Usagi Drop Review

Studio: Production I.G
Year: 2011
# of Episodes: 11
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Synopsis: [Anime News Network: Bunny Drop ]
"Going home from his grandfather's funeral, thirty-year-old Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a younger lover. The rest of his family is equally shocked and embarrassed by this surprise development, and not one of them wants anything to do with the silent little girl, Rin Kaga. In a fit of anger, Daikichi decides to take her in himself. As Daikichi nurtures Rin, he started to understand the struggle while at the same time the joy of parenting. "

Afterthought
This is one of those shows I would want to watch on a lazy afternoon in the summer while sitting in  a comfy chair hugging a fluffy pillow. The synopsis cannot be more straight forward, it's a show about parenting, so sweet it left me with the urge to punch the wall to regain my composure. Rin is this curious, smart and slightly insecure little girl who tries to understand her place in a world of adult, and Daikichi, her caretaker, is a kind man who has little experience with kids but harbors child like innocence nonetheless. The interaction between the two is very heartfelt as they come to trust and rely on each other.
I fail to find anything interesting and profound to say. I guess parenting, after all, sounds like a rather mundane task, at least on the surface. The series explores parenting issues with a laid back, light hearted attitude, sugar coating the difficulties that may be more psychologically taxing in reality. But I think the bigger message here is that the struggle of a parent is a part of a meaningful journey that may turn out to be more rewarding than we think. Case in point, many parents would probably empathize with Daikichi's noble decision to compromise his career for Rin's well being. Of course, it's not a message I can understand wholeheartedly since I'm not anywhere near to getting married and having kids of my own. But I think anyone who has the patience to sit through the story can see and appreciate the precious bond formed between Rin and Daikichi.
The series also throws other questions at you, the one that stood out to me is whether it is moral to to abandon a child if you are not ready to be a parent. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but the question stuck with me after I finished watching. Given my inadequate experience, I don't have an answer to it, even though abandoning a child for a seemingly selfish reason sounds abhorrent and socially unacceptable, I don't want to pass out judgments because I'm not the one facing the responsibility and living with the consequences.
The series doesn't register in my book as a masterpiece, I will probably soon forget most of the details, but it certainly made me feel warm and fuzzy and that's enough to win my praise. The watercolor art style also complements the soft, gentle tone of the series. Production I.G, as per usual, did an excellent job with the animation. The emotions, although subtle, were well conveyed.

Rating

Story: 8/10

Character: 8.5/10

Animation: 8.5/10

Music: 7/10

Directing/Style: 8/10

Enjoyment: 8/10

Overall: 8/10