The Mysteries of The Characters

BACK

(1) The Mysteries of Soichiro Otonashi

Q. What was Soichiro doing for 4 years('73-'77) before he started teaching at Kyoko's high school?

A. I guess he was unable to work because he was sick then. Or he may have worked part-time.
In 1977 Soichiro started teaching at Kyoko's high school. He was 27 years old then. But if he graduated from university when he was 22, he had a brank of 4 years. What was he doing after graduation?
Ikuko's mother says "He wandered aimlessly for a long time" in the episode "Lost in the blossoms", so we know Soichiro had no regular job in those days. In the book "Ikkoku-kan no omoide", it's written that his meal menu (written in his diary) was too simple, Soichiro may have been under medical treatment then. I think it's very cogent inference.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Otonashi says "(Godai) sounds like he's walking the same path as Soichiro". So Soichiro may have had many part-time jobs as Godai.
Grandpa Otonashi is ones of the trustees of the womens' high school. He put in a good word for Soichiro at the school and got him teaching job there. Then Soichiro was 26. But when Soichiro was unemployed just after his graduation from university, it seems to have been difficult for even Grandpa Otonashi to get Soichiro his job. Because Ikuko's mother says "We were the ones who were all upset".
Soichiro had been to watch geologic stratum with Kyoko. He seemed to like studying geology very much. So I think they're suitable jobs for Soichiro, such as lecturer of a cramming school or geological examiner. But he may have had many uninteresting parttime-jobs in reality.

Q. How long was Soichiro teaching as a lecturer?

A. He may have been teaching as a lecturer all his life.
When Godai watched the year-book at Yagami's school, he found Soichiro's photo was smudged with ink. But if Soihiro taught there many years, Godai would find out Soichiro's photo in the year-book of another year's. So I guess Soichiro taught there for a year. He may have taught at another high school next year.
Did Soichiro become a full teacher? The women's high school where Soichiro taught is a private school. To get teaching job at private school, he had a advantage of having pull with that school. Yes, Granpa Otonashi is one of the trustees of that school. He has got Soichiro his teaching job, but it was a lecturer, not a full teacher.
It seems probable that few teachers were new employed then. I'm heard it's very difficult to be employed as a full teacher in some private schools, it's only when positions become vacant or when students increase in number. Soichiro may not have become a full teacher all his life.

Q. When did Soichiro's mother died ?

A. Perhaps a few years before Soichiro's death.
We can watch the photo of Soichiro's mother in the episode "The face in the darkness", but it's unknown how old she was when she died. Let's assume she was 60-70 years old then.
Soichiro was dead at the age of 30. If Soichiro's mother was alive when Soichiro died, she may have bore Soichiro at her age of 30-40. it's possible. If Soishiro's mother was alive when Ikuko was born, she may have bore Soichiro at her age of 48-58. It's impossible.
So when Ikuko's mather got marriage (and when Ikuko was born), maybe Soichiro's mother was still alive. I think Soichiro's mother died a few years before Soichiro's death.


(2) The Mysteries of Kyoko Otonashi

Q. Why couldn't Kyoko go to college?

A. Because she was going to marry Soichiro soon.
Kyoko said "I wasn't able to go to college" in the episode "Campus doll". Why couldn't she go?
Is it because her parents opposed her going to college? No! I'm sure they proposed her for going on to college. Maybe they said "You had better think again about your marriage after graduated college". Kyoko's academic ability must be up to the standard of the entrance exam of college.
Why didn't she go to college? Perhaps it's because she was going to marry Soichiro as soon as she graduated high school. I'm sure she had no intention of going on to collage.
Kyoko's mother said "Even when she married that wonderful Soichiro, you complained about his age and anything else you could think of!", and Kyoko's father said "You had a lot to say back then, too!" in the episode "I'm Convinced". I think there had been nothing but trouble around her at that time.

