Kotaro Lives Alone (2022) User Reviews

Kotaro

[movieturtle2013 · 9/10 · 10 March 2022]

I mean it's a four-five year-old living alone, but damn it if it's not the most heartfelt, heartbreaking, sweet and sad thing.

This anime was not on my radar at all. I assumed it was some sort of absurd comedy since it's a small child living alone but that's not it.

Kotaro is the perfect balance of a mature, responsible adult but also a naive child which makes his character so sad. He is such a wonderful soul whose past was filled with tragedy. He affects all the lives around him. We get to see life through his eyes and as an audience understand the tragedy but he at times seems oblivious or sees it through a different lens. It is because of his perspective we get to see a different approach to something that would normally be considered soul-crushingly sad. Kotaro manages to make the best of things. He sees the best in people and means well. He thrives in the friendships he makes. The other characters also reflect off him perfectly. All of them take care of him and they all grow into a family.

The anime is sweet and definitely worth watching. It doesn't make light of certain issues but never focuses depressingly on them. In a way Kotaro simply keeps moving forward and makes friends along the way.

Unique story

[Snootz · 9/10 · 26 March 2022]

No giant robots, kaiju, epic battles or spaceships here. This is an anime about a young child prodigy who manages to live on his own after his parents disappear. As the episodes pass he makes new friends, changes lives, and encourages all those who meet him.

While the main character is somewhat difficult to believe (might have been easier to swallow if he was a 10 year old instead of a 4 year old), he is well-developed enough throughout the series to become endearing.

A delightful and heart-warming change from over-used anime themes. In place of action-adventure this has story and character development. Each episode is its own plot, developing a theme and leaving the viewer with a moral lesson or special insight to life. Very well done.

Such important topics!

[gm-61466 · 9/10 · 12 March 2022]

I saw this anime without any expectations. I did not think this anime would highlight so many themes of mental illness due to trauma. Important lessons not only from Kotaro but from everyone that later on contributed on his life. Never reviewed anything here before but I just can not stress enough how beautiful this was. I appreciated this anime.

Kotaro is the best boy T.T

[plainlyally · 10/10 · 11 March 2022]

Pressing play on this anime was one of the best decisions I've made..I was pleasantly surprised ..it would touch your soul very closely..it might trigger some tears but It will also warm your heart and make you cherish the little things in life you take for granted.. It portrays the kindness of strangers and the oneness of humanity so beautifully.. The show has dark overtones..but it won't leave you with a sense of hopelessness and I think that's what makes it so endearing<3 I want to give Kotaro the biggest hug Y. Y.

No cheap comedy

[neji-san · 10/10 · 14 March 2022]

I saw the Trailer and my reaction was meh. The animations looked cheap and it felt like a light comedy with cheap jokes.

So I gave it a shot, I was in the mood for light comedy. The Story is about a 4 year old that lives alone and befriend his neighbours, he acts like a grown up, so far sounds nothing special.

But here comes what surprised me. It's a Drama series, heart warming, serious topics, a boy that is just a boy that had to grow up fast and how he influences all around him.

This series really hit a nerve on me, i was blown away, how the Story was told, i watched every episode with a big fat smile on my face, so many sad and serious topics, seen from different angles that made me almost cry.

Kotaro is such a sweet charackter and would never have thought that i would like this kind of series.

The german dub is perfect, only 10 episodes and I liked it even though my most waited series is The Boys season 3.

Heartwarming

[T-xoo · 9/10 · 12 March 2022]

Some kids do really mature faster than others. It is true that it's heartbreaking to see a kid cannot be a kid. But thanks to his neighbors, Kotaro can live a life close to it. Especially thanks to Karino.

This short anime will bring you joy, make you rethink about what matters in life. The drawing and animation can look cheap. However, the music and story aren't. An anime worth watching.

Get Fine, soft & nice smelling tissues!!!

[jeo-gaurav · 10/10 · 11 March 2022]

It's a slow poison, gets in your heart so slowly and comes out as wet and tears through eyes.

It's so amazing to see how a so simple storytelling can have this much of impact. No big budget animations nor over the top details drawing per frame, just pure emotional journey.

Brilliant show, captures so many emotions!

[bpb99 · 10/10 · 12 March 2022]

A very unique storyline that really captured all different types of emotions. The show is overall adorable with lots of little funny bits, some very sad parts, and some very heartwarming aspects as well. I look forward to seeing more of this series, hopefully there will be a season 2.

great show

[trapp_33 · 8/10 · 19 March 2022]

The anime is very good, it has very pleasant characters and the creative things about characters that they are not perfect every character has its own problems and issues and it has fine way to present new characters, the dramatic moments are so sad and emotional, but the comedy moments are also funny and hilarious, this show has shown me a great balance between the drama and comedy and that is one of the wonderful and marvelous strengths at the show. Its deserves and worth watching.

