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.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILER

Usagi Drop. I really love the first volume until fifth volume. I should score it 10 but the time skipping is just ruining such a cute story. The story after the time skipping is just wasting potential. Daikichi should have ended with Kouki's mother and not Rin because Daikichi and Rin have Father-Daughter bond but why should Rin marry with Daikichi? and this thing makes me sick. I would really happy if Rin call Daikichi as a ''Dad''. By the way, Rin really like Kouki's mother and she wanted to be a mother like her. I know Daikichi and Rin have no related blood but I really wanted to see that Daikichi and Kouki's mother have end up together and Rin have a brother named Kouki. I'm not accepting the ending in the Manga . The real Usagi Drop for me is from Anime. The ending in Manga is just really horrible.

(Sorry, I'm not speak English very well)

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

I have a feeling that most people who have given this series a high rating haven't finished it yet. I mean I went from giving it a 10 at the beginning a 6, almost 5 at the end. The reason for this is the time skip that happens all of a sudden at like chapter 27 or something. Should have stopped there. And I suggest you do if you want to believe the end is a little cliche but happy ending. I actually wouldn't have minded a tragedy ending, pretty much anything other than the way it ended.

Ok I'll leave the rest of the gripes to the end. The Story of Usagi Drop was terrific in the first arc. Daikichi was fumbling around in the dark as he tries to learn how to be a parent for the first time. He goes from dealing with Rin wetting the bed, to helping her out for a skip rope contest, to her loosing her first tooth. It was a heart warming and loving adventure and incredibly believable interaction between all of the characters. Some of my favorite scenes were between Kouiki and Daikichi as they had a great buddy buddy, almost father and son friendship.

The art stays consistently simple but cute. Almost an embodiment of the feeling the manga gives off. I have to admit though Daikichi's character design was probably my favorite.

Character line up here is superb. You have the adorable Rin, the loving but kind of clumsy Daikichi, the trouble making Kouki and a few other characters that actually have an interesting personality and development.

Enjoyment is an easy 10. That is for the first arc when Rin is a cute 6 year old munchkin:3 after the 10 year time skip, which comes out of no where and has no lead up at all, that is where it begins to go down hill ad where I suggest you stop and make up your own ending and future for the characters. From then on it's almost a predictable drama. At least the first arc had a feeling of discovery and adventure. The second arc was just...not a very enjoyable read. Sure it had some good parts. The downfall of Kouki was actually my favorite part of it since it was believable and a bit of a shock for the lighthearted series. But it all leads up to the akward and uncomfortable ending.

If you haven't finished but have started the second arc and aren't really enjoying it as much as the first, just go watch the anime and call it a day. If you have just started I suggest dropping it at the time skip. The following contains spoilers for the ending.

The ending was very uncomfortable for me to read. I found the fact of Rin liking Daikichi strange yet somewhat acceptable since it was just Rin's feelings and she may just be confusing them for other feelings. Also, it may just be a phase since she is growing up and seeing how all the "boys" in her class are not as dependable or cool as the "man" Daikichi. And that's what bugged me, she never really gave any of the "boys" a chance. She tried the date with one classmate, but it was obvious she had her mind made up the she wasn't going to enjoy it or pursue it. She simply closed everything off and had her sights set on Daikichi who has already gotten past the "boy" phase and is a real "man" already. The very ending is what made me so uncomfortable. I'll even pass on the huge age difference and just focus on the fact that Daikichi gave in so easily. 2 Years he needed to think and after two years of thinking if he should go out with the little girl who used to wet his bed, who he would wash in the bath and pick up form nursery, he ends up saying "so..should we get married?" Then Rin wants to bear his child??? I was actually incredible disappointed and rather disturbed at this. Having a child with the girls you raised as your child? No thank you. Maybe it's just me but that ending really f'd things up for me and I actually wish I never read past the first arc. I really thought even a tragedy ending for Daikichi would have worked better and Rin would move on and follow the teachings Daikichi shared with her. But nope just have a kid with your "kid" :D ........ :|

I find Usagi Drop to be two seperate manga. The pre-time skip that I loved, a lighthearted, fun, family oriented comedy and after the time skip where everything just nose dives. Maybe it's just the shock from finishing it just now, but I really don't reccomend reading past the time skip.

This story should have been a 9 or 10 overall. However its time skip destroyed everything that made this manga so enduring.

WARNING!! Spoilers ahead.
It isn't possible to discuss why this gets such a bad score without delving into spoilers.

