Anime has all of its peculiar and unique aspects to it and it is not a surprise to see the trope of children still in school living all by themselves. It is uncertain how usually no one in the show finds it to be an odd or dangerous experience. The show Kotaro Lives Alone takes this very trope and uses it to give us a funny and heartwarming series about Kotaro Sato – a four-year-old child who starts living in an apartment complex all by himself and Shin Karino, a manga artist who starts taking care of him, concerned by his lifestyle.
With its two-dimensional animation style and a plotline that makes you laugh as well as tug at your heartstrings at times, fans worldwide have loved Kotaro’s adventures. If you are one of those who crave another wholesome anime after this one’s finale, here are a few suggestions you might want to give a watch.
1. Aishiteruze Baby
Just like Kotaro Lives Alone, the anime Aishiteuze Baby has a plot that revolves around learning responsibility and the importance of kindness. The plot follows Katakura Kippei, a high school playboy who passes his time wooing any girl he sees – the classic bad boy who has no time for anyone in the world but himself. In a comedic turn of events, one day he returns home to find himself responsible for Yuzuyu – his 5-year-old cousin whose mother seemed to have abandoned her.
Though the anime is overall a fluffy, heart-warming show about the struggles Kippei goes through while learning how to raise children, it also touches upon the feelings of loneliness and isolation that influence a child when they go through such traumatic events. It is overall a great show about learning, maturing, and coping with life.
2. Gakuen Babysitters
If you are looking for a wholesome anime with tooth-rotting cuteness and a whole lot of babies, then Gakuen Babysitters is the anime for you. What’s more, the younger brother, who is also the main character, is also named Kotaro! The anime follows the life of Ryuichi Kashima and his brother Kotarou post the death of their parents. Both orphans now, they are taken in by the chairwoman of the school, with the condition that Ryuichi works at the school’s day-care.
The light-hearted plot does give room for some inner turmoils and melancholic sadness at times with Ryuichi also being just a kid dealing with traumatic events. However, the show will keep you hooked with the pleasant art styles and many baby characters.
3. Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition
This anime is more on the comedic side of things, with the plot following the life of Kakushi Goto – a famous mangaka known for his indecent jokes. When his daughter Hime is born, he realizes that his profession might be inappropriate for her to know and the show follows all his attempts and arrangements to hide the truth from his daughter. To add more to his plate, his wife disappears one day due to medical reasons and he was left with raising Hime on his own.
Kakushigoto is a sweet show about fatherly love and the duties that come with it as we go about Goto’s life which one way or the other always has some sort of drama going on. The ending, like all well-made, slice-of-life comedies will move you deeply after the plethora of comedy it served throughout.
4. UFO Baby
First aired in the year 2000, UFO Baby is an endearing series that revolves around the life of Miyu and Kanata – who together find a baby from outer space in a UFO of their temple. With going back being extremely difficult, the baby (Ruu) is taken care of and parented by both the main characters, also because of the resemblance they have with the real parents of Baby Ruu. In their journey and duties to bring Ruu back to his home planet, the couple goes through many funny and troublesome situations that eventually bring the two of them together.
While the anime is mostly bright with slice-of-life themes that do not need to have a lot of depth, the show is an enjoyable ride and gives a nostalgic feel to it with the old-school animation style.
5. Usagi Drop
Usagi Drop is another father-daughter trope anime show wherein 30-year-old Daikichi Kawachi comes back with a lot on his hands after his grandfather’s funeral. The man discovers and brings in Rin – the six-year-old illegitimate daughter of the late elder. Due to her background, the child is treated as an outcast by the family which is the reason Daikichi decides to take her in the first place.
The wholesome series covers the growth of Daikichi as a person as he learns to parent, making sacrifices in her personal life and job to always be there for Rin. For those who want to have a light watch with good comedy, the anime is only 11 episodes long!
6. Poco’s Udon World
Anime with parent-child bonds and relationships often have the parent figure learning a lot through the process of care that they give the child figure. This one is a similar one about a young web designer named Souta Tawara who takes a break from Tokyo to spend time in his hometown upon his father’s death. Souta sets the mood of the anime to a gloomy one as he goes around reminiscing about his past before discovering a little boy (Poco) in one of the closed-down restaurants. Poco, the shape-shifting tanuki gets adopted by Souta and the time they spend together teaches Souta to relax, accept and open up towards his feelings.
The happy anime will give you lots to smile at, but also lots to cry at as the watchers are directly linked to Souta, with whom they unpack all their suppressed feelings and emotions. The refreshing sights and the bright art also add up to the lovely experience that Poco’s Udon World is.
7. Barakamon
Barakamon follows the life of upcoming calligrapher Seishuu Handa who gets exiled into Goto Islands, far from the comfort of cities, to live, as punishment for punching a veteran who called his work unoriginal. In his self-reflecting journey, he is made to sit through not only tons of daily work, but lots of neighbors barging into his house time and again. Naru Kotoishi, one of the kids who are smarter and more well-behaved than him in nature, particularly gets close to him and Seishuu worries about her like a parent or a brother would.
The rural visuals with a seaside guarantee you a pleasant experience as you watch how Seishuu learns and grows as a person in caring for Naru and in the isolated island where only people just as troublesome as he is, exist.
8. My Roommate is a Cat
This is a unique addition to the list and the idea of parenting is not towards a child, but an animal – a cat, to be specific. The story is about Subaru Mikazuki – an introverted and awkward mystery novel writer and his cat, Haru, who he finds while giving offerings to his parent’s grave who passed away in a tragic accident. The problem is – Subaru has never taken care of anything before.
In a genius portrayal of showing the story from both the perspectives of Subaru and Haru, we get an outlook on the inner turmoils of the caretaker and also of the thankfulness one feels when being taken care of. The anime throws light upon the little things in life and how actions can change a person. If you are someone who likes animals (cats, especially) and shows more on the emotional side, this is the one for you.
9. Sweetness and Lightning
Among the many parent-child, troped anime is Sweetness and Lighting – 2016 show that mixes in the gentle art of cooking to the concept of parenting. After the death of his wife, the young teacher Kohei Inuzuka struggles to bond with his daughter due to his lack of cooking skills. He then later takes help from one of his students and that is how the plot of this semi-cooking anime show goes.
With the unique and happy art style, along with many cute moments by the adorable daughter Tsumugi, this anime will have you hooked due to the variety it offers in its genre and style. Catch the whole series on Crunchyroll.
10. Hanamaru Kindergarten
This bubbly anime is about three chibi-sized kindergartners – Anzu, Koume, and Hiiragi whose main goal is to attract the attention of their caretaker Tsuchida Naozumi. This is because Anzu has an innocent crush on him and the three get down to many gimmicks and funny banters revolving around it. The comedy comes in because of how troublesome they are trying to get his attention when Tsuchida is trying to have a date with Yamamoto Nanako – a fellow kindergarten teacher.
The pint-size of the trio as well as the many antics they get into really keep the viewer entertained. Even with their shenanigans, Hanamaru Kindergarten still has its fair share of emotional moments and will humor you agelessly.
Also Read: Top 10 Anime To Watch On Father’s Day
