikkoku, but her mother won't let her, so she comes up with a story about needing a special pillow or she won't be able to sleep. Mrs. Chigusa calls up Maison Ikkoku and requests the pillow. Godai is so eager to see Kyoko that he instantly accepts before Kyoko can tell him she's just trying to find a way to get home. Godai arrives wearing a suit, and proudly delivers Kyoko's pillow. While visiting, Kyoko's parents interrogate him about who he is and what he does. When the subject of girls comes up, Godai becomes nervous, but very delicately hints that he's in love with Kyoko. Of course, her parents don't get it, but Kyoko does, and after Godai leaves, she is unexpectedly happy.
Godai breaks his portable tape player, and laments it cost 38,000 yen. In 2021, that would be almost 45,000 yen. The portable tape player of choice in the 80s was the Walkman, manufactured by Sony, however Godai’s looks like it is likely an Aiwa PS-07, the same make and manufacture that Marty McFly has in Back to the Future.
Godai and Mr. Ichinose meet at the train station and end up at a yatai (屋台) or food stall. These are sometimes but not always mobile food carts on wheels. The yatai culture has diminished in Japan following new laws put in place for the 1964 Olympic games, when health risks and hygiene were being considered for out of country visitors.
In a flashback to his younger days, Mr. Ichinose is shown using a sorobon (算盤) also known as an abacus. The Japanese abacus has been taught in school for over 500 years, deeply rooted in the value of learning the fundamentals as a form of art. However, the introduction of the West during the Meiji period and then again after World War II has gradually altered the Japanese education system. Now, the strive is for speed and turning out deliverables rather than understanding the subtle intricacies of the concepts behind the product. Calculators have since replaced sorobans, and elementary schools are no longer required to teach students how to use the soroban, though some do so by choice. There are six levels of mastery, starting from sixth-grade (very skilled) all the way up to first-grade (for those who have completely mastered the use of the soroban). Those obtaining at least a third-grade certificate/license are qualified to work in public corporations.
Mrs. Ichinose’s first name is revealed to be Hanae in this episode. Hanae (花枝) is a very beautiful that is surprising to some who know Mrs. Ichinose’s boisterous personality. It means "flower branch".
When they have their drinking competition Mr. and Mrs. Ichinose are both drinking from masu (枡) square boxes that were originally used to measure rice before Japan converted to the metric system in 1885. Today masu are used for sake drinking.
The Chigusa’s have a “drinking bird” toy in their house. A drinking bird consists of two glass bulbs joined by a glass tube (the bird's neck). The tube extends nearly all the way into the bottom bulb, and attaches to the top bulb but does not extend into it.
The space inside the bird contains a fluid, usually colored to make the liquid more visible. The dye might fade when exposed to light, with the rate depending on the dye/color. The fluid is typically dichloromethane (DCM), also known as methylene chloride. Earlier versions contained trichlorofluoromethane. Miles V. Sullivan's 1945 patent suggested ether, alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, or chloroform.
Air is removed from the apparatus during manufacture, so the space inside the body is filled by vapor evaporated from the fluid. The upper bulb has a "beak" attached which, along with the head, is covered in a felt-like material. The bird is typically decorated with paper eyes, a plastic top hat, and one or more tail feathers. The whole setup pivots on an adjustable crosspiece attached to the neck. While believed to have originated in China, the professor of toys, Takao Sakai, from Tohoku University, introduced the drinking bird to Japan.