The first 25 chapters were brilliant they were heartwarming and enduring. They brought out all of the good feelings you could possibly want from it and they were golden. A solid 9 even 10.
They were all focused on Rin and Daikichii becoming a family and the struggle of raising a child as a single "parent" and the finding the joy that a child could bring to your life.
For Daikichi, Rin was basically his saving grace as he had nothing in his life. He was 30 years old, working the same job for 9 years, living only for himself and wasting his money on drinking and doing nothing but going through the daily motions of life. Rin saved him from that, she gave him a purpose to start living his life for something other than himself and as much as he needed her, she needed him more.
A 6 year old abandoned in the world with no parents. The family members who gathered around for the grandfather's funeral all rejected her and the "embarrassment" that she represented as an "illegitimate" child to a 79 year old man who is no gone from the world. Daikichi saved her from being thrown into a world of upheaval and gave her a stable life and became her parent to support her on her path to adulthood.

Those first 25 chapters were amazing to read, the bond between Daikichi and Rin, it was so enduring to your heart.
However it all goes downhill starting with chapter 26.

Chapter 26. A time skip of 10 years takes place and we jump forward to Rin's 1st year of high school and right before her 16th birthday.

The inclusion of a time skip baffles me. The story before was great in the direction it was headed. The bond between Daikichi and Rin was ever growing, there was a chance of romance between Daikichi and Yukari (Kouki's mother). It had all the makings of a heartwarming story of a child being saved who had no parents. Of gaining a father and even a mother.
The thing that made it so great was the innocence involved in all of it.
However the author chose to do a time skip and we're left with the jumbled mess that is made.

From there story evolves into a darker coloring, relationships and friends have barely changed. There is hardly any inclusion of any new characters and older characters are almost entirely removed from the story only to have a few thrown back in again right at the very end.
It's understandable that there will be conflicts and a darker tone during ones teenage years however the implementation of this darker tone and route was poorly implemented by the author.
At this point in the story Kouki and Rin are portrayed as love interests, but an item that well never occur due to Kouki's poor decisions.
The author throws Kouki into this new role of a guy who is looking for love from Rin, but well never achieve it. Due to his "bad boy" streak during middle school and is now a reformed good boy who has woken up.
This is poorly implemented and just a mess of story writing as we learn about what happened during little flashback scenes that are spaced throughout the remaining chapters.
The only reason I mention this bit of spoiler is, because it is the catalyst that leads to the true catastrophe of the story.
After giving up on ever letting herself love Kouki again Rin begins to move forward with her feelings. However the author has trapped her in a box. A box that is "self" made as the only boys she's ever been involved with were Kouki and Daikichi. As she begins to explore her feelings she ends up deciding that she is in love with Daikichi. The man who raised from 6 years old.
As it goes it begins questioning the boundary of what is and what isn't allowed. How far can she go with her feelings that is acceptable. In a climatic conclusion to her feelings for Daikichi a very poorly implemented excuse of that they aren't blood related is revealed. That Daikichi knew this ever since reading his grandfather's will that he found in Rin's parental booklet back when he first took her in.
From there it evolves into Daikichi not even having the capability to reject Rin's feelings for him and accepting them instead.
In a final chance to try and change her opinion Daikichi makes the deal to make her wait 2 years so she finishes high school and if she finds another boy to love during that time then she must give up her feelings for him of love.

The story writing throughout this is so bad compared to the first 25 chapters.
Rin went from being a lovable little girl that one could sympathize with. To a teenager that has never tried to get close to other people. She's blocked herself off from ever finding other people as her whole world is just her and Daikichi and on occasion Kouki her childhood best friend and Reina. Who in the story is basically the equivalent of a cousin to Rin.
Rin wasn't part of any school club or activities even though she didn't lack talent. The world created for her was just her and Daikichi. In this environment it is basically forced upon the readers that the only conclusion for her is to be with Daikichi forever.
Rin in this state ignores the feelings of Daikichi completely, forcing him into a position of accepting her feelings through a poorly written explanation that they're aren't blood related even through he raised her.
Any proper figure in Daikichi's position who has raised a child is only looking for the best opportunity for they're child and to provide them with whatever they need in order to succeed. Rin completely ignores these feelings of a loving father only focused on what she wants in the end.
The story almost completely writes out Yukari and Daikichi's cousin Haruko is completely wiped except for being mention.
As a final mention it haphazardly brings back Sayaka and Nobu in the final chapter after writing them completely out since the day back in the park during the jump roping practice.


