Kotaro Lives Alone: Context For A DARK Adult Anime
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- Опубліковано 22 кві 2022
- Kotaro Lives Alone is a strange anime about a strange boy in a strange circumstance. A newer series to Netflix, this adaptation of a seinan manga of the same name is a heart wrenching emotional rollercoaster, but also a perfect example of why I love the medium of anime.
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Kotaro lives alone is the story of a four year old who's entire community comes together to support him because his parents are no longer around. While the anime is funny and quirky with lovable characters, the slowly revealed story regarding why Kotaro's parents aren't with him anymore is gut wrenching, but shines light on many of the issues that can plague parents, women's health, and more.
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Kotaro Lives Alone is Why I LOVE Anime.
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#anime #netflixanime #kotarolivesalone - Фільми й анімація
Hey everyone, shout out to Axel Beats for once again coming in to edit the latter portion of this video! Kotaro was a bit of a last minute choice for me, I was 8 pages into my Cross Game script and realized There was no way I was going to finish it on time and needed to switch directions. I had already seen Kotaro and loved it, but wasn't sure what to say about it. When I sat down to write and started researching the project it just kind of came out. I hope you guys enjoyed it! don't forget our G-fuel code is 30% off rn BPOP, it'd be awesome if you used our code!
Next video is going to be on Trigun.
see you soon,
-Mike
Thank you for the video.
If you really want April showers watch Grave of the fireflies
He makes good vieos too.
An hy did youmake me cry ?!Why?! :(
Really good i hope you can do a yu gi oh video next
Please reply yes or no
I don't know how many I've posted this
Just a yes or no
I promise I won't start a flame war .
"air gear" 22 episode anime.
Over 300 chapter manga.
Sci-fi, sport, and shonen genre.
A LOT of fan service.
A decent cult follow.
Jet set radio with lore.
Extreme sports.
LOTS of violence.
This anime broke my heart. I was a childrens English teacher in Japan. I love Japan but I was shocked at how starved for affection many of my students were. I even once had a mom ask me if I can hug her child more often because the father didn’t hug them.
I became a Surrogate hugger.
Thanks for making this video guys
Bless you
You're an angel. I'm sure that child will have really fond memories of you 🥺
Damn!
that one bad aspect of their culturw
what the heck man that made me tear up ;-;
This series was the darkest of dark horses. You know the punch is coming but it doesn't make you any more prepared to take it.
not only that you find yourself looking forward to the hit ...i need to know more i dont care about the pian show me whats happening
It's like a punch that look like it will hurt in a normal way but when it make full contact, it do that dbz gut punch shit and you it form from the other side.
@@IamPussy I meant in regards to that particular anime season
Well said my friend
Kotaro's argument with the older hochigo brother was what really got to me. The brother being resentful not only for being abandoned by his parents, but being forced to look after his younger siblings and dumping them on Kotaro in turn just so he can get a moment to breathe is a sad yet not uncommon occurrence. So often parents will assign their eldest child as a third guardian/babysitter simply because it's "their job" as the oldest. While it is important for big siblings to be kind to and supportive of their siblings and Kotaro had a point when he said the brother needs to be there for his little brother and sister especially since the three of them only have each other now, the brother never should have been put into that situation to begin with. Kids should not be expected to shoulder more responsibility than they can reasonably handle. And no matter how mature they may be, a child should never have to raise another child because their parents don't feel like it.
I've heard "it's their job as the oldest" before and it was always in an abuse situation... It's not the oldest child's job to take care of the younger ones, it's the parents jobs to take care of all of them.
One of the few moments Kotaro broke his adult facade to throw an emotional tantrum and it hit so hard. I love how the show uses the simple fact that kids don’t really understand the world as a gut-punch over and over. Kotaro’s character just works so well
You don’t understand how hard this made cry….but thank you.
Sometimes I feel like Japan's society is the worst. Makes me thankful I live in PA.
@@CaptainCretaceous91 This is a thing in almost all Asian countries. Calm the fuck down. Japan never said they made their country for your utopian fantasies.
The extra layer of sadness with the gloves detail: if a child doesn't experience human-to-human touch often enough, their nervous system may not develop properly. It could result in the person registering human touch as an uncomfortable and unnatural or even painful sensation or even cause emotional stunting, which is obvious in Kotaro. It might be an extra reason why he doesn't like physical affection--his body might have developed to where a hug feels like someone rubbing him with sandpaper or burlap.
I can't help but see that parallel and I'm probably projecting, but it makes it even more relatable for me.
While my parents did not use gloves I definitely was severely emotionally and to a lesser extent also physically neglected. I developed schizoid personality disorder because of it. Honestly still one if not the best personality disorder I could have gotten out of this situation but still.
I definitely did not develop normally at all and stuff like hugging is still a foreign concept for me even after years of training myself to be able to tolerate it from people if I get a warning.
Emotions are something I barely feel because I just never learned that stuff.
Definitely fucks you up in ways most people will never understand and in some ways it's good they don't understand because it means they didn't experience something like this.
