Kotaro Lives Alone review: A stand-alone anime that will still win you over

Story:

A four-year-old kid starts living on his own on rent. The reason for him renting a home without a parent or guardian looking after him is slowly unveiled through Kotaro Lives Alone.

Review:

After the live action series, Kotaro Lives Alone gets animated. This is the first for a show but Kotaro Lives Alone can do it because it has a strong story base to support the drama series.

The anime dives straight into Kotaro's battle mode and his sensitive side. Starting off with him buying tissues (the big revelation of why that is important was already revealed in the live action) is a great move.

It deals into so much more - extreme physical abuse - right at the beginning. Karino is shown as completely useless, which was much toned down with the live action. Here, he is seen thinking about his manga award at the toilet which in a way indicates he is at his lowest point.

Kotaro, who is known for his fighting spirit in the manga, actually lacks that in the anime. The only point that really appeals after he raises his toy katana for the first time is the sudden music. There is no swag or passion in anime Kotaro, all of which live action Kotaro (Eito Kawahara) had.

It hits the emotional spot a lot more, which is different from the live action series that focused on Kotaro trying to be strong. Thus, while the live action Kotaro was sweet, the anime Kotaro is real. He is sensitive and also quite street-smart, all the age of 4.

Kotaro is also shown as savage here since he rather feels Karino thinks he's Tonosaman (feudal lord)'s servant. It makes for a hilarious scene without being offensive. Soon, how Kotaro is a real sweetheart is revealed. It has been one of the most-loved moments of the manga. He is also quite innocent which you get to see through at least one scene in every episode. It is those moments that end up winning you over more than anything.

Your heart is sure to break for Kotaro this time around too, from the first episode itself. How he constantly takes help from the unpopular anime called Tonosaman is sure to hit you hard.

Karino and Kotaro's bond is instantly developed too. Making no change to the bathouse scene was a much-needed move for this anime to go in the right direction. Their difference in mentality (which is how men think at different ages) is clearly shown through a scene where Kotaro asks Mizuki to accompany him to the bathouse. This becomes quite an important scene to develop the anime into something the live action wasn't - clear about how Kotaro thinks and what he wants.

Karino's character is given a hilarious twist. He actually feels Kotaro might be his child after people compare the two. Their bond though, is just as pure as a father and son's.

Tamaru and Mizuki's roles are well-written in the anime too. There isn't much change to their graph and it works best in the favour of the show.

The anime has a loophole where it does not reveal how and why Kotaro felt like going to a certain kindergarten all by himself. The scene is quite essential to the story and thus, skipping it makes the connect difficult.

The manga editor-Karino-Kotaro scene also lacks grasp. The live action captured this scene much better than the anime. The latter literally makes you yawn.

The scarred memory of Kotaro with his father is actually truly shown in the anime which makes it more interesting. Kotaro's relationship with his orphan buddy is explored in depth in the anime too and that will fill your heart. The two share a brotherhood and we get to know exactly why.

The series addresses what's right, wrong and how young boys can easily lose their way due to the surroundings they grow up in. At such a point, the residents of Shimizu Apartments come out as stars. It is honestly so cool to see an anime adapt that attitude since young kids as well as teens are usually fond of this format.

The good part about this anime is that it explores every character well and connects it to Kotaro somehow. Even the lady who brings Kotaro his weekly earnings has a connection to this young boy in quite an emotional way.

Cutting down Nitta's role is quite a smart move. She is the one toxic character throughout the series who is very unconvincing and thus, the lesser her role the better the story.

The series has a perfect ending. It is as heartwarming as the series gets and without being too cheesy, conveys the message.

Verdict:

Both the live action series and anime, Kotaro Lives Alone, are good in their own way. However, they are no comparison to each other. The anime is much better since it explores many angles but then the live action was sweet too. Both have scenes that were better than the other and thus, if you watch this anime, see it as a stand-alone series to actually live through the magic of the story.