Kotaro wa Hitorigurashi (2021)

An underrated gem - you're missing out if you aren't watching this

Upon a friend's recommendation I decided to pick up this drama called "Kotaru Lives Alone" just because I was bored of most dramas lately. The synopsis seemed nice but I started watching it without much expectation. But I was blown away with how good this drama was! It made me reminisce about my early drama watching days when I watched only Jdramas and nothing else. This drama seems fit for a late 2000s or early 2010s Jdrama quality.

PLOT + CHARACTERS:
Honestly, it is ridiculous. It would never be legal, much less- posssible for a 5 year old to live alone and much less having a law firm or random people looking for a random kid. Were it a real scenario, they boy would be taken away by social services and they would have done as deemed fit by them. This drama reaffirms every episodes that it is a fictional set up which was sort of funny.

It's about a 5 year old who rents an apartment and how he navigates his life all alone. Of course, the neighbour steps in and from there on they go on from barely tolerating each other to forming a deep parent-child relationship. Also we have some lovely side characters thrown in and what I loved about this drama was how it was about kindness and helping others in need. The main adult character is a tsundere but his growth was pretty believable. I love how he never condescends the child and instead tells him how even an adult can learn lessons from a child. Honestly- their relationship had me very emotionally invested. We also meet a female hostess who is being abused by her boyfriend. I loved the fact that for the first time in a Jdrama, they called the police rather than trying to solve the problem on their own.

ACTING:
The main child star steals the show. His dialogue delivery was on point and he must be a smart kid because it was no easy feat! I also loved all the side actors and their interactions with each other were very natural. By the end they did seem more like a family than random people who came together. Kudos to the cast and the director who made sure that the viewer is able to feel this side of the story rather than us brushing it off as some comedy.

OVERALL:
I can understand that this drama isn't a conventional genre and Jdramas are even less mainstream among international viewers. However, it is a drama not to be missed out on as it has a fresh plot, comedy and some great characters. Like all Jdramas, it also teaches us the importance of kindness and giving others new chances. I honestly wouldn't mind a Season 2 because there is still a lot of story left to be told. Kotaru-chan's innocence lives on and I truly want him to get his real happy ending.

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A bittersweet and heartwarming drama

Kotaro Lives Alone is a bittersweet and heartwarming drama about a five year-old boy who moves into a small apartment complex alone and the people who are drawn to him.

It is a credit to the writer and director that each 23-minute episode is beautifully put together, subtly revealing what's going on in the residents' lives and their back stories. While the drama unfolds at a seemingly slow in pace, the stories are powerful and affecting. I like these odd-ball characters and found their relationships with Kotaro, with each other and as a group very touching.

I binged the series last weekend and am rewatching it already.

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super wholesome

the only bad thing about this show is that it only has 10 episodes ! and a total of 20-25minutes per episode come on!!!! i need moreeeee!! binge watched this show and semi-regretting it but at the same time its fine because i can just rewatch it any time.

storyline is interesting, wholesome and entertaining. might've had a few unnecessary scenes but it doesn't matter bc its a good show! the bond kotaro had with his neighbours (especially karino) at shimizu apartment was sooo cute they care about him so much. it would've been great if they made this series longer and showed us how kotaro lived until he became "stronger" or once he is grown. it really made me sad how kotaro is only 5 years old but is being forced to be mature & not be seen as weak , he couldn't even act like kids around his age because of the pressure of wanting to grow stronger and independent so he could be loved by his parents. i really wished they resolved this matter and had someone tell kotaro how its okay to act like a 5 year old and just be a child who wants to be spoiled , would've been great if the show ended with that.

overall worth the watch and i think everyone should watch this show

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Wholesome story with endearing characters!

A strength of Japan is how well they make slice of life dramas and this show proves this very fact. The show follows a 5 year old Kotaro who has begun living on his own due to mysterious circumstances, impacting the people around him in positive aspects. The child-actor does a fabulous job of acting as a child too mature for his age and splendidly delivers the character's complexity because although his mannerisms make us forget that he is a child, he shows glimpses oh his childish innocence right when it is needed, which is so fascinating! The plot is simple but teaches us life lessons as we see glimpses into the lives of the adult characters that Kotaro encounters, each with their own set of problems and past scars. Seeing all of them grow together with Kotaro really teaches us audience how we never stop learning/progressing in life, and how much we can learn from children as well. Definitely recommend this drama for its simplistically beautiful plot which is delivered wonderfully by the multi-layered characters. BONUS: the child playing Kotaro is sure to charm everyone with his cuteness UwU

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Heartwarming and tearjerking, but in a good way

It all started with one weird but funny premise: a five-year old Kotaro lives alone in an apartment. The beginning of the series gives you all the fun and cute scenes, but wait until you learn more about Kotaro and why he lives alone.

I really enjoyed this series because of its heartwarming story and its main takeaway: rather than Kotaro should thank the adults around him to take care of him, but I believe the end of the story offers the other way – the adults should thank for Kotaro's presence and innocent view of the world that slaps all the adults hard, really hard.

For me, the story slaps the audience, too – in the world that we have where everyone were facing their own struggles and problems (and those adults in the series are no exception), should we take a little time to think different or take from a children's point of view?

Each of the adult around Kotaro are explored on each episode differently, on how they used to face adulting and how Kotaro changes them the better. It's just... really nice. And I can't stop crying watching this twice already.

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Less really is more

"Kotaro Lives Alone is an excellent example of all the reasons why #JDramas long ago became my favourites. Emotionally moving without sentimentality, addressing a difficult subject with unflinching directness and sensitivity, a lot of laughs and doing so in ten 23-minute episodes. Imagining a KDrama version is a frightening thought. The episodes, despite being short NEVER felt rushed, just complete and dvoid of bloat. The emotioal impact was real, but unlike so many K Dramas, it was delivered with subtlety and understatement - often greatly increasing it's impact. All the actors delivered, but Kawahara Eito was AMAZING.

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Genuine Humanity

I wanted to watch this show based on the character list alone, I haven't read the manga or watched the anime (but this made me want to!), and I have to say that 1 - you don't need to read the manga or watch the anime to understand what's going on, and 2 - this is one of the most genuinely real shows I have seen in a long time.


This show is full of honest and real human/humanity moments; without excluding anything, the cast and creators of this show have managed to create a show that is full of human kindness, sadness, anger, frustrations, happiness, courage, trials and tribulations, and so many more things that affect/effect a community... or in this case an apartment complex.


Without being too dark, or giving too many spoilers if any, this show has managed to make me cry, laugh, worry, and get frustrated within a handful of episodes. The characters within this story worked very hard to bring such an important story to life; this story is a very big underestimated gem!

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Worth giving it a try!

It's light and heartwarming with an interesting plot, so far none of the episodes disappointed me! You get introduced to the lives of everyone around Kotaro so you don't have time to get bored as there's always something new and refreshing added in. Not to mention that I am really surprised by the mature character of Kotaro that you don't see often. All actors introduced in episodes 1- 2 did an awesome job (especially Kawahara Eito) and an extra bonus are the roles of Issey Ogata portraying two different people at the same time!

If you're on a hunt for watching something new, I definitely recommend You checking it out.

P.S
I never rewatch any series that's why I gave it fewer stars. It has nothing to do with Kotaro wa Hitorigurashi itself.

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