Today I’m bringing you my review of the first few episodes of the new anime series Usagi Drop, which currently airs for viewers outside of Japan on Crunchyroll each week (simulcast with Japan).
The Usagi Drop manga started in 2005 and has recently been nominated for the 2011 Eisner Award in the Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia category. Not only has this manga made its way into anime form after only about five years – it has also been made into a live action film that is set to release in Japan on August 20th.
Here is my review of the first four episodes of the anime (please keep in mind that I have not yet read the manga, so this is just a review of the anime itself).
The story: Japanese salaryman Daikichi’s grandfather passes away and he heads to his family’s homestead in the countryside to pay his respects. Upon arrival, Daikichi learns that his grandfather had an illegitimate child (yes that’s right, child), a little girl named Rin. Unfortunately, Rin has no one to care for her now that her rather has passed away and her mother has run off and disappeared. All the family members firmly state that they do not have the time or resources to care for her, and Daikichi seems to be the only one in the family not alienated by the fact that she is an “illegitimate child.” Daikichi appears to be drawn to Rin’s innocence and her surprising ability to continue onward even with all the hardship and negative feelings around her. He offers to take Rin in and care for her despite being a single man working at a huge corporation with absolutely no frame of reference as to how to raise a kindergarten-age child.
Unlike so many other anime stories where the locations, characters and plot are often exaggerated to a large extent, this story comes off as honest and average. For me as a viewer, it’s refreshing that this well crafted story is grounded in true-to-life locations with realistic characters and events (I even pictured myself back in Tokyo a few times while seeing these artistically accurate portrayals of train stations, the city, and the countryside). The writers have given us a pretty honest depiction of some aspects of Japanese culture and society – especially in its portrayal of Daikichi and the difficulties that he must face as a salaryman (Japanese business man) raising a little girl in the city while working long hours for a large corporation. Even little things like Daikichi’s long daily commute on the trains and the Japanese system of “Emergency Daycare/Nursery School” are addressed with a remarkable amount of accuracy and straight-forwardness.
The relationship between Rin and Daikichi as a family is touching, and the interactions of all the characters are carried quite effectively through life-like exchanges. Usagi Drop has really exceeded my expectations in this regard. For example – the two little girls in the first episode behave as truly life-like polar opposites – the abandoned Rin is quiet, smart and collected, while another family member’s daughter – Reina – is loud, badly behaved, and lacking any sort of manners.
The animation is beautiful – dripping watercolors and crisp lines that look a bit more like colored pencil rather than a digital pen. This toned-down art style stands out in today’s digitally dominated market of ultra-shiny, brightly colored anime. Admittedly, I don’t really like the intro sequence at all. It’s cute but to me it doesn’t seem to fit with the mood or style of the rest of the show. And yeah, the opening sequences for a lot of anime series don’t necessarily fit their show counterparts…but to me this one really could have been improved.
My final thoughts – Usagi Drop will be one of the best anime this year, and I’m willing to bet it will become a huge success given the quality of the work and the press that the manga has already received. I love the story and I think it will do very well in the international market. You can watch Usagi Drop on Crunchyroll as it airs and give it the support it needs to be picked up by an import company.
Seen Usagi Drop? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!