This is what is so wonderful about Japanese media overall. It does not represent the masses, it represents the minority that no one listens to, no one bothers to understand, and represents them in a comforting, moralizing way. I don’t think you’re projecting at all, what you said seems to make sense. Unlike what this guy was saying, I don’t think it has anything to do with it being common for Japanese children to be independent, in a way that’s kind of imposing Western standards, but no doubt there are definitely some children that are lonely and sad and truly are neglected, that’s inevitable anywhere, including Japan. Studies have actually shown that, if you allow your children to have a sense of autonomy, it improves their self-esteem and self-confidence. I can attest to this from the opposite side of the spectrum, I was very scared to go out anywhere on my own by the time I was in my teens, because I was restricted in that way for so long, because of the standard American parenting I’ve been very concerned of kidnapping and so on and so forth. The thing is though, first off, kidnapping really truly is pretty rare nowadays even in America, so even in America most of it is just unnecessary paranoia, but even more so in Japan, abduction is pretty rare. Again it’s not that it doesn’t happen, there’s a huge difference there. It definitely happens it’s just not common enough for it to be a concern for average Japanese parents. But anyways yeah scientific studies have actually proven that giving your child the autonomy that they initiate, is healthy for them. I suggest you look up free range parenting, this is exactly what Japanese parents do. The thing is though, just like anywhere else, there’s a minority that abuse their children and neglect them, and that’s more of Kataros situation here. This isn’t an average, normal situation of Japanese parenting, this is just like anywhere else, a symptom of a small but desperate problem, that desperately needs to be fixed. Again this is why anime tends to go a lot deeper into serious topics, it does not mean that abuse is super common, it just means that for goodness sake‘s people are willing to address it through media instead of portraying an idealistic situation. I wish you much healing and repair, It does sound like you went through some crap, and again there’s a huge difference between healthy autonomy, which comes from the child, not the parent, and the parent neglecting their child. Healthy autonomy is where the child initiates that autonomy and the parent allows it as long as there’s nothing inherently dangerous with it. In the case of transportation, it’s pretty rare for anything to happen to anyone again even in America, it’s just people are so pretty paranoid. I mean think about it, many of our parents wondered around their neighborhood as young children with no problems, and there is even more crime back then than even now. That being said, traveling alone is really not physically a problem, again as long as the child initiated and the parent was just like OK just be safe out there I love you bye
@@otakumangastudios3617 Thank you for your comment and breakdown. If I had to sum up a lot of it; I was in foster care for a reason and I'm a walking PSA on why you shouldn't drink and do drugs while pregnant lol.
I've seen it in other foster kids; kids can be self-sufficient if need be and they can grow up to be independent and healthy adults as long as that self-sufficient independence doesn't come from abuse and neglect. Unfortunately such things are individual products of much larger problems and the results vary on a case by case basis, but America at least is trying to make progress with that. The nice thing about anime like this is that it shows that one doesn't have to rebuild the entire system to make a positive difference and even educates the viewer on possible signs to look out for in those around them.
@@DieAlteistwiederda Very true, especially when physical contact is so normal for so many people.
I'm sorry you went through all of that and I'm grateful you've made progress with recovery. I do hope those around you are respectful about giving you warnings before hugging you and I hope you don't think you're somehow less than for needing that.
@@jilliancrawford7577 agreed. Also, just as an FYI, Japanese culture definitely has initiatives for a plethora of things, it’s just usually we don’t hear about it much here. Just like there are initiatives here to help with things and there’s no problems, there’s still problems in Japan but there’s still gonna be initiatives. I think I’m actually reaching out to individuals through art mediums is one of the best ways to change society, if you can make the average individual more aware of the everyday struggles of a minority that struggles, then society can become a happier, safer place.
What initiative I can think of for example, I personally don’t know of any that specifically pertains to neglected children, but I know there’s an initiative to help people with social anxiety be able to re-integrate back into regular society, through what is called bear cafés in Japan.
Basically what these cafés are, they are open buildings basically, with three walls, one ceiling and one floor, but is completely open air, and there are tables and chairs. There are these very small windows, that are shaped to look like they are carved out of rock. The employees are right behind that wall, and they take your orders without making iContact with you, so again, there could be a way for people with social anxiety and potentially other mental issues be able to integrate back into society, make an income and support themselves, slowly but surely. They take your order through the very small openings, so again they don’t have to feel pressured to be sociable, they can just exist and get their job done, and plus it’s a fun experience, for both the patron and the employee
Once your order is ready, they hand you your order through one of the windows, that is open just enough for their arm to comfortably fit through, along with whatever food you ordered. They were these cute bear paws, to go with the theme. It also adds an extra layer of anonymity, since you can’t truly see any part of their bodies.
Once your order is ready, they hand you your order through one of the windows, that is open just enough for their arm to comfortably fit through, along with whatever food you ordered. They were these cute bear paws, to go with the theme. It also adds an extra layer of anonymity, since you can’t truly see any part of their bodies.
Most initiatives I’ve heard of happening here in America, or rather faulty and flimsy, for example the hall 4K run charity to fight suicide, as someone who has dealt with a plethora of metals issues including suicidal thoughts in my past, it feels almost insulting and politically incorrect at least to me.
It honestly almost feels like an insult, because again, as someone who has been suicidal before, even the most empathetic and understanding of people in America, really don’t know how to properly approach a suicidal person. I truly believe The best way to change society, is through media. If we can change the perspective of an individual through thought-provoking storytelling, especially representing a situation or group of people that the masses really don’t really think about all that much, I think is how we truly improve society. If more people are conscientious about the people who need help, and especially through media that deeply humanize them rather than making a documentary or objectifying them like I feel like most American media does, Then I think we would see more improvement.
Also the initiatives that are happening in Japan, aren’t distant from the individuals who actually need help. Saying you did a 4K charity run in honor of some thing or whatever regarding mental health, you are not actually directly helping anyone, you really just improving your reputation and that’s it. You haven’t further help yourself to understand what it’s like to be a suicidal person, and how to help someone with suicidal thoughts process their emotions, And maybe actually be able to help them for goodness sake‘s on a more personal level, because let’s be honest, suicidal people in general and especially suicidal uses an epidemic worldwide, it is not specific in any particular country. No country has it any worse than any other country, it’s an unfortunate result of our fast-paced, modern society. When we stress kids out so much with capitalism, their parents getting stressed at work as well as handing down their own childhood traumas, kids bullying them at school, being stressed about having good grades, etc., are all common and unfortunate parts of living in a capitalistic society. It is not unique to Japan nor America. The difference here is, Japan is dealing with the mental health crisis and a lot more functional of a manner, as I said before, integrating individuals and individual interactions rather than simply doing charity to maybe pay for some random therapist that may or may not actually be helpful in helping someone feel better about themselves, Again speak from experience myself, had a therapist who literally tried to coerce me out of suicide, and it was all because if my mental health didn’t visibly improve within a certain timeframe, she wouldn’t get her paycheck. Again I think it’s a lot better of a approach to help the average person become less stigmatized around people with mental health issues, and therefore become more loving and empathetic and understanding towards them, which I think if it becomes that personal, it’s a lot easier to fix a society. I think it’s just people tend to have high expectations for Japan, so then when JapanDoesn’t meet absolute Utopia standards, people flip out and then start to bash it and act like as if it’s a super backwards society. I understand that many people don’t have proper access to information, and there’s a lot of mixed information about it out there, but I also find it really strange that, people really think that there’s propaganda about Japanese culture and society that make it sound artificial he good, when no one is thinking that accept for weeaboos and children who don’t know that there are problems in the world.
