Raising a child is a challenging situation, but it also can be weird when by some biological technicality the kid is your aunt. The anime is Usagi Drop(Bunny Drop in translation), and were about to see how life is for a young man when he tries to learn the ins and outs of being an adoptive parent.
Based on the manga of the same name, Usagi Drop involves our protagonist by the name of Daikichi Kawachi. He is single thirty year old, and has just attended his grandfather’s funeral. He then learns that gramps left behind an illegitimate, six year old daughter by the name of Rin Kaga(whose mother has run off as soon as grandpa died). Seeing how no other relative has the time to take care of little Rin, Daikichi decides to take up reasonability of the task (much to the dismay of everyone there).
Cuz that's how he rolls.
This would qualify as a slice of life anime that is very much grounded in reality (unlike a lot of anime airing on Japanese tv), but at the same time uses a unique set up .This series deals with the issues of life, death, identity, and the definition of family, but surprisingly has a very upbeat attitude about the whole thing. It could have easily been a sob story. It is rather people doing the best they can when adjusting to their new lives. The only tears you will have are from how much you like the characters.
Speaking of which, along with the atmosphere of Usagi Drop, the interactions of the characters is interesting to watch and full of humorous moments. We see it in such times like when Daikichi yells at Rin(and sometimes her friend) for misbehavior. It comes off more comical rather than harsh. Which of course goes to show you how clueless Daikichi can be as a new adoptive father. The charm of the character is how much he is like an actual bachelor rather than a father, and how he is just as immature as Rin is. Due to his previous lifestyle, he finds himself asking coworkers, relatives and friends for advice.
Rin herself shows a bit of maturity for someone her age due to having to grow up a little. She is a child that likes to play like any other but is calm and collective on many things, instead of a spoiled brat. Rin even shows concern when her friend Kouki misbehaves.
Then there’s the animation. A good serious look to it with some occasional goofy facial animations made.
It makes Charlie Brown proud.
The intro to each episode features an art style that looks similar to colored pencil drawings. My best guess that this is a nod to its manga origins.
The anime's first few scenes...
...the manga.
Oh, and a little bonus is that the opening theme is done by the duo of Puffy(no not P diddy). Some of you of course might know them as PuffyAmiYumi when they had their brief stint of fame in America. The duo even makes a cameo during episode nine, as two instructors.
So there we have the bunny’s drop. A tale of family love and trying to make in this world. A must see if you want something other than giant robots and magical girls.
Watch it for free here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/usagi-drop/episodes
This is my last article before christmas. So Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus, and whatever that Wookie holiday is.
About the author: Glitch is a digital demon from planet Fanboy, and is here to teach us humans a thing or two. You can find more of his reviews(and nonsense) over at http://www.youtube.com/takenoutofcontext.