Good

[coles_notes · 7/10 · 8 August 2022]

Based on a manga of the same name, Kotaro Lives Alone follows Kotaro, a 4 year old boy who lives alone, renting a small apartment in urban Japan. The short 10 episode introduces us to Kotaro as he stumbles his way through adult life, much like an anime meets I'm Old Enough!, along with his neighbours who quickly befriend the boy to find out who he is and why he is living alone. A different sort of story, it covers topics and hits some emotions I did not ever expect from a show like this, and everything is set up in a way that remains cute, heartfelt, and even tragically adorable. It has comedic elements, and I giggled a bit during it, but ultimately it is a quite sad show thats more meant to tell human stories than it is to get a laugh, and I can only respect it for that. Took me a few episodes to get into but once I did I was hooked. If you like slice of life type anime this one is quite good, I enjoyed it.

Such a cute, but heart wrenching anime :(

[riayomama · 9/10 · 11 March 2022]

I find several characters very relatable, and well written. Kotaro is a unique and adorable character, overall very likable! The dynamic between everyone and Kotaro is different and adorable in it's own way. You will probably cry a bit, so grab some tissues!

Funny at one moment, emotional at another

[pranayjalvi · 7/10 · 14 July 2022]

Kotaro lives Alone is a solid blend of comedy, drama and emotional moments that will make you laugh at one moment and cry at the other.

The anime follows the rhythm of daily life, its humor deadpan. Each episode is made up of short, sometimes disconnected vignettes that feel like paging through a scrapbook. Equal parts heartwarming, laugh-out-loud funny, a rather nuanced exploration of child abuse, and one of the biggest surprises of the season. This Netflix anime series is not a strong must-watch, but if you are looking for a heartfelt story, then Kotaro will undoubtedly provide you with plenty of heartwarming chapters.

My Rating: 7/10.

More hearbreaking than heartwarming

[elilenna7 · 3/10 · 22 January 2023]

This show has gotten universal praise and it baffles me. The art style is atrocious but that would have been easily forgiven if the story were any good. I suppose I could have suspended my disbelief long enough if the premise of a very young boy living on his own was treated as a wacky comedy; instead the narrative paints a pretty grim and realistic picture of abuse and neglect towards children, with plenty of horrific detail (the one we'll all remember is Kotaro resorting to eat tissue after his mother didn't feed him for who knows how long). So now we have this child who escaped from hell and is way too young to cope or even comprehend what happened to him. Instead of getting the support and psychological help he obviously needs, he's somehow allowed to live on his own in order to hide from his abusive dad. Soon he'll make friends with his new neighbors, who will all feel compelled to protect, help and "parent" him. This the show presents as heartwarming, but I can't enjoy any of it because I simply can't comprehend why none of these people CALLED SOCIAL SERVICES. In fact it seems to me that every adult in this show has failed Kotaro, starting from his parents, social workers and police and ending with teachers and neighbors. I'm especially appalled at the private detective who was more than ready to sell Kotaro's location to his father, to hell with the restraining order, had a very late change of heart (because a child who's little more than a toddler gave him a speech? Really?) and got praised to the heavens for it, instead of, you know, going to jail.

There are very few positives. I appreciate how the narrative treats such difficult subjects in a delicate, understated way, without glamorizing or sensationalizing it. I also like the relationship that forms between Kotaro and Karino, and I would have much preferred if Karino were Kotaro's guardian to begin with and had to make a conscious effort to navigate parenting in such difficult circumstances. That would have also made for a better "it takes a village" narrative, as Karino would learn that it's okay to ask for help from friends and neighbors.

As it is, I don't know what message I'm supposed to take from all this. The narrative seems to praise Kotaro for his independence and courage while also pitying him for his loneliness and pointing how he's engaging in unhealthy and frankly heartbreaking coping mechanisms (like refusing to get sick, washing compulsively, hoarding). What's he gonna be like when he grows up? Are we just supposed to hope that Karino's sporadic attentions will magically turn him into a not completely broken adult?

I realize this review is the epitome of "unpopular opinion" but I really can't feel any different. I can't just say "it's not that deep" when the show itself strives to be this deep. And no, Japanese children are not naturally more independent, a four year old is a four year old.