But yeah this is what happens when people don’t see a country in a realistic standpoint, but that doesn’t mean it’s worse than your home country either. From my own personal deep research upon this topic, Japan actually is socially head in a lot of ways, the difference is, it’s notAn absolute utopia, and I think that a lot of people who tend to look for every single little social problem in Japan, really wanna believe that it’s a utopia, which doesn’t exist. I think truly the people who acknowledge that it’s not a perfect society are the ones that usually want to believe that it’s perfect, but there’s no such thing as perfect
But anyways, back to the main topic, I wish you much healing and health and wellness, and I wish for everyone in any sort of painful situation to soon find comfort
This hit pretty close to hone for me. My wife ad a very traumatic birth with my son and has PPD, attachment disorder, and PTSD from it. I spent 2 years as a stay at home dad while she sought treatment. I couldn't go out and socialize without worry that she would one day just vanish.
I'm one of the fortunate few families that has been able to receive treatment for this. My son is now turning 5 and and my wife has an amazing relationship with him. But knowing there's a universe where this is talked about in all of its nuance is inspiring to me
Frankly your family is not only lucky that your wife was able to get treatment, but that you’re still together and are a loving family. Men are six times more likely to leave a wife with a serious illness than the other way around, and PPD and PPP are diagnoses that are often accompanied by traumatic institutionalization or CPS removing children from the home. There’s also a high rate of suicide and the smaller possibility of violence in the home. You should be very very very very grateful to still have her and still be in love, and she is extremely lucky (as it’s very uncommon) to have a husband who was willing and able to be a good stay at home parent. It’s a testament to your relationship and both of your strength and resilience.
Also I really hope that you have received or are receiving mental health treatment if needed as well as support from your network of loved ones. It is extremely difficult and scary to be the spouse in that scenario and it’s easy to feel ignored, overlooked, and overwhelmed. Give yourself a lot of credit for that.
Thank you so much for stepping up for your wife. My husband has been very helpful in my own healing from PPD. I am literally still alive because he made the effort to get me the help I needed. I am so comforted to know that there are partners like you who really stand by their partner's suffering. I really hope and pray for more dads like you. You also have your share of battles. I know my husband carries a lot for me. But please know that you are very important to your family.
For me, the saddest Moment in the show was when the tele schemer kept calling him… and Kotaro I asked him to say “great job” because The scammer sounded like his dad🥺💕
The part where you were quoting Kotaro about "it's okay to cry and I won't be upset with you if you cry" made me burst into tears???? OKAY THEN 🥺😭😭
Wow you must be an empath 🥺
@@zafiruzoma6234 just someone who was punished for crying growing up as it was equated to weakness. 😕 So that comment hit on something I hadn't thought about in a while
So it is hard to say this but I want to make it clear. This doesnt just happen in a far off country like Japan. When I watched this anime I related so much to it. As a kid I ate paper and had to travel to and from school by myself while also caring for my siblings. We went through that and more and were never taken by cps (which honestly feels worse that the system failed us as well)
I dont want this to come off as just a trama dump but I want people to realize this happens in the U.S and I am sure every other place too.
Hope you're doing well now bro
I think the point he was trying to make was more that kids being unsupervised is less frowned upon in japan, and kids are raised with the expectation of independence from an early age so it probably affects them differently than American kids who are neglected.
But I do get you, it's common in the US but is just heavily frowned upon so people tend to not believe it could happen or downplay it rather than anything else. Different kinds of issues.
@@_gremlinboy Regardless of your cultural background, abuse is abuse. In some societies people grow up with the expectation that twelve year old girls get married off to grown men who then own them. It doesn’t make the practice less traumatic to the victim just because it’s commonly accepted there. Being neglected as a child has long term consequences no matter what the context is.
I’m so sorry, are you okay now?
The point is not that it doesn't happen in other countries. It's that many don't understand that Japan isn't some wonderful alien Planet like heaven.
Also. While this happens in every country we always see this stuff in the news at least. We see people from those countries go to Ted talks. Japan doesn't really have that. Japan also has a lack of social workers and people trained in helping children with their trauma.
In Japan child abuse has only recently become a "thing".
I was doing so good with this series, had a lump in my throat throughout but no tears. And then near the end of the season after Kotaro gave away all that money he says he is saving to build a castle so that EVERYONE can live together, everything I was holding back came out in one big flood.
the misdirect right before when he tells Karino he “doesn’t need to be jealous” and it seems like a joke just like every other time but then he starts listing everyone and the reason he didn’t need to be jealous was because he loved Karino just as much😭. I started crying while typing
I literally said, audibly, alone, to myself, "Jesus fucking Christ", multiple times during this video. Safe to say, I gotta watch this.
I started watching this after this vid then literally said, audibly, alone, to myself, "Jesus fucking Christ" multiple times. Mike wasn't kidding...
