‘Kotaro Lives Alone‘ is a comedy coming-of-age anime streaming on Netflix. The show was developed by the Japanese animation studio Liden Films and based on the manga written by Mami Tsumura. The first season had a run of ten episodes.

Kotaro Satо̄ (Cherami Leigh) is a preschooler who introduces himself to his neighbor, aspiring manga artist Shin Karino (Michael Sinterniklaas). Soon, Karino realizes that Kotaro is by himself, hinting at a dark past. As an adult, he decides to help take care of the young boy with other neighbors including divorced Isamu Tamaru (Kayleigh McKee) and nightclub hostess Mizuki Akitomo (Stephanie Sheh) as well as lawyer Ayano Kobayashi (Heather Gonzalez) who delivers his allowance. They end up becoming a surrogate family to Kotaro and he ends up helping them in ways.

I did think the way the eyes were drawn, with two lines instead of circles, was a bit weird at times. That being said, the artists do a good job of making the characters show emotions, especially when they cringe. It was fun, especially when Karino would learn something about Kotaro and vice versa.

As for the story, it was very enduring. We get to see Kotaro go from being alone with no family to having one that can be eccentric. As we learn more about Kotaro’s past, we see how each neighbor becomes a part of his life, inspiring him to make new choices. There were a lot of tears, but also a lot of cheers during the show’s freshman season, but I enjoyed it a great deal and hope for more.

Check out the trailer below:

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Cartoonish violence, Minor foul language, Inappropriate humor, Intense topics

This review is based on the dub.

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