Usagi Drop

This is definitely one of the most disappointing works I've seen or read until now, though it's not like I absolutely hate the adolescent part, without it I might've given this a 6 or a 7.
Now, I can relate to the awkwardness of how to behave near a child in order not to set a bad example, in that regard it was done pretty well, the problem is that without it the writer doesn't have anything to show off, being (at least at the time) weak on most fronts.
I wasn't engaged, enjoyment was few and far between and I didn't learn much of anything at all. I consider most of my time wasted.
So here I'll give a long ramble of the top 5 worst parts of this (and possible solutions if I can think of one) from horrendous to least bad.

1. 10 year transition period
The idea itself was to begin with something that could only come from a brainfart, but even the execution is absolute garbage. Nearly nothing (aside from a few appearance changes) was different, no new friends for either the mc or his aunt, barely any changes in demeanor (aside from the overly obvious, like the brittle bones or that during puberty hormones become a thing) and on top of that the author throwing away the only thing (s)he (can't bother to find out) had going for it. A solution to this would either be a montage, or just a faster change in pace, like using 2-3 chapters to cover a year of growth.
It'd still be jarring but if you make good use of the panels you might be able to work out a natural transition.

2. Plot
So you have the big opener: Girl get's abandoned by everyone except for the savior mc, he has to learn how to become a good parent. Sadly the execution of everything after is boring as shit because a) very little happens, and b) the stakes aren't set up properly.
And you'd need at least one of them to keep a reader engaged. Now it's obvious that the author wants to write an SoL of the most average life possible, so A isn't going to happen. What about B then? Basically what could've been done is show how the little girl would be impacted by wrong behavior from the mc, to give him reason to stress over it. Also show (or at least give more than a vague indication of) the finances, have him try to pick out very cheap school supplies to cover for the month, show how much worse the situation became after changing departments because I sure as hell didn't notice any effect (aside from one joke). Basically set up hurdles for the duo to overcome, no matter how mundane or trivial.

3. Atmosphere
This is a pretty subjective topic, since it's literally about the feeling it gives off but what I noticed is that it was a greatly missed opportunity to make an average (at that moment) manga into something 8-9 worthy. What I anticipated what a sort of familial atmosphere which I guess the author tried to set up but came short of. I guess the major issue is that the main duo never try to rely on each other, or have a heart to heart conversation about how they feel about their situation. This makes them feel a bit too distant, not so much a father and daughter relation as him pretty much feeling like a babysitter. It felt pretty uncomfortable seeing as that was probably the entire point of the manga, seeing them grow together as people, before the writer wanted to go for a garbage romantic drama.

4. Romance
Spoilers lol
So basically the childhood friend guy really wants to date main girl but he's with another girl because of a plot contrivance which he can't get out of, so he says go away and the plot contrivances sister says no and thus something something wincest time but it actually isn't and the main character knew all along even though a few chapters before he calculated blood relation but no this is a morally upstanding manga so it's just going to be pretend-incest and they make a big deal out of it but probably noone gives a flying fuck.
This shit is just retarded, maybe a fix would be to just rewrite everything after chapter 26 (I think it was).

5. Characters
All I really knew about the young main girl was that she was a masegaki (kid with adult like behavior) and I knew from the mc that he barely had a will to live but now slightly more. I also knew that the young romance rival was reckless and dumb. After the 10 year interval I knew that mc needs some calcium, that main girl is just generic JK and that rival looked like he came straight out of a shoujo manga but was still a complete idiot. Just because they behave like people doesn't mean they have depth. Just give them some hobbies or a bit of personal philosophy, maybe a few quirks or fields of expertise. Not really that hard.

TL;DR
writer is very bad at writing.

The first 26 chapters of the manga/11 episodes of the anime is perfect! It's loveable, likable, adorable and relatable. Most people will give it 9 stars. However, after the time skip things went landslide. I really enjoyed the show tho.

Destroying their own masterpiece as if they started hating what they initially loved doing. The way I can compare it as would be marriage. You start by being boyfriends and girlfriends that's where the thrill is, that's where most romance story starts and ends with marriage right? While it's common that high level of difficulties arises during marriage and some do inevitably go for divorce or simply split. It's the same with this show.

