Maison Ikkoku 1986

This anime is criminally underrated in the West, and I feel it at least warrants a comment extolling it's greatness. It is, arguably, the best slice-of-life anime out there. The animation is beautiful and has been remastered in 1080p on Bluray. Every frame is crisp and absolutely stunning. I've always preferred hand-drawn anime and this one delivers in spades. The dub is also perfectly done and quite emotional when it needs to be. The first theme song is my favorite, and it often gets stuck in my head.

It is a love story that spans 4 seasons, so there are some moments where you're just like "Tell them how you feel, already!" But for the most part each person gets entangled with another person and love triangles form, preventing their relationship. You know they're meant for each other, but Kyoko's past, Godai's future, and the residents of Maison Ikkoku keep getting in the way of things. Season 3's romantic roadblocks are the most tedious, sometimes being quite contrived. The whole high school "Lolita" plot felt completely unnecessary.

I love the laid back atmosphere that forces you to appreciate the mundane. Very often you get an establishing shot of a picturesque, Tokyo horizon with a lovely soundtrack. There's a train clacking over the tracks and honking. Or maybe it's an exterior shot of Maison Ikkoku and Kyoto's sweeping some leaves or doing some laundry. Or maybe there's a heavy rain or a strong wind. Or maybe it's nighttime and there's a single dog barking in the background. Or maybe there's a pink sunset with a boat in the harbor and some seagulls floating in the sky. There's just something about it that is always poetic and set in a unique time of the year that creates a memory specific to the plot. It's a coda that punctuates each emotional moment and it gives you some time to reflect on the recent changes in the story.

It is highly recommended that everyone check this out that is looking for a mature, slice-of-life love story. It's refreshing to get an adult love story that isn't dripping with teenage angst and melodrama.