A lonely little boy moves into a ramshackle apartment building all on his own and makes friends with
the broke manga artist who lives next door.
(Source: Netflix)
The show is one of the best truly that I have ever seen. I was worried at first because I'm not usually about slice of life anime but this was such an amazing turn of events. Not only were the characters relatable and had great development but the story itself was amazing and each episode gave you more story and I think it was brilliantly done. Not going to lie about it, it is very hurt comfort style, at least in my opinion. It had tears in my eyes but yet was still able to make my heart light and make me smile. Introduces heavy issues but deals with them very well. Going back around to the characters, each one is very different, each with their own problem(s) in life and in this show they are all hit on and gone in more depth to. This makes it even though the characters are so different that we are still able to relate to them in a way and relate them to the others and tie them back into the story. I found this especially with the character who was a Yakuza-like character. The story was a journey and it was honestly executed very nicely and has found its way to a special place in my heart, becoming my favorite anime I have seen to this day. It is very worth watching and if you are on the fence about it I think you should definitely give it a shot. It has some great comedy aspects too; for a show that deals with many heavy topics it is shockingly light,it has an amazing aspect to it that keeps you coming back and gives me at least a sense of satisfaction when watching. I really hope they make another season because I really can't wait to watch it. But if for some reason they decide not to animate another season then I am one-hundred percent switching and the reading the manga. It is an anime that can really get you invested, and take and grasp and keep your attention for a long while and it doesn't feel boring or repetitive in the slightest. It also helps you to better appreciate the things in daily life, as much as it might sound hard to believe, through the episodes is teaches many things but the ones that stuck out to me is that everybody has a different definition of what strong means and what it feels like and looks like to be strong. The story itself is a little heartbreaking, but again there was an amazing feeling that helped cut back the agony and helped show a sunny and brighter side to the lives that were painted within giving the entirety of the anime an amazing freshness I have not felt in a long long while from an anime. It's a great and unique story, I have never seen anything else like it ever. It's such a lovely breath of air especially if you feel like the anime you have been watching lately just feels very repetitive and somewhat annoying. I seriously recommend to watch this anime, I think it would help many people in their own lives.
_first of all, I'd like to apologize for any grammar mistakes since English isn't my first language_ Now, this show is probably the hidden gem of hidden gem mainly because of Netflix jail and the somewhat _okayish_ premise that turns a lot of people off. I first found out about the show from the recommendations section on Amaama to Inazuma and Kakushigoto. I read the premise and thought "oh, perhaps it'll be a cute and wholesome show about a 4 yr old living alone." __WRONG__ That is not what the show really is about. Technically though, yes, it's a story about a 4 yr old living alone but the show itself has some heavy undertone. I promised you that you'll cry like a baby every episode. First episode and you can see that something felt wrong with the kid, he's able to live alone, he's able to hold a normal adult conversation with his neighbors and most of all there are no signs of guardian/parents with him. It made you question about the history of Kotarou 1. "Why does this kid live alone?" 2. "Where are his parents?" 3. "Is it some sort of a social experiments?" 4. "Why does this kid has a wisdom of a middle age man?" It's like a puzzle and you find new piece each episode to make the whole story. On the first episode ~!when he fall the ground while running, he said 'I'm not crying, i don't like crying" It's a little clue and somewhat of a foreshadow on the next scene when he found out about Mizuki hiding the fact that she had been crying, he said "I won't dislike you even if you're crying". Meaning that Kotarou used to cry a lot. That adds another question, "Why did he cry a lot back then?"!~ On the second episode ~!Kotarou showed to the audience and to Karino, his neighbor, the reason he loves Tonosaman, a cartoon character from a kid show. He had taken the way Tonosaman spoke and incorporated it to his own speech pattern and he always watched Tonosaman at night, everyday. Karino asked about Tonosaman in the bath house, he said that "Tonosaman is special to me" and when a kid his age crying to his dad because he doesn't want to leave the bath house, and doesn't want to go home, Kotarou confronted the kid and said "Even if you said those things, you have someone always by your side, there's nothing to be sad about". The kid promptly stopped crying and went home with his dad. Kotarou continued on and said "That boy is lucky, he probably won't need the help of the tv in the middle of the night". At this point, you realized that the reason he cried a lot and love Tonosaman was probably due to the absence of his parents, be it because of work or worst case, they abandoned him entirely.!