Now with the spoilers.
[spoiler]After Ch.26 it goes to a time skip with Rin in 1st year of High School. Rin started to develop romantic interest for Daikichi not as a father but as a man. Rin never considered Daikichi as a father since Daikichi is just Daikichi. [spoiler]

Here's my personal version of continuation of anime ending/before time skip.
Daikichi and Kouki's Mom, Yukari Nitani started a relationship with Daikichi and eventually got married. Create few common family problems and have character developments after that goes to time skip to High School. After all those years, Rin still loves Daikichi as a man. Rin confesses her bottled up feelings and gets rejected by Daikichi. "Rin, I am sorry. But to me you will always be my daughter. Even though I am not your biological father, I am still your parent at heart. I love Nitani-san." She then gets heartbroken and Kouki consoles her. She then soon falls in love with Kouki which creates the other taboo. Since Daikichi and Kouki's mom are married, they are basically step-siblings but they are not really family related. Remember she kept her last name Kaga? It still creates that taboo of step-sibling or simply sibling love taboo. Story goes on with that. I think this version of story is way better. It's my personal version ~Kevin Gundran. Thank you for reading.

*This review contains significant content spoilers*

Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop as its called in English) begins as a wonderful entry into the slice of life genre and carries itself quite competently... until the last moments of the narrative. The story is mostly character driven and follows the livelihoods of thirty year old Daikichi in the first part and his adoptive daughter Rin in the second.

The first part focuses on Daikichi learning the sacrifices and struggles that come with raising a child as a single parent. The writing for this part is excellent; Daikichi's inner monologues detail his thoughts well and I found it easy to follow his character through the intricate trappings of his new found daily life. His interaction with six year old Rin is also well done, she acts and responds like a typical child and he quickly learns to work his way through many "ah ha" moments which one takes for granted if they don't have a child. Shedding light on what it involves to be a parent is what I would consider the main theme of the first part, and I think it succeeds without question proving to be a very enjoyable read.

The second part of the story is more focused on Rin's daily life ten years into living with Daikichi. It is typical high school drama/romance/comedy and is, for the most part, successful. Characters are believably written and the story is fairly easy to follow, though it is not as easy as the first half because the focus is romance triangle drama. I found story became less interesting to read as it shifted away from Daikichi learning to be a parent and waded into the life and times of high-schoolers.

It is the end of the story which comes out of left field so quickly, I was left dazed and needed to re-read the last couple of chapters. The story reaches its climax when Rin falls into romantic love with Daikichi, and decides that she is okay with these feelings. When Daikichi is made aware of this, without any thought or deliberation he accepts these feelings and equally returns them, making the two characters a romantic couple. The writing falls incredibly flat at story's end: large, deus ex machina-esque plot points are introduced in order to facilitate the romance between the two and other plot threads for different characters are swept under the rug or hastily tied up. The romance between Rin and Daikichi feels very forced and seems to blossom at an alarmingly fast pace. Furthermore, because of the familial relationship the two shared up until the end, the incestuous nature of their romance didn't provide me any kind of satisfaction what so ever. The ending really ruins my ability to reminisce about the story as a whole, which is disappointing because three quarters of the story is engaging and entertaining.

The art of the manga is simple, but elegant which gives the manga a very clean look. I like the character design of Daikichi who is portrayed as a lanky, tall man which lends to the awkwardness of his character. The character design for young Rin and other small children are fantastic. They appear energetic and durable which is balanced with the sense of vulnerability that young children possess and the artwork succeeds at portraying this. There are a few instances where I though character movements looked stiff, but it never left a lasting impression. All in all, the artwork is competent and consistent and I like the simple, clean look to the manga.

As stated above, the end to the story really hurts my ability to enjoy the complete product. It feels like the author had more planned out, but then ran out of time and cut the ending short with something half assed. Had the characters had more time to contemplate and discuss the shift in their relationships, it might have been able to work, but that is only theory and nothing more. As it stands, Usagi Drop is a lovely series until the last quarter and worth a read for the first part where Daikichi learns to be a guardian to Rin. I gave this manga a 7 out of 10 for the fun I had reading the first part and its enjoyable artwork.

-THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS-

“Don't you think this world is better than you expected?”


This phrase was the 1st thing which I seen when I see the 1st volume of this manga , don't remember why I really stop and bought it , prolly because was an epoch hard to while my depression was really bad , but I read the plot of story and it called my attention. First would like aware it could have spoiler , more deeper you read it more spoilers will show up .