This story was amazing for 25 chapters. After that is was destroyed due to poor story planning, poor writing, haphazard character development, and the destruction of and haphazard return of old characters.
This story had so much going for it. There was plenty of material to go with, without doing a time skip. It crushed the roots of its story and its very sad to see that.

This is a prime example of how a good story can be destroyed so easily.

Usagi Drop tells it's story at a wonderful pace. It's never too quick nor too slow, and always seems to pause at the perfect place for the reader to take in its plot and resume again.
If you wish to keep reading, there will be spoilers.



The timeskip in Usagi Drop, in my honest opinion really deserves to be praised. It really highlights how different and how varied the characters are. Rin is still so pristine and pure and her love for Daikichi really shows it. The timeskip felt like a way of naturally developing the characters (Albeit a little lazy) without having to rely on other devices. Time is what matures people, and of course changes people.

In my time of watching anime (Although not as hardcore as some) never have I seen such a story like this (Although maybe it's due to ignorance, I don't read manga kay?) done in such a manner that was both heartwarming and incredibly humorous. All the characters are made to feel so genuine that I can't help but smile whenever Rin does something cute, or when the author draws her in a funny way. (Daikichi too) Although of course, it has it's flaws. and in my case, it's Kouki's stepfather. The introduction of him was a bit abrupt, but as a way of showing Yukari's decision, I can respect the author's choice.

This brings upon another point that I've seen being mentioned. Yukari and Daikichi in a relationship.
I personally, would've loved such a romance, but in hindsight I felt that it would've been slightly contradictory to Daikichi's personality.
Of course, I'm not the author, but Daikichi felt like to me a person who really wanted to raise Rin by himself and if Yukari married Daikichi, it would've complicated Rin's feelings more since Kouki would technically be her sibling. And of course, we can't have sibling romance ruin our wholesome manga can we?

Aside from this poorly written review, I really enjoyed both the anime adaptation and the manga and I really just wanted to voice my opinion. I really loved this series and I hope you do too!
Ma first review wwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

So I got into this anime not knowing what to expect.
It was a very warm and bright story about a not so ordinary family that started when daikitchi decided to adopt an orphan relative and raise her as his like his own child.
It was a beautiful story about the struggles of parenthood and how being a single parent is!

Naturally when the anime ended you'd want to see more of it so I went and read the manga. (I wish I didn't)

(The score is not 1 just Cz the first half was amazing)

It was ok at first even after the timelapse!
But at some point it turned gloomy and in consistent.
The characters started acting out of character.
And sensitive aspects of the story werent given the attentionthey deserve.
it really felt like the writer has changed in the middle.

The ending is a whole nother section! It was traumatizing! (Spoilers below)
It ruined everything that the story stood for until then! (Parenthood/father-daughter relationship/ doing good for goodness sake)

It was disgusting not because it was (supposedly incest) or because of the age difference as many would claim that was the reason why some think it's horrible.
But simply the fact that he raised her as a daughter.
He's seen her grow up and become a fine young lady.
It doesn't make sense that he'd look at her as a partner and if he did then he's sick.

One last thing!
How is this a JOSEI manga!?????

What started off as a cute story about a father-daughter relationship and their daily lives somehow turned into a high school teen romance drama and ended up being a borderline incest.

Initially, when the plot was about the struggles of raising a child, their everyday problems and heartwarming relationships, it was pretty amazing. And that's where the anime ended. After the time skip, shit went down and the plot was going all around the places.
Personally, I have nothing against the story or the ending. It was okayish. But if you are gonna mix up different stuff and evolve their relationship from father-daughter into a romantic one, you have to do it properly. This was definitely not the way to go. I would have rather watched the anime and been happy about it. The manga ending left kinda a bad aftertaste.

Oh well, this manga just joined the "Authors shitting all over the story and messing everything up" list. This could have been executed better, but well, it is what it is. Time to read something else now.

If you want heartwarming father daughter relationship, checkout Yotsuba, that's a complete package.

Usagi Drop is one of those manga I just randomly stumbled upon, read the description and put it on my read-it-later list. Months later when I remembered I actually had a list, I went back to read it. I regret putting it off for so long.