~ On the third episode ~!He encountered a balloon guy that gives away balloon for kids, this story looks wholesome at first, the way they interacted with each other, balloon guy said only 1 balloon per person and this promptly made Kotarou to disguise himself (albeit, a bad disguise) to asked the guy to give him more balloon. It's a cute story where he dressed up as 4 "different" person for 4 balloons. Then he asked Karino to draw the balloons some faces, a boy, a girl, an older man and an older woman. The balloon guy then accidently met Kotarou on the playground playing with 4 balloons with drawn faces attached to his back. He first assumed the worst and thought that he had been scammed by him, the balloons with the face side then turned to the back and revealed a writing in each balloons. It was, SISTER, BROTHER, FATHER, MOTHER. This scene in particular broke me to pieces and you understand why. The whole reason he lived alone was because yes, his parents left him, abandoned him entirely. The next scene showed him playing with these 4 balloons on the playground, alone. It's depressing to see that he was all by himself, a mere kid was forced to grow up because of his unfortunate circumstances.!~ The same way Naruto is a vessel for the 9 tails, Kotarou is a vessel for a series of episodic stories (all linked by the main story of Kotaro) dealing with abandonment, loss, abuse, deception, and other psychological issues. Kotarou Lives Alone is a brutal show, if you loves the undertone that Kakushigoto and Amaama to Inazuma gives then you'll surely love this one but be sure to come in prepared because it will hit you hard. An absolute hidden gem that you must watch!
Kotaro Lives Alone is a series that really broke me apart. I came into this series blind and thought it was a cute slice of life comedy about a boy doing funny stuff when his parents was not around. Technically that is sorta true but oh my god it is so much more and I was so wrong with my first impression. The series introduces us to a mysterious little boy named Kotaro that one day decided to live in a small two story rental apartment. He makes an effort to introduce himself to the handful of tenants living there. A heartwarming journey of broken people supporting through thick and thin ensues, focusing on the little one that desperately needs love the most: Our precious little boy Kotaro. Kotaro is _REALLY_ mature for his age (4 years old) but also fittingly immature in the way he makes a huge effort to be extremely polite by acting like a honorable samurai and speaks in a 'honorable' knightly way referring to others as sir, lady or master. Sometimes having quaint style of medieval language saying things such as 'much obliged' and 'pardon, I must away'. Kotaro is really perceptive and can tell if a person is hiding their true emotions. He can spot a fake smile, tell if he is being deceived and even spot someone true intentions that is even unbeknownst to their very self. One may mistake this initially as being supernaturally intelligent or perceptive as a child but watching the series further it is clear Kotaro's keen perception of people is not due to being a social genius but through first hand experience. Explaining this further will go into spoiler territory but based on the title of my review I guess you can sorta guess where this is going. The series masterfully foreshadows heavy backstory plots of Kotaro's mysterious circumstance in some charming slice of life comedy. Despite a clear heavy subject matter lurking in the background we are constantly reminded that Kotaro is still a kid and he certainly acts like one. Time and time again Kotaro's childlike innocence makes for heartwarming and funny situations but often times it can backfire as we see that this same innocence that he radiates is not the appropriate response towards handling certain morbid circumstances which really pull on the heartstrings. Just like how Kotaro avoids going into the details of his circumstances the series also never reveal more than is necessary about Kotaro's backstory. We as the viewer are equally constantly kept in the dark about Kotaro's mysterious past and situation as the supporting characters that felt obliged to protect this little boy while specific context and clues are slowly picked up but still not complete even towards the final episode. This series almost feels like it is directed by Kotaro himself as there is a consistent cheerfulness in its storytelling but there are really obvious depressing undertones every once in a while that reminds us that this is not an ideal situation. But gosh it keeps trying to deceive and convince us that it is fine... it is not as bad as it seems... look how happy they are coming together lovingly like a family... look how funny Kotaro thinks that the pregnant lady is actually fat due to eating a lot of food! img2200(https://i0.wp.com/soulkitchen8.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/257A88B4-F28D-4923-998B-A9AD68979ADD_1_201_a-1.jpeg?fit=2880%2C1208&ssl=1) ... Y'know what? Yes Kotaro, you are a happy little boy. Everyone is happy for you and everyone loves you. Everything is okay sweet little cup cake.