Cute, sad, moving and wholesome

[arca-59699 · 10/10 · 29 March 2022]

Cute, sad, moving and wholesome as well as surprisingly informative about Japanese culture. 10/10 would recommend.

Where to begin, the father and son relationship with the manga artist neighbor, the love-hate relationship with the yakuza neighbor and too many to count wholesome relationships that teach us and make us want to be better people.

Hits you in the feels

[alidbz26 · 9/10 · 15 March 2022]

I'm a casual anime fan, but I think this is something that anyone who doesn't have a heart made of stone can enjoy. Don't question the realistic aspect of why is a 4 year old living alone.

I liked this

[tomgrenier · 10/10 · 20 March 2022]

To anyone that is hesitating to watch it, I really do recommend it. It was a really good anime that made me smile a lot. It makes you feel so many different emotions. The anime was orginal and wholesome.10/10.

Excellent

[smithbenedikt · 10/10 · 23 March 2022]

The humor is excellent as is the writing, and the theme of abuse and trauma is handled honestly and well. I've already started watching it for the second time.

Couldn't stop watching

[samuel-granados18 · 10/10 · 20 March 2022]

This Kotaro kid is not who I was expecting. I was expecting the show to be about a kid who lives alone with some kind of special powers. It's not, and it's better for it. He's just some little kid with problems.

Almost binged this in one sitting, and now I gotta catch up on chores. Excited to finish it and then for season 2.

Absolutely charming

[chantellegarland-74840 · 10/10 · 17 March 2022]

I can not recommend this series enough! It is charming, hilarious, heartwarming, thought provoking and really sad at times. Very, very special and unique.

Ousama ranking 2?

[oliwright2803 · 10/10 · 30 March 2022]

You'll probably be expecting some standard heartwarming comedy, but this show can really throw some curve balls at you. Be ready to cry because it can be pretty emotional.

It's a really fantastic show with a great mix of characters. The perfect way to fill the void of no more Ousama Ranking.

Sorry

[Pnkprinses309 · 4/10 · 27 July 2022]

I left feeling cheated

There is no story. No point. No purpose. There is no beginning, middle, end. I was hoping we would see what happened with the dad or with Mitsiku. Both of those plots went no where. I thought the last episode implied Kotaro would be kidnapped...nope nothing interesting happens in this show. It touches on a lot of deep subjects without going too far. Never once did they show Kotaros siblings or where they are now. Or explained HOW his mom died. It really felt like a waste of time considering the bad animation of the show. Plus the one character, the woman with black hair, just appears out of no where and is only there for an episode and she is in the theme song...that is bonkers.

All in all I found it cute but pointless.

Nothing short of a masterpiece

[katrineseal · 10/10 · 25 March 2022]

This series is a masterpiece. It shows the entire range of emotion that any person might encounter in their life from a kid's perspective. And it even does so without talking down to the viewer. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Thinking this is bad? Well get ready to eat your tissue (hat)

[jdbr-84362 · 10/10 · 22 March 2022]

This show bring the beauty of life to anime. You may say the animation is "cheap" but it fits the show well. This is meant to be a easy watch. Imagine this show with amazing animation would be terrible. You need the choppy animation to really show how the lack of drawing can still show the amazing story that it does. The little details shows really make the show refreshing. The story is split Into sections. Charters develop bit not too fast that it unbelievable. The main child doesn't feel like some kid but also doesn't feel too much like they tried to show an adult into a child character. They mix trauma with child like wonder that allows for a great look Into how a child can really mature in short periods of time allowing for tear jerking moment and childhood bliss to both be awoken. The comedy aspect pulls the show away from the dark nature that could be portrayed. All round Great watch. An unexpected gem of life lessons from a 4 year old.

Heartwarming story

[noutt3 · 10/10 · 26 March 2022]

I didn't have any expectations or even desire to watching this, but I did and it's just an amazing storyline as you get to know little kotaro, his life, principles and struggles.

The animation is simple and the story seems "plain" but in each episode it just touches every emotion you have and even It can be really hard to watch for some.

In general, Great story, great characters can't wait for more episodes. Already missing my yasashii korato :"(

Dont let the blah trailer fool you.....Kotaro is what the world needs right now

[mcdougall-ashleyjane · 10/10 · 8 April 2022]

The trailer for this show makes the anime look dull but let me tell you, I haven't watched an anime this wholesome and somewhat thought provoking since violet Evergarden (huge extreme/difference, I know) As the episodes carry on, you learn all about Kotaro and his proclivities and why he is the way he is but find joy in how he grows as well as influences his friends' growth . Long story short, you'll find yourself feeling more wholesome and wanting inner growth after watching this short but feel-good series.