I could divide in 2 parts , before chapter 25 , which will give the introduction to story and tell the adventures of Rin in her childhood with Daikichi , but with Kouki and Yukari (Kouki's Mom) often together , but mainly showing Rin grow up and the problems which Daikichi got being a Single Dad. While the story progress the reader literally induced to make the 2 couples which will drive your attention and start bet you coins on them , Dikichi and Yukari – The couple of single dad and mom who raise your children alone , and Rin and Kouki , which at this time ins't the “love couple” since they're children , but it create expectations for future . This First part don't say nothing especial , it just show the problems which single parents have and the “kawaii” moments of life when you see your children growing.

In chapter 25 we have the time skip of 10 years , so Rin and Kouki have all 15 - 16 years old and Daikichi have 40 years old , and still single , but now the story put Yukari really like a secondary character and now we have two places where the story will develop , Daikichi's Home with a bit of the story of single dad and the teenager problems , but this part isn't worked a lot , but Daikichi keep like before , a protective dad , and the second place is the school where Rin , Kouki , Reina , and their relationship in school and between them , mainly Rin and Kouki .

-From here will really have spoilers which will end with your enjoy of story-

Yumi Unita keeps in the relationship idealizations , but now we have Kouki trying start one , but Rin don't show up any kind of interest in this , which lead us to keep reading to see how will be both end , but it leads we to another way of think which will lead us the exceptional expectations break which we start when Kouki's Mon marry again , some time after Daikichi try ask her for a relationship , but I think it made story more interesting since now we really want know what will happen with “40 years old single man” . After this the story will start lead us to a thing which nobody thought , Kouki , after Rin have an encounter with a schoolmate , discovery her “feels” for Daikichi which wasn't the Dad-Son but the Man-Woman , and its bring us to climax of story in my opinion , but how Yumi show it in story , the way , is the one of a teenage which cannot understand her own feels , and it lead us to end , after she really discovery what she feels for Daikichi he say want time to for he and she , to really discovery if these feels are real . But again Yumi did another great job , when these feels are exposed by Rin , it wasn't like a Hentai manga or anything in this way , these feels which are showed by a soft way , also its explained they don't have any blood bond , but in the translation which I read the most explicit thing they said was they want to have children in chapter 56 and when Daikichi call she his Bride .

That was a really good story , not driven by cliches of industry and turned a money maker , of course have something which was able to skip like some side stories , but I think even in this kind of story is necessary take out the main story and make us make some expectations .

Well, this is...weird.
As many people have mentioned before, we can divide this manga in two parts: the first one before the timeskip and the second one after the timeskip, starting this one after chapter 26. Many people can think: "but hey, a timeskip usually does that, look One Piece etc" Yes, but in this case there's no only difference in content but also in its vision of life, almost a complete throw. But why?

As I previously said in my anime review of Usagi Drop (which adapt this first part of manga, excluding few scenes) these episodes are completely beautiful, with a magnificent slow pacing for an slice of life anime and a great story about family, sacrifice, kindness and responsability in its simple and realistic way. Daikichi is the perfect example of sacrifice and maturity, helping Rin with her insecurities like the best father in existence. But remember, he's not her father, Daikichi must remain as Daikichi. And here is where this manga gets weird. (spoilers onwards, go to the very end if you have not read it)

We have a timeskip. 10 years have passed. The narrative perspective goes now to Rin and we get a deeper character with more and more insecurities and how she face them. Well, it is done pretty well, being the Kouki arc a pretty solid arc, focusing in their relationship then and before, but the heartwarming slice of life is totally gone.
Slowly, Rin is starting to change her feelings for Daikichi, and we are getting into a confusing territory. Later in the manga, a Deus Ex Machina situation change the relationship between these two and Daikichi finally accepts her feelings.

This is weird as fuck.
This is pretty close to parental incest. Even if they are not blood related, these two had a father/daughter relationship for the last 10 years and now she's in love with him. Slowly, yes, in a natural way, yes, they explain you how, yes, but it just...doesn't work. It is true that is not THAT creepy or disturbing, you can even understand her feelings, but if you look back to the first 26 episodes, something does not fit.
In addition, the end of the manga is...abrupt. That's the word. You don't have any time to empathize with this new situation.
The volumen 10-extra is kinda good - Good side stories to know better some characters and oh god the little Rin- but its end is also abrupt.