Usagi Drop follows Daikichi on his journey from being a bachelor to being a guardian for a little girl who is actually his half-aunt. When everyone else in the family makes excuses to not keep her or disapproves of little Rin, Daikichi takes custody, slightly disturbed by the shallowness of his relatives. The two start to grow accustomed to each other, going through trivial trials and any regular hardship of parenthood. It's really a coming-of-age story, telling how both Daikichi and Rin grow as people through their own father-daughter connection.

The art for Usagi Drop is nice and clean, not overwhelming. It's got a wispy feel to it and takes a nice rooting of usual josei style, only not overly elaborate for its genre. The scenery is always symmetrical and prim -- though the houses always feel a bit empty. (This may just be a cultural thing.) Daikichi himself if drawn to look thirty and Rin is drawn to look like a kid, none of this where the main characters look too young. That's a wonderful thing, so many manga characters follow that set design with the too-big eyes and the same heart-shaped face, boy or girl.

Character is important for this manga, as the chapters are more or less episodic. Daikichi is a very compassionate, calm individual, and it's fascinating to watch him change from a puzzled bachelor to the a more set-in-place guardian who now sort of knows what he's doing. Unlike some other manga where a new guardian has the responsibility of a child thrust upon him (My Girl, Otaku no Masamune-san), Daikichi chose this path and was the one who decided to take up raising Rin. And he has to cope, changing jobs, changing his schedule, all over re-doing his life. Daikichi also has fairly strong convictions but also understanding situations, frowning upon Rin's mother (who is a childish mangaka) for her abandonment, but also realizing that Rin's mother may have not been the best parent.

At the first of the manga, Rin didn't speak much at all, but as the manga progressed and she built a relationship with Daikichi as a father or older brother figure, she breaks out of her shells and makes a few friends, like the chatty cousin and an equally as antisocial boy (whose mother is Daikichi's romantic interest). Rin is intelligent, but lacks confidence and as Daikichi's influence endures, the more she flourishes.

I really enjoyed this manga and would recommend it to anyone looking for family-oriented fluff, trials and errors.

SpOILER ALERT


It starts off very nice we got to watch a man learn to be a guardian you know cute parent/ daughter relationship

BUT THE ENDING IS DISGUSTING
what the fuck. grooming is not okay

the author was on drugs when they decided the ending
EW I did not see that coming.
It went from a slice of life manga to pedophila and it was just weird.
Marrying the man who's technically your nephew who raised you since you were born. um ok
The ending honestly ruins the whole manga
Yes it's a manga but you really have to be fucked in the head to write something so nasty

TO THE CRITISIZERS OF THE SO CALLED INCEST, (my storyline review below this message)

In a review, I think that the thing to be reviewed is how well the intended storyline is potrayed, character and/or world development, art etc. It is senseless to criticize the plot.

If a manga/anime just has to have a stereotypical storyline with no uniqueness and if the unique path selected by the author is condemned for being in the so called wrong path (evil, incest, negative...), then just a single, ideal story is required, why bother to make new manga/anime?
The unique storyline here of how an adopted daughter develops romantic love for her adoptive father is what this story is about. Why criticize the story? You(storyline critisizers) didn't like it, that does not mean it is not depicted well.

Even I don't like stories which depict an evil-natured MC's life or stories where MC has all the luck and opportunities he needs or those with harems, but that is just my taste and that does not mean The story is not good. A story is a story. It can't be judged. You can only judge the characters and setting, but how can story be bad? The badness(that you think) is itself the story! In this story it's how filial feelings change to romantic feelings.

And incest is condemned in society just because the baby has higher chances of genetic defects and causes complications in relationships, but this problem which plagued the adoptive daughter's mind was removed. And the father already knew about it long back, when he read the will.

So please don't share your preferences in the name of review. Nor I nor you are acceptably eligible to post reviews for stories whose storylines we don't prefer.

MY REVIEW,

In the storyline, the transition of filial feelings to romantic feelings was not smooth and not clearly displayed; it was a bit unrealistic as not much flags were shown for it. And the time skips seem erratic but that bit is necessary I believe. And in my view the story had a very happy ending as the father and daughter who loved eachother (may be familial or romantic) didn't split up due to her marriage or father's death or anything.
The story intended by the author was (mostly)clearly conveyed to me in a mostly reasonable format without much plot armour and plot holes, hence I consider this story to be a grand success!

The best thing about Usagi Drop is that everyone knows about it and its finale thus you don’t necessarily have to hold back in what you say when you talk or write about it, but I’ll try to do it anyways while I cover both versions.

