Usagi Drop
Watch Links: Crunchyroll
Synopsis: Usagi Drop is a TV show about a working man who one day adopts the daughter of his late father. The show explores his journey raising her as a single parent.
Score: 7.7/10
Usagi Drop was a good time. It’s a very chill show all around, both grappling with some realism of what it means to be a parent while focusing on the joy of parenthood. It's pretty perfect at balancing these 2 aspects, all while keeping things fun. A big part of that is how Rin and Daikichi interact, which is pretty consistently pleasant. Daikichi's patience and consideration is a boon for the series, and Rin being mature for her age also mitigates some of the potential issues with a child main character. I do feel like Rin is a little bit too perfect of a child, but I'm not gonna complain much that they prioritized the viewer's ability to enjoy the show over realism. We also get the hyperactive Kouki to balance Rin, so there's still some of that chaos that comes with children. There was a certain humanity to all the characters, particularly in how each of them viewed how family affects their lives, whether children or spouses. The exploration of work-life balance was also pretty perfectly handled. It does sugarcoat it a little bit, but it also provides a perspective that someone like me doesn't have, that of a parent, and helps me understand how the changes in one's life when raising a kid aren't as scary as they might seem.
