Movies/Shows Reviews

Kotaro Lives Alone (Anime)

Note: There's a Live action as well but I haven't watched it so either it'll be added soon or in separate chapter.

There's a belief that adults are wiser, which is not entirely true. Take Kotaro Lives Alone for example. Don't let the 4 year old boy with cat-slash-alien eyes fool you as the anime shows how much a façade the adults put on everyday aren't really inconspicuous while the kid learns that being vulnerable at his age isn't bad.

Upon researching myself for Japan's emancipation age, it's around 18. I know, I know, anime is fiction but some topics aren't that fiction at all. The part like when underage kids go to public places without adult supervision is one of a actual thing. In a news article, they said that Japan has 'low' crime rate so seeing them in subways without an adult isn't shocking.

Plot

A lonely little boy moves into a ramshackle apartment building all on his own and makes friends with the manga artist who lives next door.

Characters

Kotaro Satо̄ - A 4-year old protagonist boy who speaks in a old formal tone and carries a toy sword (due to his favorite tv show) with him. Despite living in an apartment alone, Kotaro always puts himself together, acting like a wise adult.

Shin Karino - An unsuccessful manga author and next door neighbor to Kotaro. Before, he's mostly uninterested of the surroundings and people around him, but after being piqued on Kotaro is when he starts getting more involved as a 'guardian' to the boy.

Isamu Tamaru - Another apartment neighbor in the lower section. Isamu may act tough and dressed like a yakuza (not sure if he's actually one but I presume he is?) but when it comes to Kotaro, there's that overly affection he gives off as Isamu is a (single?) father himself.

Mizuki Akitomo - Club hostess and next door neighbor to Shin. After meeting with Kotaro, she would keep company and acts like a kind older sister to him. 

Sumire Takei - New neighbor after someone moved out. She gets nervous around kids and tries to avoid them, however, little by little her discomfort lessens thanks to Kotaro. There's also a similarity both faced when it comes to their parents.

Pro vs Con

Pro:

- Everything

Con:

- Kotaro's parents 

Overall result

If you saw the trailer and thought, 'this must be a gag anime!' I dare you not to pass this. The anime isn't really like Shin-chan but more of a Fruits basket theme. You'll feel a little chuckle, sad, and warmth in this story. 

What I like is that Kotaro isn't the main focus. We get to learn other adults Kotaro meets and see their struggles or guilt that a 4-year old can easily see. It's also nice to get a glimpse of flashback memories from Kotaro, learning why the kid is acting this way. The better touch is that even if Kotaro is mature the whole time, he's still a child, not an adult.

I hope there's a season 2 for this as the ending still remains a mystery to what happened to Kotaro's mom and does it justify Shin's action.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Share your opinion about this series in the comments or Inline