I started reading this for various reasons, partly because I've been meaning to read this for a while, and partly because the manga came up during the J-Drama series "Blue Blazes". I really enjoyed the manga, in part because while the story is somewhat serialized (in that there is continuity), it really its in with the "slice of life" genre a lot more than some of the other manga that have read that have been stuck into that genre (like K-On, like Sound of the Sky, etc.)

It's a portion of the ordinary lives of ordinary people, but rather than trying to be "literary" and putting the focus on lives of quiet desperation, as so many more pseudo-serious slice of life dramas and dramedies do, this manga gives these characters feel real without feeling boring or without moving things into the territory of the deliberately awkward family melodrama. Also, I'm pleased by the complete and total lack of (as of this volume) terminally ill people. ( )

Rōnin Yusaku Godai can't seem to get into college and the other tenants of the boarding house regularly hold raucous drinking parties in his room. This causes Godai to declare he's moving out so he can find the quiet he needs to study properly. Unbeknownst to them, their obnoxious behavior has caused the manager of the boarding house to quit, and a new one is one the way. As Godai is trying to leave, a beautiful woman enters the boarding house to introduce herself: she's Kyoko Otonashi and she'll be the new manager. Godai forgets all about moving out.
Akemi Roppongi, the tenant in room 6, reports to Kyoko that Godai, the tenant in room 5, regularly peeps on her through a crack in the wall, so Kyoko fixes it. Godai blames Mr. Yotsuya, the tenant in Room 4, who regularly breaks through the wall between their rooms. Later, Kyoko is fixing the roof above Akemi's room, but falls asleep on the roof due to the warm weather. As clouds gather, Godai begins to worry because he hasn't heard anything from the roof for a while. He climbs up and finds her asleep. He considers kissing her, but it begins to rain, waking her up. Forgetting where she is, Kyoko almost runs off the roof, but Godai saves her. Kentaro Ichinose, the son of the tenants in Room 1, ask Kyoko if he can play with Mr. Soichiro after it rains, and Kyoko agrees. Godai thinks this is Kyoko's boyfriend and bribes Kentaro so he can come along and meet him. It turns out Kyoko's dog is named "Mr. Soichiro", which both disappoints and relieves Godai at the same time.

Kyoko tries to get the other tenants to stop harassing Godai and to stop calling him "rōnin". The power, goes out, however, and Kyoko has to go up to the attic to replace a fuse. Godai accompanies her and, in the process, scares her, causing her to trip and pass out. This inadvertently restarting the broken clock, and the tolling from the clock keeps everyone in the neighborhood up as it chimes all night and into the next day.

Mrs.Ichinose tries to set up Kyoko with a pile of eligible bachelors. Kyoko isn't interested in them, but accidentally gives Godai the impression that she's interested in him. Godai stays at his friend's apartment, however, after a drunken Kyoko chews him out for not studying harder. Godai's grandmother then shows up for a visit. When Godai checks to see if he passed the entrance exam, he's accosted by his grandmother and Kyoko just before he finds out he's passed and is now a college student.

Kyoko receives a mysterious visit from an older man, and Ikuko Otonashi is introduced as Kyoko's 12-year-old niece. The older man, Ikuko's grandfather, hurts his back and Godai helps him as they proceed to a graveyard where Godai learns Kyoko is a widow. The older man is her late husband's father, and the dog is named for him. Because of his helpfulness, Godai is requested to tutor Ikuko. A while later, Godai is out drinking with his friend, Sakamoto, when he comes home totally plastered and shouts his love for Kyoko loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. He doesn't remember anything about it, though, and the other tenants take advantage of him by fabricating lurid details and telling him about "what he did".

Finally, the neighborhood ladies invite Kyoko to play tennis with them and introduce her to their coach, Shun Mitaka, who is immediately smitten by his new student. Godai now has a rival for Kyoko's affections. ( )