There are a good bunch of manga and anime about someone taking care of a child all by themselves but Usagi Drop has the unorthodox approach and quick progression of having a thirty years old man adopting his illegitimate 6 years old aunt, the kind of stuff that makes you raise an eyebrow and check the source out of curiosity alone.

And then you get a sweet and wholesome slice of life and coming of age feel good type of series centered in how the life of the adult, Daikichi, changes completely now that he takes care of a child, from small changes like doing a little more excercise or changing a bit his diet, to more drastic changes in his daily rutine and even changing his job in order to spend more time with Rin and take care of her properly. There’s also a good focus on his own insecurities (as well as others’) as a father figure and how he deals with stuff while he learns from other parents he interact with, as well as he actually tries to communicate with Rin’s mother.

As for Rin, she begins as a melancholic child, sad, silent and distant child because of her backdrop but learns to open up to others rather quickly, this results in a character that is both adorable due to her fondness of bunnies (which remind me of Yuzuyu from Aishiteruze Baby) and other kids things she does, yet at the same time is quite mature for her age, making her a very likeable character, even if her characterization definitely does not represent a typical girl of her age.

There are more characters of course but none of them gets as much focus as the main pair, they all have some backdrop stories, their own way to deal with parenting, and all are lively and likeable in their own way, but their role in the show is to further enrich the dynamics between Daikichi and Rin more than providing something on their own, and their backstories are mostly told instead of shown.

The quick and rather unorthodox setup and all the stuff that happens, along with the character dynamics are what make the show worth the watch instead of the actual plot, which is basic and simplistic and has some issues which I want to adress here. First, the message is that, despite the fact that now your life has changed completely and that now you have to make a lot of sacrifices, all of that is worth it if you manage to make your child happy, which in turn will result in your own happiness. That is sweet and all, no problem with that, but why does the series makes it sound that Daikichi’s life outside of his role as a father is now…kinda…completely over?

This is an issue I have with anime and teenagers’ mentality, you’re not old at your thirties and your life does not necessarily has to be completely dedicated to your kid, you can still have stuff and time for you alone…I mean Daikichi and Yukari are single so it makes sense for them to be completely dedicated to their children but what about the other parents that are married? They sound as if their lives are completely the same as Daikichi’s when it should not.

And seriously, does not the author and any teenager knows about people in their thirties that still go outside sometimes, begin a new family, or a new career? They would be shocked to see what thirty, forty and even fifty years old people are like in my country. This issue only grows stronger in the second half, after the time skip, but I want to leave that for later.

And I have to point out this about Mariko’s story, she is in a relationship she doesn’t want to, and in a family she doesn’t feel part of, for her daughter’s happiness, yet I don’t think a child can possibly grow happy in a family like that. This portrayal in particular wouldn’t be accepted as proper theme exploration in our times, but I guess it’s a japanese story after all, and was made a while ago, and there are women like that, so I’ll have to accept it, but I wanted to point this out. She still left her husband in the second half out of screen so all of this was pointless though.

Another thing with the setup is that, despite Daikichi feeling and saying that his life has changed completely, we don’t actually see any of that previous life he talks about before we see him as a father figure for Rin, as with most characters’ backdrops, it’s implied or told instead of actually shown thus it’s hard to actually understand this supposed big change.

And finally there’s the fact that, as a wholesome and sweet feel good type of everyday life story, Usagi Drop has no conflict to make the plot and subject more compelling, Daikichi has it a little easier than the rest because of Rin’s rather mature side, he gets all the paperwork needed for the adopting and the inscription on kindergartens and schools all too easily and stuff, there aren’t any different takes on parenting and conflicted characters about parenting (as it was the case in Aishiteruze Baby) nor any sense of urgency (as it was the case in The Pursuit of Happyness). This doesn’t mean that Usagi Drop is a bad show nor does it handles its theme poorly, is just that it does a good job for its genre, but does not takes an extra step to be even better.

Compared to the anime, the manga has obviously slower progression, some differences in how some things play out and I think Daikichi has more or at least longer internal monologues, thus I found it to be slightly better than the anime up until chapter 24.

As far as the production in the anime adaptation goes, it did a wonderful job in traslating the story to its medium, the manga has a serviceable art style that becomes better as it goes on, but the artwork remains simplistic all the way to the end, and the backgrounds are often absent. The anime has basic and simplistic designs with facial repetition among its characters, but the artwork is far better, the backgrounds are breathtakingly beatiful, and it of course benefits from its lively body language, fluent motions and pastel special effects that are used at times. It’s so rare to get a slice of lice series that wasn’t made by Kyoto Animation that pays so much attention to detail and artsy elements in its visual presentation.