Talking about the art, i have any problems with it, same as the anime. Cute and nice to see.

Overall, i enyoyed this manga, but i could've done it much more. If you have seen thie anime and you are in love with this world go and read this, it's still a good read, but not as good as the anime or the first manga caps.

I recommend you stop reading at the end of chapter 24. Don't read beyond that. The anime stays true to the manga, so the anime is great, it stops right at the 24th chapter, the anime is right-on, they had the right idea using only the first part.

The first part is a truly heart warming, touching, well-developed story of the struggles of fatherhood. It's really nice, I loved it so much and recommend it to anyone.

The second part, after 24, involves a timeskip, and sinking deeply into... A totally different series, really. The mangaka clearly decided to take things somewhere else, and while perhaps she could have made a different series, it feels wholly wrong with the flow of the first part. It's just too much, and it comepletely sours the feel of the first part.

Seriously, just assume everything after chapter 24 doesn't exist.

If you are reading this review, then you probably read the ones before this and know the general discontent felt. Like most others, i gotta say i am quite conflicted with this manga. I really liked the coming of age, raising a baby, story that this manga started out as. Similar mangas are Aishiteruze Baby and Love So Life. If the manga had remained like this, i would have happily gave it an 8. Then chapter 25+ happened, where there is a 10 year time skip. I wouldnt mind her growing to a high schooler over the course of the manga, but the time skip is completely random and seem out of place in a way. Instead of a full transition, some of the manga chapters flashed back to Rin's middle school and elementary self. Rin started being the main character, and Daikichi less of the main. I disliked the change, but even so, I would have still gave it an 8.
What broke the manga for me was Rin's romance with Daikichi, it's most likely not a spoiler to you at this point, so I wont bother to sensor it as so. That plot twist just brought the manga down to a 6. Out of fondness for child Rin and Daikichi, im letting it be a 7. Rin starts developing an Electra complex for Daikichi, who in the end, accepts her feelings even though he does not quite feel the same way, out of inabilty to refuse Rin. Im fairly liberal, but large age gaps relationships are still not something I feel comfortable with, especially if it calls to auestion how different is familial love compared to a normal romantic love.
As basic as it would be, i did ship Daikichi with Kouki's mother. Rin and Koichi being together would make it more basic and I actually would prefer not but i way prefer it to the Rin and zkoichi relationship.
So in all? I would not recommend this unless large age gap relationships are your thing.

The story of this particular manga is realistic yet odd. Without trying to give spoilers, anyone wanting to read the manga must be warned that the story might not go as they expect. Which is not by default a bad matter, except... I have yet to find anyone who read the ending and who wasn't terribly disappointing. As emotional, captivating and heart-warming the scenes and bonding between characters is, the ultimate relationship that is revealed at the ending is somewhat out of the box and not very rooted for by the majority of the public. Nevertheless, I recommend anyone who is a fan of family type of stories to read this up to chapter 26.

The art of this manga is simple yet sufficient. There are hardly any truly outstanding character designs which complement the realistisc slice of life genre. Therefor it is easy to picture the story to take place in modern Japan.

Character development is what this story is all about. The time skip in the story was unexpected, but refreshing, for it shone a light on the relationships in a more mature setting. The main girl, Rin, blossoms into a teenage girl who is mature for her age but still naïve about the world. The only part about the character development aspect that I disliked it the constant obnoxious behaviour of Kouki obsessing over Rin wanting her to like him as much as he likes her. Get the hint, kid. She doesn't like you, it's not endearing to stick your nose in all of her business and to insist on walking her home even when she's on a frigging date. Ugh.

I enjoyed this story only until I figured out that Daikichi was not going to end up with the person I was hoping for. Which means I am biased and disappointed, but who isn't? It was truly joyful to see Daikichi as a mature single man try and raise a little child and have to adjust to parenthood without a partner to support him.

Overall I give this story a 5 out of 10. This low mark is mostly based on the ending and the odd character bonding that suddenly took place and totally made me flip all the tables in my house. Sadly enough this story took a turn for the worst which left me feeling awkward and confused and simply unconvinced of Daikichi's feelings for the 'love of his life'.