I watched Your Lie in April with my girlfriend awhile because i wanted to show her an anime we could both enjoy. She said she wanted to watch something with the same kind of emotional finale and I thought Kotaro sounded good. Little did I know EVERY EPISODE IS A FUCKING GUT PUNCH. YLIA had its sad moments through the whole run but not to the same depth and consistency. Bad childhood catharsis is becoming my favorite sub genre
@@ethanwatson6131 I watched the series in the meantime. Literally every episode managed to make me cry.
@@ethanwatson6131 Started watching it on the buss when it came on netflix, yeah I quickly stopped that and binged in my room
The concept of kids having the level of independence that you're describing does happen on some level in the USA. I used to take a public city bus that happened to be the one an elementary student took unaccompanied. I grew the habit of sitting next to him and bringing snacks because he was a hungry kid who lived with a single mom who struggled. I wasn't the only one to do this and about once a week the bus driver would give him a bag of groceries and his school would send home food as well. He was the kids that everyone tried to help because there's a mentality among a good number of locals that protecting and helping children, when we can, is everyone's job not just the responsibility of the parents.
It takes a village, eh?
I knew Kotaro believes and loves his parents; but I didnt piece together his mother being depressed from post birth separation. I knew his Dad loves his son; but not in a healthy way. This observation and insight of both parents made me realize that I want to be like Kotaro; always believing in others even after they betray me
The PPD section hurt so much. My mom struggled with it and ended up taking her life and my little brother blames himself for it, despite being a little baby.
As an Aggretsuko fan, the editor having the same laugh as Fenneko had me rolling.
omg same
Kotoro's foster home brother is voiced by the guy who voices Hida the Hyena :D
I hope this becomes a sleeper hit. One that is ignored at first cuz…(Netflix) but gets recognized. I passed by this anime first and started watching it 2 weeks ago, a couple episodes a day, and just finished. And wow, what a show. While it certainly doesn’t need a season 2, I wouldn’t mind one. It was cute but also at sometimes really dark and tear inducing. I like how shows like this and ranking of kings are changing up the typical anime style. I highly recommend this show to anime lover. If you can get past the fact that a 4 year old was released from an orphanage to live on his own, you’ll find a wonderful series that is heartwarming and tragic.
24:15
That could be why the dad wants back in the picture, him being abusive towards Kotaro could have been because he no longer had his wife as a punching bag (verbally, physically, or both), he might be acting nicer so he can get custody of his kid back to then have access to the inheritance.
I think the dad doing this is a sad vy for control/power over something/someone since he has little control of his own life, clearly
Seeing Kotaro as a 4 year old living on his own made me think of Naruto and how no one in his village took care of him or helped him (not even the Third Hokage who could have made Naruto's life so much easier 😒)- he just fended for himself and bought instant ramen to survive. I know kids in Japan are much more independent but this theme of little kids taking care of themselves in anime makes me kind of sad that it's so normalized in real life that it appears in anime so often.
Not even Iruka?
To be honest, my biggest hang up with Naruto is how they treated him, if I would have been in his shoes I think I'd have destroyed the village, he didn't even know who his fucking parents were for christ sake, like why punish this kid at all given his parents were literal village hero's and his dad was the god damn ninja president but, oh hey, his kid, lets treat him like garbage lol.
megumi from jujutsu kaisen pretty much had to take care of him and his sister
The 3rd hokage, jeraiya, Kakashi and everyone else that was affiliated with minato and kushina could of at least helped him but nah that nigga was all on his own 😭
Naruto has the most painfully annoying personality. If he was like Kotaro then it would be bearable.
Wow. When I first saw the scene where they couldn't have contact with the child I thought it was germaphobia. I didn't realise there were more reasons for a mother to have contact with the child. You really do learn something new everyday.
My wife and I binged this show in two days and it was flipping amazing! My wife cried like 4 times an episode and I got hella close a few times. Also, the editor is definitely my favorite character behind Kotaro
this is one of those storys that comes to you in the hard times or the quiet moments....its one of those storys that gives you a quiet resolve "i ca make one more day its not that bad" in the dark times or "i can pay closer attention to the pain of those around me, i can push back the darkness a little" ......its one of those shows that actuly make you stronger as a person ...excuse me while i weep quietly in the corner
Finally someone talking about this onion ninja anime - every episode was good
This is the first content creator that has a decent following that has talked about this anime that i have seen. The rest of the videos were made by pretty much unknowns.
The craziest high-IQ play that SHOOK me was Kotaro seeing how Mizuki was after a night of drinking and, then snatched Karino's beer delivery to squeeze info out his lawyer by getting her drunk in a later episode.
That foreshadow-payoff had me like 🤏😎 ➡️ 😧
The scene with Kotaro sitting between the two crying kids really teared me up. I'm about to travel to Japan in a few days and I've recently been hearing that some children live and travel alone. I guess I'll probably be seeing them around once I get there. I honestly wouldn't mind hearing about how they go about their day...if only I could understand Japanese a little better. Great vid as always.
There’s a show on Netflix called Old Enough where you can see some real Japanese children running errands. It’s pretty darn cute honestly.
I'm surprised he didn't mention it but the author of the manga was a lonely child, if I recall correctly. (Or at least almost one)
Really wished you talked about those other 3 kids
It gave another perspective to kids like kotaro
Kids that weren’t as fortunate as kotaro money wise but they still were fortunately have each other
Also showing how naive to the situation a younger (“sheltered”) sibling could be
While the older sibling(s) have unbearable responsibilities forced on them at such a young age
(SPOILER ALERT)
It really hit hard when they found him sitting by himself on the sidewalk eating chips
Wanting a moment alone and to only think about himself for a little bit
AS A KID SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO
He then instantly snapped back into protector mode and gives them his chips worrying about them again
Just thinking about that part of the episode makes me cry
Well, this anime is clearly going to completely obliterate my teacher heart.
I neeeeeeeds it
This show brought me to tears with every episode. I applaud the VAs for amazing comedy and dramatic delivery.