Q. Did Kyoko elope with Soichiro?

A. They may have eloped only from Chigusa family, and have been sheltered by Otonashi family.

Yotsuya said "My understanding is that, in essence, you eloped with your late husband, Soichiro Otonashi. Is this not so? " Did they really elope?
I think it was difficult for Soichiro to elope. He was a lecturer, maybe his salary was very small. If he eloped from Otonashi family, maybe he could not support themselves.
We know Kyoko's parents strongly opposed their marriage. But Otonashi family may not have so opposed. In that case they had only to elope from Chigusa family. Otonashi family may have sheltered them and helped them persuade Kyoko's parents.

Q. What was Kyoko doing for one and half years after graduation from high school ?

A. Maybe she had part-time jobs or she was going to special school(!?).
Kyoko married with Soichiro after one and half years from graduation from high school. We know only that she got driver's license then. Why didn't she marry him soon after her graduation?
One of ML member said to me "Her parents may have made a condition to her at last. It was that Kyoko must wait their marriage by her age of 20. Perhaps she was training for homemaking for a while".
Kyoko said "The fact that you opposed my marriage... and that you offered me no support when Soichiro died..." in the episode "I'm Convinced". So we know Kyoko had an unpleasant feeling to his parents even after 2 years from her marriage. I think it was difficult for her to devote to train for homemaking against her parents' strong opposition.
By the way, we know Kyoko has special abilities. She has fixed roofs and balcony in Maison Ikkoku. When the electricity was off in Maison Ikkoku (This episode isn't carried on VIZ Comics), she said "I has some knowledge of how to repair" and searched on wiring. She may have learned its technical skill in those times.


(3)The Mysteries of Ikuko Otonashi

Q. When did Ikuko and her parents return to Otonashi's home?

A. When Soichiro's mother died
DateObject
1967?Soichiro's sister marries
1968-69Ikuko was born
1975?Soichiro's mother die
Ikuko and parents go back to Otonashi's home
1977Soichiro begins teaching in high school
1979Soichiro marries Kyoko
1980Soichiro die
Ikuko's mother is Soichiro's elder sister. And Ikuko's father didn't have to marry into Otonashi's family because Soichiro lived in Otonashi's home. So I guess Ikuko's mother married and moved out of Otonashi's home at first, went back there with her families later. When did they go back?
After Ikuko's mother moved out, Soichiro's mother could do housework. Because I think Soichiro's mother died a few years before of Soichiro's marriage.
But if Soichiro's mother was still alive when Soichiro married Kyoko, Ikuko's mother didn't have to go back to Otonashi's home because Kyoko could do housework matters in this case.
So I think Soichiro's mother died before Siuchiro's marriage, Ikuko's mother went back to Otonashi's home to do housework.
Q. Is the family name of Ikuko "Otonashi"?

A. It's "Otonashi" in animation, but it's insoluble in comics
We can find her family name is Otonashi in the episode of anime #11. "1-2 Ikuko Otonashi" are written on her maths text.
But we cannot find the fact that her family name is Otonashi. When Ikuko's mother married, she moved out Otonashi family and changed her family name. So Ikuko's family name may be not Otonashi, but it's possible to give her family name as Otonashi.
If I find insoluble problems about someone in comics, I usually solve it by anime. So I use "Ikuko Otonashi" on my web page.


(4)The Mysteries of Yotsuya

Q. Is Yotsuya the agent of the secret service?

A. Rumiko Takahashi may have produced Yotsuya by "Mr.Sekoi" appearing on her old work "Dust Spurt" in mind.
You know, Mr.Yotsuya is unidentified man, even residents of Maison Ikkoku don't know his occupation. Some people say he may be actor, detective or thief. But to tell the truth, many fan of Rumiko's works have the opinion that he is the agent of the secret service.
Rumiko Takahashi produced a character "Mr.Sekoi" on her early works "Dust Spurt". He has same face with Yotsuya. Mr.Sekoi is the agent of the secret service named "Hinomaru C.I.A.("Hinomaru" means rising-sun flag of Japan)", so he has to hide his personal true character, such like Yotsuya.
Are Yotuya and Sekoi the same person? ...No, "Dust Spurt" is unrealistic and fantastic story. Its world is really different from one of Maison Ikkoku. But Both of Yotsuya and Sekoi are produced by Rumiko Takahashi. The model of Yotsuya must be Mr.Sekoi. Off course, we cannot find it clearly, so we can imagine his true character freely.


[To Top]