Why is it so popular?

Well for one it has a very large female fanbase and everyone knows that girls is stupids. But really I'm sure the whole Adult Swim thing is what has done it. I'd like to know what top 10 lists you are looking at though because I would definitely not think of that show of being in a top 10 list either. Perhaps a top 100 list.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Hey now, Maison Ikkoku was only 14 volumes. I guess it's fitting it's also her most mature and accomplished work so far (not that I don't love her other series).

Maison Ikkoku is her best work by far and an excellent strain test standard for love-comedy series. Basically if you are going to include some form of love-comedy as the major component of a manga then you should get the characters to finally admit their love within 14 volumes. The only other series that comes to mind that thankfully does this is Love Hina. The build up can be great but any longer and it gets super old.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Then again, in Ranma they never do honestly admit anything, so maybe it balances out.

Perhaps in the anime they don't. I asked a friend and she said they never did although they did get close at several points in the series but then :comedyexplosiondistraction: happens and awww so mad at each other again.

However in the manga they do end up admitting their feelings for each other and at their marriage the whole :comedyexplosiondistraction: happens and awww so mad at each other again happens again and the series ends on that rather Ranma-ish note. Pretty rushed ending but it works.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

It goes Urusei Yatsura then Maison Ikkoku then Ranma 1/2 (who's anime did not conclude due to its animation studio going out of business) and then Inu Yasha (which concluded abruptly because it caught up with the manga). There are a couple smaller mangas, shows, series that she created or worked on be it character design, etc too.

Her best is obviously Maison Ikkoku but Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura are still fun to watch, just don't expect anything epic out of them as they're mostly character driven comedies and rather episodic.

How ya doing, buddy?