Kotaro Lives Alone was definitely a show I thought would be a cute show I’d forget about in a week. But, it became one of the best anime Netflix has had.
Yeah Faf-kun , this show really remind me to miss Kobayashi's maid dragon , gakkou Gurashi and gakuen babysitter , they are adorable shows that can make you cry hard
So real talk, I had watched this series up to the episode before the new resident comes in, and Kotaro has the viewing of his treasures. before I went farther, I paused the video and watched the rest of the series. I am so glad I did because having the context and hearing what you said from that point on really helped me focus the actual emotions I felt throught the whole entirety of the series. This was an excellent video, and it gave me a lot to think about. Thank you.
Netflix needs to push this more... I wasn't aware of it in the slightest. Thanks for the new anime recommendation. Also love the FF9 music at the 16 minute mark or so♡
I gotta disagree some dads just want to be in kids life to be abusive and look at their kids more of property instead of their child.
As much as it pains me. I have this kind of dad. Since 2018 my dad's been in rehab for drug use and aggressive behavior. Last week was the first time we met since then, and it was within the facility and with people watching us. I heard from my relatives that "he changed" that he's "a better person". The moment that we met he still asked me the same old BS about asking if my mom's remarried (she hasn't and she doesn't plan to), if she still has their wedding rings, if she still talks about him. My dad still uses me as a fucking bridge to get to his delusional life. HE NEVER ASKED ME ABOUT ANYTHING IN MY LIFE, HOW AM I, HOW WAS COLLEGE FOR ME, WHAT WAS I DOING DURING THE FUCKING PANDEMIC. He told me to tell my grandmother about HIS allowance. What the fuck is he going to do with cash inside if he can't buy shit. He still thinks I'm the kid who'll do whatever he says just because "He made me"
Some moms too 😓
@@len5630 he uses the cash for drugs. sorry :(
True
Yeah the dad could be trying to find him just to get some of the life insurance money as well
19:06
I mean, here in the US, I feel like that'd be a good way to have the cops called on you frequently, it's usually frowned upon if a stranger has any relationship to a minor, especially one as young as Kotaro, if they were friends of the parents sure, but Kotaro has no parents taking care of him, it's also worse if you're a male, dads have had cops called on them just by taking their kids to walmart without their mom, everyone thinks they're going to be the next community hero so they look for trouble everywhere, even places there isn't any.
Usually if they are in the suburbs but poorer neighborhoods not so much from my experience growing up as a immigrant in the States.
@@ZachRM95 yes because in poorer hoods the cops don't give 2 gucks about you
That's because child sexual abuse is common in Western countries in a way it's not in the rest of the world. In collectivist countries like Japan (vs. Individualistic countries like the US.) children are everyone's responsibility to love and look after, not just their parents'. That's why it's safe for them to be out and about on their own. Everyone helps look after them.
Its sort of addressed in the show. The guy in a Leppard suit spent the day buying clothes with the kid and was stopped by the police like 3 times.
Basically the mangaka gets a pass for looking similar enough to be considered a relative, and the woman gets a pass because something something nanny/ mom. Seriously, though guys are usually seen as more suspicious as you mentioned in your comment.
Still the kid stood up for the thug looking guy, usually if the kid confirms he knows the person its usually safer.
Man you stole my Saturday, binge watched the whole thing, cried 3 times and laughed out loud at an anime for the first time since konusaba
its just to pure!!!
I am a su1c1de survivor who is going through Postpartum Depression. I am in a much better place now than I was 2 years ago. My husband and I started watching Kotaro Lives Alone last week. We've only gone through 3 episodes so far.
First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS BONSAI POP. This review triggered me in a healthy manner. I realized how immensely grateful I am for surviving the deepest moments of depression AND I AM STILL ALIVE. My children still have me. My husband still has me. I am bawling while typing this because I am so overwhelmed by how lucky and blessed I am that my husband made the effort to find me a therapist and get me started in my healing. My small children went through so much too and it's comforting to realize that they still love me despite seeing me at my worst. I cannot explain everything I'm feeling right now. But I'm just so grateful for the work that Bonsai Pop put into this video. Thank you for researching about postpartum depression and how widely it affects so many new parents, and how misjudged we are for going through it. Thank you for actually having enough empathy to think about Kotaro's mom and dad.
We are currently living in Japan and I have many insights about the cultural aspects of the anime.
But I just want to focus on thanking this channel for making such a very thoughtful and thought provoking essay about the complexity of parenthood, families, and social relationships. I'm glad I watched this and learned some plot spoilers that would definitely trigger me. So now I can proceed with the anime with much needed caution, and I can be guarded and prepared on the scenes that could possibly be too heavy for me.
Lastly I wan to share that my husband walked in on me watching this video. At first he joked why I'm watching Kotaro without him. Then I told him everything I said above- how grateful I am for him. How much I love my children and how I'm still hurting with guilt from how I treated them before I got help. We both had a good cry.
Wasn’t interested in this show because I didn’t like the art style very much, but I may have to give it a try now. Great video!
It’s worth it! At first, the art style didn’t quite grab me, but then it immediately had me both laughing and crying. Trust me, by the end of the series (heck, by the end of the FIRST episode), you’ll want to take this kid and adopt him as your son.
argh, fine i watch it baka but only so i can later say that i didn´t like it very much
it’s hard to see from quick clips but the art-style feels very Ghibli-esque while you’re watching it. It’s actually really cool when the character designs, animation, and backgrounds are working together in the right way.
Ok , but you saw all the plot, spoilers.
@@PancakemonsterFO4 this is the funniest thing I’ve ever read idk why
I have a theory on the snake eyes thing:
It might be symbolic to snakes and reptiles in general. I don't know a lot about the Japanese symbolism of snakes and reptiles, but objectively speaking, it might be more universal. For example, reptiles can't produce their own bodyheat and rely on the warmth of the world around them to keep them going, which could represent this idea of being self-reliant but that 100% independence is impossible and that the ability to be kind to others isn't usually born in a vacuum (the idea that the kindest hearts have suffered a lot). There can also be a layer of being misunderstood due to a less fluffy exterior when one is just as much of a normal human as anyone else (i.e. reptiles can be just like cats or dogs but with scales instead of fur and aren't always as scary or unfeeling as they may look).