I read it entirely in a couple of days, more like evenings, lying in bed after work. I would get bundled up into bed, crack open the pages and just bask in the feel-good nature of a unique family story.

Immediately you are flooded with an array of emotions. There is grief chief amongst them as you begin the tale with a gathering to mourn someone’s death. Very shortly afterwards you feel a strong tension within the family because there is a child born out of wedlock that needs to be cared for, yet it’s a burden that no one in the family wishes to bear. This tension is heavily tied to themes of shame, disgust, loneliness, rage, and pity. Then as we watch Daikichi and Rin adapt to a new and unfamiliar life, we are washed with a wonderful sense of warmth and comfort. If you’ve ever been a parent, you can relate to the struggles that go into raising a child. The bulk of that has to do deal with making sure that you’re feeding them enough and nutritiously, clothing them, and providing them with a home as well as shelter. But there is also that other half: teaching them a sense of self, respect, culture; helping them understand what it takes to survive and live as they grow up and ask some very difficult questions, questions that usually only experience itself can answer.

Because of every single one of these amazing aspects, I felt wholeheartedly enchanted. Daikichi and Rin were learning so much about each other as well as themselves and they were doing it together. Rin helped Daikichi learn the virtues of patience as well as the skill to thoroughly think about a situation before making decisions. The brash instincts of a bachelor were quickly being matured into something deeper because these choices would affect more than one person now. Daikichi helped Rin fit into a world where she felt comfortable and at peace, a place where she didn’t feel like an unwanted, broken toy. A home where she truly belonged.

I have never read a manga that examined parenthood on such a substantially deep and intimate level like this. This made up the artful and elegant first half of the series, however. The second half loses its unique story appeal and rapidly mutates into an atypical shōjo plot line. After Rin enters high school, the perspective shifts from Daikichi to Rin’s social and romantic development. The tale becomes less and less about Daikichi tackling parental concerns and more about high school life and drama.

I won’t say that I despised this variation, but I certainly did not find it pleasant. Instead of seeing her go about her day studying, interacting with friends, and then coming home to cook and study some more, my preference would have been to see Daikichi having to adapt to Rin turning into a woman. That means fighting off boys who want to date her, having to address any questions or issues she would have with the decision to go to college (or to not go), and how to financially prepare for something of that magnitude. It would have been very fascinating to use this period of Rin’s life to examine sex. How would Daikichi speak to Rin about sex and her self-worth as a woman? These particular facets create a considerably more compelling serial then what was given.

Unfortunately, that is not even the worst of the disappointment. There are relationships and interactions that grow on you so deeply that watching them fall apart just breaks your heart. Then you have other relationships that are so toxic that you feel a strong sense of fear for the characters you have grown to love. In this manga series, I felt as if the author was purposefully trying to make her audience wither with rage or frustration. While I suspected Rin’s feelings before it was blatantly revealed, I had never anticipated that it would be met in such a dishonorable fashion. Meanwhile, Daikichi has a chance, finally, for something beautiful but it’s completely stolen after volumes of teasing and pining. The resolution in this scenario was abrupt, unpredictable, and plain unfair.

The finale and the wrap up of the tale left a bitter taste in my mouth and a heavy heart in my chest. There was an ocean of wondrous possibilities for Bunny Drop to be one of the best josei manga serials ever written. Yet, everything from the second half unto the conclusion was a complete and utter disaster. I won’t even recommend the manga. If you really want to experience the series then please just watch the anime, as it had a very good reason for stopping where it did. Six bunnies out of ten and a sad face on top.

Usagi Drop is a example of how quickly things can go wrong. For the first 24 chapters - which the anime covers - it is as good as slice of life dramas get. For once the premature ending of an anime is actually a good thing. In the manga version, every relationship built in the first 24 chapters is systematically demolished. As the end approached, I found myself hoping against hope that the decline would stop. That Usagi Drop would return to its senses. However, the last chapter serves only to crush the cherished sentiments of what was a promising beginning.

Aside from the sudden and distasteful plot reversal, this manga has well developed characters, tenable art and memorable moments.

I suppose the reason for the abrupt change in direction could be it's Josei origins - a genre I have no prior experience in. Whatever the reasons, this manga is a disappointment given what it initially was and could have been.