Bunny Drop (うさぎドロップ) by Yumi Unita

Bunny Drop is a heart-warming story of growth, discovery, and family for two unlikely people, the 30-something bachelor Daikichi and the alone-in-the-world 6-year-old Rin.

Like so many stories, this one beings with a typical life-changing event, a death in the family in this case Daikichi’s grandfather. During the funeral ceremonies little Rin, the recently discovered illegitimate daughter of the grandfather, attaches herself to Daikichi who not only resembles his late-grandfather but seems to be the only adult not angry at her existence. As the family coolly discusses Rin’s future, Daikichi hotly proclaims he will become her guardian and raise her himself.

Dai is most certainly inexperienced but he has genuine affection for Rin and his commitment to bringing stability to her life makes you instantly root for him. Rin in what seems like child’s intuition connects with Daikichi right away. Their bond is an unspoken one that is written tenderly. They are learning about the world together as well as each other creating everything from hilarious outbursts to sweet realizations. It is also wonderful to see real change in each volume that stretches their relationship. This is equally felt as Dai’s family becomes more involved, we begin to learn about Rin’s past, and Dai starts treading the waters of love.

So despite the fun and sweet but not fully grounded premise, there are beautiful moments of wisdom interspersed among the comedy and drama. With an anime TV series coming out this summer and a Japanese live-action movie also due out mid-year, it is a perfect time to fall in love with Bunny Drop.

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