There might be more of a cultural implication to it, but thisis just a guess.
Great theory 👍🏽
As a neglected kid that often had my best formulative interactions with strangers who noticed that nobody else was taking care of me, this sounds like a show I should probably watch.
I think high school in japan is 3 years because our 9th grade is still middle school over there. We all graduate at 18 though
that's it. we also have certain school districts in the us where its a similar setup and highschool is 3 years
Geez. This hit me hard. As someone who hasn't had to go through this, this is certainly a wake up call about the broader world and this just makes me really sad that stuff like this happens.
this is the one recent anime that actually made be shed a tear
kotaro lives alone made me feel so many things, i laughed, i cried, it made me think a lot about my life and life in general and i'm so happy i could experience this story, it is truly incredible. i wanna be kotaro's neighbour so badly, i love this child. i'm also glad i watched the anime before you made this amazing video wink wink thank you for talking about it, more people should watch/read this hilarious and heart wrenching story of a little boy who lives alone
here is a theory/speculation, i didnt give it to mush thought while i was watching the show, but it low key hit me just now as a possible scenario: kotaro's mother def had PPD, obviously, if we go with the line of thought that she indeed killed herself, could this be the reason his dad became abusive? blaming kotaro for his mothers death(as we humans do always look for a scapegoat) BUT, thats also part of the reason his dad wants him back: its the last thing he's got left of the woman he loved so mush.
just a thought i had, it seems to click with the other information, like how his dad wasnt always bad(raising the question what happened, and this could pose an answer)
this show is one of the best hidden gems ever
I like this, because society has this weird horniness to pretend that parents aren’t individuals as well. Yes, they may have actions that leave traumas onto youth, but they themselves are dealing with the same thing, and to not give them the same kind of understanding and empathy without excusing them. Well that’s just kinda gross to me.
Yes, that was scare me to be a father. Once your father your life is not yours no more and you always have to be on your best behavior so you can teach your children by samples
Children are r just a piece of paper
Some fathers or parents in general are just pieces of crap like my own biological father. But other times it’s definitely just them being misunderstood.
@@Collaps_ing this had nothing to do with specifically targeting fathers as a whole we not doing that here.
@@Watch-0w1 i agree Batman
There is another twisted thing. When my child was born I did not saw him as a person for just a lump crying. I didn't neglect him because your taught not to. It took me a while to appreciate him because my parenting instict didn't kick in until later.
I hope I wasn't the only one that felt like that. Maybe this is why some struggle to love their child
I'm so happy to finally see somebody talking about this! I also binged this; never before did I go from smiling to holding back tears to crying while smiling to sobbing with a smile this quickly before.
the tissues still haunt me, and the knowledge imparted with them.
I don't even know why I decided to pick this show up but I'm so glad I did. Kotaro is one of my favorite characters ever, such a sweet kid with such a deep story to be told. This video was great, you guys again and again prove you're the best anitubers in the game.
I started watching this thinking it was a slice of life comedy and I cried every episode. The tissue part killed me. Also the way his story is told makes it even harder to bare what happened to this kid. I hope a lot more people watch this show, it's easily my favourite this year.
yes, more ppl need to check this anime out. It's so good
Hey I just wanted to tell y’all at bonsai pop. That you guys have one of the most underrated channels on yt. You’re getting me through some rough times. And reignited my love for anime. You’re the toonami of yt. I appreciate you and thank you.
I love that you guys did a video about this anime, It’s such a unexpected hit bro. Shit really had me laughing out loud and caring about all these goofy ass characters. The voice acting( ESPECIALLY MY BOY KARINO) is great too
I was a child who had a mother who suffered from postpartum depression after me and then I also became a mother who suffered postpartum depression after my baby and this show really hits home. I'm honestly so happy that postpartum depression is getting a spotlight since it's something so common but treated as so rare.
I think you bringing up postpartum is a part of what makes this channel so special. 🖤🥺 Your empathy is all encapsulating and you really make me shift my perspective. Thank you, this was special. I think I really wanna give this a watch now. 🖤
The moment you mentioned how his mom touched him with gloves, my heart just sank. My mom did the same with me the first months
Ps: don't worry she's fine we have a bond
You remember that at 3 months old??
@@jayewherner7435 I have image of someone with deep sink gloves touching be, I didn't know what it was until many years later when I met my again nanny she told me.
Dude let me tell you my real story how my didn't my mother do not even let me breastfeed.First I was born in hospital I didn't even got first breastfeed and after that they left me on grandmother house for 8 month's and first milk was buffalo milk later on 8 months my they took me with mother for first time once in city of their own only because they they need photo with Little brother in mother womb.I wasn't allowed there house at all after photo section ended they perfectly ignoring that I should be introduced to my biological parent house they fuking travel back to Village and left me instantly with my grandmother for 3 years. 3 years later then I saw my parents house first time and o boi from moment city and parent my uncle's and wasn't even feel my real parent or family member ever again.I have hard time adjusting to new environment as a village boy and also my mother was fine on both delevery both mine and my brother.My father decided to dumb on their my village grandmother and that's why never feel like parent my parent my parents because as a child they never where around me or father ever cared take me on.
Quote- "Not a pity story, it real and it hurts alot to know"
My son is Kotaro’s age so this show hit me hard. Appreciate the videos and the pod.
Son of a bi-.... This video honestly made me cry, this anime, plus Someday the Dream Will End coming in... It just got me. FFX is a game very dear to me, and holds a lot of precious memories for me. Great video!!
