When Daikichi’s grandfather passes away, the family is in for a big surprise when they find 6-year-old Rin waiting at his home, his lovechild with a woman who does not appear to be in the picture. Daikichi takes it upon himself to raise the little girl, and thus starting a heartwarming story of what makes a family.
The first thing that is notable about Bunny Drop is that Daikichi isn’t forced to take Rin. His family is sitting around, saying “rehearsed” (as it sounds to Daikichi) reasons that they couldn’t possibly take in Rin. When the idea of sending her to some sort of institution is brought up, Daikichi has had enough and says he’s taking her home with him.
It’s so refreshing to not have a child forced on a man, but rather a man deciding to do what is right. The entire series is written from his perspective, and he considers things like how it will affect work, what he needs to do to get her in school, and other “womanly” tasks. The best thing is, however, that he also considers how hard it is for him, but how it’s just as hard for any working mother. Of course, this is written by a woman so it makes sense, but I appreciate her not making him a bumbling man but rather someone with kindness and understanding.
In many ways the series reminds me of storytelling style used in With the Light. It’s incredibly slice-of-life, but also carefully details those pieces of life that we don’t think to write about. The bathroom being scary, how do you enroll a child in elementary school, buy the trendy desk or the one that will last awhile? It’s these very real ideas that really pull in the reader and make her feel like she’s there, making these decisions as well.
If you enjoy domestic fiction, whether it’s illustrated or not, give this series a chance. It’s tender without being too cloying, fun without being frantic, and is really just a joy to read.