Who is Kotaro? He is the child in all of us. The child that has been neglected, abused, hurt, again and again. Left to fend for himself. An individual not knowing much about the world, trusting those he believes in to guide him towards becoming stronger. I think we as a viewer are brought into this world to gain greater empathy for others. Kotaro’s past is shrouded in mystery, but we gain glimpses of his suffering from the way he acts to the way he reacts. Despite not knowing everything, we still root for him to mature and get stronger. We also root for him not to lose his innocence, his hope in others, and his littleness. All the people he has met on his journey give him a bit more strength, despite their flaws, and that’s what made rooting for him so easy. Even if we are struggling, we can still help others, and others can do the same for us. The show also confronts hope, in others and in the future. Why does Kotaro work so hard every day? Because he believes his family loves him. That if he changed, he could gain a chance at capturing what he once had and lost. Hope is a powerful thing; it keeps a person going when all seems lost. Despite the short time we got to see this transition, we see this with his neighbours: Karino, an unreliable man becomes reliable once he sees Kotaro as something resembling his son. He takes upon the responsibility of doing his best to demonstrate Kotaro gives him strength. Mizuki, learns that when others don’t let go, you just have to walk away. And many more. Kotaro’s hope in becoming a family again gives others the inspiration to help him, and themselves. Trust is also important. Towards the end of the show, we see this most clearly when Tasuku lies to him. I think it hurts to lie to someone who believes in you. It’s a lose-lose situation. Despite this, Kotaro continues to believe in him. I think the trust in someone who has never demonstrated trustworthiness is a hopeful message. It shows being authentic doesn’t always result in pain, something modern shows and movies forget about in the pursuit of more melodramatic scenes. What is a family? What is a home? Kotaro's neighbours become part of the family Kotaro was sorely missing. I think the bond you forge on purpose can be stronger than the one by blood. But the blood bond will never be forgot. The responsibility Karino took over Kotaro, the love showered upon him by everyone else, these all form his real family, the one that loves him. I think the importance of having loved ones is shown through how they mutually help each other get through tough times. Being there for someone whether they want you there or not, whether they need you there or not is what family is about. The potential to change is always there, and the path starts here, with your trust in others and hope in the future. Kotaro, you might not think you’re strong enough, but your hope is so blindingly strong. Thank you for trusting in yourself, for believing you can get stronger. Thank you for showing me strangers can become family, that I’m not alone. Thank you for growing into a child despite everything.
Gradually I'm updating and finishing my anime that I've left halfway through, due to lack of time and patience in these last months. Anyway, it's time for ''Kotarou lives alone''. At first it seems to be a light anime, with a simple plot, easy-to-resolve everyday situations, and unsavory comedy, however, the deeper you dig, the heavier the story gets. Kotarou is a 4-year-old boy who lives alone in an apartment surrounded by adult neighbors with their own particularities and personal dramas. As it is not something that happens every day, for a little boy of such a young age to live alone without the supervision of a caregiver, his neighbors develop sympathy and affection for Kotarou and take turns helping him and keeping him company. The most unusual thing about the story is that Kotarou is a very smart and mature child for his age, with a complex vocabulary and speech that is better developed than many adults over the age of 20. Basically, Kotarou can manage on his own in every respect and manages to be much more disciplined and organized than the adults who supervise him. But despite these more mature characteristics, Kotarou also has a childish side to him as he watches his favorite anime from which he gets all his lines and mannerisms. As the story progresses, it is possible to get a glimpse into the individual stories of Karino, a failed mangaka, Tamaru, a man of dubious aesthetic taste who lives away from his son due to family issues and tries to coddle Kotarou for comfort, Mitsuki who has a troubled life and an abusive relationship to the point of being physically assaulted, and Sumire who had a traumatic childhood and feels uncomfortable around children, not to mention Kotarou, the reason you watch the anime to find out why or why not a kindergarten child goes to live alone. But I confess that I only really understood the message the story was trying to convey when Kotarou goes to the dentist. Towards the end of the anime, the dentist is briefly introduced, drawing attention for providing an extended one-hour visit for children (twice as much as he reserves for his adult audience), in order to talk to them to identify any trace of abuse or violence they may be suffering in the family context. It was heartbreaking when he reveals that he cannot save one of his patients who did not show up for her appointment, but made the headlines of a newspaper days later, a situation that he says he could have avoided if he had seen her in advance and talked to her, an attitude he currently has with Kotarou and other patients of the same age group. Despite his young age, Kotarou inspires his neighbors and other recurring characters to be better people and to overcome their everyday problems. In short, Kotarou lives alone is a sensitive story with subtle themes of violence, abuse, and trauma.