As a relatively-new mom, thanks for bringing this up. I didn't have it to this severity but absolutely it's possible to detach from your child to this level if untreated. Too bad we just canceled our Netflix subscription, I'm sure I would enjoy this!
Kotaro Lives Alone came out of nowhere for me and became one of the best surprises this year.
This one is particularly special for me since it’s the first time I watched an anime from start to finish with my mom. She was starved off new k dramas to watch and Netflix recommended this series. She decided to jump on it and since it was in my radar we watched it together. These couple hours became treasured memories for me. We laughed, joked and cried together as Kotaro’s story unfolded before our eyes. And in the midst of it I realized how thankful I was to my mom for showering me with affection and hugs and kisses while I was a kid. I kissed and hugged her back on that moment because this anime reminded me of why I truly love this medium and most of all why I truly love my mother. Many thanks !
Ahh my heart 😭 this is by far my favorite video. I hope people will watch Kotaro so we can get a season 2
Thank you so much for talking about these topics. I had tears streaming down my face pretty much the entire time. This anime means so much I'm glad to see it's impact is widely felt.
Japan is a place where the light shines brighter and the shadows are darker. I'm tsundere for Japan: Some of the cold-hearted aspects of it i can't stand but then something amazingly wholesome happens and i'm in love again. And i just don't want that divorce. Ever. Because my love for Japan is still a net win.
you're so amazing talking about complicated topics like these, again and again you blow us away.
I felt his dad wanted him back to control the money. I also got the impression that his mother was terminally ill along with being depressed
I watched this with my 10 year old sister literally cried, laughed and wanted to adopt Kotaro. Literally become one of my favorite animes
Sorry for any mistakes, english is not my first language and I'm bad at explaining lol
Kotaro lives alone reminds me of the story of Krambambuli from Marie Ebner von Eschenbach.
I think I can remember that there is some interpretation that the dog and his former master are like a child and his parents. The former master treated his dog poorly and sold the dog for booze to a new master. When the dog meets his old master after years he is still loyal to his old master altough his new master treated him way better.
So Krambambuli still loves his first master despite the bad behaviour of the old master. Also most children love their parents despite they are treated badly or being abused by them. Kotaro is a good example for that. He loves his neglecting and abusive parents. Kotaro wants to be strong that he can go back to his father one day. When he goes back, he will leave his neighbours who are kind of his new parents.
There's a Louis Theroux documentary on mothers with severe post-partum depression that's incredibly eye-opening if anyone's interested.
Edit: It's called "Mothers on the Edge".
I just came here to vibe and I left crying
Thank you
"This is why I love anime."
To be honest, all this we have to thank nowadays is comic books nowadays. Most of the great stories that anime brings are thanks to the manga they are based on.
This show wasn't greenlit or pitched to a company. In most cases, the studio came to the publisher wanting to adapt their story. At heart, all these anime are adaptations.
Nowdays, most of the great stuff that comes out are either based on light novels or comics. Anime are more extensions of manga.
I just watched the show again after seeing this video and damn putting into mind the observations you made I realized just how fucking good this show is thank you
one scene that really got me was from ep 4 when the other tenants found out it was kotaro’s birthday and mitsuki tells him that birthdays are meant to be celebrated and to be thankful you were born to which kotaro replies “i see now, i didn’t know me being born was a good thing”. that scene absolutely broke and while it’s not one of the most gut wrenching parts it really shows you his view on his worth. for a such a young kid to see his life as unworthy and to even think that him existing was a bad thing was so heart breaking to see. he’s only 4 yet here he is already determining his life as one that isn’t good enough to be lived idk but that really got me. to be so young and be hurt so much to the point where you’re already thinking that way it’s just absolutely devastating and it made me cry like a baby.
Man, i guess this show really deserves 2 watches, there's a TON i missed in my first go round. Thanks for all the context and the hot take at the end was fire.
I honestly thought it'd be like a sort of rugrats deal, sure he's living alone but I thought he'd be having all these crazy adventures that only his neighbor notices but I ended up tricking myself into watching a sort of realistic but heartfelt anime
i remember starting this show for something lighthearted to watch over the weekend. i sent it to my friend and we watched over the weekend together. they finished before i did and were like “omg i cried so hard” and i was super confused because i thought it was just an unconventional slice of life anime. when i watched more of it it, i was wrecked
I'm sorry but I laughed at the title. I recommended This to my grandmother and she made he grandson watch this (he's 8) with her and she told me that he really enjoys it and he laughed a lot. He found it funny that Kotaro took a bath with a sword. I love this anime and god seeing Kotaro experience some things I have gone through and worse just broke my heart.
I think it's difficult for many people to fully understand that bad people are capable of the full gamete of emotions. They can love, it just usually comes with the caveat of narcissism or violence.
The episode where kotaro ate other kid’s leftovers because he was afraid food was not guaranteed broke me. That hurt so much watching but it felt warm knowing that struggle and others kids face are brought up
so glad you guys chose to cover this anime- I discovered and binged the whole show with my wife 2 weeks ago, and I was tearing my hair out that nobody was saying anything about it on anitube despite how unique, touching, and hilarious it is
Man I love this anime ! And this channel ! All the big anime youtubers would never talk about a little show like this, but you did ! Seriously, you guys rule !!
The freakin tissues got me
The way this show reveals histories of abuse and neglect reminds me of the way we learn about all the atrocities committed in the world of Elden Ring. Just blunt and factual, but still holding a lot of emotional power. In the last decade of my life I've learned a lot of facts about myself and my developmental disorders that hit in exactly the same way. There's no real drama about it, just the facts staring me in the face, saying "yeah this is real, learn to live with it."
Seems like a really good series, thanks for the video essay!
This anime.. this work of art.. shattered me and many others.
Everything Kotaro endured can and is relatable by everyone.
I'm a man and have a hard time shedding tears. So, you can imagine finding clips of this show on UA-cam, and being punctured by each knife twist of utter sadness from understanding the sadness and pain experienced by Kotaro, destroyed me in a day.