As for the sound, both the opening and ending are made to sound as innocent and pure as possible, and the background music is made up almost completely of sweet piano pieces. Nothing really memorable but all of it fits the tone and feels the series was going for pretty well. The sound effects are appropiate and the voice acting is spot on, every character has a voice that fits them well, there aren’t that many famous voice actors but those that appear in the series does not sound like their typical roles thus they managed to stand out amongst the rest of their very similar roles (Kana Ueda), everyone did a good job, even the children who were voiced by actual kids.

Thus despite its actual quality being way too exaggerated, Usagi Drop is a fairly well made feel good slice of life series with an interesting premise and an acceptable portrayal of its theme within its genre, as well as loveable characters with good interactions between them, and a much better than needed presentation. And for once, leaving it incomplete worked in its favor because the second half of the manga dropped the ball so hard it made a hole in the ground, good job IG.

After chapter 24, the series makes the common mistake of relying on a big time skip which in this case skips the process of how parenting changes along the years and makes the characters change a lot out of screen, both in body and personality.

What follows after that is a boring and uninteresting high school drama romance that is not about the initial subject anymore, nothing feels important, the character dyamics changed a lot out of screen as well, the biggest conflicts now are that Kouki used to have piercings and red hair, and that Rin and Reina want boyfriends now, who cares about all of this?

I don’t want to sound like a hypocrite, since Aishiteruze Baby also has high school drama and romance, but over there it wasn’t presented after a big time skip, it served to develop the characters and their relationships, and the author more or less tied it up with the main subject, over here it feels like the author didn’t know what to tell anymore.

It’s not that I’m against the idea, I’m against having elements that have nothing to do with the initial hook, on top of being far less interesting. Showing parenting now with teenagers instead of kids could be interesting as well, but that’s not the focus here. And now the message is lost even further, now the kids are not kids anymore yet the adults are still reluctant to find happiness on their own, why? It doesn’t make sense anymore. Showing Daikichi and Yukari having feelings for each other, not getting together because of their kids and then having her marry a random guy that is not shown even once was pure bullshit. I already complained about this “you’re now too old to live your life” mindset and this second half of the manga only made it way worse.

But despite its lows, the adaptation could have been continued a bit further, because there’s a whole volume about Rin wanting to meet her mother, which makes perfect sense, and the manga shows how she finds her name, all the procedures she goes through, little discussions with Daikichi because of that, good stuff. The only minor complain I have is that the reunion itself was very lighthearted, but I’m willing to say that it was still ok because of Rin’s mature attitude, fitting with her personality, and because of her realization that she does not feel that woman as her mother and that Daikichi and the rest are her actual family.

I’m in favor of this type of message, although the people that gave birth to you is undeniably related to you, that doesn’t mean that they are your actual family, especially if they abandoned you, family is the people you grew out with and that cared about you, blood related or not. Thus I think that the anime could have shown the time skip and avoid the silly high school drama to adapt the 7th volume up until chapter 43 and this message, which would have make a perfect ending for this story.

But then the author pissed all over her own story, themes, message and characters from chapter 44 onwards by changing the series completely to a disgusting romance with incestuous vibes, even using the tropes of not blood related relatives, parents that aren’t biological parents, and betraying her own messages along the whole series up until even the exact previous volume. This was a story about parenting and all of a sudden turned into a disgusting telenovela with all of its stupid tropes and plot twists, with rushed revelations to make it even worse. On top of that, after the manga was finished, the author decided to release an extra volume showing stories that take place between those ten years, that only added more salt to the wound. Some of them were shown in the anime specials, but they mean nothing on their own, they are short side stories that don’t add much. In the manga, they only aided in reminding you of what could have been shown instead of the stupid highschool drama, and how good the series was before it was ruined, they show some characters backdrops along those ten years but what does it matter at that point? That should have been shown earlier to make people care, not once the story was over.

And that’s how a perfectly serviceable heartwarming story was ruined because of its author just to be original (although it wasn’t) and to subvert expectations, betraying its premise, setup, character dynamics, development and themes along the way. Shotout to Production I.G for realizing this bullshit and deciding to stop the adaptation midway, now go consume Aishiteruze Baby instead…and Koi Kaze if you happen to want more of that other stuff.

Anime 6/10
Specials 5/10
Manga 4/10