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Poster for Prelude Maison Ikkoku: When the Cherry Blossoms Return in the Spring

Prelude Maison Ikkoku: When the Cherry Blossoms Return in the Spring

Seen it?

1992 | 27 min | Animation, Romance, Drama, Comedy

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone curious about anime and romantics. Works for the whole couch, from little ones up. Same wavelength as Only Yesterday or Lost in Translation.
The mood
Funny with heart, romantic.
The pace
Lively and easy to follow, at 27 min. The story isn't told in order, so keep your phone down.
What might put you off
  • No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Skip it if you can't get past animation (your loss).

Kyoko Otonashi is a 22-year-old widow. Six months have passed since the sudden death of her husband, Soichiro. In her resolve to move on, she has recently taken over the management of a boarding house owned by her father-in-law. She now finds herself reminiscing about the few seasons that she and Soichiro had together, and about the first time that she saw him: when he became her geology teacher during her final year of high school. This prequel is the third and final OVA released after the conclusion of MAISON IKKOKU, an animated series based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi. The past events are retold through flashback sequences using scenes from the television series, with narration by Sumi Shimamoto as Kyoko.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    Awards data unavailable, so this isn't counted

  • Reach & staying powerWeak

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    Not enough engagement data yet

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Shigeharu Shiba

  • Issei FutamataGodai Yusaku (voice)
  • Sumi ShimamotoKyoko Otonashi (voice)
  • Hideyuki TanakaSoichiro Otonashi (voice)
  • Ryuji SaikachiOtonashi-rojin (voice)