It made me realise how I buried all my unresolved issues inside. Covered and left as they are.. as broken hidden foundations for me as an adult that I did not know mostly know were there until watching these clips and eventually the show itself.
This show is carthasis, in that it makes you shed tears not only for Kotaro, but for some parts of us that we see in him, enduring the utter loneliness and trauma by himself, that we endured too.
I used to think Grave of the Fireflies was the saddest media I have seen. "Kotaro Lives Alone" hits like a trailer truck way above Grave. A must watch and I pretty much agree with review of this show. Thank you!
This show is such an underrated show, that nobody has seen. Yet this is your most view video of the year keep up the great wrok
This got me too...well timed video. Might i recommend Ousama Ranking, its a different tone but very deep.
There's nothing deep about Ousama ranking
@@philo2189 Buddy, you don't have to tell the whole world you have shit tastes.
I never would've watched Kotaro if I hadn't seen this video. The art style and animation is so simple I'd normally have written it off just by how it looks. Tbh even watching the first few episodes I was still on the fence.
Thank you so much for making this video! Helped me find a diamond in the rough. Still a bit unpolished but still a diamond
Next time please just come over and rip my heart out please. Once I started crying it took me like three episodes to stop. Which at first I needed, but it got to the point I almost had to turn it off it was hurting so much.
I've always watched stuff that addressed postpartum/peripartum depression but I didn't realize till after this video how quickly it just went away. After watching the show, my eye really opened to what it all entails.
I'm glad you made the video because without it I'd probably never give this one a try.
I never cry at sad shows and I don’t really like kids but this one had me crying at least once an episode. So many gut punches when you realize what a four year old just said or why he acts a certain way.
What a wonderful anime. Binged it in two days and it made me tear up and reflect on my understanding of love
This show caught me off guard this show was fire. Finished in a weekend
With all due respect: Kotato's abusive dad wanting him back is possibly not out of love. Not specifically saying it's so, because I'd have to actually watch the anime to be 100% sure on that one. But given that I survived emotional abuses (albeit from sources OUTSIDE of my home)... I can't really be sure about his intentions here. Physical abuse is often paired with emotional abuse: it rarely STOPS at physical. In real life, it often starts off emotional, and becomes physical later. And hoovering is a common emotional abuse tactic: it's where the abusers all of a sudden want you back in their life when they've discarded you. But if you go back, the start the abuse cycle all over again. I want to believe that Kotaro's dad turning over a new leaf, and I want to believe that he wants to do the right thing and step up to be a proper parent. But in my personal experience with emotional abusers: these people refuse to change most of the time. I've met 11 of them throughout my life , and none of them bothered to change in the times before I cut contact. Believe me or not on that one: things started as early as elementary school, and I'm extremely unlucky when it comes to meeting toxic people. But just saying: good on you for wanting to see the good in people. Frankly speaking, I wish I wasn't as cynical as you. But please just keep in mind: Kotaro's dad might not want his son back for the right reasons. I'd have to see the actual dialogue spoken to make a proper judgement on that, though.
"They taste the best"
Holy shit, i don't know why, but that particular line in the vid was the one that destroyed me... damn...
The way you captured how the series balances those sad moments with moments of levity was spot on. I'd be ready to cry at one moment, then start chuckling the next. I loved this show.
GEEZ man, that was some goooooood youtube. Thank you for this essay bro.
Stories like this are what keep me invested in anime despitemy love hate relationship with it. Japan does have a slew of social issues underneath the surface which is why shows like this are incredibly important.
Big kudos to you for bringing more exposure to post partum depression. This show had 10 episodes and I cried for 10 episodes.
Cute and lovely but also deep and dark. Ain't seeing much like this around and on Netflix of all places.
There are many things within Japan's working culture where the working parent is hardly at home to care for their kids, causes a ripple effect on a number of things within Japanese society.
If the father is always at work, the mother is mostly at home taking care of the kids.
And if the mother suddenly passes away, there is hardly anything the father could do in order to balance the work and life with their children.
Won't surprise me that there are kids in Japan and in other Asian Countries who are forced to look after themselves and growing up fast to mature and survive on their own.
Makes our own Western Society pale in comparison compared to the stuff they have to do through.
I havent started, but being an anime in netflix, i also kind of waived it off also. But thanks to this, i know this will be my jam.
Also, these stories of found family really appeal to me. And i also experienced first hand during a homestay with a elderly japanese couple, my kids were very doted on. And for most of the japanese trip in general, i felt the warmth and hospitality of people especially towards my children.
I think a bit surprising for a country with a severely declining birth rate. But maybe now it is other factors influencing it than the love/want of children
brother thanks you summed it up perfectly I mean the feels you get while watching this masterpiece of story telling is undeserved unexpected and all around a joy to experience thanks for not being afraid to express emotions and just keeping it real in letting the tears row
father just wants that weekly money, he does not love or care for kotaro
Dude imagine being a man going through PPD… if you couldn’t find resources on “traditional” PPD, imagine the other side. People pretend like dads can’t have a hard time. Speaking personally.
Male PPD is psychological while female PPD is physiological. So for men, having support and someone to talk to usually resolves it pretty quickly and it’s not generally dangerous. And that is definitely important. Men should be supported far more through becoming fathers. But women’s PPD can turn into postpartum psychosis, cause drastic self and child neglect, be incredibly physically damaging (e.g. if it results in severe insomnia), and many times results in suicide if untreated. It is like an alien taking over your brain because it’s hormonal. It’s like a horrible sickness that you can’t recover from on your own.
God there's literally always one of you whenever women's issues are discussed.
@@moonbug7252 in most cases it’s hella annoying and he def couldve worded the beginning better BUT i think this is actually kind of important to mention as well, coulda done it w/o implying that it’s worse than women’s ppd doe